Summer was late in coming with cool wet weather, excellent for the forests and ponds, but making hiking a moist business at times. For most of the summer hikes there has been an excellent turnout: in the twenties.
June 5 Art DeWith led a trip on one of the top ridges to the east of Okanagan Falls, starting at km 10.4 on the OK Falls Forest Service Road. This loop has been developed over the past few years to include more open ridges and viewpoints. There were excellent flowers this year.
June 12 Guenter Hoernigs led a hike that the club used to do regularly, but hasn’t for the last few years, namely to the top of Nkwala Mountain. It gives excellent views of Okanagan Lake and Penticton; but access has been restricted.
June 19 Brad Houston led a hike with views almost the whole route, Mount MacLellan—overlooking the White Lake observatory initially, then after a steady climb to the ridge top, many viewpoints overlooking Skaha Lake north. The route zigzags back and forth north and south to avoid ravines and cliffs until it reaches the summit at the east end. On the way down, the route swings to a north point overlooking St. Andrews golf course. Looking back uphill we watched a mother bear and two cubs cross the open slope where we had been only a few minutes before. Flowers were excellent with Phacelia out in unprecedented numbers.
The planning meeting for summer was held at Jim and Sylvia Mayer’s house by St. Andrew’s Golf Course. Tuesday June 22 7 pm. An excellent schedule was drawn up, with a number of new hikes. Also 3 different hiking trips, in the Kaslo area, Manning Park, and in Washington State were set up for car camping in August and September.
Summer Camping Trips 2010
1. July 22-25 In and around the Whiteswan Provincial Park, (south-east of Invermere).Contact: Guy Duvent: 250-497-8353 e-mail: kduvent@hotmail.com Or: Jerry Monahan: 250-498-3637 e-mail: monahan246@telus.net
2. July 25th to the 28th or 29th Based out of Kaslo: hiking in the Purcells and/or the Kokanees 2 or 3 separate day hikes.
Contact: Nick Pitt phone: 250-496-0079 e-mail: npitt@shaw.ca
3. Either August 23-25 or August 30- Sept.1 Hiking/Camping in the group campsite in Manning Park.
Contact Margaretha Hogeling : 250-485-4222 e-mail mhhogeling@hotmail.com
Date will be decided by whatever date works best for most people.
4. Sept 24, 25, and 26 -Car Camping in a State Campground near Mazama on Highway 24 in Washington State.
Contact : Hugh Richter for details – 250 49206234
June 26 Nick Pitt led a hike up to Divide Lake. Concerns re the temperature kept hikers away.
July 10, There were 2 hikes held. Guy DuVent led a new very scenic hike that had just been explored, cleared and marked in the previous couple of weeks: the Browning Bluffs, a prominent (and highest) ridge to the east of Okanagan Falls.
Jerry Monahan led a new steep route up to the top of Mount Laidlaw. It makes a new, more “energetic” hike to the top of Laidlaw.
July 17 Joan Agnew is leading a hike in the Carmi area, over some of the old hiking and skiing trails.
On Sunday July 18, the Annual BBQ will be held again at St. Andrews By The Lake courtesy of Sylvia and Jim Mayer.
July 24 –No Scheduled Hike
July 31 Art De With will explore the high alpine: hiking the ridges south of Apex Mountain. Unrivalled views and masses of alpine flowers can be expected.
August 7 Gill Holland will also lead a high alpine hike, this one in the area of Mount Riordan, north of Apex.
August 14 Joan Cooke will explore the high alpine of Beaconsfield mountain, the main ski hill of Apex Resort. Alpine flowers will be at their best.
August 21 Margareta Hogeling will lead another Apex area hiking trip on one of the many ridges and peaks.
August 28 Dick Kornelsen will lead the final Apex area hike of the summer.
September 4- a new leader, Barry Lemay will lead the club hiking over a portion of the Three Blind Mice set of mountain biking trails in the hills above Naramata.
Sept 11 Guy Duvent will a hike over our most spectacular mountain, Little White with its huge areas of bare glacier scoured rock, massive cliffs, and continuous panoramic views.
Sept 18 Nick Pitt is leading a hike whose destination will remain a mystery until the week before; when the weather will determine which hike would be the best.
Planning Meeting Sept 21 at Gill and Hugh’s place 171 Walden Crescent, Penticton
Sept 25 Margareta Hogeling will lead a hike to the summit of Eagle Bluff, with a detour to the top of the Ochre Cliff, and to the top of Vaseaux Canyon en route.
Brad Houston
Email: bradhouston@shaw.ca