Alkali Lake Ranch

Alkali Lake Ranch

The Valley of the waving bunch grass

(All photos courtesy of Liz Twan)

Table at Bowies

It was late spring. Mr. Mike (my boyfriend at the time, now husband)  and I had spent the spring calving out heifers at the ‘pink Palace’ named after an old single wide trailer that was pink in color and housed pack rats year round. Only  cowboys brave or cold enough to go in and warm up  waiting for a heifer to calve would venture in. I was not brave, but I was always cold so I claimed the spot by the electric heater as mine.

Historically it was the Moore Ranch owned by the Moore family in the late 1800’s early 1900’s before they sold and it became part of what is know as Alkali Lake Ranch today. The original timber frameMoore barn still sits along side the Dog Creek Road today.

It was one of our first days riding out from the pink palace since calving time started and we were excited to be getting a change in scenery. We were headed up out of the valley bottom and across the top pastures and down towards the mighty Fraser River where the Hereford cows calved.

It was a crisp spring morning as the sun crested the ridge, it was that sweet smell of spring, earth and trees. a Sunny blue bird kind of day was guaranteeded.

After a breather at the top of the Moore road for the horses we headed west at a long trot, through the large pastures of native bunch grasses. After about 45mins We slowed up on a ridge before we descended into Bowes pasture. Looking out over the Fraser River it was a field of Gold. The Balsam roots were in full bloom, covering the hill in all their glory. Red and white cow calf pairs speckled the grass below us. nestled along a spring was an old log cabin and a little two stall log barn. Built by one of the original homesteaders in the area Alfred Bowe and his family. As our horses breathing returned to normal I sat there in awe and Glory and thought to myself ‘This is what heaven is’.

I wonder now if the original settlers Herman Otto Bowie and John Moore had a similiar thought back in 1858 when they established Alkali lake Ranch. Also known as ‘Paradise valley’ or ‘the valley of the waving bunch grass’ it was originally a  ‘stopping house’ along the Fraser River trail that made its way through the Cariboo and up to the gold fields for those adventurers who had Gold Fever.

Sitting 50 kms southwest of Williams lake on Dog Creek road Alkali Lake Ranch is the oldest ranch in BC’s history. Consisting of 37,000 deeded acres of semi desert with sage brush, cactus and bunch grass, settled along the Fraser River. With hoodoos, steep terrain and rolling hills. Their crown lease consisting of 200,000 acres of more trees and varied terrain.

The original Horse Barn still in use today

Everywhere you look you are reminded of the cowboys and settlers that were there before you. Working hard to make a living and grow a ranch that would stand the test of time.

The barn built in 1891 is still standing and in use today. We would saddle up every morning each in our assigned tie stall. A tradition of the cowboys that worked there over the years was to carve their initials or brand on their assigned stall or above the tack room door or any beam with a free space on it before they left and headed to another ranch to work. So many handy cowboys before me. And here I was, one of very few women (1 of 8) in the history of the ranch (1856-2016) collecting a pay check on the cowboy crew.

Gathering at Winegard corrals

One of the more famous trails at Alkali and most heavily used trails is the front pasture trail. It’s a steep and shaley traverse climb out of the valley bottom and up to the plateau of bunch grass pastures headed towards the Fraser River. We would line out one by one our horses would jump up and over a trail punched through a rock and start our ascent up. Stopping at least two times on the way up to give our horses a breather and then finally at the top where we reached a view stretching up and down the valley overlooking the ranch, Esket reserve and Alkaki lake. As cowboys start a tradition over the years it’s the little things that make you proud to be a cowboy and carry it on. On that front pasture trail was a rock worn out to resemble a bowl. It was tradition in your time there on the crew when riding through out your days if you found a unique stone to pick it up drop it in that rock bowl the next time you made your way up front pasture.

In my time there the bulls were wintered down along the river with the mild climate that Alkali brings. Sitting just under 2000ft above  sea level it’s a mild enough climate that you can grow watermelon along the River.  there was plenty of grass and they wintered well. Below China mountain flows China springs also the pasture given its name during the gold rush when the Chinese settlers came and were placer mining along the Fraser River. There were still remnants of their rock houses  when we were there. A ‘drop box’ still hides under the grass with a worn lid you can lift to an empty hole that at some point housed mail and supplies to the settlers.

Climbing down along the River Evidence of their time there lay among the banks of a kilometre or so of washed rocks from their sluice boxes. (A usually wooden trough with riffles used in placed gold mining, to catch the gold and let the other material wash through)

Branding trap at Winegard corrals

If we timed it just right come spring cacti would be blossoming their pink and yellow flowers. We would sit and have lunch in the shade under a tree next to China springs and after a sandwich Mikes gold fever would kick in and he would swish a little gravel around in the water and maybe find some color.

Alkali has seen many owners, cowboys, farmers, employees and lovers of the valley alike over the years. We didn’t get to stay there for near as long as we would’ve liked. But to be able to have spent even a bit of time among the golden grass slopes with the lazy cross cows and a good 24 (two four) branded horse for has been one of the great honors of my life.