Riding the trails in Kalamalka Lake Park

May 20, 2011

It is fun to mix business and pleasure and since we had to go to Vernon to take care of some business, we decided to take our mountain bikes and go for a ride in the area afterwards.

I am very new at Mountain Biking so although I like to find something challenging, I'm definitely in the 'beginner' category. We were told to try Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.

What a beautiful place. The trail system is well developed and with more than 3700 hectares, the trails vary from wide trails to accomodate cyclists, hikers and horses and also offers single lane trails for mountain bikes.

We were gone for over two hours and the trails went from easy, to steep uphill to scary, fast single lane downhill (well for me it was!) - but what a thrill, I think I'm hooked. Along the way, there are benches placed strategically to enjoy the most spectacular views of Coldstream and Vernon and the lake. Our start point was The Red Gate but there are other parking areas within the park to choose from.

It is always fun to try a different area; the scenery there is quite different than what we're used to in the Kootenays, but we loved it.
The best time to see wildflowers is early spring to June and the Arrow-leaved Balsamroot (Spring Sunflower) was in bloom everywhere. (click on picture to make it bigger).


We found that there was something for everyone there and if you stay on the wider trails, most of them are not too difficult.

If you venture in the single lane trails, then there are some definitely more difficult, steeper and challenging trails. Bring lots of water!

I can't wait for our next mountain bike ride.
Til then, happy trails.

Zumba takes on
Relay for Life

Raising money for
Breast Cancer Research

Saturday, May 28th
5:30pm to 7:00pm
in front of the

LELAND HOTEL

Boys and girls,
WEAR YOUR PINK !!!!

Minimum $5.00 donation for Cancer Research to participate in the class - or you can watch and cheer - come and see what the buzz is about! Zumba is the most fun you'll ever have exercising. (www.zumba.com)

5 HOT instructors including our very own Sharon Metlewsky and 4 of her Okanagan friends who'll be riding in town on their Harleys.

YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS EVENT

Let's have fun raising money -
everyone is welcome

LIVE MUSIC WITH BLINDSPOT AT 9:30PM

SLOCAN LAKESHORE TRAIL

Sunday, May 15

Since the snow pack is still low in the alpine, we decided to find a lower level hike (so we wouldn't need snowshoes) and our great book 'Where Locals Hike in the West Kootenays" delivered in offering a few options for shoulder season hiking.

We opted for the Slocan Lakeshore trail; it sounded interesting and with a name like 'Lakeshore', we figured it had to be pretty since we'd be hiking along the Slocan Lake. The hiking book described that although we wouldn't gain much elevation, it had rolling hills which made the trail a bit more challenging. The round trip would be approx. 16km, and would take about 4 1/2 to 5 hours.

Under sunny skies and a balmy 20 degrees, we left Nakusp in the morning and arrived at the trail head just before 10.

Immediately after entering the trail, we knew we would like this trail; the large boulders and Douglas fir along the way reminded me of the West Coast a lot. Being early spring, everything was just starting to bloom and the fragrance of all the wild flowers was intoxicating. It was lush and green everywhere and quiet.



We were told we might hear the trucks on the highway just across the lake, but since it was a Sunday, we didn't hear anything but birds and squirrels.
We saw beautiful butterflies, a very tiny bird which we had not seen before, many squirrels, and no bears. Actually we did see a bear but it was on the side of the road on our way to Slocan.

The hike isn't difficult but rocky in some parts; and it is 8km one way so if you're not in shape yet from winter hibernation, then you may want to shorten the trip a little. There are plenty of great spots to have lunch and enjoy the view.

The trail leads to Evan's Creek/beach, which is a provincial campground, and includes a few tent spots, 2 fire pits, a toilet, and food cache. And of course, a trip to see the waterfall is a must; it is spectacular. There's a bridge across the fall so if you're not afraid of heights or rushing water below your feet, you're in for a treat. A camera is a must.






We had lunch on the beach in the sunshine; we figured it was at least 25 degrees. We thought about a 'dip', but the icy cold water made us change our mind. It looked inviting, but very glacial.


There are other trails available at this point to continue further but we made that our stop for the day. Unfortunately, we had to come home the same day but we give this 'early hike' the thumbs up. Nothing beats going up in the alpine, but for a low level hike, we highly recommend this one.

We can't wait for summer to be here - come by the store if you are ever interested in joining us for a hike.

Until then, Happy Hiking!

5K Run on May 8th

May 8th, 2011 (Mother's day)
5km group

What do people do on Mother's Day?

For over 120 people (plus those watching) in Nakusp, they decided to either walk 2km or run a 5km course around the streets of Nakusp.

Everything was organized to perfection AND the sun decided to show up. We couldn't have asked for better.

Kari Tithecott, founder of the Arrow Lakes Running Group and event organizer, had all her volunteers ready to go; many showed up to set up tables and tents , get last minute registrations and the event started and
finished with a bang.


Mayor Karen Hamling was at the finish line handing out carnations to the runners, tables full of sliced oranges, muffins, water was there when finishing the run or walk. The baked goods sale was a huge success; Shannon, your granola bars are out of this world.

The silent auction had some amazing items and for those who were really hungry, the BBQ was on for great hot dogs with all the trimmings.

There was a demonstration of Parcour or Parkour, which is a non-competitive, physical discipline of French origin in which participants run along a route, attempting to negotiate obstacles in the most efficient way possible, using only their bodies. Parkour can be practiced anywhere, and is quite popular in urban areas.

The event benefited the newly-formed Arrow Lakes Medical Aid Society, a charity that will raise funds to help families facing financial stress as they travel to receive medical care in larger city centers.

A group of 12 runners from Kaslo came to the event and a group of us in Nakusp are planning to go to Kaslo in October to participate in the Suffer Fest event. We are developing a great relationship with the town of Kaslo and in turn we can support each other in our efforts to bring events to our communities.

I hope we double the amount of people next year. The energy and excitement was palpable.

The Arrow Lakes Running Group, founded by Kari Tithecott, has provided a way for all of us to enjoy running while doing it safely. We have created new friendships and it has been an amazing experience. We are all awaiting anxiously for the next clinic which will hopefully start in June.

Thanks Kari for your amazing dedication and support.
(all photos courtesy of Mayor Karen Hamling - thank you Karen!)

SNOWSHOEING IN MAY

May 1, 2011

We woke up again to sunny skies with a chill in the air. Mike had been anxious to go hiking, but with the snowpack this year, we can't get too far in the alpine without having to strap on the snowshoes.

We opted for something easy; just off Hot Springs Road, there are cross country and snowshoe trails, and Mike knew of an area that he wanted to explore a bit more. So off we went, and of course, not even 100m in, we had to strap on the snowshoes. But it was warm and most of the trail was in the sun so that was great.

We made it to an un-serviced forest road to lead us to a mountain range behind the Hot Springs but we ran into an obstacle; a raging river that was wide enough and too slippery for us risking crossing it.

It was really fun though, and with only a 15 minute drive from home, it is so great to get out and explore the Nakusp area.

We will go back when the water is a bit calmer and bring more equipment to be able to cross the river this time.

Happy trails.

Paddle to the Bahamas

Sunday, April 24th

If you don't live here, don't be fooled by the title - we DO have a beautiful sand beach on Arrow Lakes that we commonly refer to as "The Bahamas" - why? well, for one thing, it gets the most sun; and the sandy beaches becomes an island in the summer when the Arrow Lakes is at its peak (Arrow Lakes is a reservoir - the levels are quite low in winter months but quite high in the summer months).

It was a gorgeous sunny day, so we decided, why not! Let's go for a paddle. We just purchased new racks and were anxious to finally fit both kayaks on the same car.
We left our house in the sunny, warm weather and drove to Bayview to launch the boats. It was a bit of a different story by the water; suddenly, I was wearing about 3 layers to stay warm. But that didn't stop us, we rowed to the Bahamas slowly,and paddled around the inlet and in the area.

The Bahamas is very quiet at this time of year; and with the low water levels, the normally fairly small island looked so big. We had a picnic on the beach, but with the cold wind blowing, we didn't stay very long.
It was so great to be out in April, after such a long winter and paddle the wateways of the Arrow Lakes.

For those wanting a short trip, this is great - we launch at Bayview but be courteous, there are people living next to the launching area. It took us about 40 minutes to get to the Bahamas (at a leisurely pace).

we can't wait to do more trips this summer. Stay tuned.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN BIKE DEALER

It is now official, Little Mountain is a dealer for Rocky Mountain Bikes.

If you've never heard of the company, they started about 30 years ago. Rocky Mountain has developed a reputation for quality and innovation. And the best thing, it's an all Canadian company.

Rocky Moutain tests and ride their bikes in the harshest conditions imaginable. And being a BC born company, the challenge of the different terrain available has made it a playground to build the best product possible.
Since the early 90's, RM has been at the forefront of cross country racing with pioneer riders like Alison Sydor, Andreas Hestler, Chrissy Redden, and Bruce Spicer.

From pioneering the sport to winning races, Rocky Mountain Bicycles has a lot to celebrate from the past 30 years.

Come and see us for your next bike. It's an amazing ride.