'Off Grid' north of Kaslo

Kootenay Lake Prov Pk
Site #10 - $21 n/s, poor cell, some along lake

It was quite a drive from New Denver to Kaslo. We had forgotten how much of a climb and how winding that highway is. But oh so pretty. One wouldn't expect to see bicyclers on this difficult stretch. But we did! Some not so young.

We continued north from Kaslo to Davis Creek Campground in Kootenay Prov Pk. It was worth the drive. We really enjoyed our quiet stay. Davis Creek is a fairly secluded, 'off grid' (no cell) campground. With oh so beautiful views!!



We had a very private site at the far end of the campground overlooking Lake. Three nights worth of awesome! We seriously contemplated staying longer. As Ron said, it spoiled us for other camping spots. I did miss having cell service, although I got a couple flash connections throughout our stay so we did know what was going on in the world. My only complaint was ANTS! I will not miss the ants.  We were continually brushing them from crawling up our legs. ugh!

There were never more than 3 or 4 of us including the host, a single retired army veteran. And there was a young family from Ft McMurray. He had broken his back in a quading accident and is now in a wheelchair and on permanent disability. Ron got in some good visiting.

We rode about the campground and truly enjoyed the quiet and the gorgeous views. The big entertainment was watching the huge logs floating by. Out and back in . . . lol







We went for one drive further up the lake to Duncan Dam. The pics below were taken from the lookout on top of the dam.



There are some interesting little communities and homesteads along the way. Not surprising as Kaslo area does have a bit of a reputation for pot and hippies!  We stopped at a local general store for some ice cream treats.

We saw another bear eating garbage in the ditch just out of our campground.  The warnings were posted in the campground. And this little guy crawled out of our wood pile one evening. He may have been a local, but we wondered if we brought him from Jeff's woodpile in Vernon??

Anyway, good things come to an end and sometimes one needs to re-charge the batteries, empty the RV holding tanks and do a little laundry, so we moved on. A whole 45 km south to Woodbury Creek Resort at Ainsworth Hot Springs.

NOTE: There is a link to more photos in the Trip Pics section to left of this blog.

Night at Nakusp

Nakusp Municipal
Site #3, p only, cell, Internet (Guest2017)

We chose to spend a night in a power site at the Nakusp Municipal campground so we could charge our batteries (including my electric toothbrush!) and bake some bread! Also we wanted to wait until the weekend campers had vacated Davis Creek at Kootenay Lake Prov Pk near Kaslo, which will be our next stop. On this trip we have spent many nights in campgrounds without power. They are some of the best camping spots. Confession: I do hate making coffee the old fashioned way of boiling water and pouring it through a filter. Also, I miss my toaster! Toast on the stove not so good. How spoiled we have become!

So with batteries and toothbrush charging and a loaf of bread baking, we went for a few groceries and we rode our bikes along the lake path. Love the views and the tulips. People were enjoying the beaches and some were swimming. That mountain lake had to have been cold!!??

We were supposed to have internet in this campground, but it is not working. Something else that ticks me off! Will have to look for a connection before we move on today. I see weather is supposed to be 30C here for the next few days. Not quite so hot in Kaslo though. :(

3 out of 4 ain't bad at Blanket Creek near Revelstoke

Blanket Creek Prov Pk
Site #53, n/s, Temp 20C, cell poor but available (good site)

Tuesday, Day 1 at Blanket Creek Park south of Revelstoke was almost perfect. We really like this park in the forest and bush. The sites are fairly private and roomy. Pretty! The only small complaint was the construction noise. They are putting in 40 new campsites. However, quitting time was 4:30 pm and then it was just us and the birds once again!

Arrow Lake

This was one of the few camping days that we were able to sit out around the fire until bedtime without long pants and jackets. Plus we were able to cook AND eat outside for a change! A light rain passed through the first night, but our trusty little umbrella kept us dry.

Unbeknownst to us a pretty wicked wind and rainstorm passed through at 1 am which took down a couple of trees and many branches in the park. We never heard a thing! One thing about this park is the wind blows in the tops of the trees, but we are somewhat protected down below. It is similar to camping at Cypress Hills.

On Wednesday, we were not so lucky with our weather. Actually, at 9C it was frickin' cold! We had heard it was worse on the prairies--Some places saw a little snow with the rain and high winds. And so ended our complaining! Instead, we went for a driving tour beyond Revelstoke dam and along Revelstoke Lake. There are a lot of pulloffs where people can pull in and camp. Some are free and some are $12/night but we hear they are rarely around to collect. If you like camping 'off-grid' these are for you! It's a very nice drive and the highway is great.

We stopped in Revelstoke for groceries, propane and some internet. Back at the campsite, we cooked lasagna in the oven which warmed up the trailer nicely. We also made use of our catalytic propane heater that night. I miss power the most when the weather is cold.

Thursday brought SUNSHINE! And we opted to stay another night. And then another! Those final two days had us looking for shade. Hot!, just what we ordered.  We spent time at the Swim Pond (below) and Ron walked up to Sutherland Falls.





The 'water boy' kept our tanks full!

On Saturday morning we were back on the road heading south. We took the ferry across Arrow Lake and headed to Nakusp. AND, we saw a bear in the ditch!

Grandparent-ing in Vernon

Our Vernon weekend is coming to an end. Jeff is back at work and Christal is taking Owen to school and heading in to Kelowna for the morning. We will be on the road shortly.  Our days were pretty busy.

There was sidewalk chalk, sliding, swimming, ball, jumping on the trampoline, making and flying paper airplanes. There was a little yardwork plus some quiet time on the electonics and reading books. And there was the adult time in the evenings at the propane firepit sipping wine. Awesome!



















Daughter, Kari had flown to Kelowna for the weekend so we met up with her and Doug for brunch at The Jammery in Winfield.  Kari, Gerry and the 3 boys are off to France and Spain in July so we will miss them at the July family reunion this year.

Christal's parents and sister Cara and Gord came for dinner on Sunday and we always enjoy time with them.  It's a bit of a contest who talks the most between Christal's dad, Lane and Ron, Seriously. They are non-stop swapping stories. I'm not sure they are even aware of anyone else in the room.

So that was our busy weekend. We are still discussing our next stop, but we are looking forward to some 'real' camping in the trees and bush once again.

Two Nights - Kelowna

Orchard Valley RV Pk
Site #8 - $47 p/w/s, free wifi but slow

We had a lovely time in Kelowna. The sun came out. The fruit trees are blooming. Very pretty.

We did a bit of a driving tour about the city and along Okanagan Lake. Kelowna is one of the fastest growing cities in Canada and growth is evident in all directions. Including up! There are some pretty spectacular mountain views.

Doug and Rina wined and dined us both nights. Remy joined us for both meals (her friend, Shane for one). She is enjoying a University break but thinking about returning for her masters.  Ryley breezed through for one meal and it was back to tinkering on his truck. I think a new fuel pump was successfully installed in the gas tank by the time we left.  The four of them are excited about their two week Mexico trip next week.

Today is Friday! We are Vernon bound for May long weekend.  The campgrounds will be full. We have secured a reservation in Jeff's driveway once again.

bye bye Osoyoos

Tuesday was our last day in Osoyoos. Rain rain rain. Not much fun. But it could have been worse. Those poor tenters. One couple had two small children. A day like today would be enough to turn them off camping all together.

We enjoyed Doug's company for a steak dinner last night.
And the sun was shining while we packed up this morning. It looks like a great week coming up. Thanks Osoyoos. We would have appreciated some warmer weather during our stay.

more from Osoyoos

Yesterday was Mother's Day. I think Janice and I have been together on this day for the past 4 years.  We missed you here this year, Richard and Janice!

My cousin, Sharon (MacDonald) and Jamie Graham dropped by for visit after lunch. It was great to 'catch up' with them. They have a home on the lake and have been busy sandbagging with the rising waters. The water is right up to their front deck, but luckily, it doesn't appear that it will reach their home. The cooler weather is probably slowing down the mountain melt. I guess for many, the lack of hot weather is a good thing. Although the rain and the high winds aren't helping any.

The Quail hiding from the rain

Today was laundry day. It's what you do when the weather isn't so great. (Just about any day this week could have been laundry day.) We did not wash heavy blankets, sleeping bags or pets! The sign made us laugh.

We did sit out for a bit after lunch but then the wind came up. It looked like a snow storm with all the elm seeds flying about. You can't see them in the air in this photo, but the ground is covered.

Son, Doug is back in Osoyoos tomorrow and Wed. doing some electrical work at the Burrowing Owl winery.  He will be joining us for dinner tomorrow evening.  We will be heading to Kelowna on Wednesday, so will hopefully see the rest of the family then.

"Bottomland" or Nk'Mip, Osoyoos, BC

Site #C14 - $220 (6+1 free or $32.) p/w/s, free internet! (finally!!)

We are not so lucky with our weather at Osoyoos this go round. It was really nice when we arrived on Wednesday, but not so much since.  Thursday evening it poured rain and the wind came up. At first we thought our neighbours were blaring music with the base turned up. Ron went to open the door and check and it blew right out of his hands.  A number of the lakefront campers had left when we woke up this morning.

We have been out for some biking and Ron has been on a couple hikes. But damn. We sure wish they would turn the heat up here!

The Welcoming Committee

This campground is busier than we've seen it. It appears the permanent residents have increased. Probably former snowbirds not going south anymore. We are disappointed in the area where we camp. The cedar hedges between sites have died out and most have been removed. Not very private anymore and there hasn't been a lot of effort in the replanting, maintenance and upkeep.

Anyway, we enjoyed a late afternoon soak in the hot tub, dinner is done and we are looking to watch a movie this evening. Another Friday night in the RV!

Kettle River PP, Rock Creek

Kettle River Prov Pk
Site #63 - $30 n/s, cell (Note: first come until June 15 except May long)

We weren't able to camp in our favourite spot at Kettle River Provincial Park as that loop was closed due to the flooding. There was water across the road and one of the sites was under water. By day 2 the water had receded and I expect the loop will be open by the weekend.

The majority of the campground survived the fire. There is burn out near the entrance and the old maintenance compound is gone. Portions of the upper loop were badly burned. Of course those have become the 'first come' sites.

The 'best' sites are all 'Reserve' sites requiring the added reserve fee during busy season. This time of year we don't have to worry. All sites are first come.

The hummingbirds have been a real source of entertainment. We noticed them on our arrival and we put out our feeder. The place is now humming with them! They are very aggressive and one pair appears to have declared this their territory. They vigorously chase and attack all other hummers that come near the feeder. More than once we've found ourselves ducking as they swoop over our shoulders. Also, if you wear a red shirt, you will likely find yourself nose to beak with one of them as they check you out!

We enjoyed our two nights at the park, rode a portion of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail and today we are Osoyoos bound.

Detour!

We did our annual bike tour around Midway. The population is less than 600 people, so it makes for a pretty quick trip! And we rode to the US border crossing on the edge of town.  It's probably the closest we'll come to Trump country while he's there. We checked out the raven and the rock drawings in the Learning Circle Park in town.





We were disappointed that we didn't see our old friend Steve, the Park Attendant. We look forward to a visit with this retired Aussie school teacher each year.  He is apparently in Kelowna Hospital after undergoing triple by-pass surgery. We wish him well and hope to see him next year!

Today we move on with a slight detour. We can almost always be expected to come up with one or two of those along the way! Did I mention it's great to have time and no deadlines?  Anyway, we have decided to check out the Kettle River Prov Pk before heading to Osoyoos. We haven't been there since the big fire and it has always been a favourite camping spot. So we will move down the road about 20 km. We will lose power and wifi, but look forward to more rustic camping and biking the KVR bike trail. I believe cell service is still available.