julieonholiday

[julieonholiday]

I wanted to spend some time on the east coast of Vancouver island so that I could visit old friends and revisit places I used to know. After our first night in a Nanaimo airbnb we found a campsite on a First Nations reserve where we went to bed and woke up with a view of the ocean.

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Off to Vancouver Island! A late ferry as the earlier ones were booked - so we took time travelling down the beautiful road to the Ferry Terminal at Horseshoe Bay. The trees are Arbutus and Ironwood or Oceanspray, both common in BC especially right by the sea. Arbutus has the most amazing bark, with layers of bright rust and lime green. People are really happy if they have an arbutus on their land.

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Paradise valley again- the sun has come out.

[julieonholiday]

The crabapple cafe Squamish for a fabulous lovely lunch; an Al Fresco supper at Paradise Valley Campsite; a climbing favourite, The Chief rock in Squamish. Not that we climbed it but we did explore the beautiful waterfall at the bottom of the rock.

[julieonholiday]

After the long drive we failed to find a campsite and stayed at a youth hostel in Squamish. The next day we pitched the tent at a beautiful campsite at Alice Lake - a provincial park. We spoke to a park worker there who advised us to drive down Paradise Valley. In the warm pouring rain we drove the 5 or so miles through tall trees hanging low with mosses and lichens - so tall you can’t see the top. Picture 1 is wild spirea and 2 is the West Coast maple with it’s beautiful lacy leaf. Along the way are dark mysterious lanes leading into the wilderness and to the crashing roaring river just minutes away.

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The dry barren and often smoky landscapes of the interior from Shuswap to Kamloops; and the amazing scenery of the sea to sky highway which goes all the way to the Pacific.

The fire you can see is in the mountains near the town of Lillooet. The glacial mountain is towards Whistler. The road we travelled on was spectacular and empty of cars and development for most of its length.

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Sicamous and Blind Bay on Shuswap Lake, one of the many massive lakes in BC’s interior. We stop in Sicamous for a swim- the air temperature is again in the high 30s. The sand is too hot to stand on.

We camp in Blind Bay at a holiday spot meant primarily for boaters (the beach was muddy and the water murky) but at least a breeze came off the lake. We did have a very fine meal at the Timber Restaurant.

The sunset is courtesy of a wildfire raging 100 miles away in the Lillooet area.

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Leaving Golden: more spectacular scenery as we move out of the Rockies. We climb up a mountain on the way. Not really but do I look convincing?

Many of the pine trees are dead or dying as a result of the infestation of a pine beetle; in some areas whole mountain sides are ravaged and the dead trees make ideal kindling for wildfires.

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A last view of the cabin.

[julieonholiday]

July 11 to July 22 - Vancouver to Golden via Nelson

[julieonholiday]

Everyone was delighted to see Deborah - she had spent 6 months looking after Mum three years ago in Dorset and became part of the family.

We had a couple of fabulous evenings on the balcony of the cabin. A storm came down the valley giving us a spectacular light and sound show while we ate..

[julieonholiday]

Our destination was a mountain farm in the Rockies where some of my family were staying on holiday. On the way we had to cross Arrow Lake by ferry- there literally is no other route north. One end of the lake was ‘misty’ but in fact obscured by smoke from distant fires.

Once we arrived we pitched the tent in an overpriced mosquito infested field along the Kicking Horse River, and spent as much time as possible with the family in their posh cabin.

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We stopped at this stream - the flora was rich and beautiful. Not sure but I think these are thimbleberry, spreading dogbane, and twinberry honeysuckle.

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Some of the towns in BC are really unspoiled- compared most towns which knock down anything more than 20 years old. This is the lovely little town of Kaslo on the shore of Kootenay lake. We picked up some groceries and started the long drive to Golden.

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In Kelowna I meet with Julie an old friend from Cold Lake- and spend a good few hours reminiscing in the cool air of a Starbucks. By now the temperature was around 38. Then had a reunion with Deborah at MEC where we bought everything we needed for our camping trip.

Then off to stay with Beth at her beautiful place in the Nelson area right in the South of BC - around 5 hours drive. Beth is a good friend of Deborah, reflective and intuitive and generous- and I loved meeting her and spending time with her and Deb together. We stayed in a little cabin on her land - very comfortable and cool despite the very hot weather. She is 5 minutes away from a private little beach on a massive lake.

Deborah is standing next to Devil’s Club. We had a meal at the Dock and Duck overlooking the beach and ferry dock at Balfour on Kootenay Bay.

[julieonholiday]

My trip to Kelowna on July 15th. The 4 hour bus trip from Vancouver was cool and relaxing and there was plenty of scenery between sleeps. Before the bus I had a delicious pho at a cheap vietnamese place near the station. On arriving in Kelowna I jumped in the lake before going to my b&b. No problem finding places to swim so far. Way hot- 36c in Kelowna.

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