The Coldstream Valley Bike Loop

Our favourite cycling days are ones with warm sunny weather and great scenery.  We love to take time to explore interesting sites and visit inviting cafes and eateries. Sure the route could be done in one sweaty hour, but we prefer to savour the experience taking two or three hours. And there is no place better than the North Okanagan for such indulgent and interesting cycling!

It’s a sunny Wednesday morning when we rumble over the boardwalk in Polson Park.  The map in the Greater Vernon Hiking and Biking Routes pamphlet, has helped us decide on our route.  We angle up 11 Avenue, slowing to a crawl on the hill to Middleton Way.  A turn onto Sarsons Road and then onto Inverness Drive hooks us into Selkirk Drive where we pass the North Okanagan Regional District building. We coast down to the light at Highway 6, then turn on to Buchanan Road and strain as we climb another hill.

View of Coldstream Valley from Buchanan Road

As we continue along Buchanan Road, our effort is rewarded by the sweeping view of the Coldstream Valley, with its fields of tasselled corn, and green pastures reaching to the pine forests to the southeast.   Much of this land is the Coldstream Ranch, first established in 1863 by three former British army officers: Charles Houghton aged 24, Forbes George Vernon aged 20 and his brother Charles aged 23.  In 1891 it was purchased by Lord Aberdeen, then Governor General of Canada, who began growing fruit trees. Since 1994 the ranch has been owned by Keith Balcean who runs it much in the same way it has always been managed.

Small fruit stand on Buchanan Road

Near Wallace Road we buy peaches at a fruit stand and devour them sitting under a tree in the orchard, then continue to the east end of Buchanan where we turn north towards a row of greenhouses high on the hill.  The steep grade defeats us so we park our bikes and walk up to Lavington Roses agreeing that this route would make a nice car ride!  

            

  

Self serve at Lavington Roses

We walk into the greenhouse where rows of multi coloured roses and bold coloured gerberas grow. A fridge in the corner has a sign “Choose a bouquet. Put $ in the $ box, thank-you".  But flowers won’t travel well in our pannier bags, we’ll have to get ours at the Vernon Farmers’ Market.

A made in Lavington business

We mount our bikes and point them downhill toward Lavington. Behind the Lavington Market is Back to Earth Enviro Products and Soap Works, open Tuesday to Saturday 10 to 4.  Here is a world of delectable scents and soothing lotions, all made locally.There is a small selection of their cereal products that are now sold in 93 outlets in BC and Alberta. 

Inside Back to Earth Soap Works

We’ve worked up an appetite and chose to go for lunch at the Edible Canvas Restaurant where we sit on the back deck and share a huge burger. 

Patio at the Edible Canvas

We continue south on School Road, passing Laviington Park, its free swimming pool is inviting but we pedal on.  At the T intersection we turn right onto Learmouth Road going past Coldstream Willows Nursery, admiring its neat rows of manicured grass and trees and shrubs.

Coldstream Willows Nursery

 We head west on Highway 6, staying on the narrow shoulder for the couple kilometers before reaching Kalamalka Road.  The gradual downhill grade pulls us along with little effort towards Kal Beach.  Soon we are riding through Polson Park and on our way to Justice Park, across from the Court House. 

Music in Justice Park Wednesdays noon to 1:30 all summer

Here beside the boisterous waterfall we tap to the beat of Tasman Jude, a reggae band from Alberta, featured in this week’s “Jammin in Justice”, Downtown Vernon’s summer noon hour music in the park, a great way to chill out before we head home after 40 km and more than three hours of local exploration.

Cycling in Coldstream

Our favourite cycling days are ones with warm sunny weather and great scenery.  We love to take time to explore interesting sites and visit inviting cafes and eateries. Sure the route could be done in one sweaty hour, but we prefer to savour the experience taking two or three hours. And there is no place better than the North Okanagan for such indulgent and interesting cycling!

On a cloudless Wednesday morning we pedal east on Okanagan Landing Road and cross Highway 97. Toddlers are squealing with delight in the spray park as we pass through Polson Park, getting an early start on what promises to be another hot summer day.  We continue through the south end of the park along the boardwalk over a sluggish Vernon Creek and pop out onto 14 Avenue and then onto Kalamalka Road, passing by a quiet Kal beach, yet to fill with sunbathers.

Quiet little Kirkland Beach on Kalamalka Lake

Taking Kalavista Drive we pass some palatial lakefront homes and turn onto Kirkland Drive to discover a little public beach and playground empty except for some ducks.  Continuing up Postill Drive we hook onto Kidston Road and strain to climb the hill up to Mackie Lake House then pause at Sovereign Park.  The hot sun lures us to the beach to take a dip.  The beach is empty and quiet.

Sovereign Park, Coldstrem
 

Bishop Wild Bird Sanctuary and Native Plant Garden, Coldstresm

Refreshed, we turn down Coldstream Creek Road and peer into a tangle of bushes at the end of the road.  The sign, "Bishop Wild Bird Sanctuary" is partially hidden and advises us to call ahead, but we meet Aaron Dean, the caretaker, in the driveway and he assures us the public are welcome.  We sign the guest book, take a pamphlet and begin a self guided tour.  The sanctuary was established by Lydia Bishop, an old time Coldstream resident "for the benefit of wild creatures and the entertainment and education of small groups". The garden is full of native plants and alive with the jabber of birds and flutter of butterflies.
After the solitude of the garden, we mount our bikes and climb up Coldstream Road through orchards of apples and pears, then coast down to cross the Coldstream Creek and turn north to link into Kalamalka Road.  We soon stop at Friesens Countrytyme Garden, part orchard and part bakery/ restaurant.  We tuck into bowls of Russian borscht  and fat cheese scones and relax on the shaded  patio before heading back west on Kalamalka Road.

Kingsmill Pottery Studio in Coldstream

 

At Aberdeen Road we steer right, stopping just before the rail crossing at Bob Kingsmill's Pottery Studio.  Here beside a babbling creek and beds bursting with summer flowers is a gallery adorned with masks, wall murals and whimsical but functional pottery.  Bob will greet you warmly most days (10 to 4) when he is not at his gallery on Granville Island.  It's best to phone ahead to avoid disappointment.( 250-549-4615)
We continue up Aberdeen, turn left onto Middleton Drive and right on Sarsons Road which connects with Middleton Way.  A short cruise down 11 Ave returns us to Kalamalka Road and we retrace our tracks back through Polson Park and home via Okanagan Avenue. 
After our leisurely 30 km, 3 hour outing we return home refreshed, well fed and inspired by the North Okanagan's natural beauty and the pottery of an outstanding local artist.

Exploring Northeast Vernon and the BX.

Our favourite cycling days are ones with warm sunny weather and great scenery.  We love to take time to explore interesting sites and visit inviting cafes and eateries. Sure the route could be done in one sweaty hour, but we prefer to savour the experience taking two or three hours. And there is no place better than the North Okanagan for such indulgent and interesting cycling!

It's 8 o'clock Saturday morning and the sun is warm on our backs as we head east along the shaded pathway through 25 Avenue Linear Park towards Highway 97. Our plan is to head north, but we take a quick cycle around Polson Park.

Karate Class in Polson Park

 An older gentleman, sporting a cowboy hat, is absorbed in feeding the ducks at the pond and a local karate club is holding a class behind gardens of pink flox and yellow day lilies.


We stop to admire the floral clock, and check the date which is changed daily, then head through the downtown, eventually following the bike path along 20 St.

 

Floral Clock at Polson Park

After crossing 48 St we veer off to the right onto BX Creek Trail. Here, nestled between residential subdivisions, is a boardwalk that follows the gurgling BX Creek, shielded from the urban noise by stands of tall Black Cottonwoods.  This is a "riparian ecosystem", a moist habitat for several endangered species.  A keen eye might spot a Western Toad, a Little Brown Bat,  a 12 Spotted Skinner or the exotic sounding Rubber Boa.

Boardwalk at BX Creek Park

 This cool and lush corridor connects Swan Lake to upper BX Creek.  And from here one can gaze toward a Great Blue Heron Rookery (aka "a colony of breeding animals") located in a stand of tall trees in front of the local Walmart.  This, apparently, is one of a very few breeding sites in an urban location.  Three nests were first spotted in 1968 and there are now over 40.  The herons nest in March laying 3 to 5 eggs that require about a month to hatch. Then the baby birds are launched at 10 weeks of age.

At Stickle Road we turn up to Pleasant Valley Road and head south to 46 Ave/BX Road where we turn east.  BX Road follows BX Creek.   Here is the site of the original BX Ranch homestead, now best known by locals for its large dog park.  The road is moderately steep but we are protected by morning shade and soon connect with East Vernon Road.  Near the corner is the BX Press Cidery and Orchard open for tastings and tales of the BX from  Friday to Sunday 11am to 5 pm.  Here we are entertained and educated, learning the origins of these infamous initials.
In 1864, during the Cariboo gold rush, Francis Jones Barnard purchased 6,300 acres from the crown  to fatten cattle and raise express ponies used on his stage coach runs from the Valley to the Cariboo.  The ranch housed Barnard's Express, the largest freighting company in BC, with routes covering over 1000 miles and second in size only to the legendary Wells Fargo.

Today the BC Press Cidery produces its cider from a large variety of apples grown on land that was part of this famous ranch.  We taste three varieties of cider, each with its individual taste and story, the Prospector, the Hostler and the Bandit.  We leave, each carrying two bottles of cider in our panier bags.

 

By the time we wind back through Vernon to our starting point on Okanagan Landing Road, we have clocked 25 kms, and the noon day sun is above us.  We've discovered hidden wetlands, the rolling valley that was home to one of BC's most famous ranches, and experienced the crisp taste of artisan cider.  And now it's time to get home and crack open a cold bottle of cider on the back deck.

  Cycling Around Swan Lake

Our favourite cycling days are ones with warm sunny weather and great scenery.  We love to take time to explore interesting sites and visit inviting cafes and eateries. Sure the route could be done in one sweaty hour, but we prefer to savour the experience taking two or three hours. And there is no place better than the North Okanagan for such indulgent and interesting cycling!

At 7:30 in the morning, when the air is still cool, we lather ourselves with sun screen, don our sunglasses, bike gloves and helmets and make sure our water bottles are full.  With a copy of “Greater Vernon Map Book and Guide” and “Greater Vernon Hiking and Biking Routes” tucked in our pannier bag, we pedal east along Okanagan Landing Road, turning on 41st Ave to 30 St, then on to Alexis Park Road and onto Old Kamloops Road.

The road is smooth but the shoulder is very narrow.  We are careful to stay as far to the right as we can and the cars pass us safely.
 Not far from town we spot a sign for Swan Lake Nature Reserve Park and turn off just beside Stawn's, a local honey farm, then ride down a short gravel road.
 Raptors watch us from above as we bike along a pathway through waving grasses that reach higher than us, stopping to read the info signs.

Biking through the tall grass in Swan Lake Nature Reserve

We learn that Swan Lake has a rich history and these wetlands continue to be an important mecca for nesting and migrating birds as well as reptiles, amphibians and small mammals.  It is a fabulous birding site especially in the spring and fall.

Headbones Gallery on Old Kamloops Road

 

Back on Old Kamloops Road we pass Headbones Gallery, open to the public 12 to 6 Tuesday to Saturday.  It is a private gallery of contemporary art, its experimental art as vibrant and captivating as the views from its hillside location.  

Continuing along Swan Lake we gaze at the pastoral scene surrounding the still lake, then turn east of Highway 97, staying on the wide shoulder and out of the way of the fast traffic.


 At Highland Road we turn right heading to Swan Lake Nursery but the sign "open showroom" at Kekuli Bay Cabinetry/Huber's Furniture catches our eye. We head upstairs to admire state-of-the-art kitchen cabinets and look through the window to watch furniture being made on site.
 

Show room at Kekuli Bay Cabinetry/Huber Furniture Store 

Just down the road we stop at Swan Lake Nursery for coffee and a snack.  We walk past the overflowing bins of local cherries and apricots, and the boxes of strawberries and raspberries, through the funky gift shop to the café.
  I spy the homemade apple pies for $8.99, but reason such a purchase would not travel well via bike.  We get a coffee and herbal tea and share a huge triple-berry biscuit for $4.80 and sit in the café that overlooks the north end of Swan Lake.

Bins of local fruit at Swan Lake Nursery

Returning to Highway 97, we cross under the over pass and ride up the bike path on the east side of the highway, connecting with Pleasant Valley Road.  The undulating road is punctuated with welcomed shade and we are soon pedaling down Silver Star Road turning left on 20th Avenue and following the bike lane to 43rd Avenue, eventually finding our way back to Okanagan Landing Avenue.

It’s been 30 km and a wonderful three hours of local exploration!