the odd encounter with bears

Growing up in Chilliwack.......................1955

We were finished school ...it was the end the end of June.....Graduation day is over....Its time to look for a job....I knew the Gas pipeline would be a major project in B.C...but that was not until next year....There was an office for Bechtel Co. in Chilliwack...that is a company that will be doing the surveying as well as other jobs that are connected to the pipeline project......It is a big deal....a lot of people will get work from that pipeline job....I was 17 and I wanted to get to work and make some serious money....I will give Bechtel a try.......I went into the office and must have caught them on a good day.....They needed someone to complete a survey crew up in the Coquihalla River area.....okay.....I felt really lucky......the right place at the right time...Do you like working in the bush?.....ya...ya...ya.....I can't believe I'm going to get this job....We were to be paid by the month.....it was a job that they expected done.......Go in the woods with a crew of 7 and stay there a few weeks until it was done.....then out a few days and back to work on another route.The pay was good...about $500 a month...tramping up a river and setting up camp every day.....Hey what a great experience........Most of the crew was up at the Coquihalla Lake Fish Camp.............The Lil-Joe Lodge it was called.........I was driven to Hope.......stayed in a motel....then the next day a railroad guy took me up the tracks on a speeder....those little gas powered putt putts they use for railway maintenance....He was a friendly guy and readily answered all the questions I was firing at him....The speeder zipped along sending its echo sounding putt putt out across that huge valley.....that country looked so big and we must have looked like a small noisy bug spitting along the railroad tracks........ We had to get off the line twice......that was a tricky maneuver......a short set of tracks butting near the rail line...a lift and a twist....the speeder was off......then wait for the train to go flying by a few feet away from our noses...... Mr. friendly was always looking at his watch...I was glad about that ....
We get to the lodge and we find out the crew were up the Coldwater River....Joe told Mrs. Joe who then told Mr. Friendly to take me 1 mile to the Coldwater River bridge and there would be a crew member waiting at the river......Now Mr.Joe, the lodge owner, was an interesting guy..... He had a pipe in his throat....his throat was a pipe.....a medical device inserted because of whatever......when he talked he roared.....Mrs. Joe (Lillian) could understand him, and decoded the message.....that was very memorable.....I had no idea what he was roaring......Anyway...away we putt putt our way up tracks to the river......Sitting by the side of the bridge is an Indian man...he introduces himself as Peter, he is also waiting to join the crew, he has just come from the lodge as well....Okay...thanks Mr. Friendly.......he leaves ......we hear the putt putt echo all the way back to the lake.......After a few hi how are ya's....I head to the bridge for a look down into the water.....Man it is beautiful around there.....the river is super clear..... a big creek would describe it better.....hey ...I can see a fish.... there is large fish laying in shallow water under the bridge....hey Pete....have a look....so he does.....Oh...a Dolly ...that's a Dolly Varden....hmmm a good one....that guy is about 6 or 7 pounds....Oh yeah....look at that.....and look at this Pete...here is a pike pole laying along the tracks......so there is...he grins at me.......lets see that thing........I go over and pick it up.......that's a dandy deal Pete, ya think you can get that big bugger.......He takes the pole and lays down on the bridge, reaching down as far as possible. Yep, yep, he is trying to get the point over the fishes head.......The fish is not alarmed, and that has me stumped. Pete even touched the big guy and it just moved over.....he should have moved out because Pete nailed that guy right behind the head, then held him down until he was expired......he then worked it over and out and up....We had a big fish....ok now what, Pete......We'll give him to the work train......there was a couple of caboosy railway cars just a ways back down the tracks.......a work train....they live there...... a railroad crew...so we quickly ran it back and gave it to the cook...he was delighted....great...we quickly returned to the bridge..... we wait a few hours and one of the guys comes walking out of the woods.....His name is Frank and he is the cook...... I remember he was about 5' 2" tall.......built like a little prizefighter... He talks a lot and there is no lack of conversation.......so I guess we are the camp set-up-movers and off we go into the woods, mostly following the river upstream.....it is not to bad going as there are game trails to follow....man it is beautiful here...after two miles we come to a camp setup...... I guess we are replacing a couple of guys....or they did all this themselves....I dunno.....but here we are anyway...... The tents have to be set up and the camp organized, that is Pete's territory and we do what he says....so far so good, these guys are going to be cool to work with...
There were a few different survey lines being considered for laying the pipe.....Our crew consisted of a boss and his assistant....they figured out the surveying part...with the instruments etc . A couple of guys with them to hack the line and mark it with tape ...they were the smart part of the crew......now there were the 3 of us on the camp end of it......Pete, the big native guy for the woodsy part ....he knew all about the camp set up ...he was the guy with the outdoors experience....then the yappy cook type guy......then me......I helped all these people....my main job was to help with the camp.....relocating it every day...not cooking though.....Frank did all of that..... at about 7 pm the 4 front guys roll in......the surveyor and three university students......hey, how are ya ....yadda yadda.....Ron the surveyor guy has kaki pants, kaki shirt and a Indiana Jones hat.....he looks like a surveyor.....he is about 35.......the 3 guys are in there early 20s.....
We moved the camp everyday...two trips...it was hot, hard work, packing over the deadfalls and logs ....there were lots of no see umms and mosquitoes, and deerflies.....geez they can take a piece of meat right outta your arm.......we had the odd encounter with bears....well...bear poop.....sometimes it was still warm...I did not pick it up and put it to my cheek....but Pete said it was warm and fresh, I took his word for it.....and he wisely said... if you come across a bear....get out of my way........ Well...no bears happened...I like no bears............I had a hand line and some hooks and tackle with me....just in case.....there were lots of really nice looking fishing spots in that wilderness....no go...but I could fish for a while after camp was set up.....and I did.....I managed enough Rainbows and a few Dollies for a feed. Once , while packing.....I came across a large pool with some bigger fish in it....this was in July.......the pool was hard to get at ...kind of a swampy area....I don't know what they were...still don't...it has me puzzled.....I recall red on them...and they were all over 5 lbs.....that has always bugged me...what were they....I wish I could have had a better look..... Spawning Steelhead? Spring Salmon?......I dunno.... maybe. One day in August the crew came back early......Razz, one of the line cutters had cut his hand....he really whacked it with a machete......they did all the medical work they could ......Ron said ...Razz has to go out....to go to a Doctor in Hope and get it attended to...and quickly.......someone has to go out with him.....
....Guess who....so we round up the stuff we need to get out with.....it was five or six miles....Oh joy.....the wound was bleeding off and on...we took lots of bandages.....we used them all.....it was kind of hairy....and also it was getting late......that was a tough walk, we had to dress that hand and try our best to keep the bleeding to a minimum.....it got dark....damn.....that was worrisome ......I lit matches to deal with the dressing, geez what a mean gash....we stayed with the river and bumped our way in the dark for a mile......that was not fun......wow.......a high stress level and Razz had to hold his hand out of the way of branches and keep from slipping and falling.....man, was I glad to see the tracks.....what a relief....the work cars were less than 1/2 mile now...we were okay......The first aid man worked on Razz......dressed his hand properly and cleaned him up ....good news... there was a passenger train coming in the morning..... Mr. First Aid had someone radio it to stop.......We had a few hours sleep, then the train picked us up and in an hour or so we were in Hope.....Razz went to the Doc....I said goodbye and left for home......that was it ...they never called me back ...the job was over for now.......there was not much else doing so I decided to go back to school.
On a beautiful day a few weeks into September....... I was in the Twin Peaks after school with some friends .... Hey...there is Ron having coffee....howsit goin ...good, howsit with you......Hey........
do you want to go back to work?.....( here comes one of my dumber deeds) .....geez I'm going to school....Oh...to bad.....well ...it's there if you want it.....thanks I uhh...geez...I guess I am going to school..... ok...hey take it easy....yeah....Bye.
DUM DUM DUM.........why did I let that go?...I left school at the end of October ...Nertz...I could have gone to work....I goofed ... 1955 was one of the meanest winters ever...It started cold and snow on the 11th of November and went through until February.... I only worked at a few short crappy jobs until April........Then I started in on the 30 inch natural gas line that was being laid in the valley.... that was a good thing