Pat Ardley

Grizzlies, Gales and Giant Salmon by Pat Ardley is her story of her life over forty years, living in the coastal wilderness of British Columbia. She and her husband were the builders and owners of River Inlet Fishing Lodge, a fly or boat in fishing resort, anchored in the ocean and as close to wilderness living as most people would want.

The author arrived in Vancouver at the age of twenty in 1972. She was a prairie girl who was looking for adventure and she certainly found that when she met George Ardley. Her first exposure to the rugged B. C. coast was when she accompanied George to Addenbroke Island, 483 miles north of Vancouver as they took jobs as junior lighthouse keepers. They fell in love with the lifestyle and with each other. They learned how to not only survive but thrive in a wilderness setting as they grew their own produce, kept chickens, canned clams and salmon, and built their own furniture. They decided to put down permanent roots, found an ideal location, borrowed money and started their fishing lodge. It was a long process but the lodge was a success, and the Ardleys became well known hosts. They raised their two children at the floating lodge and offered their guest a unique experience, a close look at nature and great fishing opportunities.

I had a rather tenuous link to the resort as I remember booking a few days at the lodge for a management meeting for the company I worked for in the 1980s. Meant to be a business meeting, this was really a chance for them to get out of Vancouver and go fishing. The Rivers Inlet Lodge had a great reputation and the Ardleys spent many years operating the resort. I found the book interesting and their lifestyle incredible. I enjoy my creature comforts too much to ever have gotten into wilderness living, but I certainly enjoyed reading about it.… (lisätietoja)