Tsek Hot Springs aka: St.Agnes Well or Skookumchuk

May 29th to 30th 2010


"Poopy..stinky...yucky...wet... rainy weather!"I thought to myself, "I don't want to camp in this weather." The grey clouds were thick around us in a drizzling mist that permeated even the thickest Gortex layers. A shiver rain up my spine as I brought a roll of toilet paper out to the Van.
"We may need this?" I said to Rene, as I waved to the neighbour driving by, in a toilet paper salute.
Even Rene was slow in packing the van, apprehensive in spending time in the soggy nature. Vancouver has not seen an awful lot of sunshine since the olympics. Mostly wet and cold for the last couple of weeks with a stray blue sky day.
"Is there a place we could drive to that's out of this cloud cover?"

"Yeah, South towards Mexico." Rene suggested, "Only problem is, I have to go back to work on Monday." Since we had but one day to adventure, and no time to find the sun, we decided to find some hot water instead. Tsek Hot Springs here we come!

The history of this place is kind of neat. Story goes, that the Creator sent Transformers to this place and changed an old Man and his Wife into a cold and hot spring. The man and his wife were willing to be changed into healing springs. The people of this area came to these springs to be healed from their ailments by sitting in or drinking from, they would be healed. In the 1800's the english changed the name to St.Agnes Well. See above picture for more details of this hot Spring.

North of Pemberton, just past Mount Currie is a forest service road called In-Shuck-ch Road. There is a sign posted for Lillooet Lake Lodge which is just 10km down this forestry service road. The road runs parallel with Lillooet Lake.

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From this cut off it is approximately 48km to the hot springs. The road is bumpy with pot holes, it looked like it hadn't been graded in a while. Our 1986 VW van ...2 wheel drive made it in. We didn't take 'Zuki' this time. It's hard to sleep 4 in a Suzuki side-kick, so we took 'Goldie' this time round.

Here's a play by play:
1km - Road beside lake, lots of flowers in bloom, electric towers on left, lake on right...'mmmm' salmon berries!

3km - beautiful bright green of new growth on the pines.. just on their tips... bumpy section.
5km - Kids napping... road must be smooth if the kids can sleep... snow capped mountains... towers now on right.. can't see lake anymore.

Towers on left again - Strawberry point recreation site, nice beach.

7km - Private properties to left and right.

8km - Dense forest - then a beautiful view of lake.

Twin One Recreation site... camp spots right on lake.

10km - Lillooet Lake Lodge

12km - away from lake again, thick forest.

13 km - Open view point. Lizzie Bay Recreation site, right on water. Lizzie creek.
16 km - Driftwood Bay Recreation site, nice beach right on the water. Beautiful view of the mountains.
17km- "Rip, Rap, Rock" Rene said this kind of rock is bad for the tires so he said it's best to try and stay in the groves the other drivers have made.
23km - End of the lake where the river begins.
27 km - Lots of mud roads leading into the forest. If we had 'Zuki' we could check them out. "Whats around the river bend? Waiting just around the river bend." Isn't that what Pocohontus sings in the Disney version?...
"Driften' in the marbles." Rene used a rally car term to describe the banks of rock that other cars have sprayed up on the side of the road, "Try to stay clear of those mounds.... it's slippery like a snow bank....stay in the groves."

28km - Cross roads, stay to the left... the right road heads towards a bridge that crosses the river.... You do not want to cross the river... Turn back if you do...

"I think the dog has to go to the bathroom." She was restless and kept standing and sitting, couldn't get comfortable... she either had to go really badly or she had had enough of the rough road.

31km - Watch out for the tower on your right... it's right on the edge of the road.

32 km - "So how many people would drive 500km in a day just to sit in a hot tub?" Rene asked calculating the kilometres from Maple Ridge and back, about 250km each way.

"Do you think were nuts?" He asked.

36km - "up down, round and round, mountains all around." A no Hunting sign... that's good, because we are getting close to where the hotsprings are.

38 km - Two rivers meet beautiful scene. Small grave site for Cheif Henry Peters clan.

41km - Another small grave site for the James Jim Clan... Question: Whay does Mary have her own plot behind the fenced in area?

Check out the dates on this tomb stone for Celesta James... and then see her age. 103? or 96?

There was a small cabin on the right that had a sign "To Rent." When I write my first novel... I'll rent it out... because trying to write here in Maple Ridge with all the coming and goings on... I'm lucky if I get a blog done once in a while.

44km - sign post says 500 meters to go.

"Last one in the water is a rotten egg." Rene called out. "Actually everyone in the water will smell like rotten eggs." Sulfer smell around the Hot Springs... don't worry... That's normal.

This time stay to the right. It cost us $40.00 CAD to stay 1 night for a family of 4. Nice camp spots along the river, the wind off the river kept the mosquitos away. 

"There were over 400 people here last weekend." the caretaker said, "One hundred and twenty six campers... I had to send people away for Victoria day weekend....Good you come now... not busy... only 6 campers." Later, looking at the 5 tubs they had by the hotsprings... I wondered how the heck that many people fit in. I was certainly grateful we picked the right weekend to come.... Note: do not go on any long weekends.

Nina's Pic's

Alora's Rambles
Was that a mushed up cookie in the hot tub or Baby's poo.... I don't know... but it was discusting! Then there was shaved hair in the other hot tub... the sign say's to clean the tubs  for the next user's.. Geesh... people are pigs!


Dog's Blog

The cats.... put underwear on my head.... they tell me pack will not take me unless I wear their underwear.... I do it... because I want pack to take me. I love pack leader... He take underwear off my head before we go. I had nice time.... but I was not allowed in hot tub place... I stay in Goldie Van. Nice room to stretch on bed. At night we watch a movie in bed... Pack leader did not let me in bed... but later I sneak on.... He doesn't mind when he is sleeping.