31.07.2011
In my life I have had concise points where my view on the world changed; where my paradigm of thought process changed, altered. This hike, it created a shift, and I believe it was for the better. I had no clear idea of where I was going when I left Surrey on Saturday. All I knew was that I was going to head Southeast, and see some places.
I awoke on Sunday, within the confined space of my vehicle; just outside the lovely town of Nelson. I perused through Kathy and Craig Copeland's book, "Where Locals Hike in the West Kootenays." I decided to go check out this Glory Basin place. I was not prepared for what I would encounter.
The hike starts off with a 16km drive up a logging road. As I turned the corner, I immediately see a number of cars shielded by chicken wire. All I could think was, "...that's an insufficient way to ward off thieves." I asked a fellow hiker about this, who stated that the chicken wire's purpose was to fend off hungry porcupines, and not humans.
The hike grabs you and slaps you in the face; awakening you to the awesome beauty of the Kootenays. I had a fantastic hike up to Kokanee Lake. My camera was the best and worst purchase I have made in recent history. Countless minutes spent bent over, too lazy to take my pack off, I am pining to capture the blooming spirit of the wildflowers. Further on, I go on the hunt for the not so elusive Marmot; I lost all sense of timing.
The hike up until Kokanee Lake is in the open and over a very well worn trail. The mountains are omnipresent, and the aromas of the vegetation delight your nose. I arrived at Kokanee Lake abruptly during my ascent. Its deep blue colour and mountain backdrop almost enticed me into pitching my tent right there, but to Kaslo Lake I went.
As I was hiking through Kokanee Pass, I lost myself in it. No more thoughts about philosophy; Mill and Kierkegaard can wait, the immediate environment fills my mind with dumbfounded awe. I had the great pleasure meeting Matt, an avid local hiker and grassroots conservationist. We must have spent 45 minutes discussing other hikes in the area to initiatives that we can take to help protect BC parks. If you read this Matt, thanks for all the information. I have already booked off another week so I can head back out that way. The pass itself, is covered with small creeks and marmot homes. The skyscape was mesmerizing.
After the pass, I rumbled up and over a hill and quickly come to Keen and Garland Lakes. There is flowing water abound, it sets a very nice scene. Kaslo Lake is not too far at this point. The campground itself offers minimal sites for tenting, but all have great views of the Kaslo Lake. It is a well maintained site. There is a designated cooking area, Grey water pit, outhouse, and bear-proof food cache. Now, there is also a cabin nearby, which is maintained by the Alpine Club of Canada. In my opinion this is NOT a cabin, it is a lodge. It offers electricity, hot/cold showers, sinks, separate sleeping quarters, and (via a satellite uplink) WIFI!!! This place was a little too much for me, but if you want to get your friends/family outside, this is a good place to start.
The fading evening light really offered up some great scenery. I scrambled up a small ridge to view the pink and red hued sky as the sun was setting which was simply superlative. At night, I had the luck to view the meteor shower; thanks to the clear night. Everything I saw that day was so easily obtained that it still feels unreal.
Here are some videos I uploaded to Youtube:
1. Kokanee Pass Vista
2. Kaslo Lake Vista
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