August 3, 2011: The 1861 Gold Rush Pack Trail Ride was a rollicking recreation of the opening chapter of the Cariboo Gold Rush. In the summer of 2011, 10 members of the R.E. Living History Group (RELHG) assembled at the Weaver Creek Trailhead in Keithley Creek and embarked on their historic quest to tackle a 40-plus kilometre trail through the rugged Cariboo Mountains. The trek marked the 150 anniversary of the first expedition by gold seekers to use this First Nations route to the goldfields of Barkerville. The expedition managed to make it through narrow alpine paths, mosquito-infested swamps and an extreme climate where one minute they were trudging through snow, the next, blazing sun – all while using nothing but 19th Century gold rush-era equipment. The gear, food and clothing they used during the three-day ride were period-authentic, right down to the mosquito repellent. The RELHG tried rosemary oil and a First Nations plantain-based ointment to try to keep the mossies away. But in the end, they had to resort to bear grease to keep the “blood-sucking canaries of the Cariboo” at bay. Read more about the expedition in the NPTGS News Section.