WEBVTT Kind: captions Language: en-GB 00:00:07.880 --> 00:00:10.190 I'm Travis Bader, and this is The 00:00:10.190 --> 00:00:11.360 Silvercore Podcast. 00:00:12.980 --> 00:00:14.810 Join me as I discuss matters related to 00:00:14.810 --> 00:00:16.880 hunting, fishing, and outdoor pursuits 00:00:17.120 --> 00:00:19.050 with the people in businesses that comprise 00:00:19.050 --> 00:00:19.700 of the community. 00:00:20.540 --> 00:00:22.430 If you're a new to Silvercore, be sure to 00:00:22.430 --> 00:00:26.660 check out our website, www.Silvercore.ca where 00:00:26.660 --> 00:00:28.970 you can learn more about courses, services, and 00:00:28.970 --> 00:00:30.049 products that we offer. 00:00:30.410 --> 00:00:32.390 As well as how you can join The Silvercore Club 00:00:32.629 --> 00:00:34.820 which includes 10 million in North America wide 00:00:34.820 --> 00:00:37.430 liability insurance to ensure you are properly 00:00:37.430 --> 00:00:39.379 covered during your outdoor adventures. 00:00:43.260 --> 00:00:45.449 If you really want to get deep into the back 00:00:45.449 --> 00:00:47.970 country to explore areas that see little 00:00:47.970 --> 00:00:50.640 to no hunting or fishing pressure, a jet 00:00:50.640 --> 00:00:52.800 boat can unlock that pristine wilderness. 00:00:53.570 --> 00:00:55.830 This podcast was recorded on the side of a river 00:00:56.190 --> 00:00:58.980 instead of thunder jet aluminum boat with expert 00:00:58.980 --> 00:01:00.460 operator, Robert Bryce. 00:01:01.110 --> 00:01:03.209 Robert provides important tips and tricks 00:01:03.209 --> 00:01:05.310 and insight that can help you get to your dream 00:01:05.310 --> 00:01:07.170 location and back safely. 00:01:11.009 --> 00:01:12.360 So I'm sitting down on the side of the 00:01:12.360 --> 00:01:15.330 beautiful Skeena River, just outside a historic 00:01:15.330 --> 00:01:19.589 19 hundreds ghost town with Robert Bryce on his 00:01:19.619 --> 00:01:21.210 thunder jet jet boat. 00:01:21.600 --> 00:01:23.669 Robert, welcome to Silvercore Podcast. 00:01:23.729 --> 00:01:24.839 Oh, thanks a lot, Travis. 00:01:25.205 --> 00:01:26.475 You've got an interesting history, 00:01:26.625 --> 00:01:29.115 you teach and help out at the University 00:01:29.115 --> 00:01:30.315 of BC don't you? 00:01:30.435 --> 00:01:32.565 University of Northern BC, I should say. 00:01:32.675 --> 00:01:34.475 Yeah, university of Northern BC with 00:01:34.475 --> 00:01:36.435 our campus based out of Prince George. 00:01:36.435 --> 00:01:38.735 And yeah, we encompass the whole Northern half 00:01:38.735 --> 00:01:40.985 of the province and we're fortunate to have 00:01:41.345 --> 00:01:43.355 a campus in Terrace, which I work out of. 00:01:44.130 --> 00:01:46.259 You also have your own tourism business? 00:01:46.530 --> 00:01:49.820 Yeah, so I have a little touring jet boat business 00:01:49.820 --> 00:01:51.679 called Northern BC Jet Boat Tours, which 00:01:51.679 --> 00:01:54.020 I actually contract myself in a sense to the 00:01:54.020 --> 00:01:56.090 university for a series of adventure tours. 00:01:56.090 --> 00:01:58.449 And then also do a bunch of other jet 00:01:58.449 --> 00:02:00.080 boat touring on my own. 00:02:00.530 --> 00:02:02.060 So when you take people out on these 00:02:02.060 --> 00:02:04.070 jet boat tours, what exactly are you doing? 00:02:04.580 --> 00:02:06.500 A lot of them are focused on kind of a little 00:02:06.500 --> 00:02:09.470 niche based unique tours focused on Northwest BC. 00:02:09.735 --> 00:02:11.625 So, you know, one of the highlights that I 00:02:11.625 --> 00:02:14.285 think we have is a series of ghost town tour's. 00:02:14.305 --> 00:02:16.245 We're fortunate enough to have five or six, 00:02:16.245 --> 00:02:19.125 kind of unique and almost exclusive ghost towns 00:02:19.125 --> 00:02:20.925 in this area, so that would be one of them. 00:02:21.195 --> 00:02:22.935 Grizzly bear viewing, so, you know, we have 00:02:22.935 --> 00:02:25.845 lots of coastal rivers here in estuaries and 00:02:25.975 --> 00:02:27.795 that with grizzly bears in them and some really 00:02:27.795 --> 00:02:28.905 healthy populations. 00:02:28.905 --> 00:02:31.575 So we can go out and watch, you know, grizzly 00:02:31.575 --> 00:02:33.675 bears from the safety of a boat and makes 00:02:33.675 --> 00:02:36.775 everyone feel comfortable and yeah, other stuff 00:02:36.775 --> 00:02:38.425 for this area, we have, canneries tours. 00:02:38.445 --> 00:02:40.665 We're so we have a long history of a 00:02:40.665 --> 00:02:42.915 salmon canneries on the base of the mouth 00:02:42.915 --> 00:02:43.815 of the Skeena River. 00:02:44.475 --> 00:02:45.975 So we'll go and look at those and talk all 00:02:45.975 --> 00:02:47.475 about the history and look at the remnants 00:02:47.475 --> 00:02:49.315 that still remain, you know, from that late 00:02:49.335 --> 00:02:51.285 1800, early 1900 days. 00:02:51.735 --> 00:02:54.015 We also have the Skeena River, which we're 00:02:54.015 --> 00:02:55.035 sitting on right now. 00:02:55.035 --> 00:02:57.825 And we do a tour, a five day tour down the Skeena 00:02:57.825 --> 00:03:00.195 River and looking at all of the history and 00:03:00.195 --> 00:03:02.700 scenery and wildlife, you know, staying 00:03:02.700 --> 00:03:04.590 at accommodations on the edge each night. 00:03:04.590 --> 00:03:06.390 So that's definitely one of the highlights, 00:03:06.390 --> 00:03:07.890 especially on a nice day like today, you 00:03:07.890 --> 00:03:09.630 know, where it's nice and sunny out. 00:03:09.630 --> 00:03:13.560 And yeah, a series of other rivers with 00:03:13.560 --> 00:03:16.200 waterfalls and, you know, ecology culture, you 00:03:16.200 --> 00:03:17.609 know whale watching even. 00:03:17.820 --> 00:03:19.109 You know, kind of just kind of looking at what 00:03:19.109 --> 00:03:21.329 we have in Northwest BC, what other people might 00:03:21.329 --> 00:03:24.280 want to see and take them out to see these 00:03:24.300 --> 00:03:25.019 things and experience. 00:03:25.550 --> 00:03:26.900 Can I get a shameless plugin? 00:03:26.930 --> 00:03:28.910 Like if people wanted to experience this, 00:03:29.880 --> 00:03:30.730 where were they go? 00:03:30.730 --> 00:03:31.090 Where would were they? 00:03:31.109 --> 00:03:32.760 Yeah, I have a website it's 00:03:33.019 --> 00:03:37.470 www.NorthernBCJetBoatTours.ca, or they can just Google 00:03:37.470 --> 00:03:40.140 that and my Facebook site will come up as well and 00:03:40.230 --> 00:03:43.829 info@northernbcjetboattours.ca and send me a note and 00:03:43.829 --> 00:03:47.359 yeah, we can customize any tour for whoever. 00:03:47.500 --> 00:03:49.485 Get multiple boats out there and just 00:03:49.485 --> 00:03:50.875 depending on what people's interests are, 00:03:50.875 --> 00:03:52.734 if they're interested in scenery, wildlife, 00:03:53.005 --> 00:03:55.045 culture, history, or a combination, we 00:03:55.045 --> 00:03:56.825 can definitely set something up for 'em. 00:03:57.105 --> 00:03:59.355 And you teach jet boating out of the 00:03:59.355 --> 00:04:00.375 university don't you? 00:04:00.495 --> 00:04:00.765 Yeah. 00:04:00.765 --> 00:04:02.775 I mean, I dunno if I necessarily teach the 00:04:02.775 --> 00:04:04.395 course, we have an instructor that teaches 00:04:04.395 --> 00:04:06.225 it, but I definitely help out and assist 00:04:06.225 --> 00:04:06.975 with the course. 00:04:07.245 --> 00:04:09.105 So yeah we're fortunate enough to have the 00:04:09.105 --> 00:04:11.380 flexibility to kind of run almost anything 00:04:11.380 --> 00:04:12.970 and everything out of our continuing studies 00:04:12.970 --> 00:04:15.280 department that I work for and jet boat 00:04:15.280 --> 00:04:16.300 safety is one of them. 00:04:16.300 --> 00:04:19.119 And yeah, we do a lot of courses for ministries, 00:04:19.119 --> 00:04:21.610 like the department of fisheries, lots 00:04:21.610 --> 00:04:23.260 of the first nation communities and their 00:04:23.260 --> 00:04:25.630 fishery programs, fishery consultants, biologists. 00:04:26.090 --> 00:04:27.710 You know, it's just a program or a course it's 00:04:27.710 --> 00:04:28.790 really not out there. 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:30.620 And a lot of people are tasked with sending 00:04:30.620 --> 00:04:33.170 their staff out to run a jet boat and, you know, 00:04:33.170 --> 00:04:34.730 unless they're doing that training internally, 00:04:34.730 --> 00:04:36.500 they have to have some sort of training at 00:04:36.500 --> 00:04:38.000 least to cover them off. 00:04:38.000 --> 00:04:40.880 And so we have a one day class in one day on the 00:04:40.880 --> 00:04:43.010 river jet boat course where people are actually 00:04:43.010 --> 00:04:45.140 driving the boats and myself and our main 00:04:45.140 --> 00:04:47.910 instructor will be out there with the students 00:04:47.910 --> 00:04:50.210 and giving them all the stuff that we know 00:04:50.210 --> 00:04:52.875 we can share with them to run a boat safely. 00:04:52.875 --> 00:04:55.604 And you know this course is for people who want 00:04:55.604 --> 00:04:58.215 to run a boat safely, not for Cowboys or guys who 00:04:58.215 --> 00:04:59.474 want to jump gravel bars. 00:04:59.474 --> 00:05:00.705 And you know, if that's your thing, 00:05:00.705 --> 00:05:02.234 then this course probably isn't for you. 00:05:02.234 --> 00:05:04.434 But if you want to be, you know, we treat it 00:05:04.434 --> 00:05:06.705 like being a captain of a boat or a ship and 00:05:06.705 --> 00:05:08.354 you're responsible for those people, whether 00:05:08.354 --> 00:05:10.815 they're staff members or family or whoever, 00:05:11.025 --> 00:05:12.674 getting them back safely at the end of the day. 00:05:12.674 --> 00:05:14.505 And that for us is the most important thing 00:05:14.505 --> 00:05:16.034 is that they're putting their trust in you. 00:05:16.515 --> 00:05:19.185 And here's all the tips we know of and, you 00:05:19.185 --> 00:05:19.995 know, being cautious. 00:05:19.995 --> 00:05:21.345 So that's, you know, the one thing we're 00:05:21.345 --> 00:05:23.145 not, you know, running rivers, we've never 00:05:23.145 --> 00:05:24.945 run before and if we are we're scouting 00:05:24.945 --> 00:05:27.075 them and pre scouting and stuff like that. 00:05:27.075 --> 00:05:29.355 So it's a lot of safety stuff. 00:05:29.355 --> 00:05:30.945 And like I said, that's the kind of 00:05:30.945 --> 00:05:34.155 the foremost thing we focused on in the course. 00:05:34.265 --> 00:05:36.245 So I guess jumping up gravel bars would be 00:05:36.245 --> 00:05:37.025 level two would it? 00:05:37.055 --> 00:05:38.015 Yeah, level two. 00:05:38.015 --> 00:05:40.115 And yeah, we call them the Cowboys and you know, 00:05:40.115 --> 00:05:41.825 these guys who have the sporty boats and yeah, 00:05:41.825 --> 00:05:44.195 it looks fun to me, but, you know, I value my boat 00:05:44.195 --> 00:05:45.215 a little bit more maybe. 00:05:45.215 --> 00:05:47.400 And some of these other guys are, you know, 00:05:47.460 --> 00:05:50.280 they got money to burn and the impellers to 00:05:50.280 --> 00:05:52.760 burn, you know, kind of gravel continually, and, 00:05:53.090 --> 00:05:55.340 you know, a boat like this might be $3,000 00:05:55.340 --> 00:05:56.690 to redo the impellers. 00:05:56.690 --> 00:05:57.950 And some of those guys they'll do that, 00:05:58.010 --> 00:05:59.280 you know, two or three times a year. 00:05:59.349 --> 00:05:59.580 Woah. 00:05:59.580 --> 00:06:01.099 You know, they're pumping more gravel out of their 00:06:01.099 --> 00:06:02.150 boat than they are water. 00:06:02.150 --> 00:06:04.640 And so to each their own if that's their 00:06:04.640 --> 00:06:07.740 thing, but you know, our couse and what we do is 00:06:07.900 --> 00:06:11.450 more tourism focused on running some, some 00:06:11.450 --> 00:06:14.060 nice rivers, but doing it safely and yeah. 00:06:14.535 --> 00:06:16.995 So I've always wanted a jet boat. 00:06:17.625 --> 00:06:21.135 I've got an aluminum boat that I take out 00:06:21.135 --> 00:06:23.235 into the Georgia Strait and do some fishing in, 00:06:23.235 --> 00:06:25.005 but I've wanted the jet boat so I can get into 00:06:25.005 --> 00:06:27.465 the shallower areas and hunting in the lower 00:06:27.465 --> 00:06:29.715 mainland and taken up some of our rivers. 00:06:30.435 --> 00:06:33.045 For somebody who's never owned or operated a jet 00:06:33.045 --> 00:06:35.625 boat before, what are some considerations that 00:06:35.625 --> 00:06:38.355 I should be thinking about maybe in purchasing 00:06:38.385 --> 00:06:39.855 and once I have one? 00:06:40.455 --> 00:06:41.985 Well, I mean, I always tell people, what do you 00:06:41.985 --> 00:06:43.425 think you're going to be doing with this boat? 00:06:43.425 --> 00:06:45.525 Cause one boat will not serve all your needs. 00:06:45.525 --> 00:06:47.235 You know, we're on a big boat here that can run, 00:06:47.235 --> 00:06:48.885 you know, decent sized rivers and go out on 00:06:48.885 --> 00:06:51.675 the ocean, but it will not run skinny rivers 00:06:51.675 --> 00:06:53.625 where lots of boulders and shallow areas. 00:06:53.625 --> 00:06:55.425 So you have to decide where are you going 00:06:55.425 --> 00:06:56.865 to be running your boat and pick a boat 00:06:56.865 --> 00:06:57.875 for that application. 00:06:58.215 --> 00:07:00.405 And also within your budget as well, I 00:07:00.405 --> 00:07:02.910 mean, money's always an issue as well. 00:07:02.910 --> 00:07:04.230 So I always tell people, where are you 00:07:04.230 --> 00:07:05.610 going to be running your boat primarily? 00:07:05.730 --> 00:07:07.350 How many people are going to be going in your boat? 00:07:07.380 --> 00:07:08.580 That'll decide how much power you 00:07:08.580 --> 00:07:09.180 need for that boat. 00:07:09.180 --> 00:07:11.220 Is it just you and your wife, or are you a hunter 00:07:11.220 --> 00:07:12.940 that's going to get that thousand pounds moose 00:07:12.950 --> 00:07:14.510 and want to carry it out to some remote river? 00:07:14.510 --> 00:07:16.370 Well you need more horsepower for that 00:07:16.370 --> 00:07:18.650 and a bigger pump and so you know, are you 00:07:18.650 --> 00:07:20.330 doing fisheries work out of the back of it? 00:07:20.330 --> 00:07:21.680 Do you want a motor sitting in the back 00:07:21.680 --> 00:07:22.760 or do you want an outboard motor? 00:07:22.760 --> 00:07:24.530 If you're doing fisheries work and having a 00:07:24.530 --> 00:07:26.500 big platform at the back of your boat? 00:07:26.830 --> 00:07:29.295 So it just really depends on what 00:07:29.295 --> 00:07:30.615 you're going to be using that boat for. 00:07:30.625 --> 00:07:32.515 Then once people have decided that, we help 00:07:32.535 --> 00:07:34.305 people kind of narrow it down to the type 00:07:34.305 --> 00:07:35.355 and size and length. 00:07:35.355 --> 00:07:37.555 And you know, what kind of V on the bottom, is it 00:07:37.575 --> 00:07:40.935 flat bottom, does it have a good V for running in 00:07:41.205 --> 00:07:43.215 bigger water and oceans and lakes and that. 00:07:43.215 --> 00:07:44.775 If you're just running your boat out in the lake 00:07:44.775 --> 00:07:47.195 then yeah, you don't need a flat bottom boat that's 00:07:47.225 --> 00:07:48.915 going to pound your kidneys all day long. 00:07:48.915 --> 00:07:52.185 So there's lots of options out there between 00:07:52.185 --> 00:07:54.875 types and sizes of motors and lengths and yeah, 00:07:55.349 --> 00:07:56.370 it's almost endless. 00:07:56.370 --> 00:07:59.370 Then you have inflatable boats, you know, 00:07:59.370 --> 00:08:00.690 so that's one thing that's kind of getting 00:08:00.690 --> 00:08:03.590 more popular now is a inflatable jet boat. 00:08:03.590 --> 00:08:06.150 So something that's a bit more portable and 00:08:06.419 --> 00:08:08.190 you can move them around, deflate them, put them 00:08:08.190 --> 00:08:09.180 inside another boat. 00:08:09.180 --> 00:08:10.980 So yeah, lots of options. 00:08:11.510 --> 00:08:12.310 Oh I like that idea. 00:08:12.359 --> 00:08:12.750 Yeah. 00:08:12.780 --> 00:08:13.919 So just like an outboard jet? 00:08:14.425 --> 00:08:15.335 Yeah, an outboard jet. 00:08:16.005 --> 00:08:19.195 You know, I have another small jet boat that 00:08:19.225 --> 00:08:21.635 it's a two-stroke motor that you can actually, 00:08:21.755 --> 00:08:23.865 one or two guys can actually carry the motor. 00:08:23.885 --> 00:08:25.595 So I can put it in a bigger jet boat like 00:08:25.595 --> 00:08:27.845 this, I can put the inflatable in a bigger 00:08:27.845 --> 00:08:28.685 jet boat like this. 00:08:28.685 --> 00:08:31.205 So I basically have two boats in one and then use 00:08:31.205 --> 00:08:33.005 the big boat to access areas that you wouldn't 00:08:33.005 --> 00:08:36.005 normally get to and push the small one off and 00:08:36.005 --> 00:08:39.185 put the small two-stroke jet motor on and access 00:08:39.185 --> 00:08:42.145 small creeks out in the ocean that you wouldn't 00:08:42.164 --> 00:08:44.174 normally run a small jet boat like that out there. 00:08:44.174 --> 00:08:47.574 But having the big one for the transportation. 00:08:47.595 --> 00:08:49.515 So yeah, lots of options. 00:08:49.515 --> 00:08:53.585 I'm not a hunter but I know guys love to hunt 00:08:53.585 --> 00:08:55.575 and putting an ATV on the back of your boat 00:08:55.575 --> 00:08:57.165 is something that a lot of hunters would 00:08:57.165 --> 00:08:59.355 probably like and I've done that with this boat. 00:08:59.535 --> 00:09:01.695 A little platform built on here, some ramps and 00:09:01.695 --> 00:09:04.935 load up that ATV, and you can go push that off on 00:09:05.695 --> 00:09:08.915 some bar where they've logged out in some ocean 00:09:08.915 --> 00:09:12.065 Valley or Creek and run that ATV up there and 00:09:12.065 --> 00:09:13.955 be probably one of the only people hunting up 00:09:13.985 --> 00:09:15.005 there with your ATV. 00:09:15.055 --> 00:09:15.845 Now that's cool. 00:09:15.995 --> 00:09:18.155 So yeah, it just depends on what you want to 00:09:18.155 --> 00:09:19.155 use that boat for. 00:09:19.155 --> 00:09:22.825 And it's almost endless to be honest and just 00:09:22.825 --> 00:09:24.885 know the limitations of the boat you're getting. 00:09:24.985 --> 00:09:29.035 Now you recently did a trip in this boat I 00:09:29.035 --> 00:09:29.995 think it was, wasn't it? 00:09:30.205 --> 00:09:30.505 Yeah. 00:09:30.745 --> 00:09:31.855 Can you tell me a little bit about it? 00:09:31.855 --> 00:09:32.965 You started talking about it, but I 00:09:32.965 --> 00:09:33.685 asked you to save it. 00:09:34.035 --> 00:09:34.395 Yeah. 00:09:34.395 --> 00:09:38.115 So I love to fish and with COVID this year, 00:09:38.115 --> 00:09:39.795 one of the things that happened was a couple 00:09:39.795 --> 00:09:41.685 of lodges on the lower Dean River, which is 00:09:41.685 --> 00:09:43.485 probably the premier steelhead river in the 00:09:43.485 --> 00:09:44.835 province were shut down. 00:09:44.835 --> 00:09:47.385 And that gave us an opportunity to go down 00:09:47.385 --> 00:09:49.545 there and fish a river that basically nobody 00:09:49.545 --> 00:09:51.015 is going to be on none of the clients, no 00:09:51.015 --> 00:09:52.645 guides, nothing on there. 00:09:52.645 --> 00:09:55.275 So something you wouldn't think about is taking 00:09:55.275 --> 00:09:58.005 a jet boat nine hours to a river to go fish, 00:09:58.035 --> 00:10:00.255 but we decided to do it, mostly inland 00:10:00.255 --> 00:10:02.775 ocean water, and ended up being pretty calm. 00:10:02.775 --> 00:10:04.995 But nine hours of jet boating to get to a 00:10:04.995 --> 00:10:07.065 river that really only has three kilometers 00:10:07.065 --> 00:10:08.715 of jet boatable water and then there's a big 00:10:08.745 --> 00:10:11.835 Canyon, but primarily, we had that river to 00:10:11.835 --> 00:10:14.535 ourselves fishing it for five days and then jet 00:10:14.535 --> 00:10:16.695 boated back to Kitimat. 00:10:16.695 --> 00:10:19.290 So from Kitimat to the Dean River, six 00:10:19.290 --> 00:10:21.600 hours to Shearwater, gassed up at Shearwater 00:10:21.870 --> 00:10:23.370 and that's about the extent of the limit 00:10:23.370 --> 00:10:24.689 of this boat for gas. 00:10:24.689 --> 00:10:26.850 So six hours, seven hours of running time. 00:10:27.560 --> 00:10:30.080 We did bring some extra gas cans with us just for 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.400 safety purposes and then yeah, gassed up and three 00:10:34.400 --> 00:10:36.290 hours into the Dean, three hours back, that 00:10:36.290 --> 00:10:39.250 was another full tank and then six hours back. 00:10:39.530 --> 00:10:42.410 So yeah, it ended up being about 18, 19 hours 00:10:42.410 --> 00:10:45.775 in total of boating that we did there and back. 00:10:45.835 --> 00:10:48.915 But beautiful trip, lots of fish and one of 00:10:48.915 --> 00:10:51.675 those trips of a lifetime that you won't forget. 00:10:51.824 --> 00:10:52.564 No kidding. 00:10:52.775 --> 00:10:54.215 Was it the first time you've taken it out on 00:10:54.215 --> 00:10:54.974 the ocean like that? 00:10:55.305 --> 00:10:58.145 That far, I mean I've done two and three hour, 00:10:58.145 --> 00:10:59.285 one way ocean trips. 00:10:59.285 --> 00:11:01.625 So, you know, never really more than a 00:11:01.625 --> 00:11:03.135 full tank on the boat. 00:11:03.155 --> 00:11:04.775 So that was definitely the furthest I've done 00:11:04.775 --> 00:11:07.515 it, but I've been out in areas similar, in similar 00:11:07.515 --> 00:11:09.814 areas that, coming in from Bella Coola 00:11:09.814 --> 00:11:10.805 or out from Kitimat. 00:11:10.805 --> 00:11:14.084 So there was only maybe a couple hours I'd never 00:11:14.084 --> 00:11:15.525 been on in that stretch. 00:11:15.525 --> 00:11:17.564 So I was fairly familiar with the water and 00:11:17.564 --> 00:11:19.675 I knew that, fairly protected, there's no 00:11:19.694 --> 00:11:21.905 open water that you're going to hit and all 00:11:21.905 --> 00:11:23.124 the safety precautions. 00:11:23.124 --> 00:11:25.515 We got a radio satellite phone and everything. 00:11:25.515 --> 00:11:28.995 If something did happen, we were set up for 00:11:29.324 --> 00:11:30.915 pretty much anything that could happen. 00:11:31.405 --> 00:11:35.435 Now I saw something on, I think it was Tourism 00:11:35.435 --> 00:11:38.105 BC, they did a video and you were in it. 00:11:38.615 --> 00:11:38.915 Yeah. 00:11:39.035 --> 00:11:41.135 And that was talking about the ghost towns. 00:11:41.580 --> 00:11:43.020 Yeah, that's something that's kind of 00:11:43.020 --> 00:11:43.860 unique to this area. 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:46.080 And one of my passions definitely is, we're 00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:48.330 fortunate here to have five or six different 00:11:48.330 --> 00:11:50.270 kind of ghost towns, all resource towns. 00:11:50.270 --> 00:11:52.470 So, you know, BC is really a resource town, 00:11:52.470 --> 00:11:53.550 we extract resources. 00:11:53.550 --> 00:11:55.740 So all these ghost towns once provided a resource. 00:11:55.740 --> 00:11:57.960 So there are a lot of them are mining towns. 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:00.420 Kitsault, that was a Molybdenum mine shut 00:12:00.420 --> 00:12:02.760 down in 1982 as a full community there 00:12:02.760 --> 00:12:05.175 with mall shopping centers, swimming 00:12:05.175 --> 00:12:07.175 pools, movie, theaters, apartments, everything. 00:12:07.515 --> 00:12:10.365 We kind of have exclusive access to bring tours 00:12:10.365 --> 00:12:11.205 and guests in there. 00:12:11.205 --> 00:12:12.915 Another one called Alice Arm, silver mining 00:12:12.915 --> 00:12:14.025 town, another resource. 00:12:14.324 --> 00:12:16.585 Another one, half hour away by boat is Anyox, 00:12:16.605 --> 00:12:18.285 probably one of the most interesting ones was a 00:12:18.285 --> 00:12:21.375 copper mining town in the early 1900's that 00:12:21.375 --> 00:12:22.545 had everything there. 00:12:22.905 --> 00:12:25.455 You know, had Canada's largest dam at one time, 00:12:25.455 --> 00:12:27.594 which is still standing there, big concrete dam, 00:12:27.615 --> 00:12:30.175 which is in the middle of nowhere, so impressive. 00:12:30.194 --> 00:12:34.295 And then, Port Essington is a salmon cannery down 00:12:34.295 --> 00:12:35.175 in the lower Skeena. 00:12:35.234 --> 00:12:37.665 Dorreen, another mining and agricultural 00:12:37.665 --> 00:12:38.715 town that we're actually fairly 00:12:38.715 --> 00:12:39.705 close to right now. 00:12:40.035 --> 00:12:41.175 Yeah then there's some other ones up 00:12:41.175 --> 00:12:42.465 in the mountain, some other mining towns. 00:12:42.465 --> 00:12:44.715 So all resource based ghost towns that, you 00:12:44.715 --> 00:12:45.465 know, it's typical. 00:12:45.465 --> 00:12:48.675 We go in, we set up shop, extract a resource 00:12:48.675 --> 00:12:50.845 and when the resource is depleted, we move on 00:12:51.204 --> 00:12:53.185 and whatever remains, remains in these towns. 00:12:53.205 --> 00:12:55.589 A few people remain sometimes and but yeah, 00:12:55.589 --> 00:12:58.289 a lot of these now are totally abandoned or 00:12:58.689 --> 00:13:00.660 a few people may have taken up a summer home or 00:13:00.660 --> 00:13:01.800 cottage in these places. 00:13:01.800 --> 00:13:04.900 So yeah, we're lucky enough to have that and 00:13:04.989 --> 00:13:06.660 it's really surprising the number of people 00:13:06.660 --> 00:13:09.420 I know that have this passion for ghost towns 00:13:09.420 --> 00:13:11.040 and history, especially in the province. 00:13:11.390 --> 00:13:13.670 So this one that was, I guess, became a ghost 00:13:13.670 --> 00:13:15.050 town in the eighties there you said it's 00:13:15.050 --> 00:13:17.329 got movie theaters or a movie theater 00:13:17.329 --> 00:13:19.275 and apartments and. 00:13:19.425 --> 00:13:22.305 Yeah, it was only open for a year and a half. 00:13:22.305 --> 00:13:25.305 So the American company came in and built a 00:13:25.305 --> 00:13:26.355 whole community there. 00:13:26.355 --> 00:13:29.084 There's I think 200, no, 100 houses, 00:13:29.115 --> 00:13:31.905 there's seven apartment buildings, a swimming 00:13:31.905 --> 00:13:34.074 pool, library, school. 00:13:35.964 --> 00:13:37.965 There's just all kinds of stuff there, there's 00:13:37.975 --> 00:13:40.395 a curling rink up there, a pub, a couple of 00:13:40.395 --> 00:13:43.995 restaurants, post office, a Sears, the Royal Bank. 00:13:44.265 --> 00:13:45.935 Yeah, just everything in this town. 00:13:45.935 --> 00:13:47.945 And it's basically a time capsule going back 00:13:47.945 --> 00:13:49.895 to the eighties that, those of you that are 00:13:49.895 --> 00:13:51.485 familiar with that, the old harvest gold 00:13:51.485 --> 00:13:53.915 appliances and that, and you know, all the 00:13:53.915 --> 00:13:56.195 houses have these big ashtrays in them still. 00:13:56.195 --> 00:13:58.865 And you know, it is really going back in time 00:13:58.865 --> 00:14:00.785 and brings back a lot of memories from growing up 00:14:00.785 --> 00:14:03.425 and seeing these things that, you know, as a kid. 00:14:03.635 --> 00:14:05.495 So if somebody came on one of your tours, 00:14:05.495 --> 00:14:07.505 they'd be able to see one of these places 00:14:07.505 --> 00:14:08.345 or maybe a couple? 00:14:08.435 --> 00:14:10.465 Yeah, one, two, three, we've done multiple 00:14:10.465 --> 00:14:13.525 trips where we'll go to all five, but over 00:14:13.525 --> 00:14:15.295 two or two or three days, you can see three 00:14:15.295 --> 00:14:15.985 of them definitely. 00:14:15.985 --> 00:14:18.235 I just came back from one here a couple of 00:14:18.235 --> 00:14:20.235 days ago and yeah, we take interested people 00:14:20.235 --> 00:14:23.465 into these places and they're all mostly 00:14:23.465 --> 00:14:24.385 privately owned. 00:14:24.385 --> 00:14:26.275 So it's, you know, or you need a permit to get 00:14:26.275 --> 00:14:27.265 into to some of them. 00:14:27.265 --> 00:14:30.780 So they are challenging to get to. 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:33.310 Ocean stuff, a lot of driving and weather, 00:14:33.329 --> 00:14:35.400 stuff like that and then when you get there, we 00:14:35.400 --> 00:14:37.500 actually have the option of staying in three of 00:14:37.500 --> 00:14:38.400 them as well overnight. 00:14:38.400 --> 00:14:40.530 So we provide accommodations in three 00:14:40.530 --> 00:14:41.189 of the ghost towns. 00:14:41.189 --> 00:14:42.449 You actually get to overnight in these 00:14:42.449 --> 00:14:43.180 places you know. 00:14:43.180 --> 00:14:43.290 Oh wow. 00:14:43.290 --> 00:14:45.660 Sometimes we're the only people there in 00:14:45.660 --> 00:14:48.300 these towns and you hear creaking and noises 00:14:48.300 --> 00:14:51.540 and other stuff, but yeah, it's quite unique. 00:14:51.825 --> 00:14:53.745 So, do you research other ghost towns 00:14:53.875 --> 00:14:56.805 throughout BC, or are you primarily interested in 00:14:56.835 --> 00:14:57.885 the ones in this area? 00:14:57.995 --> 00:14:59.255 Primarily these ones. 00:14:59.255 --> 00:15:01.235 I do have an interest, some more of the 00:15:01.235 --> 00:15:04.785 coastal ones, down the coast, Butedale, 00:15:04.805 --> 00:15:06.705 Ocean Falls, and Namu. 00:15:07.160 --> 00:15:10.300 There's actually quite a few ghost towns, even 00:15:10.300 --> 00:15:12.290 Alaska, you know, just for personal interest 00:15:12.290 --> 00:15:14.750 up in the panhandle, has a ton of canneries up 00:15:14.750 --> 00:15:16.790 there that I know and have read a lot about. 00:15:16.790 --> 00:15:18.560 It'd be interesting to go up and visit them. 00:15:18.560 --> 00:15:20.420 And a lot of them are fairly intact as well. 00:15:20.810 --> 00:15:22.040 Yeah, especially when you know a little bit of 00:15:22.040 --> 00:15:23.800 the history about all of them in the stories in 00:15:23.800 --> 00:15:26.720 that they kind of come to life that way so yeah. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.120 It's but yeah, primarily Northwest BC is what 00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:31.590 my passion is now, but that being said, if I 00:15:31.590 --> 00:15:33.240 see a ghost town, when I'm traveling somewhere, 00:15:33.240 --> 00:15:35.460 I'll definitely try and get in and visit it. 00:15:36.020 --> 00:15:38.450 Now I heard about, I think it was a 00:15:38.510 --> 00:15:39.740 Difenbaker's Bunkers. 00:15:39.740 --> 00:15:40.850 Have you heard anything about this one? 00:15:40.880 --> 00:15:42.200 No, I'm not familiar with those. 00:15:42.230 --> 00:15:44.630 I heard there was some military and abandoned 00:15:44.660 --> 00:15:47.630 military base, and I figured if anyone knew 00:15:47.630 --> 00:15:49.580 about this sort of stuff, it would be the guy who 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:50.960 researches ghost towns. 00:15:51.050 --> 00:15:51.290 Yeah. 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:52.970 I mean, we have some military stuff here. 00:15:52.970 --> 00:15:54.920 The mouth of the Skeena River, Prince Rupert, 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:57.960 you know, during the war we had, there's some 00:15:57.960 --> 00:16:00.500 pill boxes and other stuff at the mouth of 00:16:00.500 --> 00:16:02.700 the Prince Rupert Harbor that were all armed. 00:16:02.970 --> 00:16:05.190 We had nets going across the Harbor, you know, 00:16:05.190 --> 00:16:07.200 thinking the Japanese subs were going to come 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:09.270 in and torpedo our, I don't know what we 00:16:09.270 --> 00:16:10.980 had there for fishing boats or whatever. 00:16:10.980 --> 00:16:12.930 We had a train that went up and down the 00:16:12.930 --> 00:16:15.720 Skeena twice a day that was an armourment train 00:16:16.020 --> 00:16:18.540 with guns sticking out of it and, you 00:16:18.540 --> 00:16:19.410 know, full of armor. 00:16:19.410 --> 00:16:20.730 And this thing would make, I think a trip 00:16:20.730 --> 00:16:21.750 in the middle of the night and one in the 00:16:21.750 --> 00:16:24.480 day looking for Japanese subs, it entered the 00:16:24.480 --> 00:16:26.280 mouth of the Skeena or boats coming up. 00:16:26.280 --> 00:16:28.920 So yeah, we ran this military train, which 00:16:28.920 --> 00:16:30.630 is, a lot of photos and stories about 00:16:30.630 --> 00:16:32.070 that one going up and down the Skeena. 00:16:32.070 --> 00:16:33.900 So, you know, we do have a little bit of war 00:16:33.900 --> 00:16:36.900 history and in that, even in this area as well. 00:16:37.010 --> 00:16:37.820 That is so cool. 00:16:38.210 --> 00:16:39.890 And then of course fishing. 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:40.670 Yeah. 00:16:40.690 --> 00:16:41.760 You take people out fishing? 00:16:42.060 --> 00:16:43.170 Yeah, another thing I do. 00:16:43.170 --> 00:16:45.000 Do some fish guiding on the side, which I love 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:47.700 to do, take people out and yeah, hopefully get 00:16:48.050 --> 00:16:50.920 them into some fish and experience the rivers 00:16:50.940 --> 00:16:52.860 that we have in this area which are just endless, 00:16:53.160 --> 00:16:54.600 you know, we have the Skeena the second 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:57.180 largest river in the province here and so many 00:16:57.180 --> 00:16:58.320 tributaries off that. 00:16:58.320 --> 00:17:01.230 And so many access points in Northwest BC here for 00:17:01.650 --> 00:17:04.329 accessing the ocean and then small tributaries 00:17:04.350 --> 00:17:06.390 and rivers off that, that are all different 00:17:06.390 --> 00:17:07.980 in their own way with different species and 00:17:07.980 --> 00:17:10.050 timing and yeah, with all the different 00:17:10.260 --> 00:17:11.010 fish that we have. 00:17:11.010 --> 00:17:13.200 So it really is just a fisherman's paradise 00:17:13.200 --> 00:17:14.850 up here for that. 00:17:14.850 --> 00:17:17.210 And we can start fishing well, pretty much year 00:17:17.210 --> 00:17:19.470 round for steelhead here, but some of the 00:17:19.490 --> 00:17:21.980 salmon show up in late April and we'll go into 00:17:21.980 --> 00:17:24.410 November and in between that period, it's 00:17:24.410 --> 00:17:26.510 just one species after another and different 00:17:26.510 --> 00:17:29.230 timing between all the systems that we have. 00:17:29.775 --> 00:17:31.335 So, if we go back to jet boarding a little 00:17:31.335 --> 00:17:33.315 bit, you can access some pretty remote 00:17:33.315 --> 00:17:34.635 areas with a jet boat. 00:17:34.925 --> 00:17:36.455 Oh yeah, they are, I mean the places you 00:17:36.455 --> 00:17:39.135 can get with a jet boat here, it's just, 00:17:39.245 --> 00:17:40.385 it really is endless. 00:17:40.385 --> 00:17:43.075 And I'm always looking on Google Earth for 00:17:43.075 --> 00:17:45.605 new places that I can get into with my boats. 00:17:45.605 --> 00:17:47.735 And especially these new inflatables with 00:17:47.745 --> 00:17:50.735 the small jets that you go to places that are 00:17:50.735 --> 00:17:53.345 otherwise helicopter accessible only. 00:17:53.345 --> 00:17:54.635 And even some of those, there's nowhere 00:17:54.635 --> 00:17:56.165 to land on some of these small creeks. 00:17:56.165 --> 00:17:57.935 And it's really opened up some of 00:17:57.935 --> 00:18:00.480 the systems here and we're fortunate enough 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:03.000 to have a number of tributaries, especially 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:04.540 on the Skeena that have never been logged. 00:18:04.540 --> 00:18:07.250 So logging is also a big thing up here and, 00:18:07.540 --> 00:18:09.840 but we do have some tributaries where yeah, 00:18:09.840 --> 00:18:12.210 there is no logging, no industry, nothing up 00:18:12.210 --> 00:18:14.070 these places they are totally pristine and 00:18:14.070 --> 00:18:16.090 you can take a jet boat, you know, 30 kilometres 00:18:16.110 --> 00:18:16.740 up some of them. 00:18:17.260 --> 00:18:19.260 There's even a couple, I think I went up one 00:18:19.260 --> 00:18:21.030 this year that was probably in the 80, 00:18:21.030 --> 00:18:22.230 90 kilometre range. 00:18:22.230 --> 00:18:25.080 I went up 65 with this boat and then probably 00:18:25.080 --> 00:18:27.330 another 30 with a small inflatable after that. 00:18:27.720 --> 00:18:31.080 It almost from the Skeena Valley over to 00:18:31.080 --> 00:18:32.060 the Douglas Channel. 00:18:32.439 --> 00:18:34.310 It's hard to, if you don't have a map in front 00:18:34.310 --> 00:18:36.229 of you, but yeah, it's just, like I said, the 00:18:36.229 --> 00:18:38.120 possibilities are endless here with the number 00:18:38.120 --> 00:18:39.350 of tributaries we have. 00:18:39.350 --> 00:18:41.810 And just, you know, the technology today with 00:18:41.810 --> 00:18:43.909 these jet boats and the tunnels and how flat 00:18:43.909 --> 00:18:46.520 they are and plastic and everything that they're 00:18:46.520 --> 00:18:47.360 putting into them. 00:18:47.360 --> 00:18:49.939 And you wait for a little bump of water on some 00:18:49.939 --> 00:18:51.199 of these, you know, a little bit of rain 00:18:51.199 --> 00:18:53.419 or pressure, and you can go into spots that 00:18:53.689 --> 00:18:55.279 you'd otherwise never be able to get into. 00:18:55.809 --> 00:18:58.860 So talking about the training course and 00:18:59.070 --> 00:19:01.530 is that something that's open to only 00:19:01.530 --> 00:19:02.550 you and BC students? 00:19:02.550 --> 00:19:04.290 Or can somebody just sign up for that one 00:19:04.290 --> 00:19:05.170 particular course? 00:19:05.420 --> 00:19:07.820 No, it is primarily for people in the community. 00:19:08.090 --> 00:19:09.500 So, you know, I would say people that are 00:19:09.500 --> 00:19:11.239 new to jet boating that aren't that familiar 00:19:11.239 --> 00:19:13.969 with it, want to get some experience on it, 00:19:13.969 --> 00:19:16.080 some tips and tricks and that before they get out. 00:19:16.080 --> 00:19:17.429 Maybe they're even looking at it, buying 00:19:17.429 --> 00:19:18.120 a new jet boat. 00:19:18.120 --> 00:19:20.780 And we have usually five or six jet boats there, 00:19:20.780 --> 00:19:21.840 different sizes, types. 00:19:21.840 --> 00:19:23.429 They get to see all the different brands 00:19:23.429 --> 00:19:25.740 and types and sport jets and V8's, and 00:19:25.979 --> 00:19:28.620 outboards and all the different pumps and 00:19:28.620 --> 00:19:31.469 Hamiltons, and you know, it's American turbine. 00:19:31.469 --> 00:19:32.790 There's just so many different options. 00:19:32.790 --> 00:19:34.199 So they'll actually get a good feel for 00:19:34.199 --> 00:19:34.879 what's out there. 00:19:35.259 --> 00:19:37.110 So that's probably one audience and then the 00:19:37.110 --> 00:19:41.929 other is the, kind of that working kind of 00:19:41.929 --> 00:19:45.915 DFO, BC conservation officers, you know, 00:19:45.915 --> 00:19:48.735 fisheries, technicians and biologists, they're 00:19:48.755 --> 00:19:49.785 a big audience as well. 00:19:49.785 --> 00:19:52.585 So they'll come out and take that to kind of 00:19:52.585 --> 00:19:56.895 I guess tick off that Worksafe BC, they need 00:19:56.895 --> 00:19:59.045 some sort of training and Worksafe nowadays 00:19:59.045 --> 00:20:00.990 is, if there's not a course out there, you 00:20:00.990 --> 00:20:01.860 have to do something. 00:20:01.860 --> 00:20:03.240 Whether it's, you know, training your staff 00:20:03.240 --> 00:20:05.720 internally or taking the next available best 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:06.560 course that's out there. 00:20:06.560 --> 00:20:09.280 So this usually ticks off that box, in 00:20:09.310 --> 00:20:11.340 combination with more training from someone 00:20:11.340 --> 00:20:12.630 in the company, they're not just going to let 00:20:12.630 --> 00:20:15.690 them loose on a big 50, 60, 100,000 dollar boat. 00:20:15.720 --> 00:20:16.920 But at least it gets them started. 00:20:16.920 --> 00:20:19.200 And so that would primarily be our market 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:21.210 for that course and yet very popular. 00:20:21.510 --> 00:20:24.780 Like I said, just a wide range of people 00:20:24.780 --> 00:20:27.300 that have taken that and lots of good things to 00:20:27.300 --> 00:20:29.610 say about it that, they get out there and kind 00:20:29.610 --> 00:20:30.480 of get this mindset. 00:20:30.480 --> 00:20:33.450 And they're still things today for myself who 00:20:33.450 --> 00:20:35.160 am out there almost every day it seems. 00:20:35.160 --> 00:20:36.810 Jet boating, I still think of the things 00:20:36.810 --> 00:20:40.389 that we learned in that course that, I still 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:43.820 hold true where to run a boat and going out 00:20:43.820 --> 00:20:47.070 and checking rivers and levels and walking 00:20:47.070 --> 00:20:49.110 them prior to going out there and running 00:20:49.110 --> 00:20:49.800 it with your boat. 00:20:49.800 --> 00:20:52.040 Like just, especially if I have guests on board 00:20:52.040 --> 00:20:54.420 that like, Oh yeah and that in the course, we 00:20:54.420 --> 00:20:56.750 do this, we do this, we do this and, it 00:20:56.750 --> 00:20:57.800 all comes back to you. 00:20:58.550 --> 00:21:00.830 So when I'm out in the ocean, we've got 00:21:00.830 --> 00:21:04.190 Navionics and Bathymerty that'll show us a pretty 00:21:04.190 --> 00:21:06.980 good idea of what the ocean floor looks like. 00:21:07.100 --> 00:21:07.370 Yeah. 00:21:07.490 --> 00:21:09.290 But with the river is changing so often. 00:21:09.320 --> 00:21:11.790 Do they have any sort of thing like that, 00:21:11.790 --> 00:21:14.670 or is all just local knowledge and running the 00:21:14.670 --> 00:21:17.220 rivers slowly at first and getting used to it. 00:21:17.390 --> 00:21:19.340 Yeah, I think it's more that, there really isn't 00:21:19.340 --> 00:21:20.160 anything out there. 00:21:20.530 --> 00:21:22.460 One of the best things is going with someone 00:21:22.460 --> 00:21:25.320 first who's run the river and making a lot 00:21:25.320 --> 00:21:26.300 of mental notes there. 00:21:26.300 --> 00:21:28.770 There is Google Earth and Bing Maps, there's 00:21:28.770 --> 00:21:30.449 a few on some of these tidal rivers that do 00:21:30.449 --> 00:21:32.310 show the gravel bars and that if they're tidal. 00:21:32.639 --> 00:21:34.469 That'll give you a good idea, especially if 00:21:34.469 --> 00:21:36.510 you're going to run some of these coastal rivers 00:21:36.510 --> 00:21:38.070 that are very tidal, you try and go in at low 00:21:38.070 --> 00:21:40.260 tide, some of them fan right out and there's 00:21:40.260 --> 00:21:43.080 one slot in there to get up in a boat at low 00:21:43.080 --> 00:21:46.169 tide, which I get anxious even running a jet boat 00:21:46.169 --> 00:21:48.889 at low tide up some of these tributaries that 00:21:48.889 --> 00:21:50.100 flow into the ocean so. 00:21:50.760 --> 00:21:52.470 But, yeah, there's really not much out there, 00:21:52.470 --> 00:21:54.000 just talking to people. 00:21:54.000 --> 00:21:56.460 We have some local rivers here that, you talk to 00:21:56.460 --> 00:21:58.830 enough people, there's a cascade here, a little 00:21:58.830 --> 00:22:00.900 fall here, a slot here, there's some rocks here, 00:22:00.900 --> 00:22:01.670 watch out for that. 00:22:02.060 --> 00:22:05.090 Talk to them and then try and maybe piggyback 00:22:05.090 --> 00:22:05.780 with someone else. 00:22:05.780 --> 00:22:07.430 And that's what I try and do is ask a lot 00:22:07.430 --> 00:22:10.670 of questions or I go up and very cautious. 00:22:10.670 --> 00:22:12.410 I get out and I walk a section, okay, I 00:22:12.410 --> 00:22:13.190 can get through there. 00:22:13.460 --> 00:22:15.140 I don't just run it and hope for the best. 00:22:15.170 --> 00:22:15.560 Right. 00:22:15.650 --> 00:22:17.660 You know, I value my boat and everything, 00:22:17.660 --> 00:22:20.040 and the people on the boat as well. 00:22:20.040 --> 00:22:23.250 So for us, like I said, we don't just run 00:22:23.250 --> 00:22:24.120 things without knowing. 00:22:24.120 --> 00:22:26.100 We'd rather talk to people or we, common 00:22:26.100 --> 00:22:28.350 sense, the rivers very high and almost in flood 00:22:28.350 --> 00:22:30.510 stage and there's not a lot of debris, we 00:22:30.510 --> 00:22:32.450 know we can get through a lot of this stuff. 00:22:32.450 --> 00:22:34.620 But here we're on the Skeena river, it's 00:22:34.620 --> 00:22:36.830 actually a little dirty right now. 00:22:36.855 --> 00:22:39.705 So you can't see bottom, you're kind of going 00:22:39.705 --> 00:22:41.055 visually, you know what a little pillow 00:22:41.055 --> 00:22:43.005 looks like behind a rock or a boulder 00:22:43.005 --> 00:22:44.695 and what a shallow riffle looks like. 00:22:44.795 --> 00:22:46.995 But every once in a while stuff does catch 00:22:46.995 --> 00:22:49.225 up on you and I always tell people, we do our 00:22:49.245 --> 00:22:51.745 best, but those things do happen eventually. 00:22:51.745 --> 00:22:53.775 You will hit a rock eventually in your life 00:22:53.775 --> 00:22:54.705 or nudge something or. 00:22:55.715 --> 00:22:57.465 You're out in the river enough, it's just, you 00:22:57.465 --> 00:22:59.495 know, it's inevitable or you get there close calls 00:22:59.495 --> 00:23:01.965 where you're, ooh, I just missed that one or, 00:23:01.965 --> 00:23:03.005 oh what about that one. 00:23:03.285 --> 00:23:06.150 You know that was a close call and eventually you 00:23:06.150 --> 00:23:08.350 hit that stump that is under the water that 00:23:08.560 --> 00:23:10.920 doesn't have any, you know, it doesn't send 00:23:10.920 --> 00:23:13.080 any message to you that there's something there. 00:23:13.300 --> 00:23:15.820 It's dead calm and it's six inches 00:23:15.820 --> 00:23:16.380 below the water. 00:23:16.380 --> 00:23:16.490 Ooo. 00:23:16.490 --> 00:23:18.840 Or four inches and there's really nothing 00:23:18.840 --> 00:23:19.950 you can do sometimes. 00:23:19.950 --> 00:23:22.290 Unless you want to idle up a river, but that's 00:23:22.290 --> 00:23:23.520 not feasible most times. 00:23:23.520 --> 00:23:26.590 So yeah, I mean stuff does happen, but you just 00:23:26.610 --> 00:23:29.010 kinda try and minimize those as much as you can. 00:23:29.460 --> 00:23:31.380 When you're not jet boating and giving tours, 00:23:31.380 --> 00:23:31.890 what are you doing? 00:23:33.435 --> 00:23:34.845 I'm out fishing lots. 00:23:35.564 --> 00:23:37.635 I don't know, I'm trying to think what, that 00:23:37.635 --> 00:23:40.144 seems to take up most of my time to be honest. 00:23:40.665 --> 00:23:43.064 I like to explore though, and I like to read. 00:23:43.364 --> 00:23:46.445 Love to find new books on history, culture, 00:23:46.445 --> 00:23:49.715 environment of this area and any material that's 00:23:49.715 --> 00:23:52.764 come out there, I love picking up on that stuff 00:23:52.764 --> 00:23:54.365 and reading about it. 00:23:54.365 --> 00:23:55.795 And people are always telling me about 00:23:56.004 --> 00:23:57.605 someone else's writing a new book about this 00:23:57.635 --> 00:24:00.225 area and hearing those stories from the past. 00:24:00.225 --> 00:24:02.445 So, which probably wasn't, I wasn't really 00:24:02.445 --> 00:24:04.455 interested in that maybe 20 years ago, but these 00:24:04.455 --> 00:24:06.345 days, yeah I just can't wait to get myself into a 00:24:06.345 --> 00:24:09.435 good book on some history of the local area. 00:24:09.795 --> 00:24:12.155 So I would say that yeah, to be honest, I 00:24:12.155 --> 00:24:13.475 don't have a lot of, it seems a lot of that, our 00:24:13.475 --> 00:24:16.025 hobbies right now, other than being on the boat. 00:24:16.025 --> 00:24:17.495 And when they do get a spare day, when I'm not 00:24:17.495 --> 00:24:19.965 out doing a tour for someone or, doing some 00:24:19.985 --> 00:24:24.945 fish guiding, I'm either out fishing or seeing 00:24:24.965 --> 00:24:27.330 wildlife, watching bears or trying to find some 00:24:27.330 --> 00:24:28.280 wolves or something. 00:24:28.280 --> 00:24:31.140 So, if I get stir crazy after a couple of days 00:24:31.140 --> 00:24:33.090 and need to be going out and I have a little 00:24:33.090 --> 00:24:35.730 bucket list of rivers on my list that I want 00:24:35.730 --> 00:24:37.020 to go up and try out. 00:24:37.020 --> 00:24:39.090 And especially with the little inflatable 00:24:39.090 --> 00:24:41.100 jet boat and get up there as far as I can 00:24:41.100 --> 00:24:42.780 and see what they, you know, what the system 00:24:42.780 --> 00:24:45.150 looks like and just tick them off one by one. 00:24:45.150 --> 00:24:47.280 And so I would say that's what I do with any of 00:24:47.280 --> 00:24:49.784 my free time is just out in the river, on my own. 00:24:49.935 --> 00:24:51.435 Have you ever had any issues on the river? 00:24:51.915 --> 00:24:52.365 Yeah. 00:24:52.395 --> 00:24:54.825 Yeah, I had, well, I've got lots of stories. 00:24:54.825 --> 00:24:57.895 When I first started jet boating, you get 00:24:57.915 --> 00:25:00.335 out there, I don't know, 10, 15 years ago 00:25:00.335 --> 00:25:02.345 and not understanding tides is always 00:25:02.345 --> 00:25:03.745 one of the biggest. 00:25:04.245 --> 00:25:04.534 Ooo, yeah. 00:25:04.534 --> 00:25:06.945 Yeah, going up, one story was a tidal 00:25:06.965 --> 00:25:08.034 tributary of the Skeena. 00:25:08.034 --> 00:25:10.115 I went up with some friends and we didn't 00:25:10.115 --> 00:25:12.125 realize how far the tide went up this tributary. 00:25:12.125 --> 00:25:15.044 And we packed up all our gear and went up there 00:25:15.044 --> 00:25:16.995 to go camp on this, found a gravel bar up 00:25:17.024 --> 00:25:18.764 I don't know, a couple of kilometres up and 00:25:19.094 --> 00:25:20.324 got up in the middle of the night to go to the 00:25:20.324 --> 00:25:21.824 bathroom and it looked like in the dark than 00:25:21.824 --> 00:25:23.475 my boat was up on the gravel bar, which I 00:25:23.475 --> 00:25:24.435 thought that's strange. 00:25:24.955 --> 00:25:27.925 And then I hop back into bed and we were all in 00:25:28.435 --> 00:25:29.745 big tent with air beds. 00:25:29.804 --> 00:25:31.245 We woke up in the morning and the thing 00:25:31.245 --> 00:25:32.774 was full of three or four inches of water. 00:25:32.774 --> 00:25:35.205 The tide had come up right into our tent and 00:25:35.205 --> 00:25:37.345 had pushed the boat right up onto the gravel bar. 00:25:37.645 --> 00:25:37.815 Oh man. 00:25:37.815 --> 00:25:41.565 We had no idea that, now I would laugh by her to 00:25:41.565 --> 00:25:43.155 someone else, you know, telling that story, why 00:25:43.155 --> 00:25:44.895 didn't they look and see where the tide line was? 00:25:44.895 --> 00:25:47.565 Where's the debris pushed up to and there's all 00:25:47.565 --> 00:25:48.235 kinds of indicators. 00:25:48.235 --> 00:25:48.595 Yeah good point. 00:25:48.595 --> 00:25:50.835 Looking at the tables and things that you can 00:25:50.835 --> 00:25:52.955 see where the highest tide has actually been. 00:25:53.285 --> 00:25:56.615 But I was young and, younger and naive 00:25:56.615 --> 00:26:00.225 and really not aware of, I haven't had any 00:26:00.395 --> 00:26:02.945 incidence's where we've been hurt or stranded, 00:26:02.945 --> 00:26:06.045 but like lots of stories where I've spent five 00:26:06.065 --> 00:26:08.885 or six hours out there because of the tides or. 00:26:09.375 --> 00:26:11.475 Yeah, my first boat, you probably didn't want 00:26:11.475 --> 00:26:13.034 to see what the bottom looked to that it was 00:26:13.185 --> 00:26:15.375 pretty beat up with hitting lots of rocks 00:26:15.375 --> 00:26:17.465 and boulders and that. 00:26:17.485 --> 00:26:19.695 And I was just telling you the story, how pretty 00:26:19.695 --> 00:26:21.915 much the first rock I've hit in this and 00:26:22.075 --> 00:26:26.284 18 months, even tweaked was out on the ocean, a 00:26:26.634 --> 00:26:29.745 little sunken reef there that kind of caught me 00:26:29.745 --> 00:26:31.725 off guard while we were watching a bear on shore 00:26:31.725 --> 00:26:34.044 so that was yeah now I'm. 00:26:34.264 --> 00:26:35.544 Good reminder. 00:26:35.644 --> 00:26:38.070 Yeah a lot smarter, but I realized that I still 00:26:38.070 --> 00:26:42.780 gotta be on my toes and, I still get even jet 00:26:42.780 --> 00:26:44.640 boating, I still get anxious and nervous going 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:46.110 up systems all the time. 00:26:46.170 --> 00:26:47.820 I go up from for the first time or low 00:26:47.820 --> 00:26:50.560 tide, or I think that's good to be cautious. 00:26:50.560 --> 00:26:54.140 And I'm always, I see people, I know that 00:26:54.140 --> 00:26:55.770 we call them weekend warriors that get out, 00:26:55.770 --> 00:26:57.360 maybe with their jet boat a few times a 00:26:57.360 --> 00:26:58.980 year and you see them go up these systems 00:26:58.980 --> 00:27:01.274 and I'm always amazed that they go up there. 00:27:01.274 --> 00:27:03.225 And then without very little training or 00:27:03.575 --> 00:27:07.094 knowledge of the rivers and but then you do hear 00:27:07.145 --> 00:27:09.155 the stories, oh, so and so sunk his boat, put a 00:27:09.155 --> 00:27:11.685 hole in it, and you hear those stories all the 00:27:11.685 --> 00:27:13.955 time that someone had to go rescue someone. 00:27:13.955 --> 00:27:18.034 And so I'm just thankful that's not me and that 00:27:18.034 --> 00:27:20.584 and all my stuff is, professional development 00:27:20.584 --> 00:27:22.215 I call it, if I'm out by myself, I'm learning 00:27:22.235 --> 00:27:24.304 rivers, learning about the river and always 00:27:24.304 --> 00:27:25.014 staying current. 00:27:25.014 --> 00:27:28.500 And yeah, so that's my professional development 00:27:28.500 --> 00:27:29.370 for my business. 00:27:29.540 --> 00:27:33.169 Well, many years ago I was into the rivers and 00:27:33.169 --> 00:27:35.449 I really loved rafting and it would go down 00:27:35.449 --> 00:27:37.429 and just cheap, old Canadian Tire rafts. 00:27:37.429 --> 00:27:39.469 And then I got a world war II inflatable 00:27:39.469 --> 00:27:40.760 from a gun show, and I started running 00:27:40.760 --> 00:27:43.730 that down like the Elaho and the Thompson 00:27:43.730 --> 00:27:45.120 and the Nahatlatch. 00:27:45.139 --> 00:27:48.104 And then finally got a proper commercial 00:27:48.104 --> 00:27:49.875 whitewater raft, which I still got sitting 00:27:49.875 --> 00:27:51.754 upstairs at the office. 00:27:51.955 --> 00:27:52.175 Yeah. 00:27:52.405 --> 00:27:56.774 And one thing that I learned kind of coming 00:27:56.774 --> 00:27:59.175 into it, at first, you look at some really 00:27:59.175 --> 00:28:01.894 gnarly looking water only to find later 00:28:01.894 --> 00:28:03.654 on that it's actually pretty safe, you just 00:28:03.654 --> 00:28:04.725 kind of bob over top. 00:28:04.754 --> 00:28:06.564 And then you can see some water that looks 00:28:07.675 --> 00:28:10.574 otherwise, to the untrained eye, pretty 00:28:10.574 --> 00:28:12.854 safe to find that it's something that could 00:28:12.854 --> 00:28:14.024 be pretty dangerous. 00:28:14.205 --> 00:28:14.445 Yeah. 00:28:15.120 --> 00:28:18.090 Are there similarities to that in the jet boating? 00:28:18.090 --> 00:28:19.830 Like, are there things that when you're starting 00:28:19.830 --> 00:28:21.450 out, you'd think, ah it's fine, let's run 00:28:21.450 --> 00:28:23.729 it, only with a bit more experience to say, uh uh. 00:28:24.560 --> 00:28:27.020 Yeah, I would say there's things like that. 00:28:27.020 --> 00:28:29.840 I mean, one of the things that I always find is 00:28:30.200 --> 00:28:32.629 when the water is shallow and I come up in this 00:28:32.629 --> 00:28:34.970 boat, which is a big boat and I look at the gravel 00:28:34.970 --> 00:28:38.040 size, it's relatively small, your intuition 00:28:38.040 --> 00:28:40.140 is maybe to slow down a bit, but it's not, you 00:28:40.140 --> 00:28:42.150 have to put that throttle down and speed up. 00:28:42.150 --> 00:28:44.130 And you can just feel it as you put that throttle 00:28:44.130 --> 00:28:45.350 down, you think what, you're getting into 00:28:45.350 --> 00:28:47.390 shallow water, you're going to go even faster, 00:28:47.640 --> 00:28:49.970 you know, with rocks and stuff, but that's 00:28:49.970 --> 00:28:50.660 what you have to do. 00:28:50.660 --> 00:28:52.850 You can feel the back-end rise up a few inches 00:28:53.210 --> 00:28:55.909 and you'll put it up to maybe 50 kilometres an 00:28:55.909 --> 00:28:58.400 hour, even more, just to get over those shallow 00:28:58.400 --> 00:29:00.129 ripples and then pull it right back again. 00:29:00.590 --> 00:29:03.140 And so I've learned that, that that's one 00:29:03.140 --> 00:29:05.180 of the things that maybe not intuitive, 00:29:05.210 --> 00:29:07.370 but that and then speed. 00:29:07.480 --> 00:29:09.060 The guy who taught me how to jet boat 00:29:09.060 --> 00:29:10.790 was, especially going down rivers is, 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:11.790 speeds your enemy. 00:29:12.120 --> 00:29:14.040 And I still remember that you get in this 00:29:14.250 --> 00:29:15.330 false sense of security. 00:29:15.330 --> 00:29:17.520 You're cruising down 50 kilometres an hour, when 00:29:17.520 --> 00:29:20.570 you can be going down just barely on step at 35 00:29:20.570 --> 00:29:23.660 kilometres an hour, stuff comes at you so fast. 00:29:23.690 --> 00:29:25.400 So fast down the river and if you're not 00:29:25.400 --> 00:29:27.890 familiar with that river, I keep catching myself. 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:30.560 Oh, look on I'm going 50K an hour, slower down 00:29:30.560 --> 00:29:33.970 a bit stuff comes at you really fast and you 00:29:33.970 --> 00:29:35.160 can't react fast enough. 00:29:35.190 --> 00:29:39.210 And the guy who bought my first jet boat, a friend 00:29:39.210 --> 00:29:41.050 of mine, he probably, if he heard this podcast 00:29:41.050 --> 00:29:43.730 he'd probably hate me for saying this. 00:29:43.730 --> 00:29:45.650 But yeah, we went up a river that was fairly 00:29:45.650 --> 00:29:48.950 high and relatively easy to run and I think he 00:29:48.950 --> 00:29:50.750 put us in the rhubarb and gravel bar three or 00:29:50.750 --> 00:29:52.790 four times on the way down and beaten and put 00:29:52.790 --> 00:29:54.690 in a few more dents in the bottom of that boat. 00:29:54.710 --> 00:29:57.230 And I was basically yelling at him, slow 00:29:57.250 --> 00:30:01.500 down, sacrifice an inch or two of flotation 00:30:01.500 --> 00:30:04.120 in the water for some control and. 00:30:04.120 --> 00:30:04.560 Yes. 00:30:04.560 --> 00:30:05.919 Yeah, he would come around these corners at 00:30:05.939 --> 00:30:08.129 mach one, and basically trying to pull the 00:30:08.129 --> 00:30:10.320 throttle back on him so he had some control 00:30:10.320 --> 00:30:11.820 and he just couldn't make the corners up 00:30:11.820 --> 00:30:12.629 on the gravel bar. 00:30:12.840 --> 00:30:15.449 Into the brush, into the tree, every one of 00:30:15.449 --> 00:30:16.760 them was cause speed. 00:30:16.760 --> 00:30:17.989 And I think that's something that new 00:30:17.989 --> 00:30:20.899 people, you know, they get that 50K an hour, 00:30:20.899 --> 00:30:23.449 the throttles down and up river it's not as 00:30:23.449 --> 00:30:25.270 bad, but going down river on technical 00:30:25.270 --> 00:30:28.520 rivers, you have to go down and under control. 00:30:28.520 --> 00:30:30.930 And with an inflatable, it barely drafts 00:30:30.930 --> 00:30:33.270 anything, I'll go down idling down these things, 00:30:33.300 --> 00:30:35.220 which is barely enough control because you can't 00:30:35.220 --> 00:30:36.210 make some of the corners. 00:30:36.420 --> 00:30:36.690 Right. 00:30:36.690 --> 00:30:38.370 Nuggets that'll pinch your inflatable, will 00:30:38.370 --> 00:30:41.420 pop it, sticks, logs, you don't draft almost 00:30:41.420 --> 00:30:43.360 nothing, less in an inflatable so come 00:30:43.360 --> 00:30:45.350 down with control and get down there. 00:30:45.350 --> 00:30:47.350 Maybe you'll bounce into something, even 00:30:47.350 --> 00:30:49.010 your boat, if you're down under control, 00:30:49.640 --> 00:30:51.140 maybe you'll bounce into something, but 00:30:51.600 --> 00:30:52.970 more than likely you'll have control 00:30:52.970 --> 00:30:53.870 to make those corners. 00:30:53.870 --> 00:30:57.150 So I always say, yeah speed is your enemy, is 00:30:57.150 --> 00:30:59.130 kind of ingrained into me when I'm going down 00:30:59.130 --> 00:31:01.510 river on a new system. 00:31:01.530 --> 00:31:04.200 Maybe not on the Skeena here where it's fairly 00:31:04.200 --> 00:31:07.230 forgiving and that, we don't have the big tight 00:31:07.230 --> 00:31:10.290 turns and logs and big nuggets everywhere. 00:31:10.500 --> 00:31:12.280 But you know, any of our smaller systems, 00:31:12.280 --> 00:31:14.130 there's some, like I said, so many things 00:31:14.130 --> 00:31:16.490 I remember from the guy who taught me. 00:31:16.490 --> 00:31:19.370 And the first thing he ever taught me was 00:31:19.950 --> 00:31:21.900 look at your bow line, and he took my bow line 00:31:21.900 --> 00:31:22.980 which was really long. 00:31:22.980 --> 00:31:24.300 I thought, well yeah I want to have the second 00:31:24.300 --> 00:31:26.460 tie off on trees, on shore and whatever. 00:31:26.460 --> 00:31:28.440 And he took that thing and he ran it down the 00:31:28.440 --> 00:31:29.990 bottom of my boat and it went right to the 00:31:29.990 --> 00:31:30.640 very end of my boat. 00:31:30.640 --> 00:31:30.720 Oooo. 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:33.230 And I go, what's the big deal with that? 00:31:33.555 --> 00:31:35.985 And he says, this will inevitably flop out 00:31:35.985 --> 00:31:37.245 the front of your boat, you're going to hit a 00:31:37.245 --> 00:31:38.805 wave or something, and it's going to go right 00:31:38.805 --> 00:31:40.245 down the middle, right into your impeller, 00:31:40.245 --> 00:31:41.355 you're going to suck it up and you're 00:31:41.355 --> 00:31:42.315 going to be stranded. 00:31:42.425 --> 00:31:43.515 Not having a good day. 00:31:43.605 --> 00:31:44.055 Yeah. 00:31:44.115 --> 00:31:46.545 So we cut that off and shortened it. 00:31:46.545 --> 00:31:49.105 So it was a few feet shorter than the intake 00:31:49.125 --> 00:31:51.465 on my boat and just stuff like that for new 00:31:51.465 --> 00:31:52.595 people that maybe not. 00:31:53.125 --> 00:31:53.865 But that was the first thing. 00:31:53.865 --> 00:31:54.045 Totally. 00:31:54.045 --> 00:31:56.535 He did was take my rope, my bow rope 00:31:56.535 --> 00:31:57.255 and shorten it up. 00:31:57.255 --> 00:31:59.245 And whoever owned the boat before me, he 00:31:59.245 --> 00:32:01.005 obviously had this big long bow rope 00:32:01.005 --> 00:32:02.445 cause it was still on there and I just 00:32:02.445 --> 00:32:03.205 thought nothing off it. 00:32:03.235 --> 00:32:04.395 That, oh yeah, it's nice having a big 00:32:04.395 --> 00:32:06.765 long rope that I can tie off and whatever. 00:32:06.765 --> 00:32:09.285 But yeah, lots of, most people would know stuff 00:32:09.285 --> 00:32:12.254 like that, but maybe not if they're brand new. 00:32:12.395 --> 00:32:13.085 Yeah, totally. 00:32:13.415 --> 00:32:14.345 Well, is there anything else we should 00:32:14.345 --> 00:32:15.005 be talking about? 00:32:16.085 --> 00:32:18.095 I don't know, this is, it's just like I said, 00:32:18.095 --> 00:32:19.415 it's nice to meet you and be out here with 00:32:19.415 --> 00:32:21.395 you on the river and learn a lot about you. 00:32:21.395 --> 00:32:23.045 And I know you were talking about maybe, you 00:32:23.045 --> 00:32:24.195 know, being out here. 00:32:24.195 --> 00:32:26.504 A jet boat might be in your future and you'd 00:32:26.504 --> 00:32:27.975 probably be a good candidate for one. 00:32:27.975 --> 00:32:30.465 You're into safety, which is always a good thing. 00:32:30.465 --> 00:32:32.085 And it sounds like you've rafted a lot 00:32:32.085 --> 00:32:33.855 of rivers, you know rivers and that's 00:32:33.855 --> 00:32:35.555 probably one of the main things jet boating 00:32:35.555 --> 00:32:36.355 is reading the river. 00:32:36.645 --> 00:32:38.045 You know where the current is, where the 00:32:38.045 --> 00:32:40.475 pillows, the rapids and that kind of stuff, where 00:32:40.475 --> 00:32:43.325 the deeper water is, the V's and everything else. 00:32:43.325 --> 00:32:44.825 So that's sometimes half the battle with 00:32:44.825 --> 00:32:46.685 jet boating is being able to read the 00:32:46.685 --> 00:32:47.505 water and the river. 00:32:47.524 --> 00:32:50.135 And if you can figure that out then, yeah, you 00:32:50.135 --> 00:32:51.395 got 'er made and yeah. 00:32:51.915 --> 00:32:53.745 Well, Rob, thank you very much for taking the time. 00:32:53.745 --> 00:32:54.915 I really enjoyed speaking with you. 00:32:55.245 --> 00:32:55.935 Thanks for having me.