A Brief History of the Homathko River and Mosley Creek

Scouting mission in 2003 to Mosley Creek

photo by Tommy Hilleke

The Homathko River Gorges have always proved impassible to the white man. Alfred Waddington attempted to build a “road” through the Homathko and Mosley Creek to the gold-rich Chilcotin plateau. The road construction crew were slaughtered by their Native guides at a gravel spit of land deep in Waddington Canyon. To this day no roads penetrate into canyons of the Homathko.
Stewart Smith and a group of Germans made the first descent in the late 80s or early 90s. The river has been run around 18 times, some major portage fests, so near complete trips. Homathko paddlers typically fly back to the putin lake via a float plane. If the skies are clear, passengers on the left side of the plane get a bird’s eye view of the elusive Mosley Creek. Multiple scouting Missions have approached Mosley, in fact one tandem paddled all the way to the head of the canyon, then bailed out.

Gideon Schutze and his Sharp Wings Beaver Float Plane

photo by Tommy Hilleke