At once a riveting adventure story and a testament to one woman's resourcefulness, Nuk Tessli is also a heartfelt elegy to the true wilderness and a cry for it's sensible use.

In the summer of 2017, wildfires dominated the headlines in British Columbia. As a low pressure weather system continued to cause lightning strikes, starting new fires, strong winds fanned the existing ones. Over two hundred fires burned in the province and nearly ten thousand people in or around the towns of 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Cache Creek, Princeton and Williams Lake received the instruction YOU MUST EVACUATE NOW. But not everyone left. Captured by Fire alternates between the dramatic first-person accounts of wilderness dweller Chris Czajkowski and homesteader Fred Reid, who both ignored the evacuation order and stayed to protect their properties, animals and livelihoods. Living in a remote area, they knew that their homes would be of low priority to officials when fire fighting resources were deployed. Over the course of the summer, as alerts fluctuated and even the firefighters pulled out, both had to decide: when is it time to go?

After nearly three decades of wilderness dwelling far from neighbours and roads, with the nearest community accessible only via float plane or days of hiking, Czajkowski purchases a derelict homestead with rough road access at Ginty Creek, an hour’s drive south of Anahim Lake. Although the property is mostly swamp and the packrat-infested buildings are uninhabitable, the location affords beautiful views and abundant wildlife—and the asking price is within her budget. Ginty Creek was named for Ginty Paul, the eccentric recluse who had previously owned the property. Some locals remember Ginty affectionately, while others feared her volatile temper or refused to step into her house for fear of being served “chicken poop tea.” She had an open-door policy to all of her animals—the chickens would sleep with her and the bedroom doubled as a maternity ward for dogs, cats, goats and sheep. Intrigued by the stories, Czajkowski tracks down a pile of Ginty’s letters and documents. These, combined with many fond, bitter and bizarre anecdotes gleaned from interviews with area residents, are all woven into the account. As Czajkowski chronicles the many challenges of settling into her new home, it becomes clear that she and Ginty have more than just a piece of land in common. They also share a spirit of independence and resourcefulness, as well as an unwavering desire for a solitary life immersed in the spectacular landscapes of British Columbia.

Living alone in the remote wilderness, Chris Czajkowski has given her dogs a rich life, although not without its difficulties. Often residing in areas accessible only by float plane, the dogs have encountered grizzlies and cougars, slept in the snow, hiked with packs of food and equipment, and occasionally gotten themselves into scrapes, such as becoming lost in the wild or falling through ice into a freezing river. In Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga, the gregarious and lovable Harry gives his account of their years together at Nuk Tessli and Ginty Creek. The story includes reminiscences about past dogs in Chris's life, including wise Badger, not-so-bright Sport, beautiful Ginger, and Lonesome, Harry's trail-blazing literary predecessor. Together, they trace Chris's off-the-grid life from a dog's-eye view as she established an ecotourism business, built cabins by hand and scratched out a living for herself and the pack. The book captures the humour and wisdom of a canine perspective in a way that is instantly familiar to anyone who has known and loved dogs. Although Harry does not yearn for city comforts like Lonesome, he is often baffled by Chris's incomprehensible doings and illogical priorities. Full of the irrepressible exploits of Harry and his canine companions, Harry: A Wilderness Dog Saga is sure to be a new favourite of animal lovers and anyone who's ever dreamed of packing up and moving far away from city amenities with only a loyal dog for company.

Home to vast stretches of untouched wilderness, the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast is one of Canada’s final frontiers. With towering mountains scraping against the sky, sprawling steppes covered with wildflowers, remote valleys carved by ancient rivers and an untamed ocean coast teeming with wildlife, this region is a backcountry explorer’s dream. Reel in the catch of a lifetime on one of the Fishing Highway’s incredible lakes, explore the bays and inlets around Bella Coola on sea kayaking adventure or get away from it all amid the natural splendour of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park – there is lots to discover in the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast! Features - Map Key & Legend - Topographic Maps - Detailed Adventure Section >> Backroad Attractions, Fishing Locations, Hunting Areas, Paddling Routes, Parks & Campsites, Trail Systems, ATV Routes,Snowmobile Areas, Wildlife Viewing, Winter Recreation, Service Directory, Accommodations, Sales & Services, Tours & Guides, Index, Adventure Index, Map Index, Trip Planning Tools,

Charming, humorous and utterly engaging, this is a book that will make readers laugh and cry. Written from the point of view and in the voice of the author’s dog, Lonesome, its observations of life in the wilds reveal a dog with great character, charm and attitude. Named for her first home, remote Lonesome Lake in British Columbia’s Tweedsmuir Park, Lonesome was a first-rate companion: obedient, mannerly, brave, yet occasionally cynical. She did not share her human’s love of the wilderness, and wore a martyred expression for most of her life. She would have much preferred a life in the suburbs, “with nice safe walks in the park and a cozy bed inside the house.” Lonesome’s memoirs paint a vivid and not altogether flattering picture of her life with Chris, but as she states, “I am not a vindictive creature and this book will remain family reading.” Lonesome loftily points out in her introduction that her book focuses on events not already recounted in Chris’s previous books, and she shares her unique canine perspective on their day-to-day life in the wilds.

Years after losing his lower right leg in a motorcycle crash, Robert Kull traveled to a remote island in Patagonia's coastal wilderness with equipment and supplies to live alone for a year. He sought to explore the effects of deep solitude on the body and mind and to find the spiritual answers he'd been seeking all his life. With only a cat and his thoughts as companions, he wrestled with inner storms while the wild forces of nature raged around him. The physical challenges were immense, but the struggles of mind and spirit pushed him even further. Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes is the diary of Kull's tumultuous year. Chronicling a life distilled to its essence, Solitude is also a philosophical meditation on the tensions between nature and technology, isolation and society. With humor and brutal honesty, Kull explores the pain and longing we typically avoid in our frantically busy lives as well as the peace and wonder that arise once we strip away our distractions. He describes the enormous Patagonia wilderness with poetic attention, transporting the reader directly into both his inner and outer experiences.

In the late 1980s, Chris Czajkowski left her truck at the end of a logging road 300 kilometres north of Vancouver and hiked for two days on unmarked wilderness trails to the site of what would become her home. This is her account of building three log cabins, an eco-tourism business and a life beside an unnamed lake 5,000 feet high in the Coast Range mountains. This new trade paper edition of Diary of a Wilderness Dweller shares Czajkowski's adventures from the beginning as she wields chainsaw and axe to forge a different kind of life.