Valhalla Provincial Park part 1

We drove 175 miles from Salmon Arm to Summit Lake, BC including a ferry! (A first for the camper and the pups). Camp Valhalla is situated right on Summit Lake, a quiet and crystal clear lake that almost feels like a private space. So serene.

Our first full day we had another doozy of a hike. Gimli Ridge takes you up to Gimli Peak in Valhalla Provincial Park. The drive there is half the adventure and only advisable with 4 wheel drive and good clearance. Then it’s almost immediately a steep incline that is relentless the entire 3 miles out. The last half mile is scrambling/bouldering on loose rocks, from pea size gravel/sand to massive boulders. Somewhat terrifying considering this is a not super stable landslide area. All worth it to have the nearly 360 views from the ridge. The alpine lake was still iced over but we enjoyed the hike overall. The 2800 ft of elevation gain made for an exhausting day so we headed into the nearest town, Nakusp, for a delicious dinner and hung with the pups to end the day.

Our second day we had a slower start and enjoyed a good morning with the pups and coffee on the dock at the campground. Then we headed to Wilson Creek falls which was still a good amount of elevation gain but blissfully short compared to our recent hikes. The temperature change was so abrupt when you approached the falls that it felt like walking through a door into AC. Well, wet AC since the mist was blowing everywhere. The waterfall was very impressive and perfect for a hot day. It’s still been in the mid 90s and is supposed to get even hotter over the next couple days.Read more