The dedicated explorer of back roads must inevitably sooner or later, come to a ferry. Not the large and commodious vessel you queue up for and wait five hours for the privilege of boarding, but a small wooden contraption that is generally moored on the far side of the river you wish to cross. There are a number of these small ferries in British Columbia, getting fewer though, as routes improve, or, in the case of the Columbia River ferries, eliminated when dam builders flooded the entire route. These small ferry crossings make interesting diversions on a country trip but they can also be the cause of much inconvenience -- for which the ferrymen are sorry -- and some frustration for the traveler who may be unable to reach his destination due to the ferry being out of order.
There seems to be some reluctance on the part of the persons responsible to post warning signs -- Ferry Not Operating -- at the appropriate points and thus save the innocent a fruitless journey of perhaps thirty or forty miles. No doubt, in country districts, everybody knows these things and are able to arrange their movements to suit such impediments to travel, but it is most disconcerting to a stranger who has seen the ferry distinctly marked on his map, to find his chosen route closed to him.
Interruptions to ferry services seem to be unavoidable. A common cause in the interior is flooding, which can render crossings impossible at times on robust rivers such as the Fraser, Thompson and Skeena. I was caught that way myself once on the North Thompson, but accepted the situation cheerfully as I realized it was my partiality for back roads that led me into the trap. A warning sign at Barriere would have kept me on the Highway for Little Fort, my destination, but I chose the back road, a muddy, thirty mile trip with the ferry crossing at the end. Driving through flood water at several low spots I finally reached the ferry and saw the rustic skyline of Little Fort on the opposite side. But the ferry was unapproachable. The ramp was deep under water and there was no possibility of crossing until the river went down. . . |
