Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

Nelson, British Columbia, Canada is our goal for the day.  STeve and I load up the bike and continue our journey on Hwy. 93 through Kootenay National Park.  Rain and fog is with us most of the day dampening not only us, but reducing our visibility of the soaring mountains peaks and sending the wildlife to who knows where.

The major highlight of the day for me was that I finally made it to Lake Louise in Banff National Park.   For 10 years I have been, as my husband says, nagging him about how we did not make it here when our bike broke down in Banff on a previous trip to Canada.  Now I am here!  The weather, quite frankly, sucked...cold and drizzly.  So if you are familiar with “National Lampoon’s Family Vacation”, we did the same thing...we parked the bike, walked over to the water’s edge, took a photo, and left.  The photo does not even come close to portray the stunning beauty of this glacier lake.  I am a little worse for wear, definite helmet head looking like the “Michelin” man in my oversized leather jacket with shoulder armor and front pockets stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey!  But we made it!  For that I am very excited!  Thanks, STeve.

The rain continues pouring as we make our way through Canadian Glacier National Park (which most exits and view areas were still closed due to snow) to Revelstoke where we take a break for me to warm up with coffee and change into dry socks and waterproof my riding boots with plastic bags over my feet.  Even though conditions were not the best for me, the scenery is breathtaking.    Now that I am dry and warm, we make our way to the Shelter Bay Ferry.

Steve on the ferry boat.

The weather starts to clear and it’s not long until we reach Nelson, B.C., located on Kootenay Lake and check into our hotel.  Here are some views from our room.

My hometown paper, ‘THE MONITOR’, has a section where people send in photos of themselves on their vacations “reading” the newspaper.  Here is my contribution.

To me, Nelson is the Santa Cruz, CA of British Columbia:  A quaint waterside town, a hippy town, great restaurants and bars, lots of hemp, natural fiber, outdoor recreation stores, and the occasional whiff of weed as one walks down the sidewalk.  Below are pictures of downtown Nelson, taken on a morning hike up Pulpit Rock Trail which is on the mountain ridge across the lake from the hotel and town.

Nelson, B.C.

Marcia, Sue and Me

All around this area of British Columbia are many hot springs with resorts.  On one of our day rides up to Kaslo over to New Denver, we take a soak at Ainsworth Hot Springs.    http://www.hotnaturally.com/index.php  This resort has a cave where the water comes out of the rock at 114’ F - great for a steam sauna soak!  Beside the cave is the large lounging pool which has temps above 90F!  To really take your breath away (literally) and close up your pores, jump into the 55’F plunge pool.  We all took that plunge!  

Me and Steve

Here is a view of Kootenay Lake on our way up to Kaslo.

Also around the area of Nelson are several hydroelectric dams.  The water was cold and very swift!

Looking upstream to dam

Looking downstream at top of falls.

STeve and Me

After spending six days in Nelson riding and visiting with our friends of WeSTOC, it is time to head out of town.  Along the way we stop by this rest area waterfall to wait out a rain shower.

30+ft water fall

Next join My Mountain Green as we pass through Alberta.

Where the Yakh? Must be Canada! Eh?

My Mountain Green is venturing out of Utah for the Summer.  Late in the afternoon on June 16th, 2011, my husband, STeve and I, set out on our annual WeSTOC XVI Rally motorcycle trek which is in Nelson, British Columbia, Canada, this year.  For the first few days, the weather was tenuous to say the least, very breezy, cool temps, and the occasional rain showers.  We take the scenic route in Idaho driving through Challis, Salmon, Deerlodge, Bitterroot and Lolo National Forests on US 93 to beyond Missoula, MT before heading northwest to Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls, ID.  Boy, was I glad the bike had a heated seat!  Driving over the summit from Idaho into Montana near Big Sky, the temperature was 37’ F with light drizzle.   Thanks to the Mountain Cafe in Darby, MT for all their coffee, hot tea, gas heater and buffalo burgers to warm us up!

The next day, we head for the Canadian border on US 95, again traveling through Kootenai National Forest.  After the usual border crossing questions:  “What do you do for employment?  Here for business or pleasure?  Where are you going? How many days? Carrying any firearms?”, etc., we were waved through the checkpoint without any hassles.  

About 15 minutes on down the road, we see a sign for “Two Scoop Steve”.  With a name like that we have to stop, plus we needed a break anyway, why not have some ice cream too while we stretch our legs.  We find ourselves in the quaint community of Yahk, British Columbia, Canada. Yahk has a gas station, arts & craft store, an ice cream shop and is the home of the Yahk Soap Company.  

The Yahk Soap Company building has a grass roof over the porch.  Why?   Below is a sequence of photos.  

Go to http://www.yahksoapcompany.com for more information about their history and goat milk based soaps.  Unfortunately, no online sales nor do they ship outside Canada.  If you are ever in the area, be sure to stop.

We continue on and stay the night in Radium Hot Springs, B.C.  Before dinner, I relax on the porch of our motel room taking in the beauty of the park across the way, lo and behold, walking into my view are two Big Horn Sheep!  They graze near one of the picnic tables for a few minutes then lumber along down the street.  Just one of their horns was bigger than their whole head!

What a perfect way to end the day! 

Stay tuned for more My Mountain Green adventures in Canada!

A New Morning

A spectacular rainbow greeted me this early Friday morning as I looked out the window. Summer has flown by faster than I could have even imagined! Is this a sign of new things to come for me?  Could be....

Lake Kootenay, British Columbia, Canada

One of many beautiful, breathtaking scenes from my recent 3300 mile roundtrip motorcycle vacation to Canada.  

This photo was taken while riding down the road! 

More to come once I get caught up!

Sunshine and Blooms!

"Unsettled" is the best word

 to describe the weather on the Wasatch Back these last few weeks.  

Yet a few days of glorious sunshine have

 driven away the rain and gloomy skies! 

The landscape sports a new coat of green as leaves unfurl in growth. 

View from balcony looking SW towards the backside of Frances Peak.

Here are some of the signs of Spring from my yard in My Mountain Green.

Gambel Oak (Quercus gambelii) 

Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides)

Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)

Hawthorn (Crataegus phaenopyrum)

Mule Ears (Wyethia amplixicaulis)

Shortstyle Bluebells (Mertensia brevistyla)

As the sun continues to shine and the warmth of Summer begins, I look forward to more blooming wildflowers.   Hope you have enjoyed this small glimpse into My Mountain Green.

Mueller Park Trail Hike

Gloomy, gray skies, rain, snow, cool temperatures (20 degrees below normal) can describe the last 5 days in Northern Utah

 and is not the normal weather for this time of year. 

 This Spring has been fraught with Winter. Trees are starting to bud and leaf.  Wildflowers are coming alive. Yet, Spring really has not sprung...yet.
However; there have been a few days of 70 degrees F and sunshine!  

Last Friday was one of those days....gorgeous sunshine!

My friend and her kids asked me to go hiking with them, we met at Mueller Park Picnic Area in the foothills of East Bountiful, UT, which is about a 30 minute drive South of my house in Mountain Green.  Mueller Park Trail is a 13 mile trail roundtrip that begins at the picnic grounds and meanders under serene pine and oak forest canopies to stunning open views of the mountain tops.  

The elevation profile is approximately 5200’ to 7100’.  

As we begin our trek, we cross a bridge over the 20+ foot wide Mill Creek which is flowing fast and furious with snow melt.  The noise of the rushing waters drown out all sounds of birds.  

As we walk away from the creek and around a bend, a peaceful quietness envelopes us.  The trail lures us along the hillside to various view points:

As I look up, a stunning view of trees, blue sky and clouds greets me.  

I smile to myself, and say, “What a gorgeous day!”

 As I turn to look North West, I see the lower end of Mueller Canyon

 and out over the Great Salt Lake.

Along the trail I see more stunning views:

I love the smell of a Ponderosa Pine forest !

 As we climb higher in elevation, the Great Salt Lake is stunning. 

Zoomed in below is a view of part of the Great Salt Lake:  

Farmington Bay Wildlife Management Area and Antelope Island.

My final view of this trek:

Snow begins to cover the trail, it is time to turn around and head back downhill,  our trek only covered about 2.5 - 3 miles one way, not even to the half-way point to Big Rock (aka Elephant Rock by the locals).  

Only two Utah wildflowers were in bloom along the trail. 

Glacier Lily, aka Dogtooth Violet (Erythronium Grandiflorum)

I was unable to positively identify this wildflower, may be a Spring Beauty. (Not a very focused picture either. I need to work on my macro technique.)

What a fabulous day in the Wasatch Mountains! 

I look forward to hiking this trail when the snow has melted!

Hiking tip:  Always be prepared!  Always let people know where you are going!  On Saturday, the day after my hike, a Boy Scout group with 2 adult men and 6 boys got lost while hiking this trail up to Big Rock due to snow obscuring the trail.  They had to be rescued by helicopter.   

Blue Sky

Nothing like a little warmer weather, blue skies and white clouds to chase away the "Sprinter" blues.  Trees are budding, daffodils & tulips blooming, and birds returning.  To my delight,  I added 3 "First of the Year" (FOTY) birds to my yard list yesterday.  Black-chinned hummingbirds, Lazuli Buntings and Green-tailed Towhees made an appearance!  These species are Spring and Summer birds in My Mountain Green, all indications that warmer weather is near.  

Still tons of snow on the mountains, snowpack is 217% of normal, so a slow warm up is needed to avoid 

major flooding downstream.  This photo was taken May 2, 2011. Mountain Green is at the base of this mountain.