If its July, Its time to Beach



We've just gone through a patch of very hot weather here in Vernon with temperatures from July 8 to 18 spiking to 30 degrees or above, the hottest day being July 13 at 38.6 degrees   And after a few days of cool and blustery weather, a torrential rain storm to douse the wild fires, the thermometer is climbing again! 
The average daily high in July is 28 degrees C (82 F) and the average low is 13 degrees C (55 F), which is ideal for summer activities: Cool fresh mornings, warm afternoons and wonderfully comfortable evenings, ideal for outdoor  barbeques and gatherings.  But when the mercury soars well above 30 the best reprieve, other than a long siesta, is to chill out at one of the local beaches. And with  two large lakes bordering Vernon, there are a few beaches to choose from.



Early morning stand-up paddlers on Kal Beach

Probably the best known public beach is Kalamalka Beach, called "Kal" Beach by the locals.  Located at the north end of Kalamalka Lake this the beach that travellers can see from Highway 97 as they gaze down on the bluish-green hues of Kal Lake.  It is a wide strip of sand with a long dock stretching out into the lake and is  a favourite spot for  families and teens keen on sun and sand.  There is a concession stand, washrooms, ample parking, a pub, a general store and a surf store close by.

 Early in the day, when the water is still, stand-up paddle-boarders of various ages and abilities paddle out from the beach.  As the sun gets warmer the beach fills with coolers and umbrellas and the water fills with swimmers and water toys.


Kal Beach on a sunny July afternoon



Playground at Kirkland Beach

If you turn right on Kalavista Drive, just after Alexander's Pub, meander along past some palatial lake front homes,  then turn onto Kirkland Drive, you will find a quiet little gem, Kirkland Beach.  A playground and lush lawn lead down to a small clean beach with a slice of swimming space marked off by buoys.

 



Kirkland Beach

 

South, along the east side of Kal Lake and the end of Kidston Road, is Kalamalka Provincial Park, a great area for hiking and mountain biking. Here there are two great little beaches.  Jade Beach, a long skinny strip of pebbly beach is off the right of the main pathway, about 200 metres from the parking lot.  Juniper Beach, an expanse of green lawn rolling down to two pockets of sand, is farther down the paved pathway.

Juniper Bay Beach

Resident Marmot at Juniper Bay

There are information signs about the natural flora and fauna mounted on the grassy knoll.  The curious resident marmots may scurry by while you relax under the trees.  On rare occurrences you might spy a bear or a rattle snake in the natural areas of the park, a reminder that you are on the edge of a wilderness area.



Another public beach about half way between Kal Beach and Kal Provincial Park is Sovereign Park which is named after a prominent local family who owned the property.

Sovereign Park Beach on a hot afternoon

  Between the paved parking lot directly off Kidston Road and the shaded beach, is a large area of lush lawn dotted with picnic tables.  There is a restroom/change room with an outside shower and handicapped parking closer to the beach.  As you amble toward the beach you pass the old Sovereign home, surrounded by huge oak trees with the magnificent Mackie house behind.



Old Sovereign Home shaded by Oak Trees

 One can imagine what life might have been like many years ago for the residents of these stately homes.



 This is my favourite beach for a good swim.

Morning Swim at Sovereign Beach

About 4 km west  from downtown Vernon, via Okanagan (OK) Landing Road (25 Ave), is Lake Okanagan, the largest lake in the valley which stretches from Penticton in the south to Vernon.  Kin Beach, on the northeast side of the east arm of the lake, is a large park accessed by turning right  off OK Landing Road at Tronson Road or Lakeshore Road.  The grassy park is well shaded by huge trees.  There are washrooms/change rooms and a modern playground.  The beach is sandy with pebbly areas.  Buoys keep the boats out of the swimming area.

Kin Beach, cool on a hot afternoon

 This is a great place to be on a hot afternoon as there is usually a cool breeze off the lake and plenty of room to lounge under the trees.

Paddle Wheel Park community Centre and Museum

Paddle Wheel Park is a kilometer or so farther along OK Landing Road along the east side of the lake.  This is the original site of the former steam boat port where grand paddlewheel boats were constructed in the early 1900's to transport freight and passengers up and down Okanagan Lake.  Here was the terminus of the railroad and the original CPR Stationhouse is one wing of the rebuilt community hall which now houses the OK Landing Museum (open daily and free to the public).

Paddlewheel Park and Beach

Beside the community hall is a large green area with a new playground and restrooms/change rooms.
The beach is popular with families.









Near the end of Eastside Road (a continuation of OK Landing Road) is Ellison Provincial Park.  It boasts two of the most picturesque beaches in the valley.  Set among rocky outcrops that are popular for sun bathers, the clean smooth pebbled beaches are a great place for a cool dip.



South Bay Beach at Ellison Park

Besides these main beaches, there are many little secluded beach access areas that can be used by the public.  A comprehensive list of these can be found at  www.vernonbeaches.com . Although comprehensive, I can not vouch for its current accuracy.
 

Spring Showers Deliver Green and Wild Flowers

Of the 34 Sunday hikes scheduled for the Vernon Outdoors Club (VOC) this season 8 of them are within a 30 minute drive of town. Most of these hikes are planned early in the season, in April and May, because many of the hikes farther away are higher in the Monashees, where snow can remain until early July. Generally these are shorter and easier hikes, and  a good way to get in shape for more strenuous hikes later in the season. 

panoramic view from Camels Hump

When you take a panoramic look around Vernon, you can identify most of the peaks that  we clamber up in the spring and, although I have done most of these at least once before, I enjoy every hike and get hyped by the views. An added bonus is the proliferation of  spring wild flowers that are popping up along these trails, some are vibrant and bold, others little and delicate.  

Chocolate Lilly

I am no naturalist but am gradually learning from the more seasoned club members.  I see my fellow hikers carefully scanning the grasses and forest to spot the first chocolate lilies or lying on their stomach, their camera face to face with a fragile fuchsia-coloured shooting star.Their efforts are rewarded and preserved in their stunning pictures.  

Shooting Star  photo by Colin Baxter

On Mothers Day (May 10) we hiked Camel's Hump, a double peak southeast of Lumby, off Creighton Valley Road.  As you drive east through the Coldstream Valley, it is easy to recognize but it is often confused with a closer triple peak south of Lavington called Blue Nose.
The greatest challenge of Camel's Hump is the drive up to the trail-head after you turn off Creighton Valley Road.  A vehicle with high clearance is essential and 4 wheel drive is advisable. The 6 km trail takes you up to the first peak and the lush vista of the Creighton Valley.  Here you see the second hump, an impressive outcrop of basaltic lava. 

Camels Hump

 The trail dips down between these humps and climbs up to the second one  where there is one of the best views of the North Okanagan, extending from  Kalamalka Lake to the south- west,over to the still-white ski runs on Silver Star Mountain and the north end of Mabel Lake, and the pastoral Coldstream Valley that stretches towards the shining white peaks of the Monashees on the eastern horizon.  It is simply spectacular.



An early season hike that the VOC  includes every year is up East Hill.  The trail starts only 10 minutes from downtown Vernon.  From the hillside you can see the north end of Kalamalka Lake and  the Coldstream Valley which is that fresh spring-green for only a few weeks before the sporadic spring rains dissolve into the arid sunny summer. 

Every time I have been up East Hill, the wind blows and it is not unusual to see a hanglider or paraglider circling above the valley, drifting on the thermal currents.   The Lavington/Lumby area has several  good launch sites and has hosted many competitions.

Another hike a bit farther from Vernon that is usually scheduled in May is up Sugarloaf Mountain. The trail-head is about an hour from Vernon, off of Westside Road.   Apparently this round-topped hill standing by itself on the west side of Okanagan Lake looks like a sugarloaf.  I did not know what a sugarloaf was, so looked it up and here is what Wikipedia had to say:
A sugarloaf was the traditional form in which refined sugar was produced and sold until the late 19th century when granulated and cube sugars were introduced. A tall cone with a rounded top was the end-product of a process that saw the darkmolasses-rich raw sugar, refined into white sugar.^[1]

This is only a 5 km hike but is considered moderately steep, taking about two hours for the round trip.  It looks down on the valleys of Whiteman Creek and Bouleau Creek eventually coming to a cliff edge that offers a great view of Okanagan Lake to the south which is a spectacular spot for lunch.  

Okanagan Lake, looking south from Sugarloaf Mountain

Much of the trail is through woods and over rocks and tree roots, so you have to watch your feet.  But it is easy to be distracted by a variety of spring wildflowers.

meadow arnica

fairy slipper (calypso orchid) photo by Colin Baxter

We have been away again for a few weeks, so have missed several spring hikes.  The snow is now gone from Silver Star Mountain and Terrace Mountain, and within a couple weeks the VOC  hikes will take us back into the great Monashees.  In the meantime, the lilacs and rhododendrons in my garden have finished blooming, and the irises and weigela blooms are looking tired.  But the roses are in full splendor, the day lilies are budding and the lavender will soon fill my yard with is aroma. Early summer is upon us.

 Okanagan's Sun Flowers

I'm sitting in City Perks Coffeehouse in Saskatoon.  Paintings by local artists decorate the bright white walls and a small gas fireplace sits in a corner of this cafe situated in an older residential area near the downtown. It's  a great spot for coffee, lunch and their Saskatoon berry cheesecake is to die for.
The view out the window is gray.  Gray sky, gray road, gray buildings, gray grass.  It has been a nasty winter here, as it has been across most of Canada.   A new record was set: 57 days when the thermometer reached -30 C with wind chill.  And the spell of winter has not broken yet.  We drove north of the city on Sunday. There were frozen ponds in the gray fields under a broad, cold blue sky.  There was no green; no leaves, not even any pussy willows.  It is May 5!  But things could be worse, it is snowing in Calgary today!
I left Vernon on Friday.  It was sunny and a balmy 27 C.  My plane touched down in Calgary an hour later. It was snowing and an hour later I arrived here to grayness.

I apologize if I  sound like a broken record crowing on and on about Vernon and the Okanagan Valley, its beautiful scenery, great outdoors activities and good weather.  Admittedly, the weather in the valley has not been perfect.  This spring there has been quite a few cool days, some rain and dull days.  But everything is green.  We've been on several local hikes and bike rides.

By Canadian standards,  the first signs of spring come early to the Okanagan.  The golf courses open by early March; the returning birds arrive as early as late February, (although this can be a bit confusing as there are robins, gulls, ducks and geese that never leave); by mid April  flower beds are adorned with daffodils and tulips, the grass in the pastures turns a hopeful shade of light rich green and the fruit trees are covered with blossom.

But for me, the sign of spring I await with greatest anticipation is the blooming of the 'arrowleaf balsalmroot' (aka the Okanagan Sunflower).  First a few appear on the sunniest southern slopes of the arid hills. This year I spotted the first ones on April 13 on a drive  along Kalamalka Lake.  I think this was later than last year.  (Yes, we too, are having a later spring.)  By the following week any undisturbed slopes were covered with these bright yellow flowers.

Known scientifically as Balsamorhiza Sagittata, this bold and showy plant thrives among the grasslands and mountain forests of the valley.  It is prolific in areas untouched by farmers or animals.  Identified and named by its fuzzy, silver gray broad arrow-shaped leaves it pushes up strong erect stems that hold its showy and happy flowers.  

It grows in bunches, with multiple flowers stretching up, their faces looking somewhere between the horizon and the overhead sun.  For me, it defines spring time in the Okanagan.
Although prolific, I've not seen them displayed as cut flowers and, after picking some last week, I think I know why.  They have a pungent fragrance and although edible, are reported to have a bitter flavour.  Apparently early First Nations people used the sap for a topical antiseptic and dried and ground the long taps roots into a starchy flour.  The plants are palatable to wildlife and livestock so its abundant presence is a sign of overall range health.

The Vernon Outdoors Club ramble last Tuesday (April 29) took us through the arid grasslands surrounding Goose Lake which sits west above Swan Lake.  The club had gotten permission to take this walk which passes through private property.

A large group of us meandered through the thick greening grasses admiring the views of the Swan Lake and Spallumcheen Valleys. We crossed by  rounded chunks of concrete and old wooden posts, remnants of the Grey Canal, B C's longest irrigation canal completed in 1914. It collected water from Aberdeen Lake, south of Lavington, to water the thirsty fields and orchards of the greater Vernon area, snaking along the north and south Coldstream Valley north to BX Creek, above Swan Lake Valley to Goose Lake and south to spill into Okanagan Lake. Decommissioned a couple decades ago, parts of the canal course are now a series of walking trails know as the Grey Canal Trails (www.ribbonsofgreen.ca )  

We lingered over lunch perched at the top of the hill with Goose Lake behind us and the still-white top of Silver Star Mountain shining down from the East over the very still Swan Lake.

We were surrounded by Okanagan Sunflowers.  Despite our numbers, it was quiet and the vigorous spring sun warmed our backs and bare arms.  It was a spectacular North Okanagan spring day!

Full-On Spring

Again this year we missed the "ambivalent" time, when there is the best spring skiing but the golf courses are open, and the Vernon Outdoor Club starts  its regular hiking and biking schedule..  March is both late winter on the mountain and early spring in the valley.
One dilemma about living in such a desirable four-season-climate is deciding when to go traveling.   Having a good airport 30 minutes away does make travel convenient and the decision a bit easier. We again took a direct flight to Cancun this March and traveled around the Yucatan for three weeks.  It was a good trip but we were thrilled to get home.
We got home in time to enjoy the last weekend of skiing up at Silver Star/Sovereign Lake.

What's wrong with these pictures?

Its 0915 hrs Sunday April 6 at Silver Star Resort.  There is a 200 cm snow base at the lodge with 6 cm of fresh snow.  The main runs have been meticulously groomed

 It is -2 under a sunny/partially cloudy sky.  The conditions are excellent for downhill and Nordic skiing.  We head up the Comet Chair and over to the Nordic runs that connect with Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. 

Its all perfect and there is no one here!!

After two hours of skiing, including a short stop at the comfy lodge at Sovereign Lake for a gourmet cookie, we arrive back at the Village and much has changed!  

It is the year end celebration.  Hundreds of season pass holders have gathered to participate in a Silver Star "flash dance" , and chow down complimentary burgers.  

The shops are full with shoppers taking advantage of 50% off sales on everything related to skiing.

Silver Star Mountain Resort is now closed for two months, opening for summer season in late June.  Its hard to believe all this snow will melt and bikes will be spinning over all the trails on the mountain by then!
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre has also closed but only until May 9th when it will reopen for 10 final days of Nordic skiing.  Based on current snow conditions, they are expecting their best "summer" season yet!

 We drive down the mountain and check out Kin Beach on Okanagan Lake.  Its now mid afternoon and has warmed up to 20 degrees.  The grass is green, kids are playing at the playground and riding bikes.  

We joined the Vernon Outdoors Club for a ramble up Quail Ridge, behind UBCO on Tuesday and went on our first bike ride yesterday.  The golf courses are full of golfers.  A few keeners are sharing the local beaches with the ducks.

Crocuses, hyacinth, and forsythia are in their full glory. 

Spring is here!

Do It with SSASS  

Many season-pass holders prefer to ski on week days to avoid the longer lift lines and exuberant youth who invade the mountain (not that Silver Star is ever has long lineups or is super busy).  But I head up to Silver Star Mountain Resort early every  Saturday from January until mid March.  It is the day I volunteer as an instructor for SSASS and it is the highlight of my week.

When we relocated to Vernon two and a half years ago I wanted to volunteer in some capacity, to find something that would give a sense of purpose to my otherwise self indulgent life. While hiking with the Vernon  Outdoors Club during our first summer, I  heard about  SSASS from the local  coordinator and her palpable enthusiasm for the program got me interested.
SSASS is the acronym for Silver Star Adaptive Snow Sports, a Silver Star based program that makes skiing and snow boarding accessible for everyone, regardless of age or ability.    Instructors with SSASS  are also members of CADS (Canadian Association of Disabled Skiing).  

 I was unsure whether I had the skills and knowledge needed,  however the warm reception I received with my inquiries carried me through the weekend-long level one CADS certification.  There, with a group of a dozen other new recruits, I experienced how it might feel to be blind, one legged or paralyzed and  experience the thrill of skiing.  We learned to use a variety of equipment and techniques to aid skiers with special needs.  

Then at the annual meet-and-greet potluck, where instructors meet their assigned students and families, I met my two students.  One was  a 9 year old who had been a good hockey player before his vision had deteriorated.  Hockey was now unsafe and he wanted to learn to ski.    My other student was a 12 year old boy with an awkward gait due to cerebral palsy.  He had other developmental challenges and was non-verbal. Assessing his challenges through my inexperience I wasn't sure how I could teach him to ski  but it was obvious he was keen to learn.  
With each of these students I was paired with another instructor and from them, over the last three seasons, I've learned a lot about adapting teaching skills to individual students with special needs. But my greatest teachers have been my students.  From them I have learned about motivation, human potential and the power of achievement. 

Both of these students have progressed farther than I could have imagined.  The former hockey player who is now 11, skis black runs and goes through the trees.  And our other student goes down all the green runs on the mountain with a tether or on a pole between his instructors and recently he has started skiing independently. He is much stronger and his gait has improved.  He still doesn't talk but he does laugh, he laughs a lot while he skis.

I now have another student, a  7 year old girl with a smile that lights up a room.  She has mild autism and I am enjoying  helping her learn a new skill.  She is one of several students  we now commonly teach at SSASS, with challenges that are not necessarily  physical. 

SSASS offers these regular ski lessons every season and also assists with students in local school programs.  As well there  is a very active Racing Team that trains during the ski season and participates in races at Silver Star and at other ski hills. 

Josh Dueck racing

Two former SSASS students will be participating in the Paralympic Games in Sochi .  Josh Dueck, a sit skier will be racing and Sonja Gaudet who had skied with SSASS will be on the Canadian curling team.

Another major part of the SSASS program is offering instruction and support for disabled skiers visiting Silver Star Mountain Resort. Recently one family who visited arranged for their special- needs daughter to ski with SSASS,  captured the experience and posted it on the web site:  http://www.specialneedstravelmom.com/silver-star-ski-resort/adaptive-skiing-at-silver-star-mountain-resort-british-columbia   

A visitor to Silver Star being taken for a sit ski ride by SSASS volunteer

SSASS got its start in 1992 when founder, Donna Carter, organized funding and the first 10 instructors were trained.  Her daughter Danielle was one of the first three students in the program.

Each February SSASS holds the Carter Classic, named after the founding family.  This is a ski race with teams that include skiers with special needs. The focus is fun with some teams dressing in costumes but it is a real race with gates and timers. It is a big thrill for the skiers.  This year both my original students participated in the event.

 

 Local businesses generously donate prizes and there are trophies and medals. And the look on the faces of the skiers when they received their medals was as exciting as if they had won Olympic Gold.  What a thrill for them, their families and instructors! 

   For more information about SSASS check out : www.ssass.bc.ca

Staying Warm in the Cold

After two and a half weeks of warm sunny winter weather on the mountain, the clouds vanished from the Okanagan Valley below and were replaced by the cold of an "Arctic front".  The groomers continued to churn up the top layer of snow and then rake it into  pathways similar to a chenille bedspread rippling down the ski runs  and the Nordic trails at the Star and Sovereign Lake.  Surprisingly, the back trails still looked pristine, frozen into an untouched motionless winter landscape.  For a week the mercury dropped, as low as -20 degrees.  And the locals stayed home!

Those of us from the rest of Canada (east of the Rockies), who are more seasoned to "real winter", were not intimidated by the thermometer.  However we did put our downhill skis aside in favor of our Nordic (cross-country) gear.  And, true to what has become my mantra, we never had a bad day!
 Admittedly, we did prepare for the cold, adding an extra layer clothing (we have learned the great advantage of our inner layer being of a synthetic wicking material!), replaced our gloves with mitts, and I also put some toe warmers into my boots and hand warmers into my mitts.  These self heating packets, purchased at our local "Surplus Herbies" for $.99, are very effective.  They are advertised to be non toxic, non pollutive and non flammable Made with iron dust, activated charcoal powder, cellulite and something called zeolife, who knows the truth of those claims.   But they sure fit the bill for occasional cold weather! 

The snow had the sound and feel of corn starch and the air was definitely nippy. However only about 15 minutes into our gentle ascent up Paradise Trail I had to shed my extra layer and my hand warmers.  The -17 air was no longer an issue, I was toasty warm.  






Nordic skiing is an amazing low-impact workout, the ultimate calorie burner and an effective antidepressant.  You use all the major muscle groups of your upper and lower body to propel yourself forward, and other muscles for balance and coordination without over stressing any single muscle group so you can sustain the activity for hours without soreness or joint strain.  You strengthen your heart and increase your lung capacity, lower your bad cholesterol and increase your good cholesterol while increasing your endorphin level.  This minimizes the sensations of pain and fatigue, while creating a feeling of well-being, in my case demonstrated by a smile I can not wipe off my face.  Meanwhile you burn a lot of calories.  One study quoting facts from Harvard Medical School, reported that Nordic skiing uses about 600 calories an hour, compared to downhill skiing at about 450 calories per hour.  However, I don't think many of us vigorously downhill ski for more than about 20 minutes at a time before we get back on the chair for another ride up the mountain.  We are not serious athletes but we are usually out from 2 to 3 hours on our Nordic skis. No wonder we stay warm!

The cafes on the mountain were filled with cold skiers, their hands cupped around steaming coffees and hot chocolates.  They were on vacation from Eastern Canada, the States, Australia and Europe or winter residents of the mountain.  The atmosphere was friendly, almost festive, among us hearty souls.
Emily and Carlos, from Washington State, told me they had discovered Silver Star in the summer.  "We have been up here more in the summer than the winter" Emily told me, "our kids grew up here and this is where we have real friends"  In 1997 they tried a winter trip and their kids discovered the thrill of downhill skiing.  Enrolled in lessons, their 5 year old son was separated from his older sister and was about to become distressed when a wise ski instructor, Darren Richmond, intervened, allowing him to join his sister's older group providing he behaved well.   That evening their kids were sharing enthusiastic greetings with instructors and "lifties" (aka lift operators) they had met.  "I don't know another place like Silver Star" continues Emily, "the trails, the snow, but its the people who are the spirit" .

The cold made me look inside, inside the shops in the village, some that I had never previously visited.  I was charmed by the uniqueness, and colour I discovered.  First stop was "Village Ski Shop", full of the latest and best in all things Nordic: skis and boots, clothing and accessories.  

The long time owner Brian James and his staff are knowledgeable and helpful for both first time skiers and experts.  

Farther along the Vance Creek boardwalk  is "Coldstream Dry Goods".   I am not much of a clothes rack but I have bought clothing here that I love. 

 

But most of the time I just drop in and browse at the unique clothing, jewelry and scarves that pulse with colour and style.  There are decorations, gifts, funky underwear and more!


Ski Dazzle, the largest store in the village is full of the latest in ski equipment and ski fashion and has the expertise to match the quality.  

Season pass holders enjoy a 10% discount.  And at present there is a 25 to 40% sale on all Silver Star logo clothing and gear.  

Next door is a wee shop to delight all kids and other candy lovers: "The Goody Box", bursting with candy and treats, with Silver Star souvenirs and other gifts.  

The newest shop on the hill is "Mountain High Quilts and Crafts/A Twist of Yarn" on the Aberdeen Hotel boardwalk.  This store started  with the owner, Ronnie, placing some  quilts along the railing of the boardwalk for a colourful backdrop to the "Silver Star Mile High Wine Tasting" event in August where guests sipped Okanagan wines, nibbled on tasty treats from food vendors while they listened to smooth jazz.  The quilts were a hit and her store opened December 1st.  

Her shop is a feast of design and colour.  She sells finished quilts from local artisans, quilt kits, yardage and precut fabric.  "A customer told me there is no store like this, not even at Whistler", smiles Ronnie.

 Her shop mates are Camella and Ryan who own an extensive yarn shop in Vernon. A large rack of locally hand- dyed and spun yarns  sits in the centre of the shop with a rack of My Mountain Silver Star logo yarns filling the back wall.  There are hand knit and crocheted sweaters, hats, scarves and knitting supplies. For those needing instruction, free lessons have been scheduled.

The weather has warmed this week and it is again all about getting out there and attacking the hill, but the cold was a welcomed break to discover more that Silver Star Mountain has to offer!