I was up a creek...with a paddle! October 2025 update
- Diana Skelhorne
- Sep 30, 2025
- 3 min read
You may have noticed I didn’t send out a newsletter in September. Sorry about that! But I had a good reason: I was away, canoeing and camping in the wilds of British Columbia. Read on to learn all about it…
In this update:
Big adventure in a canoe!
New Work: Out of the Woods
Where you can see my art
Big adventure in a canoe!
In early September, my husband and I tackled the Bowron Lake Canoe Chain, one of the world’s top 10 canoe trips according to Outside Magazine.
If you’ve never heard of it, the Bowron Lake Canoe Chain consists of 10 lakes connected by rivers and portages. The chain is more than 116 kilometres long and includes paddling on lakes, navigating rushing rivers and portaging 11 kilometres over hilly, bumpy and sometimes muddy trails. It’s not a challenge for the faint of heart!
It took us eight days to complete the circuit and we loved every minute of it! My mind is full of great memories: paddling on glassy lakes, camping all by ourselves in a tiny tent with no signs of humanity in any direction, eating dehydrated meals, sketching views, hiking to the huge Cariboo Falls, getting stuck on a rock in the middle of the rushing Isaac River and nearly capsizing, listening nervously as a huge moose galumphed noisily by our tent in the middle of the night…so many memories.
If you want a peek at what we experienced, check out my Instagram account, where I’ve posted a series of short videos. Let me know if the videos tempt you to try the Bowron Lake Canoe Chain!
New work: Out of the Woods
In September, when I wasn’t canoeing, I finished painting my latest work: Out of the Woods.
I created Out of the Woods, which is a portrait of a handsome ram, using acrylic paint and gold leaf on canvas. The painting is 20 x 20, and is my reflection on the completion of a new wildlife overpass on the highway near Radium Hot Springs. For years, too many members of Radium’s Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd were killed by vehicles speeding down the hill. If you’ve ever watched the herd, you’ll know that they often wander on the highway, oblivious to the danger.
With the new wildlife overpass and a long fence in place, the herd will be better protected. Which is a big relief! I love watching the sheep while I’m out walking and it hurts my heart to imagine any of the rams or ewes — and especially the lambs! — being killed or badly hurt on the highway.
I believe in protecting the Radium herd — so much so that when you buy a print of Out of the Woods I will donate 30 per cent of the proceeds to Wildsight Invermere’s Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep Conservation and Biodiversity Program. Let’s help the sheep together!
Where you can see my art
My art is now being displayed for sale in a number of areas — so many it gets confusing! To help, here are all the locations you can view and buy my original art. And don’t forget that all of my pieces are also available on my website.
Radium Brewing: 7537 Main St W, Radium Hot Springs, BC
Funky Junk Stained Glass and More: #1-7517 Main Street West Radium Hot Springs, BC
Invermere Veterinary Hospital: 4854 Athalmer Rd, Invermere, BC
Lifepath Dental Centre: 492 BC 93/95, Invermere, BC
Thank you for reading my update newsletter! Get in touch if you have questions, feedback or want to talk.
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