Campfires are banned, motorized vehicles can't go off road and the surrounding hills are usually shrouded in smoke. Barb, Norm and I drove up to Silver Star yesterday for a short hike. It was lovely up there, cooler than in Vernon, but we couldn't see the Monashees at all. Some days you really smell the smoke, but here it is never as acrid as it was in Kamloops when we drove through there on our way home from hiking for four days in Wells Grey Provincial.
That Wells Grey trip almost didn't happen; the park was closed because of wildfires in the area. It was opened the day before we were scheduled to begin our trip. The hikes into and out of the cabin were hard on my knee but well worth it. The seven other women I went with were really fun to be with; our guide, a young man from Sweden was excellent; hiking on Battle Mountain and Fight Meadow was not difficult and the wild flowers were the most spectacular I've ever seen.
I'm having a good, laid back week with Barb and Norm now. We will go for a last swim in Kal Lake this afternoon; they leave for Vancouver Island tomorrow morning.
On Aug. 15 I fly to Newfoundland. I won't miss the smoke here but might miss the heat, which is being slightly modified by the shroud of smoke between us and the sun and by the fact that I don't have to work in it. The latter is not the case for Jay. Between spring floods and summer fires, he has been working long, hard hours.
Fight Meadow and Battle Mountain in the background
Wildflowers on Fight Meadow
Our group with the van that took us to the start of the hike
Barb and Norm in front of my painting of Caribou Island
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