The Tulameen district of British Columbia hosts some of the great legends of British Columbia's pioneer years. Prospectors sluicing for gold found heavy grey nuggets in their sluice boxes. Some threw it back into the river where others are reputed to have collected the then worthless metal in sacks and left them in the forest. Now worth close to $1,000 per ounce, platinum is one of the most sought after metals in the world.

And to make your trip even more spectacular, this region is known for it's Grizzly Bear population. Lying just north of Manning Park, the region has had a grizzly bear enhancement program active for a number of years. There is a good chance of spotting one of these animals in the subalpine of the upper valleys.

The Tulameen awoke in 1885 with the discovery of gold in the local creeks. The miners also found a heavy white metal that most discarded. The story of Swede Johansson's 20 pound bucket of platinum collected from miners in 1892 and left in the bush is one of the most enduring and plausible legends in BC mining history. The Tulameen is one of only two rivers in the world where significant platinum occurs with he second being the Amur River in Russia. A gold nugget of over 4 pounds was also found in the camp. Later, coal of economic grade and quantity supported a thriving industry supplying fuel to the railroads and smelters.

The Tulameen lies about one and a half hours by highway from Kelowna. Our backroads route will take approximately 3 hours to get there through logging highways, cottage country and along the historic KVR railway bed.

The Chain Lakes Valley was selected as the route for the Kettle Valley Railway from Princeton. This valley and backroad is maintained to highway standards in by highways contractors is a little know alternate route to the central Okanagan for travelers from the Vancouver. The 3 lakes of the valley are popular summer cabin and retirement locales reputed for excellent fishing and wildlife spotting. Eagles are common in the valley as are deer and the occasional moose.

The town of Princeton, once known as Vermilion Falls has had a history of boom and bust. In the last couple of decades, the town has lost key industries but has gained significantly as a retirement and emerging artistic center. With the construction of the Coquihalla Highway in 1986, the town lost a significant portion of their traffic as the main route to the southern interior from Vancouver. In the early 1990's, Copper Mountain, the main industrial employer shut for the last time as a victim of low copper prices and dwindling reserves.

The twisting road along the Tulameen River passes through an area of significant mining history. All but the most subtle evidence is left as this area experiences significant rainfall compared to other areas especially in the Okanagan that is spared the natural and effective reclamation of a temperate, wet environment. The townsite of Coalmont stands essentially as a ghost town after being abandoned in the late 1940's

During the Granite Creek gold rush of the 1880's, Tulameen became a meeting place for prospectors. It had a number of stores, 2 hotels, a saloon and post office. It was originally known as Otter Flats but in 1901, Tulameen was adopted as it's official name. It was expected to become a major center in the region but never reach that status.

Situated just south of Tulameen, Granite Creek was once claimed as being the third largest community in B.C. The Gold Rush of 1885 attracted hundreds of miners and at its peak, the town claimed three dozen businesses and over 2000 residents. When the gold declined so did the city and by the turn of the century it was reduced to a ghost town.

The 1920's were good years for both Coalmont and the new town of Balkemurn until an explosion in 1930 killed 45 men. Production at the mine slowed considerably until 1940 when No. 5 mine, the last, closed for good.

Our route from Tulameen continues up the Tulameen River. Thick forest obscures our view of most of the river course but a stop at a site of a former damsite that was used to create head for placer gold hydraulic operations downstream shows the erosion of the country rock that was the original host for the gold and platinum. The gravels of the streambed collected the heavy metals in low spots and under boulders where the most productive returns could be found. Depending on water levels at the time of our visit, we drive onto the steam bed to see the black sands of magnetite and potentially gold and platinum.

We travel into the depths of the Cascade Mountain range to the end of the road at Treasure Mountain. This local is well known in geological circles as a site that hosts a wide range of mineral specimens. The host volcanic rocks are rich in gold, copper, lead, zinc and iron.

Some of the minerals found here are rare and include zinkenite, bournonite, native silver, pyrargyrite and argentite. Quartz crystals are of collector quality.

Our return to Kelowna can be via a number of different route depending on time and group spirit. All host a wide range of scenery, wildlife and adventure.

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