Early Season Bonus!

It's 7:30, Friday November 22, (50 years to the day since JFK's assassination) and the first rays of the morning sun  light up Terrace Mountain.  Terrace Mountain sits south of Vernon, on the west side of Okanagan Lake. It is the highest peak on our western horizon, at 1906 metres.    I get my bearings from this mountain, as it is visible from most parts of the north end of the valley.  Our predominant weather systems sweep north from Terrace Mountain and the locals plant their gardens when the snow is gone from its slopes. When it shines white with snow, as it does this morning, we know it is ski season, even though the valley may be bare of snow.

Today Vernon  has that icy silence of early winter.  Still no snow in town but a temperature of -10.  Silver Star, the predominant peak east of Vernon, has received 34 cm of snow this week, for a cumulative total of 213 cm.  We were up on Monday, skied while big fluffy flakes fell into a silent forest.  We enjoyed our first "flat white" coffee at Out of Bounds, commenting that  no other coffee is quite as smooth and mellow.

 The forecast today is for sun and a high of -7.   We are going Nordic skiing, for our fifth day this season.
There are few things I find as exhilarating as being up on a ski hill on a bright sunny winter day.  This morning the snow looks pure and untouched under a clear vivid blue sky.

 Although the temperature is cool the sun seems  warm on our backs and we shed two layers as we make our way up to the higher trails.  Then we wisely bundle up for the trail back to the village, realizing the air is cool and the snow fast.

The village is still quiet, but there is some activity as services and shops are gearing up for the "bonus weekend". Starting tomorrow, Saturday November 23, the resort is opening up part of the mountain for alpine skiing with day tickets selling for half price.


It's now Saturday and we have decided to try out the first day of alpine skiing.  When we arrive at 9:30  the main parking lot is almost full but the line up at the Comet chair is only a few minutes long.  It is sunny and spirits are high.

 The staff have meticulously groomed some of the runs and those that were left with powder are already crisscrossed with tracks made by those who started the day much earlier than we did.

I'm trying out brand new skis, not usually a good idea on the first day the hill is open, but there are no bare spots, twigs or rocks to mar their smooth base.  After a few runs we stop for coffee at the Town Hall.  I hear Kiwi accents, so change my order to a flat white.


Bonus weekend has come and gone.  It is now Monday and we sneak up mid morning for a quick Nordic ski.  It is a pleasant -1 and after three days of sun we wonder if the trails will be a bit icy but the snow is ideal on the lower trails where the summit shades the wooded tracks.

 We turn on to TJ's Corkscrew and climb up to a spot where we can see the sharp white tops of the Monashees glowing in the mid day sun and turn to see Terrace Mountain to the south west.

There are no other skiers in sight.  This Thursday will be the official opening of the winter season.  We've already had 6 days of Nordic and one day of Alpine skiing, not bad for "pre season".  

Ski Season Commences

The Vernon Outdoor Club wound up its 2013 hiking season with a hike in Kal Park on October 27.  The last ramble was October 29 and the final bike ride October 31.
There was just a week to put away the hiking boots and drag out the skis.  Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre opened for Nordic skiing on Friday November 8th and Silver Star Mountain Resort opened its Nordic trails the next day.  Although at least one local golf course was still open down in the valley, only an easy 30 minute drive away, there was a snow base of 50 cm, and over 100 km of carefully groomed trails ready for cross country skiers!

Our first day on skis was November 10th.  We left the dullness of the valley, drove up through waves of misty fog and arrived into a winter wonderland!  It brought back memories of last season.








 There are some mornings when you question the wisdom of drudging up the hill for a day of skiing.  The weather looks dull and uninviting.  There is no snow in the valley; how could there be any decent snow on the hill??

We are now starting out third ski season as residents of Vernon and we can not recall a single day when we have been disappointed by the quality of the snow or the grooming on the cross country trails.
We shared the lower trails with some families but there were also Lycra clad skate-skiers whizzing by.  There were folks walking their dogs along Bridle Trail and kids building snow men.

We lingered over hot chocolate the Bugaboos Bakery before driving back down to town.









The next day we took a long walk following Bella Vista Road up above Okanagan Lake.  The apples trees were still stubbornly holding onto their leaves and the sun was bouncing off the quivering lake surface. Couples we ambling along the beach and children were boisterously playing in the play ground at Kin Park.

Behind us Silver Star Mountain was hidden by a grey cloud.  It was hard to believe we had been skiing there the previous day and would go up again the next day. Yesterday we were able to finish cleaning up our yard.  Our timing was perfect.

Today it is raining, that translates into snow up on the mountain.  An tomorrow we will return for our third day of skiing.

Fabulous Fall

Our summer lasted from late June to mid September this year, with very few days that were rainy or even cloudy. Many days were hot and dry with temperatures above 30 degrees but the evenings consistently cooled to about 15. It was a typical Okanagan summer.
Then, as if a switch was turned, it cooled  Showers washed away the haze of summer and brought a hint of green back to the parched hillsides. The sun has returned but the air has the feel of crispness to it. Summer is definitely over.
It is a great time of the year for bike riding.  The hills seem to need less effort in the cooler weather and the summer traffic has disappeared.  Last week we cycled out to Lavington, first going through Polson Park , where the still-colourful  floral clock was alone except for some moms and tots in the playground and a flock of gulls watched over an empty Kal Beach.

Crossing Highway 6, we climbed up to Buchanan Road enjoying  views of green pastures and watching machinery munch up the last of the standing corn.   The road drops down into Lavington and it was cool in the shade of the valley.  We warmed up at Susie's Blue Nose Deli with home made mushroom soupand warm cheese scones.

Returning along Learmouth Road and back onto Buchanan Road, we could see Sparkling Hill Resort, gleaming in the mid day sun on top of the Commonage, and Highway 97, a scratch along the hill above Kalalmalka Lake.  Except for an occasional tree dotted with crimson apples, the orchards were bare of their fruit.  A few maple trees were orange and red against the blue sky but other trees still held their green foliage.

Yesterday we rode around Swan Lake.  The lake was smooth with hints of yellow and bronze reflected along its edges; a more fall-like scene than the previous week.

Swan Lake Nursery was bursting with the fall harvest;  bins of multi-coloured peppers and apples, golden pears and purple plums.  Large rounded bright yellow and mauve chrysanthemums sat waiting to be purchased to decorate homes for Thanksgiving

As we returned along Old Kamloops Road we paused to look over the green fields along the lake.  Above we could see Silver Star Mountain, its top shining white in the sun, evidence of the first 23 cms of snow on the ski trails.

Although our garden is still alive with roses, asters and the intense red of a flaming bush, we will park our bikes for the season. We are leaving on a vacation and when we return in mid November we will happily get out our skis.  Winter and ski season will have arrived.

"Make It A Fresh Day"

Vernon Farmers Market

Most communities have farmers markets these days, bringing in produce from far away places.  What makes Vernon's Farmers Market so special is that Vernon is surrounded by  agricultural land.  With rich soil, hot sun and generous irrigation, our farmers produce some of the best food grown anywhere. We don't have a 100 miles diet around here, it is more like a 10 km diet!

The market starts up in mid April, about the same time asparagus spears and spinach have popped out of the rich soil  reaching to the warm  spring sun. Soon there is fresh herbs, peas, lettuce, radishes, zucchini, turnips and rhubarb, and by June the local cherries and berries arrive along with most every other vegetable known to man.
This is the start of the parade of fabulous Okanagan fruit with apricots, peaches, pears, nectarines, plums, melons and apples to follow. The produce stands are heaped full, a rainbow of fresh colours: heritage tomatoes, peppers and beets of hues from green to purple, red, yellow and orange.  Local vendors pick their produce the night before or very early in the morning, often arriving by 6 to set up in the coolness of the morning.

I love visiting the market. It is held from 8 to 1 Monday and Thursdays until the end of October.   We often bike there, amble along the rows of vendors, checking out produce, art and jewelry, tasting samples of homemade salsas and dips, baked goods, nuts and cheese.  We always stop for a coffee, enjoy some music, watch the buskers and visit with friends.  Various groups of entertainers come and go but Don Monty is always there, strumming his guitar and raising his white cowboy hat to those who pass by.  He gives much of the loose change that is tossed in his hat  to others he deems less fortunate.

I have my favourite vendors.  The broccoli and spinach from  Zelaneys Farms is amazing; heads of lettuce from Good 'n Plenty are huge and beans from Grandview Melons are always young and crisp.   But I often check the smaller booths who lovingly display small tidy bunches of their garden bounty.

I buy most of my fruit from Bella Vista Orchard but usually just visit their orchard, only a short walk from my home. I often buy handmade meat pies from Real Deal Australian Meat Pies and spicy samosas from the Samosa Lady. I've tried the chicken from Sterling Springs and lamb from Vale Farms. The Gouda cheese from Triple Island Cheese is great. And for a special treat I'll order a chocolate almond crepe from Crepe Bistro and watch, salivating, as Olivier Petit, "master crepeman" , prepares the delicacy in his mobile creperie.

 I've started my Christmas shopping, buying a gorgeous handmade purse from Susan's Satchels and I'm eyeing some socks from Tocino Alpacas.  Last year I bought a beautiful hand crafted silver necklace from Lucho's Art Jewelry.  And I usually stop in to see my good friend Mary Tremayne, an artist and potter who has been a vendor at the market from its beginning in 1978.

The market is full of fresh flowers, with bundles of big bright sun flowers but I am partial to the multi-colour roses and Gerber daisies from Lavington Roses. My last fresh roses last two weeks!

However there is often something new or different to experience.  This week I tasted some roasted almonds from Go Left Nuts and came home with packages of the Cara-Sel (almonds with caramel and sea salt) and the Sweet-Heat, (almonds  with Ancho chili).  But my best find this time was at Okanagan Garlic.

"I spread a clove on toast, like jam every morning",  Bill Campbell told me as he explained the distinct and unique flavours of the different varieties of garlic he grows and sells.  "Spanish Roja is best for salads, you eat it raw."  And apparently it is mild enough to spread on bread, quite a contrast to the garlic I had brought to him from my own garden.  He told me I have grown Yugoslavian garlic.  "On a scale of 1 to 5, it is a 5, very strong and pungent and good for marinates on roasted beef or lamb."  I happily leave with 6 huge cloves of Spanish Roja.  Some will make it into salads this winter and some will be planted in my garden  so I will have my own to harvest next summer.   

Biking Bliss

In my view, things that make a good cycling day include sunny warm weather, great scenery, interesting sites and outside eateries or picnic spots combined with reasonably  flat terrain.  The Greater Vernon area offers all of this except, to cover any significant distance, you have to tackle hills.  For novice riders like us that has presented a challenge, but one we have risen to this summer.  Not only are we in better shape, we have enjoyed dozens of fabulous days on the road.

In the early spring we joined a few regular Thursday rides with the Vernon Outdoor Club (VOC) through the gently rolling back roads of Lumby/ Lavington and Armstrong /Enderby. The quiet paved roads wind past lush fields of newly sprouting asparagus,  sweet hay and early market garden crops where the smell of rich black earth mingled with the fresh warmth of the spring sun.  Each week the trips seemed to be a bit more challenging and gradually we found our bike legs.

As much as we have enjoyed the VOC spring rides,our favourite cycling starts from our own driveway. Early in the season we started  with shorter trips, usually biking from home through Polson Park to  Friesens Country Tyme Gardens in Coldstream and eating a breakfast of farm fresh eggs and Mennonite sausage on the patio (round trip of 20 km).

Cherry Blossoms in May at the Japanese Garden, Polson Park

Or we headed down Pleasant Valley Road and around Swan Lake via old Kamloops Road (round trip of 25 km)   When we do this route on a Monday or Thursday morning we stop at the Vernon Farmer's market on our way home and fill our pannier bags with local produce after enjoying a coffee and listening to local buskers.

As the summer progresses and our legs get stronger, we  bike along Kalalmalka Road, then Buchanan and Learmouth roads to Lavington where we stop at the Blue Nose Deli for coffee, a fresh baked muffin or their exceptional veggie wrap (round trip 40 km).

Recently we  biked along the east side of Okanagan Lake out to Ellison Provincial Park, a wooded camp- ground with mountain-bike trails etched into the mountain side above the lake and two lovely little beaches with clear azure waters inviting you for a swim  (round trip 30 km with a couple significant hills).

Otter Bay at Ellison Provincial Park

South Bay Beach at Ellison Provincial Park

Turtle crossing along Commonage Road

And, last week, with the encouragement of a few  VOC bikers, we slowly wound ourselves up the Commonage Road past the eagles nest and turtle crossing near Rose's Pond and the  manicured, world-class Predator Ridge Golf Course up to the very highest point of land where Sparkling Hill Resort, the Swarovsky family's only resort and the largest spa in Canada perches, its millions of crystals gleaming in the sun.  This is where we had coffee and strudel overlooking Okanagan Lake before the exhilarating 17 km ride back down into Vernon.

Rose pond in the Commonage

These have been great rides but  the one we have enjoyed the most this summer has been  to Juniper and Jade Beaches in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. It has become a weekly ritual.

Lone boat and water skier on Kal Lake

We head down Okanagan Landing Road and swing though Polson Park, which is snuggled in behind the hospital hill along Highway 97.  Coldstream Creek rushes through the park, under little walking bridges and fills a pond where resident ducks paddle awaiting the crusts that little children toss to them.  Behind the blossoms of late summer, a karate group does its routine drill and children squeal with joy in the adjacent splash park.  It is truly a delightful shaded oasis and play area for locals and travelers.
We rumble over the board walk behind the park and then along Kalalmalka Road toward Kal Beach.  Here sun bathers lay on  the hot sand and swimmers and paddle boat riders drift out on the calm lake.
We turn to follow the east side of the lake, past the heritage Mackie Lake House and Sovereign Park, both named for families who previously owned the properties.

Orchards of apples line the road as we climb up  above the lake where a lone kayaker skims by and a water skier creates a rooter tail spray.  We are hot and sweaty when we reach the parking lot and guide our bikes down to the beaches.

Summers are hot in the Okanagan and we usually leave home about 8 o'clock.  The ride takes us a bit more than an hour, and when we arrive we have the beach to ourselves. I am generally not keen on open water swimming, preferring the predictability of pools. But the water is still and clear and it is a fabulous place to swim

Named after an Indian chief, Kalamalka Lake is re-known for its changing hues, from deep blue to aquamarine, as the sunlight is filtered through dissolving minerals.  The effect is stunning.
Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park protects more than 4,200 hectares of grasslands and unique cliff and wetland habitats.  The area was part of the original Coldstream Ranch and during WW ll was used as a commando training area. The local residents had the foresight in the mid 1970's to lobby the provincial government to purchase the property for a park.  There are extensive hiking and biking trails as well as these quiet little beaches.

After we swim and float for a half hour or so we partially dry ourselves in the hot mid- morning sun, but the deep coolness of the lake stays with us as we pedal back towards Vernon with the sun on our backs.
We cycle home via 30 Ave, originally known as Barnard Ave and stop at the Bean Scene, a local coffee bar that is the epicenter for all that is or will be happening in Vernon.  We sip on  an americano  on the  shaded back balcony and then slowly pedal home feeling satisfied and refreshed.

Note:  Kalmalka Lake has been nominated as one of the "best places in Canada" by the Canadian Institute of Planners. 
 You can vote until September 23 at: http://www.cip-icu.ca/greatplaces/en/place.asp?id=6198

Day Tripping in the North Okanagan

Like most Albertans that move to the Okanagan Valley  we get quite a bit of company, mostly other Albertans!  They come for the beaches and the wineries, the fresh fruit, the golf courses, the hiking and fishing, the biking and boating, and, of course, to visit us.  

If it is their first visit, we usually walk with them down the road to Davison Orchard for pie and to Planet Bee to see how bees make honey and to taste honey mead.  If they stay a second day, we often go to Friesens Countrytyme Gardens, to enjoy breakfast in an orchard, and to Kalalmalka Lake Provincial Park for a swim at Jade or Juniper beach, or a hike to Rattlesnake Point.  Then we might take them up to Allan Brook Nature Centre where they can see the whole vista of the North Okanagan: Swan Lake, Kalalmalka Lake and Okanagan Lake while marmots eye them curiously.

If they return for future visits there are dozens more places to discover.  Sometimes we will take them off to explore and sometimes we'll just give them the maps and let them loose.  And, judging from the volume of return guests, they seem pleased with their little tours and happy for more suggestions.

This last week my sister-in-law, who loves to snoop around quaint little towns, funky art galleries and along country roads, returned for a visit. So she and I headed east  along highway 6, passing the apple orchards of Coldstream and the pastures and corn fields surrounding the Village of Lumby.  I had always thought of Lumby as an old dusty sawmill town but there is far less sawdust these days.The main street is lined with lush hanging baskets and banners and it seems like every second building has a historical mural  painted on it.

Vernon Street Lumby

Spawning salmon mural

   
Westopped at the Visitors Center, housed in a small log building, not big enough to swing a cat in, but full of information about guest ranches, luxury b&b's, rustic cabins and wilderness campgrounds all tucked away along streams and lakes in the surrounding  forests and mountains.  There were brochures on activities ranging from horseback riding and fly fishing  to hang gliding and mountain climbing.

But we were interested in exploring the village, so, with a map in hand, started along the salmon trails, wooded pathways that wind along two creeks through the village.  These creeks are the most easterly spawning grounds for Coho and Chinook Salmon.  We joined  other walkers and bikers along the trails which are dotted with interpretive signs and fitness stations..Walking back along Vernon Street we passed Ida's Bakery and the Krazy Llama Cafe where diners had filled outside tables for lunch.  We crossed over to The Village Gallery, an artist run gallery featuring works by local artists  The art is impressive and very reasonably priced.

Having lunch at ida's Bakery

We then drove just east of town and turned south onto Creighton Valley Road. The pavement changed to gravel as the green pastures lead into a forested valley.  We stopped to visit Cozy Cabins Nature Resort and walked down to its small lake.  Kids were playing on the small sandy beach and sunning on the swimming float, while a group of adults gathered around a picnic table.  The 7 cabins on this 40 acre property are discretely placed, some overlooking the lake and others around the meadow.

Garden at Cozy Cabin

 A very short distance farther along Creighton Valley Road we drove along the  emerald-coloured Echo Lake and stopped again to check out the Echo Lake Fishing Resort.  Here wooden cabins perch precariously over the motionless lake.  A couple docks stretch out into the lake with small fishing boats attached and a lone kayak was mirrored in the middle of the lake.

Echo Lake

The road changed back to pavement as it wound itself out of the treed hills and back into green fields.  Here it joined  onto highway 6 and we  headed back into Cherryville.  Originally a gold rush town, named after the wild chokecherries that grew along a creek, Cherryville has one of the most charming little galleries anywhere.  In a whimsically painted former hunting cabin, among aromas of scented soaps and candles we were delighted by colourful glass beads, dishes and murals that surrounded other art.

Cherryville Artisans Shop

On our way home we stopped at Caffe Mazzega in Lumby.  We sipped on our lattes and nibbled on a gelato n' berries crespelle (crepe).  The soft hot crepe melted in our mouths and the tart warm berry juice mingled with the vanilla ice-cream.  It was better than delicious.

  A  half hour later, with a glass of Pinot Gris in hand,  we were sitting on our back deck in Vernon describing our delightful tour to the others. Just another fabulous day in the North Okanagan.