If you think that's cold....

Nearly a month now since I hung out on the lower mainland and Bellingham area. One day when Aimee was at work and Josh was home from work, Josh and I went touring. I had seen on a map that there was lots of lakes around the Vancouver area, and it piqued my interest. One spot in particular. Aimee had been to Buntzen Lake earlier in the year. Buntzen Lake made a big impression on her, because every time we hung out at a beach when she came to visit the Kootenays, Buntzen Lake was the measuring stick. "Oh," she would say, "this is much warmer than Buntzen Lake." "Oh," she would say, "this is much colder than Buntzen Lake." Well, actually come to think about it, nothing was colder than Buntzen Lake.

Buntzen Lake is not too far from their home. It is a part of Belcarra Regional Park and Buntzen Lake Recreation Area. Both located directly across Burrard Inlet from Barnet Marine Park. Here's the map...


When we got to Buntzen Lake, the sun had already slid behind the mountain, and most of the people there were not IN the water. They were hanging their fishing poles over the dock. Here's Buntzen Lake...



Josh and I continued our exploration. He brought me next to Sasamat Lake, specifically called White Pine Beach. Here's the view...



These beaches are P-O-P-U-L-A-R. Here's a description: "In hot months the beaches at Belcarra's Sasamat Lake and at nearby Buntzen Lake are so popular that park information signs will tell you if Belcarra and Buntzen are full. You can probably sense this on a hot day before you even leave the house. On weekends, unless you get an early start for their beaches, look elsewhere for a destination."

When Josh and I visited, the parking lots and beaches were quite empty. So, if you want to visit there, just ask Josh or I - we'll give you the best visiting times advice if you want to avoid the crowds!

More about White Pine Beach..... "There's one critical difference between this beach and nearby Buntzen Lake: although the sun shines equally warm on both, the water in Buntzen is far colder than in Sasamat."

Aimee, who actually swam in that lake, can attest to that.