We took our friends from Vancouver on an afternoon drive for an ice cream and a drive around the area.

We went up the Radar Lake Road south west of town to the Bear Mountain Wind Park. All I can say is wow, wow, wow! The wind turbines are huge! And Beautiful!

Seeing those wind towers from below and in the distance is one thing, but being up close, right underneath them is another thing entirely.

Since all the rains of recent times, the road up to the towers is a bit rough, hopefully the road crews will work on it, but the gravel road that winds along the whole 7 kilometers of the ridge is in excellent condition. We parked and got out of our car and walked along for a couple of kilometers.

Each tower is numbered and there are 34 altogether. There is a mystery though, because the first tower has the number '0' and the last one is '34' so by my calculation, that would make 35 towers, there must be a number missing. We didn't have the energy to go back and check.

The turbines are beautifully painted; the area is immaculate and undisturbed as possible. There are several cattle guards across the road as the area is a community grazing pasture. Nature has been well respected and the wind has been harnessed.

This is truly an amazing project. Be prepared to be awestruck!

Flying on a Snowmobile in Dawson Creek

We try to spend as much time outside as we can in the winter and since we get so much sunshine here in the Peace River Country, the cold doesn't seem to bother us.

Our friends invited us to go snowmobiling with them. I hadn't been on a snowmobile since I was in elementary school. The machines certainly have changed since then.

We met up at the entrance to the Bear Mountain Wind Park and spent the whole day exploring back trails.

I couldn't believe how fast we went. It was very exciting! There are a lot of places to ride around here. In addition to the oil and gas pipelines and back trails, the ditches along the highway are really wide in a lot of areas and you can go for miles and miles with ease. You have to have your own machines because there is not a business that rents them.

We weren't the only ones on the ridge that day, we heard and saw several other groups of people.

Our friend packed some kindling and small firewood along and we stopped along a trail that had a panoramic view of the valley to the east of Dawson Creek, built a small fire and roasted hot dogs. Thermos' of hot coffee and chocolate made the day perfect.

We had one problem right near the end when we crossed a field and were met by a farmer who was out plowing snow on his tractor.

We stopped and he told us that being on the fields was not allowed unless we asked permission and then it depended on the crop. Apparently it packs the snow down and can damage the crops. He said our two little trails wouldn't do much damage, but groups roaring around on a field can really affect it.

If you are visiting our area with your snowmobiles, make sure you have permission to be on private property.

Flying on a Snowmobile in Dawson Creek

Catching the Wind on Bear Mountain

Ask anyone who lives in the Mighty Peace River Country and you'll hear that we've always had plenty of wind.

We decided to do something worthy with all that power...

The next time you are driving into Dawson Creek on the Hart Highway, from Prince George, Vancouver and all points south, you'll know you are getting really close when you see our Bear Mountain with its 34 brand new wind turbines... turning... turning... producing clean, renewable energy.

Along with everyone else in our city, I watched the installation with fascination and amazement. The turbines are very impressive to say the least. They stand like bright sentinels on our ridge and you can see them from practically everywhere around.

Each one stands 78 meters (256 feet) to the hub with a rotor diameter of 82 meters (269 feet) The equivalent of 50 loads of concrete was poured for each foundation.

The land they sit on has been used for hikers, cross country skiers and other recreational users for years as well as providing both private and community cattle grazing as well.

Great care was taken to respect the environment and leave as little impact as possible. Cattle still graze there, restoration of the habitat is ongoing and the public is very welcome to visit.

Make sure you plan your own trip to experience the Wind Turbines up close and personal... feel the wind on your face and enjoy the awesome view.

Catching the Wind on Bear Mountain