“It was so quiet that I could hear flesh tearing from bone as one of nature’s predominant predators, standing upright in the water less than 50 feet from the nose of my kayak, gorged on sockeye salmon. At that moment, grizzly bears outnumbered humans as I watched, my mouth agape, as a mother bear roared in protest as one of her cubs snatched a freshly snagged salmon from her mouth and triumphantly tromped back to shore. Engrossed in a moment of motherly camaraderie with this mighty creature, I was brought back to reality by a firm warning from my guide, reminding me that bears are capable swimmers and to maintain a respectable distance. After watching the family dynamic play out for some time, we paddled on in the misty morning, observing bald eagles soaring overhead, spying additional grizzlies on the opposite shore of Chilko Lake, and enjoying the solitude afforded by this pristine parcel of Canadian wilderness.
For decades, I have regarded the area in and around Yellowstone National Park as the bellwether for all that I love about the great outdoors. I mention this only after having had some time to reflect on my five days at the Eye of the Grizzly Luxury Retreat this past September, which was followed by a trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, a few weeks later. Comparing the two, I can state with absolute certainty (and with my apologies to Wyoming and Montana) that this was the most soul-satisfying wilderness adventure that I have ever been privy to.”
Sophisticated Magazine – 2019
Bridget Williams, Editor-in-Chief, Owner
Tsylos Provincial Park was established in 1994 to protect Chilko Lake and the surrounding area from ever changing. Its park classification is undeveloped, meaning no future development of any kind will be allowed. There are no homes on the lake, and it can never become a Tahoe. The Eye of the Grizzly is located four miles from Chilko Lake and accesses the lake’s waters via its dock on the Chilko River. The transit distance from the dock to the lake is two hundred meters.
