The large, black wolf stood on the road right at the Sprague Bay campsite.
Was it a descendant of the one from years ago, at Federated Co-op’s logging camp at Wood Arm on Kinbasket Lake?
My buddy and I had just pulled into the campsite for a few days of angling on that very big body of water. As the wolf’s yellow, piecing eyes stared, I thought back to when we were falling big timber on snowshoes, Lorne and I from Canyon Creek logging. We first spotted the black wolf as she patiently sat. The cold morning sun glistening off her coat. At day’s end, we always left a sandwich or two for our friend on a fresh cut stump.
Each morning, despite the roar of the skidder bringing us to our falling spot, she would be there. Soon she followed us into camp where she ate with the camp dog. A beautiful animal.
When the camp closed for break-up, and the Mica Dawn/Mica Mist crew boats had left, with the last of the loggers for Red Rock harbour, we heard two large grizzlies took over the camp. In late May, we decided to check the bears out. On arriving at Wood Arm camp, we first found a set of black ears, then a tail of what was once our wolf. She had come down to investigate, only to be shot by hunters who mutilated her.
I met Lorne on the street in Revelstoke on our return. He had tears in his eyes, remembering our patient wolf of the snows of Mica.
It’s 194 kilometres of breath taking scenery and majestic mountains to Sprague Bay behind Mica Dam. Mount Dianard/Mount Molson to the north in the Rockies. Fred Laing Ridge is in the Selkirks. Campers said they have never, in 25 years, seen the reservoir so low. Although it is coming up 10 feet per week, it will only be half full by summer. Snow only lays in some lofty peaks.
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BC Hydro, has let a large runoff early into the Revelstoke reservoir which is full at present. Despite low water levels, for those who like to see some pretty good fishing for both rainbows and Dollies to 10 lbs., it’s the place to be, including magnificent scenery. The kokanee are plentiful on worm/wedding ring, but small to 6- to 8- inches. Rainbows we caught to 6 lbs were on silver/white grey-green Lyman plugs trolled at 2.8 kilometres.
It was difficult to head to Wood Arm because of low water levels, so we couldn’t get off Jumpin Jack Creek, on the way where the big Dollies hang out.
We also logged at Red Rock harbour and up the lake one very cold winter, when the wolves came across on the ice. They were very hard on the moose population. But that’s another story.
I left to go up the lake early before work each cold morning, to help control the wolf population to a reasonable number. There was always a very large black alpha male leading one pack of of five. Could he have been the granddad of the Sprague Bay wolf?
@SalmonArm
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