It was a rainy day, and RCMP Const. Chris Nordlund and a partner were on patrol at the north end of Pitt Lake.

The Coquitlam RCMP rural section had only recently started paying regular visits to the area some locals consider the "Wild West."

A couple of kids managed to crash their ATVs and were in dire need of medical attention.

As Nordlund described, they were bleeding from various parts of their bodies.

So in the short term, the injured kids were taken to a local home, while plans were made to get them transported to a hospital.

If dealing with a critical medical situation in a remote part of Metro Vancouver wasn't stressful enough, the cops were about to get an unwanted twist to their day.

A resident in the area decided to express his feelings about having police patrolling the secluded area - in a more destructive than constructive way.

The person slashed the pontoon of the RCMP Zodiac and messed with its electronics.

Ultimately, the injured kids had to be taken out of the area on a different boat.

It wouldn't be the last time rural police were not-so-kindly told they weren't wanted.

A police vehicle stationed at the end of the lake was later pushed into the water.

Nordlund said the Mounties had a good idea who was behind the vandalism, and charges were eventually laid in relation to the police vehicle incident.

It turned out to be a local, who was drinking at the time.

Nordlund is awfully forgiving, suggesting the vandal realized he made a mistake.

It was an act that disgusted many of the residents living near the lake.

The two incidents also appeared to be watershed moments in the relationship between the law and the locals.

Nordlund explained people started to realize such incidents would only serve to increase the RCMP's presence in the area.

Over the past year or so, the resistance to change from residents living up at Pitt Lake has slowly dissipated.

The police have become an accepted part of life and, in many cases, the uniform is now a welcome sight.

"They know we're here for a purpose," Nordlund told The NOW, adding the RCMP isn't patrolling the area to ruin anyone's time.

Dan Garek owns and operates the Pitt River Lodge, a few kilometres up from the north edge of the lake along the river.

It's just getting into the busy season, and the lodge is expected to be full right through September.

For years, Garek has run the exclusive lodge and hosted the likes of politicians and Hollywood actors. But like any place tucked away from the big city, the river can attract its fair share of hooligans.

Garek has seen it all - from drinking and driving to the flash of guns and drugs.

"We could never do anything [about it]," he said.

The lodge was even blamed for bringing around the police in the first place.

But Garek is quick to credit the work of RCMP in recent years for rooting out some of the lawlessness that prevailed in the past.

"It's made a big difference," he said, adding the spectre of the law has also helped the bottom line at the lodge, especially with liability issues for the guests.

In June, the rural RCMP were involved in removing 15 abandoned vehicles from the area. The junkyard had accumulated over the years, becoming an eyesore to locals and potentially, an environmental hazard.

Garek said the police have been good at respecting people's space during patrols, and have worked hard to develop a relationship with the locals.

As Nordlund sees it, "They realize they are better off with the police presence."

It's one of the hottest days of the year, but it doesn't feel like it on the RCMP Zodiac travelling about 50 clicks on the open water.

Behind the wheel is the RCMP's Const. Chris Nordlund, while his partner this day is Const. Kevin Pollock.

As part of the Coquitlam RCMP's rural section, the pair is heading up Pitt Lake on this Saturday in July to do some routine patrols in the area. Specifically, the pair is planning to do some boat checks along the way and a bit of conflict resolution - cottage style.

Nordlund came to the detachment five years ago and spent two years in general duty. He wasn't much of a boater at the time, but when the opportunity to join the rural section came up, he dove at the chance.

He got up to speed on all of his certifications and has been patrolling the waters and land in the area ever since.

The rural force has three dedicated members who cover parts of Anmore and Belcarra, Indian Arm and Pitt Lake.

It's a lot of ground and water to cover for a population so small and spread out.

Much of the region can only be accessed by boat or seaplane.

"It's very isolated up there. That's why there is a different mentality up there," Nordlund said. That "different" mentality has led to some conflicts and resentment toward the force, but it hasn't deterred members.

The first scheduled stop is the little enclave of Williams Landing.

It's a piece of beach off of the lake, dotted by cabins and only accessible by boat.

Nordlund and his partner are dropping by to help ease the tension between two feuding neighbours.

Don Harrison and his family have owned a cabin on the beach for nearly two decades.

But recently, he claimed a neighbour has been holding rowdy late-night parties, with as many as 25 young people milling about and going wild.

Harrison has called the police in hopes of getting some calm.

"This is a pretty special place for us," he told The NOW.

Harrison said he's also happy to see a police presence, though he acknowledged there has been very little trouble at the beach in the past.

After a brief discussion with Harrison, Nordlund and Pollock drop by the neighbours' place to have a chat.

It turns out to be a lot of "he said, he said" accusations, while the neighbours insist it's not a police matter.

Nordlund doesn't take a side, but tells both parties to document any incidents and says if the feud escalates, he will return.

After Williams Landing, the two RCMP officers dock their boat at the north end of Pitt Lake, trading their rides for a dusty Chevy Trailblazer.

The truck is permanently parked near a logging operation, and it's equipped with all the gadgets the crew will need for any ground patrols.

Typically, the police will drop in on some of the residents living along Pitt Lake for a couple of hours, just to say hello and find out if there is anything new they should know.

Spending time on Pitt Lake does have its lighter moments for the RCMP.

On the way back down the lake, Nordlund and Pollock decide to finish the day with a few boat checks. They're basically looking to see if the boats and operators on the water have all their proper safety gear and licences.

Nordlund quickly spots a couple of fairly new and expensive speedboats chilling in the water.

The boats are filled with shirtless and tattooed young men and bikini-clad women.

Music is blaring, and a few beverages are in hand.

As the RCMP Zodiac nestles up alongside the high-powered boats, the partying starts to die down.

The officers politely tell the group they're doing a boat check, and they'd like to speak to the owner.

Nordlund chats with the crowd, while Pollock pulls out a handbook filled with boating regulations. He goes through a list of items the owner will have to prove are onboard, or the operator will face some stiff fines and be forced back to land. Some of the more obvious necessary items include enough life jackets for every passenger, a flashlight with batteries and a pleasure craft operating card.

But when the police start asking about a fire extinguisher, it invokes an interesting observation from one of the shirtless men.

"If there's a fire, there's water everywhere," he remarks.

There's not much of a reply from either officer. But the group has what they need onboard, and after about 20 minutes, Nordlund and Pollock are on their way back to the dock, leaving the group to resume the party.