2011 BLOG REVIEW PART 2 of 3
If you missed the 2010 and 2011 PART 1 Blog Reviews check them out on the header above first
We left Vancouver Island and headed to the southern interior of BC to Pend d' Oreille, near Trail, BC
Friend Don from the Kootenay ATV Club directed us to an open camping area near the Seven Mile Dam on the Pend d' Oreille River. There was a campground just down the road below on the river but after checking it out with what was left for sites I figured it would be too difficult to maneuver in. Over the next couple of days we had some very scenic rides...
Boulder Dam on the US side in the background...
The snow got so deep we had to turn around...
Don and Linda brought out spaghetti from their favourite restaurant for dinner...
Don invited us to a Cross Bow Tournament fundraising event for the Fire Fighters Burn Fund being held at his friend Jay's acreage...
Me and Don...
This is just a small portion of all the taxidermy mounts that adorn Jay's house from successful hunts. I said to Don not many wives would allow this type of interior décor. Don said Jay had the house before his second wife...LOL!
Seven Mile Dam...
Final ride...
Three Islands Resort, Summit Lake
We did a day trip to explore the area including the village of Nakusp. Saddle Mountain across the Upper Arrow Lake which is a dammed section of the Columbia River that flows into the US...
Gardens along the waterfront walkway...
Back at the campground we fished, and caught 11 fish but unbelievably no photos for proof!
We met Bob and Carol and they offered to lead us on a ride...
We got a great waterfront site at McDonald Creek Provincial Park on Upper Arrow Lake near Nakusp...
Neighbours had warned us fishing was lousy and it was, so we just explored the lake...
After enquiring with a park worker, we got permission to wash the mud off our quads at the boat launch from our previous ride at our last stop...
We heard from a park worker that there was free camping at Trout Lake so we did a day trip to check it out...
So glad we did as the lake was very high and most camping areas were flooded and the bugs were terrible. Beautiful spot though...
Historic Windsor Hotel (1897) at Trout Lake was closed when we were there...
On the way back we stopped at Halcyon Hot Springs overlooking Upper Arrow Lake for a dip and lunch...
It was a 32C/90F day so the pools were more comforting than the hot spring pools. A must stop if you're ever in the area!
It's more rustic than Halycon Hot Springs. They also have a small campground and Chalets...
Centennial Campground is a municipal campground in New Denver on Slocan Lake. We toured the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre where tragically hundreds of Canadians of Japanese heritage were sent during WWII...
Slocan Lake...
A day trip to historic lead and silver mining village of Silverton established in 1892...
Day trip to historic silver mining town of Sandon (1891)
A day trip on our quads from the village of Sandon to the top of 2,260 m/7415' Idaho Peak
The plan to drive the 12 km/7.4 mile road to the hiking trail parking lot came to a stop 2.5 km/1.5 miles shy of our destination as we ran into deep snow...
We decided to walk, switch back after switch back...
From the parking lot it's still a little over 3 km/2 miles return along the ridgeline to the lookout...
Almost there!
Wow...the views were stunning!
Zoomed in...on the far left is our rig at the campground, far right is Carpenter Creek...
Heading back down...
View on our way down of silver mining town Sandon that we visited yesterday...
Day trip to the village of Kaslo on the shores of Kootenay Lake and toured the S.S. Moyie, a Provincial Historic Landmark and a National Historic Site. Built in 1898 for the Canadian Pacific Railway, the Moyie steamed on Kootenay Lake until 1957. She is the oldest known surviving intact passenger sternwheeler in the world and a heritage vessel of international importance.
A visit to the very busy Ainsworth Hot Springs
We passed this very unique home on a day trip to Nelson which was formerly the
S.S. Nasookin sternwheeler...
Entering Nelson on Kootenay Lake...
The Court House. Nelson has 350 heritage buildings dating back to the late 1800's...
The bridge we crossed in the distance...
Hiking the Canyon Trail in Kokanee Creek Provincial Park...
On our way to Creston we boarded the worlds longest free ferry ride across Kootenay Lake from Balfour to Kootenay Bay. My understanding is when they dammed the Kootenay River to make the lake it cut off transportation routes so a free ferry system was added...
Kootenay Lake...
Jimsmith Lake Provincial Park, near Cranbrook...
A day trip to explore Cranbrook and tour the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, now called the Cranbrook History Centre. The Museum’s collection of deluxe railway passenger cars is recognized as one of the great railway heritage collections in North America
We hiked the bird sanctuary at Elizabeth Lake...
We finally got back out on the quads and rode to St. Mary's Lake...
St. Mary's River...
Fort Steele Resort and RV Park , Fort Steele
Just down the road is the Heritage Town of Fort Steele that dates back to the gold discoveries of 1860. A must see if you're in the area...
Northwest Mounted Police Post, now known as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)
We toured for 4 hours. Unfortunately the train ride was shutdown for a couple of days of maintenance...
A return to Jimsmith Provincial Park so we could explore Kimberly...
The Sullivan Mine was the largest lead and zinc mine in North America and after 92 years of active production, the Sullivan Mine was closed in 2001.
The Platzl—Kimberley’s Bavarian-themed T-shaped pedestrian mall full of shops and restaurants.
We had to pay a quarter to have this fellow come out of the coo-coo clock...apparently, it is the largest coo-coo clock in North America...
On the way back to Cranbrook, we stopped at Marysville Falls.
Mount Fernie Provincial Park, Fernie
We drove into Fernie to book a white water rafting trip...one of my bucket list items. If you're actively into the great outdoors Fernie has it all. Skiing, hiking, fishing, camping and stunning scenery, probably one of our most favourite stops in BC this summer...
The old Fernie Railway Station...
We hiked the Great Northern Trail along the Elk River and spotted this fly fisherman...
Time to get wet with Mountain High Adventures! We weren't able to take our camera so the following were taken by the rafting company. I was in the Dragon Slayer position (front right) with no toe hold to hang on like the others behind Ken and I. Dianne was directly behind me...
It was the wettest position and the pucker factor kicked in a few times but what a blast!!
We stopped for some cliff jumping. Not us though...that water is freezing cold! :)
Day trip to Fernie Alpine Resort and a guided tour and ride up the mountain with Nature Bob...
Mammoth Mountain...with "Mammoth Droppings" below...we hiked into that...
Fernie in the distance and the resort below as we ride back down...
A day trip to Island Lake Lodge.
We hiked the trails around Island Lake...
Then had lunch at the lodge...
The Elk River is suppose to be an awesome place to fish so I gave it a go...
Well it was a bust! I watched as many guided boats floated by and asked how they were making out..."A very slow day". Sure glad I didn't pay for a guided trip:)
We had heard that Elkford was one of the top spots in BC for scenic ATV riding. I had reached out to the local Elkford ATV Club so member Dave was expecting us and led us on many rides to some of his favourite areas...
We checked out an exposed coal seam that was on fire underground. They believe it was lit by a lightning strike around 1915! All efforts to put it out have failed so they just monitor it now
Up and down we go. The scenery is stunning!
With our guide Dave. We are very close to the BC, Alberta border...
Fording River Coal Mine in the distance. Dave said that area used to have mountains!
We did a free tour of the Fording River Coal Mine...
Look how small that huge truck in the distance looks...
Coal train will head to Westshore Terminals south of Vancouver where it will be loaded onto ships bound for Asia...
Another scenic ride...
Sulfur Springs...what is that smell??!!
As we walked to the pub to wash down the dust I said to Dianne "What's so unusual about cougars hanging around a pub"...LOL!
Locals that we met, Denise and Randy took me fly fishing. Again no photos of fish caught?!?
We rode our quads out and joined Dave, his brother Gord on the left, and other locals on another of their twice weekly cook outs by the river. Elkford scenery didn't disappoint and the people we got to know were great!
That's a wrap for PART 2 of 3 of my 2011 blog review
Beautiful scenery. What great memories. Ray and I did see a bunch of the stuff in the Kootenays as well, but of course no quading or hiking. :) It was nice to see the pictures of those places again. Beautiful country.
ReplyDeleteThe Kootenays are are one of our favourites. So beautiful and no long travel days.
DeleteThat was quite the year! I loved Jay's trophy room!
ReplyDeleteI thought of you Jim when I posted that photo at Jay’s. His place is incredible!
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