Tikwalus Heritage Trail, Fraser Canyon, BC

At the Tikwalus Trail Head

Around us the cedars towered so high their tops were lost in the canopy that blocked the midday sun. We sat in the coolness on a bench constructed from logs. In front of us an information sign had been posted detailing the history of this portion of the trail. The "Lake House" it read, once the site of a cabin that had been used as a resting stop for gold miners trekking through the Fraser Canyon in search of their fortunes. Up on the rise across the little stream was a level spot with a pile of stones at one end. This was the place where the cabin had stood and the stones were remnants of a fireplace. Who would think to put a cabin here in such a remote a spot? In those days I suppose all these places were remote, This one maybe not so much, situated on what was a major route in 1858 and a good source of water about a 100m away in a small lake, hence the name. The story also told of a native girl who had seen her spirit bear around here. A white bear that emerged from the forest and vanished. She tried to follow it but did not see it again. This place is eerie, steeped in history, a sacred place to natives but ancient even before they discovered it.

The Chief Pahallak Viewpoint

Behind us the trail stretched back about 4km to the Trans Canada Highway, not far from the old Alexandra Lodge. The trail goes up a few stairs and then crosses a nice footbridge that had been built by the Hope Mountain Centre volunteers. From there it rises steeply into the forest. Information signs along the way offer a reason to stop periodically and get your breath back.

Ace Doubles F-145

Serial Number: F-145

Published: 1962, Ace Books.

List Price: 40 cents

Condition: Very good. Very good cover condition. Pages are tight to spine. No creasing on spine. Handwriting on first page and water stain on top corner.







The Seed of Earth - Robert Silverberg

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky

Next Stop The Stars - Robert Silverberg

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky













Next Stop the Stars contains the following short stories by the same author:

1. Slaves of the Star Giants - Copyright 1956 by Royal Publications Inc.
2. The Songs of Summer - Copyright 1956 by Columbia Publications Inc.
3. Hopper - Copyright 1956 by Royal Publications Inc.
4. Blaze of Glory - Copyright 1957 by Galaxy Publishing Corp.
5. Warm Man - Copyright 1957 by Fantasy House Inc.

The Seed of Earth is dedicated to Robert Bloch

NOTE:  The spine is a pink and blue color as opposed to the normal white and blue for this series.

Ace Doubles D-421

Serial Number: D-421

Published: 1960, Ace Books. Paperback Original

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Very good. Very good cover condition. Pages are tight to spine but do not want to bend them back fully. Very little creasing on the spine.

Dr. Futurity - Philip K. Dick

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky

Slavers of Space - John Brunner

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Hiking Plans for 2015

Overlooking Yale, BC en route to the Spirit Caves

The plan for this year is to get in several hikes in various locations. Due to my operation last year I was unable to do any hiking until a hike down to Eaton Falls near Grande Cache toward the end of the summer. Considering a year ago today I went under the knife for my surgery for a perforated bowel, I am thankful that I am at the point I can consider doing some serious hiking this year!
I am in the process of building a group of people that would be interested in doing some of this hiking as I believe there is of course safety in numbers and since our encounter with the grizzly bear a couple of years ago I am reluctant to hike alone or even as a family. This may seem a little absurd to some but it is still the state of mind we are in.

So planning for 2015 I have the following routes in mind:

• Eaton Falls in Grande Cache day hike
• Grande Mountain in Grande Cache day hike
• Mt. Hamell in Grande Cache day hike
• Stearn High Country Loop 2 day backpack
• Wells Gray Provincial Park day hikes
• Spirit Caves in the Fraser Canyon day hike
• Tikwalus Trail in the Fraser Canyon overnight backpack
• Monkman Trail to Monkman Lake in Tumbler Ridge, 7 day backpacking trip

We have begun training already, mainly indoor track work at the Eastlink Centre and I have made

At the foot of Lightning Ridge, Grande Cache

one bicycle ride into work this year already, which is about an 8km one way ride. This has started to get the leg muscles built up. I still have a good size scar down my abdomen from the operation and have been slowly building up those muscles with crunches. The shorter day hikes at the beginning of the year should help me gauge how much I can handle leading up to the final Monkman Trail expedition which we are planning for September 5.

Ace Doubles D-509

Serial Number: D-509

Published: 1961, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Very good cover condition. Pages are tight to spine but do not want to bend them back fully.

The Beast Master - Andre Norton

Cover Art: Ed Valigursky








Star Hunter - Andre Norton

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Ace Doubles D-507

Serial Number: D-507

Published: 1961, Ace Books.

List Price: 35 cents

Condition: Readable. Very good cover condition but they are weak at the spine. Pages are very tight to spine.

Meeting At Infinity - John Brunner

Cover Art: John Schoenherr









Beyond the Silver Sky - Kenneth Bulmer

Cover Art: Emsh (Ed Emshwiller)

Notes in the Margin

One of the aspects of collecting anything is the perceived assumption that the thing being collected should be in some type of pristine condition to make it more attractive. Though this is true to some degree, I do not always hold true to that ideal. In fact one of the things I enjoy about my collection of Sci Fi books and a few magazines is imagining what they were like in their new condition as they sat on a shelf somewhere waiting to be purchased. I imagine the kid many decades ago looking at the ads in the magazine or comic and wondering about if those things for sale were really as cool as depicted and wonder how many times someone may have decided to part with their money and take a chance. So I was pleasently surprised to find some handwritten notes in the margin of a November 1959 edition of Astounding Science Fiction that I bought this weekend at the Fort Langley antiques mall. It also ties into being a long time fan of the Canadian Football League. These notes were written on the exact date of November 26, 1983 and for some reason the author decided to jot down that he had made a $25.00 bet on the BC Lions to win the Grey Cup the next day. I thought it was strange that the person would choose a 1959 copy of Astounding Science Fiction to make this note. Further to this revelation the author also revealed that they had never placed a bet on the Lions before. Of course my interest was piqued so I immediately looked up the results and saw that BC had actually lost the 1983 Grey Cup to the Toronto Argonauts. However as I was flipping again through the magazine I saw the person had made notes the next day that they had lost the money.

So what would make a person right a note to self in a magazine I wonder? Was it a note to future readers? A moment caught in time inspired by the fact they were reading a science fiction magazine? Do you have any opinions or perhaps you were the one who made the note!