Giscome Portage Trail is located 40 km North of Prince George and 6 km off Highway 97 North on Mitchell Road.
The trail is a route once used by First Nation people as the shortest route connecting areas inaccessible by water. Creating the shortest route between the waterways flowing to the Pacific Ocean and those flowing into the Arctic Ocean.
In the fall of 1862, John Robert Giscome, a prospector from Jamaica, and Henry McDame, another prospector from the Bahamas set out for this portage with a Native guide. They headed up the Fraser River but when they arrived at the Salmon River it was badly swollen with the spring run-off. The guide told them there was another trail, Lhedesti, about 12 miles further up the Fraser. This trail began at the present day Huble Homestead site and cut through the forest to Summit Lake, a distance of nine miles.
In 1871, three hundred ninety-nine British Columbia miners petitioned the government demanding a "wagon road across the Giscome Portage" to ease access to the Omineca gold deposits. That summer the portage was widened into a wagon road at a cost of $9,070.
Today the Giscome Portage is a popular destination of those wanting to enjoy a walk through history.
The Giscome Portage is a designated Heritage Trail by BC Parks. The Caledonia Ramblers, a volunteer group, maintain the trail.
The recommended time of year to use the Giscome Portage is July to October, when the swampy ground is drier and the mosquitoes are manageable.
Caches built by and hidden with fellow cacher jimmyblu.