127 



Miles and most bcautiful parts of British Columbia. The 



Kilometres. . '^ , i r i 



country is open and grassy, or sparsely torested 

 with large pines and dotted here and there with 

 lakes and ponds: it is one of the best cattle 

 raising districts in the Province. 



27 m. Aspen Grove — Alt. 3,200 ft. (975-3 m.). 



43-4 km. Near Aspen Grove, a ranch and post ofhce, 

 25 miles (40-2 km.) from Merritt, the road 

 again descends to Otter creek, which now 

 occupies a broad, shallow trough, incised through 

 Tertiary lavas into Triassic rocks which underlie 

 them. On the east side of the valley are some 

 native copper deposits, which occur as narrow 

 fissure fillings in the Tertiary lavas. Some 

 mining has been done on these deposits, and a 

 slab of native copper weighing 600 pounds is 

 stated to have been obtained from one of the 

 mineral claims. 



Nicola Valley — The highest point of the road, 

 3,500 feet (i,o66-8m.), above sea level is reached 

 at an old lime kiln about nine miles (14-5 km.) 

 from Merritt, three miles (4-8 km.) beyond 

 which the road suddenly emerges from the 

 forested country on to the open slope of Nicola 

 valley. Here a most delightful view is obtain- 

 ed, and one is well rewarded by a stop of a few 

 minutes to enjoy it. The bottom of the valley 

 lies 1 ,500 feet (457 • 2 m.) below and several miles 

 of its length can be seen from this point. Around 

 and behind the shoulder of the hill to the north- 

 east lies the town of Nicola, situated at the 

 west end of Nicola lake, and directly west 

 where the valley of Coldwater river joins that 

 of Nicola river, can be seen the coal mines of 

 Middlesboro and the town of Merritt, distant 

 seven miles (11 -2 km.). 



52 m. Merritt— Alt. 1,900 feet. (579-1 m.). 



83-7 km. 



