September 4, 2021
After another leisurely night on the shores of Anahim Lake and after our first RV Sanidump Experience (thankfully without any drama), we set out on an eastern, return drive on Highway 20. Just after the tiny community of Tatla Lake, we turned south on Tatlayoko Late Road and after a 35 km drive, we arrived at the Tatlayoko Lake Recreational site. This was to be our home for the next two nights.
The campsite is located at the north end of the aquamarine glacial lake and was the former site of a large sawmill. There isn’t much evidence of the mill but a large, old conveyor belt has been repurposed as a walkway around the site. There is a cairn located in the park commemorating the pioneers who came to the valley to carve out a living ranching and farming. Reading the plaques takes you back to a remote and simpler time.
The valley itself is very scenic with the lush green land and lake protected by the craggy peaks of the mountains.
We soon discovered why folks come to this out-of-the-way place. Each morning we saw fishermen dotting the lake in their boats but by mid-morning, the boats were safely ashore and the windsurfers were out taking advantage of the howling winds that sweep from the high peaks and across the lake. We met windsurfers from Kamloops that have been coming to the Tatlayoko for many years and the consistent winds never disappoint.
While we didn’t bring out bicycles, there are trails that can be ridden on bikes or on horseback. We were told there were outfitters in the valley that can take you to the top of the Potato Mountains to the east and from the top of the ridge a person can look at Tatlayoko on one side and the much larger Chilko Lake on the other. Perhaps another time.
Our first night was a bit of a challenge as the locals had gathered in large numbers to celebrate the life of a pioneer that had passed. The party was very loud and as one participant commented, “the music ends with the window passes out”. Thankfully I had my earplugs with me. Apparently, the window had a high tolerance for alcohol and a lot of stamina.
Our second day was one of leisure around the campsite and a drive on an old logging road to the southern end of the lake. It really struck us how truly driven the local pioneers must have been to carve such a life from the wilderness.
