Okanagan wildflowers: Blooming beautiful
WILDFLOWER ALERT: This is absolutely the best time of the year to experience the incredible wildflowers in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.
Last Saturday, the Sheriff, Constant Companion Carmen, and hiking/biking buddies Suzanne and Gerd hiked a new-tous (Sheriff and CCC) trail from Cosens Bay parking lot (kalamalkapark.ca/Map_files/ friends_of_kal_brochure.pdf).
Instead of heading south toward Cosens Bay, Comin’ Round the Mountain heads directly north right from the parking lot and is the most northerly trail in this Vernon park of 3,700 hectares, mostly grassland with unique cliffs and aquatic habitat.
Friends of Kalamalka Park describe Comin’ Round the Mountain as an easy walk crossing grasslands and mixed forest providing views north toward Vernon and east down the Coldstream Valley.
We then connected to The Wall near the top of Rattlesnake Hill. It climbs steeply through forest to the top of the hill and the edge of the escarpment.
Then it was Lookout Trail, which starts out with a moderate slope but becomes steep and rocky, so good footwear is essential. No sandals or flipflops. The reward is panoramic views of Kalamalka Lake to the south and meadow after meadow filled golden flowers — almost surreal. And then a deer wandered through.
The trail winds around to the north and the Red Gate parking lot (the other park entrance) where we headed back south to a beautiful lookout and lunch.
We went a short distance down Pet Beach Trail and found a narrow path to the east that parallels the lakeshore. However, it had sharp dropoffs and loose rock in places, so we turned back rather than risk a serious fall.
Sidewinder Trail has the option of going down Cosens Beach Trail to the lake, but we stayed high and took the upper section of Cosens Bay Trail back to the Cosens Bay parking lot.
If you want to experience this wildflower extravaganza, don’t delay because oftimes it doesn’t last very long.
******** It was another peaceful weekend on both Kalamalka and Okanagan lakes with nary a powerboat to be seen last Sunday.
Our group of five kayakers headed south from Gellatly Bay in West Kelowna this time and paddled all the way to Seclusion Bay where we stretched our legs and tried to figure out if we could afford one of the lakeshore cabins.
The rocky cliffsides of the West Kelowna shoreline — and even a wonderful overhang that you can paddle under — make for a scenic outing. And everyone remarked on how quiet it was for a June weekend.
******** The grand opening for Okanagan College’s indigenous garden is at 1 p.m. on Tuesday (June 27) outside the north entrance to the Centre for Learning, Kelowna campus. Garden tours and a reception will follow. Sidewinder Trail, above, has the option of going down the Cosens Beach Trail to Kalamalka Lake or you can stayed high and take the upper section of Cosens Bay Trail back to the Cosens Bay parking lot. In both cases, the flowers are in full bloom.
The naí-kí-ulam-n (na -kool-a-min) garden has more than 350 plants local to the Okanagan and significant to the region’s indigenous people. Since ground was broken in mid-March, plant signs were erected by the garden task force, and a welcome arch and two sculptures with pictographs crafted by renowned indigenous artist Les Louis were installed.
The garden passageway, located in the heart of the garden, is made from local spruce poles, explains Heather Schneider, regional dean in the Central Okanagan.
"The passageway is inspired by the framing used in t`-k-tn`i`-x, or tule reed houses. Its strong Okanagan triangle shape is a construction form and a shape of significance to the Syilx/Okanagan people. The triangular shape symbolizes strength, unity and balance," she said.
“In addition to a multitude of other teachings, the triangle signifies the union between man, woman and child. Within this relational concept, these synergies denote the continuation of life, teachings and overall well-being; thus it is an important shape to use for the naí-kí-ulam-n garden passageway.”
The 560-square-metre garden pays tribute to the close relationship between indigenous people and the natural world. Naí-kíulam-n is a Nsyilxcen word which broadly translates to ‘the things that we do.’ It was chosen to reflect the holistic relationship that indigenous people have with plants, encompassing maintenance of the land, values, beliefs, practices and protocol in relation to the natural world.
“This relationship we have with each other and the natural environment is rooted in being respectful and thankful,” says Anthony Isaac, the college’s aboriginal services coordinator. “We make offerings before we harvest, saying our thanks to the plants or animals for giving their lives for us and never taking too much.”
Visitors can learn more about how plants were and continue to be used for things such as food, medicine, art, ceremonies, baskets and clothing.
The project may serve as a model for similar campus and community gardens around the world.
Partners include the Westbank First Nation, Growing Inspired Garden Education and Design, and Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club. The project received a grant from the City of Kelowna’s Canada 150 fund, which supports a variety of community projects to help celebrate the area’s natural and cultural history.
******** The Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC) outlet in Kelowna has teamed up with Bike Okanagan Alliance this month and is also offering a chance to learn more about aquatic sports like kayaking.
As a long-time reporter, the Sheriff always tells those he interviews that he wants to know the five Ws: who, what, why, when and where. Sometimes that turns into humorous responses, especially when you are Nicole Barby, MEC’s outreach and learning coordinator/race director in Kelowna.
Here is her responses for the events scheduled in June and July:
• Bike Okanagan Alliance TTs (time trials): When: June 20; What: road biking; Who: Bike Okanagan Alliance and MEC; Where: with BOA, hosting a time trial at Old Vernon Road and Norris Road. Why: MEC is stoked to support this historic club throughout the month of June every Tuesday.
• Century Ride: When: June 25; What: road biking; Who: anyone who is ready to ride 100K or 60K with guides and support; Where: Lower Mission, Gordon and Lequime start and finish, riding to Oyama; Why: encourage people who want to try a 100K and 60K road ride.
• Paddlefest: When: July 16; What: kayak, canoe, SUP and overall water-sport festival; Who: anyone who wants to demo, learn and hang out; Where: Bertram Creek Regional Park, Lakeshore Road, Kelowna; Why: for the love of watersports!
• Run Race Three: When: July 30; What: trail-running race; Who: anyone who is ready to run 5K and 10K; Where: Mission Creek Greenway; Why: race three of five, we want to encourage a healthy lifestyle and $15 race fees always help.
Check out events.mec.ca for additional events and even more information.
******** Erin Gunoff is nothing if not quick and efficient.
The Sheriff recently passed on a notification by Brian Sutch of Vernon about 35 burnt/dead trees across the trail to Christie Falls located on the west side of Okanagan Lake between Kelowna and Vernon.
Gunoff, a recreation technician with the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations’ Okanagan recreation district, initially wasn’t sure when she could get a crew out there.
However, in an email this week, she told the Sheriff and Sutch: “I have had wildfire crews buck out and clean the trail up as of last week.”
It’s a great hike but not easy to find as evidenced by the number of people asking others for directions, says Sutch.
“As we improve our trail access and information, it is likely we will install appropriate standard signage,” said Gunoff.
******** You can bring your imagination to EcoArt at the EECO, and see what you’ll create using recycled and natural materials.
It’s fun for the whole family at 11 a.m. each Saturday. There’s no need to pre-register for this free program; just drop into the EECO a few minutes early. All ages are welcome to take part. The Environmental Education Centre for the Okanagan is located in Mission Creek Regional Park at Springfield and Durnin roads in Kelowna.
For more information, go to: regionaldistrict.com/parksevents, drop-in or call the EECO at 250-469-6140.
******** At a recent meeting of the directors of the Regional District of Central Okanagan, the board approved submitting an application for a Federal Gas Tax UBCM Strategic Priority Fund Grant of $3.8 million.
If successful, the grant through the Union of B.C. Municipalities would be used by the regional district to complete a number of new and asset renewal capital projects designed to help open or expand a number of regional parks for public use, including Black Mountain / sntskëilínt-n, Goats Peak, Johns Family Nature Conservancy and Woodhaven Nature Conservancy.
In addition, several post-flood bridge and trail replacement/repair projects would be funded in Hardy Falls, Mill Creek and Glen Canyon regional parks.
In other business, the regional board gave first reading to an amendment to the Joe Rich Rural Land Use Bylaw. The applicant — the non-profit Joe Rich Sportsman Association, which has operated on the property for 26 years — wants to have consistent zoning for the entire 24.3-hectare property located at 13620 Highway 33.
In 1994, the land use on the eastern half of the parcel was amended to recreational commercial to allow hosting of several events for the B.C. Summer Games.
The owners have applied to extend that zoning to the entire property in order to accommodate existing uses such as archery, outdoor survival training and group camping. A public hearing for the application will be scheduled and advertised for a future date.
J.P. Squire, aka the Hiking, Biking, Kayaking and Horseback Riding Sheriff, is an Okanagan Weekend reporter and an avid outdoors enthusiast. His column appears every weekend. You can contact him with your outdoor news at his new email address: jp.squire@telus.net.