The West Kootenays: from Nelson via Rossland
We left our great spot at Kootenay Lake with great reluctancy. Too little time, so many friends to reconnect with. So we headed on to go and visit some of my host sisters.
Kootenay Creek Provicial Park
Before leaving Kootenay lake behind, we stopped at the Kootenay Creek Provincial Park to go have a look at the salmon spawning channels. To see the salmon go up the channel you need to be here at the end of the summer.
The bear warning sign reminded me of a summer night on this campground decades ago where we were visiting some campers and there was a bear trap next to their camp site here in order to trap a problematic bear in the area....great camping spot. Ugh, I was glad I didn't have to sleep there back then.
Kootenay Creek Provicial Park
Before leaving Kootenay lake behind, we stopped at the Kootenay Creek Provincial Park to go have a look at the salmon spawning channels. To see the salmon go up the channel you need to be here at the end of the summer.
The bear warning sign reminded me of a summer night on this campground decades ago where we were visiting some campers and there was a bear trap next to their camp site here in order to trap a problematic bear in the area....great camping spot. Ugh, I was glad I didn't have to sleep there back then.
Nelson
Via the iconic lake bridge, which is a copy of the Forth Bridge in Edinburgh, we arrived in the historic town of Nelson. Each time I remember with some feeling of guilt my first reaction, when my host family took me here on my 3rd day in Canada 24 years ago (still with jetlag) full of pride to show me the beautiful old buildings. I was very unimpressed by the buildings from 189x since "my parish church dates from the 11th century".
In the mean time I've spent sufficient time in western North-America to understand the value of buildings dating back from the 19th century, early 20th century soon after the arrival of the first settlements. In the mean time I love Nelson for its victorian houses and its cosy atmosphere.
In the mean time I've spent sufficient time in western North-America to understand the value of buildings dating back from the 19th century, early 20th century soon after the arrival of the first settlements. In the mean time I love Nelson for its victorian houses and its cosy atmosphere.
We didn't stay too long in Nelson and headed forward with a picknic stop in the recommended Millenium Park in Castlegar. I must admit that in all my travels I had never bothered to stop in Castlegar before. This fairly new park near the river is huge and has fun swimming lakes that flow into each other but that were not yet open. ...but it must be a blast of a spot to hang out on hot summer days!
We spent our afternoon and night in the beautiful mountain town of Rossland where my host sister has moved too. Excellent choice if you ask us... The town has a very relax atmosphere but also has a fun outdoor vacation vibe to it. The skihill just outside of the town center and the many MBT trails surely add to it. It's located inside a dead vulcano so... no flat towns, be prepared to walk up steep hills however. Yet our walk with Beertje on our back got rewarded with nice local chocolate pralines and some beers from the local craft beer brewery. All things Belgians surely can appreciate!
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