Echo Valley

Echo Valley Ranch & Spa is located deep in the mountains of BC. It’s about an hour’s drive from Clinton BC – with half that along a dirt road. But getting there by light-plane is the way to go. They have a private paved runway there, and the flight from Vancouver takes about 90 minutes along the spectacular scenery of the Frazer Canyon.

The flight from Vancouver to Echo-Valley took us along the Fraser Valley past Chilliwack – where the Tulip Festival was going on. We had never seen a tulip field from the air before.

The Tulip Festival was going on, just West of Chilliwack

About half-way up the Fraser Canyon is Lytton BC. In the center bottom is the
old Lytton Runway (now closed). Below, we’re looking East – down the Thompson Canyon which eventually leads to Ashcroft.

Over Lytton, looking East down the Thompson Canyon

There is no fuel at Echo Valley, so we decided to stop in Lillooet to fill up. We wanted the option of
flying home from the ranch without having to stop again. Lillooet has one of the prettiest airports in BC.

We made a quick fuel stop at Lillooet.

The photo below was taken from overhead Lillooet, looking West towards Seton Lake. We circled overhead the city to gain altitude because there was a pretty high mountain ridge to the North that we needed to cross next.

Over Lillooet looking West toward Seton Lake

Below is the approach to the runway at Echo Valley Ranch. You can’t tell in the picture,
but that runway is seriously up-hill from this end, so we only needed about 1/4 of it to stop.

Echo Valley Ranch and Runway
Echo Valley Ranch is beautiful! And quiet! It’s 30 minutes by dirt road to the nearest community and there is no cell service.
One of the many out-of-the-ordinary things that guests can do at the ranch is to
take the pigs out for their daily walk. How many people do you know that have done that?
While walking in the woods, on one of the many trails through this area, we came across this flock of wild turkeys.
Later we found them (or another flock?) wandering around on the runway. Good to know.
The many private cabins on the site offer spectacular accommodations. This is one of the “Thai” themed rooms.
The price includes 3 meals a day, served in the common dining room and specially prepared by “Chef”.
What you see below as lunch. It was fabulous! Worth writing home about (which, I suppose, is what I’m doing).
The Nufi fishing and hunting guide (with his thick Newfoundland accent) taught us how to fly cast at one of the on-site lakes.
He will happily take you hunting as well if you like. Or off-roading. Or canoeing. The list goes on …
Of course it wouldn’t be a proper ranch without horseback riding.

Below is “Norm” – the owner of Echo Valley Ranch – beside his snazzy Cessna 206. Norm and his Thai wife originally purchased the Ranch as a place to live. Now it’s a Thailand-themed mountain ranch.

The minimum stay at Echo Valley is 2 nights. And one needs it. There is a lot to see and do.

Original post was dated April 19, 2019. It can be seen here: Flying in to Echo Valley Ranch

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