block sani station. Park by the large restroomarea. Do not Advice: Parking Spences Bridge the turnoff is on the left. on therighthand side.If arriving from The turnoff for Skihist campground is 6 kmtowardsSpences Bridge on1. Hwy drive Lytton From downtown approx. S The Cariboo Wagon Road Restrictions: Restrictions: and Information Access Overall Terrain: Overall Difficulty: 2 meters Accuracy: Provinicial Park Ownership: 121°30.543' W N 50°15.173' Location: Geocache B.C. Lytton, Nearest Community: ite www.goldtrail.com For moresite pages go to: email: [email protected] Tel: 1-877-453-9467 V0K 1H0 Cache Creek, BC., PO. Box933 Gold CountryCommunities Society problem withthissite please contact: For moreinformationor toreport a

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Code: GC3P9CM Rod Smith by Researched and Written then onto Cook’s Ferry(Spence’s Bridge), beforereaching toLytton, road would navigate throughtheFraser Canyon Yale toBarkerville,covering adistanceof400miles. This proposed building an 18 foot widewagon trailroadfrom loads ofheavy suppliesup river. In1862, Douglas however,noneweresuitableforcarrying Fraser Canyon; wallsof the ofexistingtrailstraversed thesteep A series Another route hadto be found. bars alongtheFraserRiverfromLytton. Yaleto did notsupporttheneedto thegoldbearingsand access toshipgoodsand andcumbersome route becametoocostly time. Theoveralllengthwas100miles.Over time this sections wideenough tosupport wagons inabout amonth’s Port Douglas (Harrison Lake) andLillooetwithonly some constructionof completed th to of 500men Lillooet. Acompany waterways the seriesof to upgrade andbuildThe taskwas short trails connecting Harrison Lakeusingtrailsand route from PortDouglaslocated attheNorthend of James Douglas,focusedhisattentionon afinding another In 1858,GovernoroftheCrown Colony British Columbia, allowed travelbetweenfrom Fo in 1858.Another Huds Fort Kamloops toFortYale, butthissystem wasabandoned had Company used atrailsystemfrom The Hudson’sBay about four monthsofthe year duetosnow. throughout to the interior.Travelingthesetrailswaslimited who usedthem totravel FirstNationPeople createdby mostly were of thesetrails over mountains, alongcanyons andthrough valleys. Most a seriesofnarrowtrailstraversing British Columbia was Prior to1861, theonly link to theCariboo GoldFields of

Rails & Trails on’s Bay trailstill activeatthattime on’s Bay Skihist between villageslocated e mule /wagontrailbetween a chainoflakestoLillooet. rt Kamloops andFort Hope.

Photo: GCCS Barkerville. The new road was built in sections by various contractors for varying amounts of money and completed in fall of 1865. Narrow and in places hazardous, this new roadway made its way along the steep cliffs of the Fraser Canyon. Even with this liability, this new wagon road allowed stagecoaches and freight wagons from Vancouver to access the B.C. Interior / Cariboo regions. Part of this historic wagon road was preserved by the Provincial Government when the Skihist Provincial Park was established in 1956. This became an overnight stopping point for visitors travelling to and from the interior of B.C. on Highway 1. Skihist, named after Skihist Mountain located near the southern boundary of the Stein Valley, lies approximately 20 kilometers west of Lytton. The name comes from a Thompson Indian name that can be translated as 'great crack between rocks' or 'split rock.' This fine mountain was where the young First Nation people went to train for guardian spirit power.

As you are exploring this 150 year old road, take the time to imagine a BX Stagecoach down this 18 foot path. Picture this wagon loaded with supplies and people on a journey to the wilds of the Cariboo Gold Fields.

BIBLIOGRAPHY & SOURCES http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/skihist/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraser_Canyon_Gold_Rush

Letterboxing Clues: From restroom area follow trail on the left of outhouse for 60m. Turn left onto paved road and follow for 24m. Look for small pine trees on the left. Located at base of young fir.