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K O O T E N A Y


Find quiet wet lands, old growth fores ts, cl i f f -s tudded shores and ar r ive at yogic enl ightenment on this four-day tour of the Dark Queen’s southern reach.


KARMA


If you’ve got at least four days to explore Kootenay Lake, this route from Creston to Crawford Bay offers a little bit of everything the region is famous for. Start with a mandatory tour of the Kokanee Glacier Beer brewery in Creston, put in at the southern tip of Kootenay Lake, stop for a day to enjoy hiking among old growth forests and mountain ridges, then explore the communities of the east shore before paddling or shuttling back to your car.


DAY 1:


To reach the put-in at the Duck Lake dike, head west from Creston on Highway #3 across the Kootenay Valley.


Head North on Lower Wyndell Road (you will need to turn left and go under an overpass). At kilometre 6.9, head left on Duck Lake Road for another 6.8 kilometres. A lovely opening allows access to the East Chan- nel of the Kootenay. From here paddle south (upstream) for 200 metres to enter the current of the main river channel. This first day of leisurely paddling carries you under the old railway lift bridge and out onto the Dark Queen herself. The nicest paddling, and camping, is along the west shore. Several small beaches provide camping, but the nicest spot by far is the sandy beaches of Next Creek—a B.C. Forest Service Recreation site with pit toilets and picnic tables.


DAY 2:


On the point north of Next Creek, look for pictograms left by the Ktunaxa First Nations over millennia. The 230-


hectare Midge Creek Provincial Park has more than a kilometre of white sand beach. Maintained tent sites here are available for $5 per person per night. To go for a hike on Day 3, base yourself here for two nights. Alternately, head several kilometres north to Drewry Point Provincial Park for more spectacular, and free, camping. Both these parks are boat-ac- cess only, with pit toilets and wilderness campsites that are available on a first-come basis.


DAY 3:


For a day of hiking from Midge Creek, follow an old, overgrown mineral exploration road up the north bank


of the creek through spectacular old growth ponderosa pine. For views down the lake, follow an obvious ridge upwards to the north, 1.6 kilome- tres upstream. This ridge is crisscrossed by numerous game trails and offers a mix of dreadfully thick vegetation and lovely open rambling. Rugged, exceptionally committed hikers might make it 11 kilometres up- stream along the old road to find some of the finest original cedar and spruce old-growth forest left on Kootenay Lake. Cedars in this stand were saplings when Leif Ericson landed in North America in AD 1000. Note: past the end of the old road this route follows many old game trails and involves some route-finding and creek-crossing skills—not recommended for a leisurely sashay on a lazy afternoon.


DAY 4:


From Midge Creek or Drewry Point, cross the lake to ex- plore the east shore communities of Twin Bays, Boswell,


proudly metric-free Gray Creek, and Crawford Bay. Crawford Bay has a world-renowned collection of artisans and craftsmen—from glass blowers and ironsmiths to potters, weavers and broom-makers. Nearby, Yasod- hara Ashram offers introspection in a stunning setting. There are many camping options along the shore between Boswell and Gray Creek, and also a nice spot called Steep Beach on the west-facing shore of Pilot Point. At the end of your explorations, shuttle back to your vehicle—or hitchhike, an illegal yet thriving form of public transport in the Kootenays.


Kayak to Rendezvous Island…


Experience Nature in Comfort…


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ADVENTURE KAYAK | | 41


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