Another Trip Up the Lake

On Tuesday , I went to Meadow Creek, which is about 40 kms north of Kaslo. The sky, for most of the journey, was clear, and I actually had to use my sunglasses. Perhaps you have been thinking that I have been taking the photos with black and white film, because there has been a definite lack of colour. Here is a better feast for the eyes:



About a half hour north of Nelson, the West Arm of the Kootenay Lake opens into the big part of the lake. This entry point is where the Kootenay Lake ferry sails, taking passengers from the West Arm to the East Shore. As I passed the beginning of the West Arm, I saw the Osprey sailing. If you look very carefully, you may see the ferry:

















In the last posting, I mentioned that Kaslo was the Switzerland of the Americas, but those clouds were being greedy and keeping their magnificence to themselves. Here is why everyone wants to move to Kaslo when they visit:

















I arrived a bit early so had tea at the Treehouse Restaurant, a place I visited before I even moved to the Kootenays. With my tea, I had this, highly recommended by me and the best item on the dessert menu according to the server.

North of Kaslo, the highway edges along the mountainside. The curves turn tightly, and though it is posted at 80 kms an hour, there are many places where it becomes a necessity to slow down. Downshifting, upshifting - having a standard transmission on this road kept me busy. I have made this journey before so this time I was ready, anticipating the grand beauty of the Lardeau Valley. The last corner turns right into the valley, and suddenly, the world unfolds into a wide flat space hugged by mountain peaks. Meadow Creek.

The locals told me that the road was closed the previous week for 4 days, while the road crew cleared up the snow slides that had slide onto the highway. On the way back in the dark, it was still easy to spot the 5 or 6 places where the snow edged the side of the road. Four days. Four days where no one left, and no one arrived. Hmmm....

In this neck of the woods, there are many places that have a Creek at the end of their name. Hamill Creek, Cooper Creek, Cedar Creek, Coffee Creek. There are also businesses named after their creeks. If one is a bit curious, one can get to scratching their head. Meadow Creek Cedar is actually in Cooper Creek. It is a sawmill, that mills fir trees. Yes, no cedar.

A Kaslo resident told me that when Cooper Creek Cedar was around, they were in Meadow Creek. No mention of what they did in their mill.