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Welcome To Kitimat!

One afternoon our friends Steve and Lena invited us out to their cabin on Lakelse Lake. Steve and Lena have a daughter just a few months older than AC, so the Dutch were excited to introduce him to a new Canadian friend. We met at Steve and Lena's house where Nicole introduced the two babies. Loading everyone into three trucks, we traveled for about an hour in a caravan on the logging roads. We stopped at the cabin and were greeted to a stunning view of the lake and the snow capped mountains beyond.

The Creek On Steve's Jet Boat Tours

Steve showed us around the cabin, then the boys all piled into his aluminum boat to do some fishing. Steve suggested that we fish the streams that empty into the lake. We agreed, but had no idea of the fun he had planned for us. The streams that fed Lakelse Lake are very shallow and slow moving. In order to get the boat up the stream, Steve had to hold the 25hp outboard near full throttle to keep the hull skimming on the top of the water. The streams were only a few meters across and Steve expertly maneuvered the boats through the tight waterways at full speed. It was terribly fun and we wanted to keep charging the streams rather than fish.

Beaver Dam Across The River

When we hit a beaver dam blocking the river we stopped and began to fish. We fished the deep pools created by the dams, but we had little luck. After an hour of drifting and fishing we started the engine again and headed back to the cabin. Once we were out on the lake again we saw Mark in his boat. We trolled for a few minutes and Steve caught two trout. Tossing the fish back we met Mark and the ladies back at the cabin.

Roland Charging Outside The Wake

After we introduced Mark to everyone he announced that he had just bought a wake board at a garage sale. Anxious to try the board out, Mark asked us if anyone was willing to try it out. Roland jumped at the opportunity and hopped onto the board. After a few false starts, Roland was up and going, bouncing behind Mark's boat with its 115hp engine! Roland quickly improved and was soon outside the wake.

Chris Kneeboarding

Chris wanted to try and he was soon up on the wake board. Chris quickly became comfortable and tried jumping the wake. The crash was spectacular, but Chris jumped back on the board and ripped up the lake. Despite the cloudy day, the water was relatively warm, even with snowy mountains in the distance.

Taya And Aren Playing

While the boys were taking turns in the water, AC and Taya played back at the cabin. AC was intrigued with his new playmate, and the two babies got along well. It didn't take them long to start crawling around the deck, quickly loosing each other. They kept the parents busy, but enjoyed being outside.

Aren In The Water Infront Of Steve's Cabin

Aren spent most of the afternoon playing with AC, but near the end of the day he got a turn on the lake as well. Here Aren is getting ready for Mark to tow him. Steve's cabin is in the background.

Chris, Nicole, Mark, Todd, Marieke, Lena, Steve, & Taya Aren and AC, Roland and Kiddo

It was soon time for the babies to go to bed for the evening so we had to return home. We thanked Mark for towing us around the lake all day. We also thanked Steve and Lena for making the fabulous day possible. We had a fantastic time and were sorry the day had to end so rapidly.