As the Crow flies 🐦‍⬛

Enjoyed a casual morning with friends as they prepared for the day. G&I entertained us by showing us more of their toys and costumes. J treated us to a breakfast sandwich. I decided soon after she wanted to be at daycare since we were having too much boring adult talk. While E was out, we prepared for our departure.

With the forecasted 25mm rain for the entire region within the next day we modified our travel plans. Instead of a full day of riding to get to Christina Lake we took the more direct route to Kelowna, where we got a last minute deal on an Airbnb.

We rode through the area of Blewett to merge on to highway 6 and passed along Kootenay Canal, leading to BC Hydro generation station. It was empty as crews were re-grouting the concrete seams. We also passed the Nelson Power generation facilities of Upper and Lower Bonnington. Lastly, across from Kootenay Canal, was the Fortis South Slocan Generating Station.

Traffic moved expeditiously as we headed west along the Kootenay River where highway 6 became highway 3, the Crowsnest Highway. We took a slight detour to ride through Castlegar to get a sense of the town. Like most Kootenay communities, the streets were very eclectic with historic and newer buildings.

The road was fairly quiet, with the occasional vehicle or two, as we zipped along the route on a westerly heading. Soon we crested the summit of the Bonanza Pass, with an elevation of 1535m. On the long decent towards Christina lake, we met the procession of vehicles relegated to a crawl due to heavily loaded rigs. One driver thoughtfully pulled over to let a slug of us pass. Thankfully we found a downhill shared passing lane to get around the remainder.

We arrived at Christina lake, which strangely boasted a sign reading "warmest tree-lined lake in British Columbia". The Trans Canada Trail, Dewdney Trail and the Kettle Valley Railway Trail all merge at the lake, attracting visitors to the area from all over. The region is frequented by hikers and bikers along the local trails in the lake area.

The valley began to open up, and we found ourselves following the Kettle River. A short time later we entered Grand Forks where we stopped for a break. The city is located at the confluence of the Granby and Kettle Rivers with the original settlement in the 1890s, becoming the city Grand Forks in 1902 when it merged with other settlements in the area. E suggested the Wooden Spoon Bistro. We shared a couple of savoury pastries and a bowl of homemade currey carrot soup.

Once sated, we continued our zig-zag journey west through Greenwood, Midway, and other small communities. In Greenwood we found ourselves behind an older classic looking bobtail (a semi-truck operating without a trailer attached) belching out plumes of noxious blackish exhaust 🤢 The fumes were a bit nauseating, and we were desperate for a passing lane.

Finally reaching Rock Creek by mid-afternoon, headed north along highway 33 towards Kelowna. The devastation of the 2015 fire was still present. Due to the arid nature of the region, very little growth has occurred with the exception of a few ponderosa pines dotting the landscape. We continued to follow the Kettle river for a while longer until it met Ed James creek at Westbridge.

The afternoon continued to be decently warm, but a noticeable bite was in the air despite the 18C to 20C temperatures on the display. Once we rounded the corner near the turn off to Big White, felt an immediate temperature drop; very glad to have heated grips 🔥

The views of Okanagan Lake and the expanding valley view were quite picturesque despite the subdued afternoon lighting. Alas, most of the photos from the road today didn't quite pop due to the the overcast sky.

We arrived just in time to enjoy crawling through rush hour traffic, finally arriving at our accommodation for the night on the eastern hills of the upper Mission area.

Once settled, headed across town to visit A’s cousin L and her little ones. She treated us to delicious orzo pasta, and chocolate chip bar for dessert. Unfortunately, we did get to visit with S as he was working late.

It was a fabulous bed and breakfast with a huge hot tub and outdoor pool. None of the other two suites were using the space so we had it all to ourselves on the full moon evening 🌕Read more