TOUGH TO ESCAPE SMOKE IN VALLEYS
No matter where you ride to
It was deja vu all over again. Last September, the Sheriff and Constant Companion Carmen escaped the Okanagan’s wildfire smoke with a multi-day kayak trip to Desolation Sound but got Washington state smoke for the second half.
So we tried again this summer. We escaped last week’s wildfire smoke in the Okanagan by joining our Pleasure on Wheels Facebook group in the Slocan Valley. Halfway through, we were greeted with more wildfire smoke. We thought its smoke was bad until we arrived back in the Smokanagan where it was much, much worse. At that point, we didn’t consider going back to the Smokan Valley even though we wanted to try the Galena Trail toward Nakusp.
In an up-and-down season of wildfire smoke this year, we’ve learned to engage in outdoor recreation activities whenever we feel it is safe enough for our lungs, throat and eyes. We’ve worn masks some days.
In the Slocan Valley, we again cycled the Galena Trail up the Denver Canyon from Roseberry to the cable car across Carpenter Creek. Last summer during our first trip, the cable car was located on the far side with no way to bring it across. On our second visit, the cable car was gone. This summer, the cable was gone.
On the plus side, the layer of small rocks in one hairy section are now piled inside wire baskets so it is much easy to get across this narrow section. A sign advised us of a trail restoration project.
Camped at the mid-way point of
the Slocan Valley Rail Trail in Winlaw, we did a long cycle south to Crescent Valley on the first day and a shorter cycle north to Slocan on the second day. In Slocan, we also checked out the old highway trail on the east side of Slocan Lake. Rock climbers are still clinging to the cliffs and the colourful rock tunnel still makes a great turnaround point. The old highway takes you north up to Highway 6 if you continue.
Both trails are highly recommended, especially the many panoramas of the river and western mountains on the Slocan Valley Rail Trail.
Instead of taking the trail all the way back to Winlaw both days, we checked out the local roads on the west side of the river. It was a pleasant change to ride on paved roads but their rolling hills are a challenge when you are already tired from the flat rail trail. ————— In Okanagan outdoor news, road bridge work is affecting two regional parks in the Central Okanagan and there is one closure.
Through Tuesday (Aug. 24), the City of Kelowna is doing maintenance work at the KLO Road bridge over Mission Creek resulting in short delays for people using this section and off-road parking near Mission Creek Greenway.
In addition, work on the McCulloch Road bridge today (Aug. 21) may temporarily impact visitors entering or leaving the parking area of KLO Creek Regional Park, says parks services manager Wayne Darlington.
The second phase of flood-related repairs began Monday on the Mission Creek Greenway upstream of the Hollywood Road parking lot and trail entrance: 600 metres of the recreational trail are closed between the Cedars and Smoothing Stones bridges.
Darlington anticipates the closure will last two weeks for in-stream bank repairs and reconstruction, ecological restoration, new boardwalks and rip rap placement near Cedars Bridge.
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The next general meeting of the Central Okanagan Naturalists’ Club on Sept. 14 will take place through Zoom but assuming fewer pandemic restrictions, the executive committee intends to hold an inperson meeting in October, perhaps simultaneously hosted on Zoom.
Club excursions for birding, hiking and botany will resume as soon as B.C. moves to Stage 4 of its reopening plan, set for Sept. 7, assuming targets are reached on COVID vaccination and case rates.
Starting the second week of September, members will hit the trails. A schedule of excursions with more details will be emailed to those expressing interest in late August. Monday and Thursday birding excursions will begin but there is a temporary hold on the longer Saturday excursions.
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The Friends of Robert Lake Society is now an official organization.
Its purpose is to encourage interest in the preservation, conservation and rehabilitation of Robert Lake in Kelowna’s North Glenmore area and its immediate environment.
The Central Okanagan Naturalists Club remains strongly engaged on Robert Lake and shares the commitment to its protection and conservation, said CONC president Douglas Graham.
“We are pleased to see the formation of the FoRL and we will certainly work together going forward. I’d encourage all CONC members with a special interest in this area to contact Laura Hooker for further information and a membership application at: laurajhook@ outlook.com.”
————— Silver Star Mountain Resort has announced two bonus weekends on Sept. 11-12 and 18-19 after the previously-announced official closure on Sept. 6. However, Sept. 11-12 will be the last weekend for scenic gondola rides.
————— Friends of Okanagan Rail Trail is looking for support to complete phase 2 at Kilometre Zero, the Northern Gateway in Coldstream. Kilometre Zero is a safe and spacious trailhead that will feature site improvements including unique and natural flora and fauna indigenous to the north end of Kalamalka Lake.
Two corporate donors have stepped forward with a summer matching challenge: Priscilla, Remax and KPMG will match up to $7,500 of public donations to help complete phase 2.