Get ‘stoked

Trip Report: Okanagan / West Kootenays – Summer 2021 Pt II

It was tough to move on from Christina Lake. We had stumbled on a gem of a campsite and it’s always hard to uproot and take a chance on the unknown.

Our next destination was Revelstoke. Not far on a map perhaps, but everything in BC takes longer. Not that this is a problem in the middle of summer. It’s also beautiful and we were content to take a meandering route. When making your way to various vacation spots, there’s a tendency to keep to the same tracks. The priority, often, is just to get there. This time around, I was feeling adventurous (yay!) and had my eyes set on an alternate route.

First it was up over the next range and into the Kootenays. We took the longer way via Rossland and Trail (because it was ages since we were last there) then the back way into Nelson and on up the west side of Kootenay Lake. The picture above is Gidget and I in Kaslo. What a time it must have been when paddle wheelers went up and down those interior waterways.

Normally, travellers would cross up and over to the Slocan Valley, before continuing north to Nakusp and the Arrow Lake ferry. That didn’t make sense to me. Better to carry on Highway 31 and skip the extra climb – nevermind seeing a way I’ve never been before. The line on the map was thick. It would be fine. And there was nothing bad, just be aware that it’s dirt for most of the way and while it’s flat and fast for awhile, it get choppy and slow and there is a whole lot of nothing out there. Probably a bit too much adventure for what was already a long day.

The tough bit for Gidget was that I booked us for another night of camping. Two nights she can do. Three is asking too much. We arrived in Revelstoke to smoky skies and set up camp in a very different kind of site. It was nice and it was dense. Super nice washrooms and showers; your neighbours right on top of you. Oh, and there is the train. Living on an island, or just western Canada in general, and you kind of forget about trains. The action in Revelstoke changes that. Just behind the campground, the tracks pass by and throughout the night it felt like a half dozen passed by. I was right there with Gidget – no more camping.

Our stay in Revelstoke was all about the mountain. After packing up camp we were off for a hike, the sky an ominous yellow from nearby fires. The bear we encountered on the trail was likewise ominous. It was clear to see why he was there – berries were everywhere and our casual hike turned into a berry picking mission. It was out first encounter with black huckleberries. On the coast, we only get the tart, little, salmon-coloured ones. These were big and juicy like blueberries, which we also found growing by the trail along with strawberries and even wild raspberry. It was a real good find!

The town itself has a contact downtown. I regret skipping the rail museum – it feels like such an important part of the history here. Our hotel was an old highway stop converted into something funky and I would definitely recommend the Stoke Hotel for anyone passing through this way. It’s right near the Columbia River as well and I enjoyed walking along the banks in the evening. Here, you’re a long way from the mouth of the river but the water is still fast and wide.

Feeling success after our first hike, we felt we could try something more ambitious. Right next to town is Mount Revelstoke National Park. Unique among mountains here, or anywhere really, you can drive right to the summit on good, paved roads. Here, we could set out on alpine trails – a kind of run-hike – and see some really unique ecosystems. At the end of our chosen trail, we came to a beautiful lake complete with furry marmots scurrying about and some stubborn snow that refused to melt. We got beyond the smoke too – a pleasant, bit of exercise and exploration

After Revelstoke, we had to begin our way back home. It was westward, along Highway 1 towards that the fires were burning. Through Three Mile Gap, the smoke got really bad and we were happy to leave the mountains behind. At Sicamous we went south, for hot ranch land, lakes, and eventually holiday country of the Okanagan.

It was still hot and we enjoyed a couple days with Sarah’s parents in Kelowna. As ever, it’s tough when vacations come to an end – at once eager to get to what’s inevitable and doing whatever it takes to stretch out time. It never works. We skipped on a final night of camping in Hope for a night downtown in Vancouver. God – expensive hotels are the worst. Even if you can get a deal on a room, they find ways to leach out more money from you . Parking, wifi, pool access, and more – and don’t you dare think about getting food or drink in their restaurant.

And then it was done. Back to real life until the next adventure!