A random list of things I have seen (besides Kelowna – which I already told you about) in the last 5 days.
Many, many osprey nests lining the road after the Needles ferry – from Fauquier to Nakusp. Apparently they dig the view of Arrow Lake (which makes total sense, since these huge birds fish) and they build massive nests all over the place on top of the hydro poles.
Joe totally and completely relaxed. I was more or less his opposite since the place we were at in the Slocan Valley had no cell/internet service, which pretty much made me a hysterical maniac who had to take regular deep breaths just to fake calm. I think I would have been more or less okay if it wasn’t for the Sock Summit looming at me.
I swam in Slocan Lake, which I will have you know is incredibly frosty. (This too makes total sense, since the glaciers and snow topped mountains drain straight into it.) Inching my way in threatened to stop my heart and made me do that crazy breathless thing the deeper I got. The water was beautiful and clear though, and even in deep, it was still as though I was swimming in liquid glass. (Except, you know. Freezing.)
I went to the local market in New Denver, which was the biggest town in the area. At 600 citizens, it’s still really tiny, but looms over the town of Silverton (225 people) where we were staying. There was good honey, coffee, baked goods and an abundant supply of handspun, knitted things and weaving.
We went on a hike through the mountains, and came to a place where you cross a river in a little manual, single cable crossing. Very scary, but sort of fun, especially with friends who pull the ropes.
This is the Alamo Siding.
In 1904 there was a mining centre, hydro generator and a population of about 200 here. The Great Depression ruined the fortunes there, and the people moved away and there was nobody to snowshoe in and shovel the snow off the roofs. When the snow accumulated, down the mountain it came.
This is part of that same crazy hike. See the people?
We attended the wedding we went for, wishing well Jeremy and Shannon.
We went up Mount Revelstoke…
We hiked Giant Cedars.
Giant Cedars is full of… well. Giant Cedars, and they’re a sight to behold. A sign there tells you that these trees were seedlings when Columbus sailed, saplings when the paint dried on the Mona Lisa, and were already a century old when people were watching Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet for the first time. They’re really something, and tall.. .tall… tall.
From there we went to see the Last Spike in Craigellachie. The CP railway that spans the country ocean to ocean is a real symbol of unity for Canadians, and an important part of confederation. The rail was built from east to west and west to east, and the last spike was driven where they met in 1885, completing one of the most impressive accomplishments in Canadian history.
Considering it’s tremendous import, I was shocked at how insignificant the marking of the spot is. There’s a small monument, a small sign… (there happened to be a train going by at the time, which I thought particularly poetic. It’s still the best way to move stuff across this huge country.)
…but the actual spike itself is marked with classic Canadian understatement.
Finally,
Blanket Size Check ’09
That’s Albert and Robina (our hosts and chauffeurs) holding the blanket, which as you can imagine, isn’t much bigger. (I am yet to perfect blanket knitting and hiking.) That’ll all change now though, since we’ve left this little vacation behind us, and are back home (where the laundry is) and back at our humble desks. We loved BC. All of Canada has its beauty and charms, but BC really has a motherload.
My husband jokes that he is afraid to go there, because he is afraid that he will never come home. We will go someday though…
And wow! How did I get to be first?!
Wow, what a lovely trip! And such lovely weather you had! Can I come with you next time?
Oh, I want to go to there! Glad you had a lovely time.
Holy crap…that place is gorgeous.
You had to leave all that and go home? Bittersweet. Wow. All that gorgeousness and the happiness of a wedding too–what a beautiful bride!
Those osprey nests look very much like the cranes’ nests all over Morocco — on phone poles, chimneys, the spires of mosques, everywhere — except that those include ragged plastic strips along with the twigs and natural materials. >sigh< What a privilege to live in, or even visit, such an unspoiled area as your photos show… But it’s hard to believe you can’t knit while hiking. You?!
So glad you had a wonderful vacation. How beautiful! I was hoping to see a photo of the Ogopogo – maybe next time.
Blanket & sock look awesome too!
As I suspected, Wikipedia agrees that joining spot for the US transcontinental railroad is no longer used. The track now goes across the Great Salt Lake.
Neat to see a picture of “my” railroad since CPR used to be initials.
Ditto Wen’s comments…
And no talking,
Simply Speechless.
Did you also do the crazy going on tiptoe into the water thing? As though it’s slower or warmer if you lift your body that little bit as you make your decent into the cold.
Beautiful! New Denver, huh? I didn’t realize there was such a place. Might have to check it out someday.
Motherload. Yes! You can say that again. So beautiful. I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve never been anywhere to match it…I keep coming back every time. So glad to know that you enjoyed it so much!!
Did you get any awesome yarn? Please show us if you did!
WOW is that place georgeous!! Add that to my list of places to see before I die. Did I say WOW!?!?!
Welcome home! What an amazing place you had for your vacation-I’m so glad you had a little peaceful time to enjoy such beauty before the Sock Summit. It’s comforting to know that even though there was no cell or internet there, the truly important things were-fiber, handspun, and socks in progress…. 🙂
Glad you had a good vacation — and wow, that is one beautiful spot. I would love to visit there, shall have to add it onto the list!
My husband and I love BC. We’ve been there in summer and winter, and either way it is gorgeous and wonderful. We even talk of living there for a couple years after we retire but before we are old. It is a very special place.
BC is really spectacular, but I might be a bias and the fact that I have yet to travel further than Calgary – and no, stopping in Toronto at the airport doesn’t really count.
BC is always full of people from Ontario. They come to visit and then they move here. Sometimes we don’t want people to visit, so we can keep this secret to ourselves. 🙂 But, if you and Joe plan to move out here, we won’t stop you. You guys are welcome here and will probably fit right in to our westcoast lifestyle!
Come back soon!
Looks like you had a great trip! Don’t let the laundry get you down now that you’re home.
Will you and Joe adopt me so that I can come with you on your vacations? You always go to such wonderful places! (I’ll carry your knitting bag for you.)
I had the chance to drive from Jasper to Vancouver in summer 2007. It was gorgeous!
True, BC has something special!
Now I am homesick. I was born in Kelowna. Man, hubby and I are going to have to go back soon! Thanks for the reminder, those were beautiful! 😀
You got to see a spectacular area! Your travelogue reads like my heritage. My grandparents lived on the shores of Arrow Lake until the dams flooded them out. At that time, New Denver was the ‘big town’ they went to when they needed things.
And I grew up swimming in glacier-fed Kootenay waters. I’ve gotten wimpier since then, though. 🙂
Your post leaves me very homesick.
Very cool and groovy pictures. Too bad I’m stuck in a concrete asylum…
And hey, it takes two to hold the blanket now! That’s progress, indeed.
Wow, those pics are stunningly gorgeous. The whole thing (breathtaking scenery, wedding of friends, teeny towns, crossing a raging stream by nonmotorized means, magical local festival, and even the ruins of boomtown buildings) reminds me of our family trip to Alaska in 2005 — photo album in sidebar of my blog. Such a fabulous experience. Life is good. 🙂
OMG – is that an arrow pointing to the spike? Wow. It looks beautiful there – glad you had a good time. Hard to be away from the internet, I agree. We are happy to have you back!
“Hydro poles” must be one of the Canadianisms I haven’t heard before. (Like “binders” and “rubbers”….which I learned the first day I met our music minister at church who hails from Hamilton.) Where I’m at in the U.S. we call them “electric poles.” (Some say “utility poles.”)
I’m always happy to discover regional ways of expressing the same idea…so thanks for the new one today!
ps….clearly I’ve got to go visit BC!
Is the caboose not still at Craigellachie?? That was always a rest spot on the drive from Calgary to Kelowna or Victoria on summer holidays. I loved going into the caboose but never even thought to look for the last spike itself…lol. I love that someone else did!
I would love to see the “Last Spike” and it’s little arrow marking its spot. 🙂 Yes, very Canadian to understate it, but at least someone thought to mark it at all! The timeline on the cedars is amazing. Thank you for sharing the sights!
It sounds like you, Joe and the Sock had a great time. I was glad to see that the kids, house and cat were there to greet you. Too bad about the laundry though!
I am so relieved to see the latest progress picture of the blanket. In earlier pictures, it appeared as though the blanket was coming out, well, uh, how do I say this…not square or rectangular but more rhomboid. I was very concerned about this, but thought, “Gee, Stephanie’s been knitting a pretty long time and even though math is not her strong point, knitting is. I’m sure if it wasn’t squared, she would notice and correct this.”
It is nice to know that my faith in you has been affirmed.
Glad you enjoyed my backyard. This is why I live here. I almost don’t even feel the cold when I swim in the lakes around here…..almost.
Blanket looks bitchin’. Canada looks amazing, relaxing, beautiful, peaceful….
I saw the giant redwoods when I went to San Francisco.I have been in many houses of worship but never have I felt so in awe. To be in the presence of living things that old left me without words.
It is worth the trip anytime of year!
Ahhh Beautiful British Columbia…sigh I wove the last end in on my Kaffe Fassett, Foolish Virgin sweater whilst chugging across Canada (Vancouver to Toronto) by train. Now there is a knitting experience!
hey! there’s my pal harry with you looking at the weavings. Glad you got a chance to hang. Kiss kiss.
Beautiful, Steph- just wonderfully wonderful! I got relaxed just reading and looking at the pics!
I know I’ve said this before but it bears repeating. Please write a travel book soon. Your descriptions of people, places, and their histories are always so wonderful. I was particularly amazed today by the timeline about the trees.
And I’m not at all jealous, because I’ve spent the past few days ferrying my mad mother to various appointments, missing the brief window that was UK summer.
Can I say, I’m pleased you had a great time, but I’m even more pleased you are back to lighten the moments.
Hugs
x
The key to knitting big things while hiking is wearing the fanny pack with the bag portion in front. Tuck the majority of the bottom of the item between your belly and the pack to support it, then knit away. I did this while knitting the Bag O’Plenty during Pride Parade.
We’re going to BC next year for vacation. I’ll add your spots to our itinerary.
Wow – how lovely.
The blanket is lookin’ good.
LOVE the marker for the spike!
I am cracking up at the last spike monument. I remember going as a kid to Promontory point for the union and pacific rail roads meeting and they’ve got this big fancy to-do about it all. To be honest. I like this monument better, it means the rail is still being used. (?)
Fantastic, thanks so much for that series of pictures. Places noted for my next trip to BC. 🙂
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing the pictures!
Holy cow. What a place! I am trying to find a close/cheap/short trip to go on mid-August, and I’m desperately trying to think of how to convince hubby that visiting that amazing place could qualify for any of those. Any thoughts to share would be welcome, indeed.
promontory point, utah is like that…in the middle of nowhere…a plaque, but otherwise not celebrated…the joining of our railroads occurred in 1869.
looks like you had a lovely time…sorry about the laundry, but I know how that feels…
WOW! What a beautiful view! I’m glad you two had a great time. even if you had to (gulp!) go without internet.
duffy@6:23 Great way to show the knitting pride!
Thanks for the mini-vacay! I love the majestic forest-y goodness, looks so green and cool….aaaahhhh!
Great vacation Steph. We, too love BC. From the first time we visited there when my boys were small, we’ve felt we could live there. I am planning to visit there again next year. I’d like to do the train thing there in the winter. It must be spectacular.
Your trip looked wonderful. And what a beautiful bride and groom!
Thanks for sharing. Keep going on that knitting!!!
Kathy
Glad you enjoyed our neck of the woods. Sorry to hear that you were in the neighbourhood and I was not out hiking/touristing too. Travel safely home.
Gorgeous photos and looks like a wonderful trip. I agree, BC is amazing, when we visit our neighbors to the North, BC is were we go. Next trip for us is Vancouver 2010 for the Olympics 🙂
Unbelievably GOR. GEOUS.
And to think I was feeling brave for getting in the (heated) pool in San Diego over the weekend…
This has made me even more excited to leave for my trip to Nelson, Crawford Bay, Osoyoos and Kelowna on Friday!!
Thanks for the pics and hopefully you can enjoy this trip retroactively after sock summit!
What great photos! Beautiful British Columbia is aptly names. Welcome home.
Yes, we who are blessed to live in BC (and work for the Hydro) are much in heaven in deed. We’re practicing the art of the staycation this year. It’s a wonder to actually see what we take for granted everyday. To be able to walk out the house to the bus stop, take the Skytrain, hop on a plane and be on island as part of a not-everyday-work commute is a spectacularly awe inspiring day.
All of the descriptions and photos made me so homesick! When I was little we used to take day and weekend trips to all those places. Man, I miss BC.
I loved your line about “classic Canadian understatement” about where the trans Canada railroad met itself. The tiny monument is just too Canadian for words.
That’s why America loves Canada – just what you’d like to have for a neighbor. A little dull maybe, but reliable. I don’t think your extreme ethnic diversity has sunk into the American imagination yet.
I read Ondaatje’s Skin of the Lion with great interest but it’s about the extent of my knowledge about building Canada. Were your railroads constructed with primarily Chinese labor, as they were on the west coast of the US?
No mention of the wonderful Canadian hot springs…Revelstoke has a great one, as does Banff, Radium, Jasper, and many others.
We miss you and Joe & Sock! You were wonderful guests!
Come back soon.
A & R.
You warm my heart.
Virginia
The fading spray-painted arrow pointing out the Last Spike couldn’t be more perfect. Thanks for the picture – it will keep me giggling about Canadian aversion to grandiosity.
So glad you had a bit of time off, and so glad you are back! The pictures are lovely, and I would LOVE to visit Canada and see her beauty for myself. Welcome back!
Not really related to this blogpost, but I just got back from vacation and caught up on my Yarn Harlot Page-A-Day calendar and loved the 4th of July page – I didn’t know that back in the beginning of our country, knitting was encouraged in the U.S. so we didn’t have to buy clothing from England, thus increasing our independence. And to think I had to learn than from a Canadian! 😉
Stephanie: Someone found another use for coffee…
http://gizmodo.com/5309082/s-cafe-shirts-are-made-from-coffee-grounds
Lovely country! A friend of a friend has a homestead somewhere between Nekusp and Arrow Lake. I was there a few years ago, in the fall and did some hiking around, etc. Aaaaaaah…
I actually live on the west side of Arrow lake near the Needles ferry and we have beenhere for 5 years and I still love waking up to look at the lakeand mountains. I can’t imaging living anywhere else now that we have retired here.
Beauty, sheer beauty in these pictures.
I think that you probably did the most exciting things that were there. You had great weather, I know because I was in Victoria, B.C. and our weather was also great! When we were there my family got to go on a zip line tour through the rain forest. I hope to see you at the Sock Summit!
Indigo Amarys Age 9
As much as I love that internet connection, it is refreshing to know there are places without it. Maybe that’s why the hydro poles looked a bit out of place, save a nice place to put a nest.
Loving the socks with beads!
Thank-you so much for the memories! My sister lives in Nelson and on a couple of the trips out we drove all through Nakusp and Silverton to name just a couple favourite stops. It was there that I developed a deep and ever lasting love for Hot Springs (not a glacier lake).
Some of the other posters are right about the dangers however, my sister has never come back to us in boring old Ontario!
So beautiful. My husband and I traveled through on our way to Alaska and felt let in on a great secret when we saw all it’s beauty. I’d been to Victoria many times, but to see the countryside was just fantastic. I hope to go back when we have more time to make stops.
I’m glad that you had such a great trip, but come back soon to enjoy more natural beauty! If you come all the way back over to the Island, I’ll promise to keep the giant slugs away 😉
PS, it doesn’t *always* rain either…
There’s a Fauquier up there, too? I live in Fauquier County, Virginia, and the name got a lot of snickers from our friends when we moved here.
That single cable crossing? I would’ve turned back. Good for you for going across! And thanks for the pictures–it looks beautiful there!
That made me homesick. Although not Canadian, I grew up on the West Coast and we went up there from time to time…you don’t get that kind of green anywhere else. And those mountains…sigh. Glad you had a wonderful time.
Great photos. I love the single cable crossing. Sounds like a great trip and a beautiful wedding.
Oh… I am so in love with your country… adopt me…
British Columbia is indeed gorgeous. Kai and I recently got back from a trip up that way: http://www.weavezine.com/content/four-shaft-weaving-laura-fry
I’ve been and seen a few of those places. I remember Craigellachie, we went through it on the train and they slowed right down. I was taken with the spike, not a golden spike or a fancy spike, just the last one.
Wow!
I have just come back from a holiday in the Hebrides, which are beautiful (and all that gorgeous scottish yarn, too), but BC is stunningly gorgeous. I just might have to visit Canada next year! Your blanket is looking pretty good, too.
Our BC slogan used to be “SuperNatural B.C.”but the description I liked the best was “Mother Nature on steroids”(not sanctioned by the gov’t) lol. for someone born and raised in Vancouver… how lucky I am to be born to a place that grabs you by the heart and doesnt let go…I’m glad you had a good visit,come back again soon…still lots more to see…
The Golden Spike monument in Utah is also surprisingly under-attended and small. Granted, it’s bigger than The Last Spike, but I was surprised and a bit sad at how few people come out to the Golden Spike. Even for the 140th anniversary of the driving of the spike, there was relatively few people.
Then again, I’m a huge history buff, and a civil war re-enactor to boot, and my uncle drives one of the trains, so maybe my opinion is a bit skewed.
I grew up in BC, and it was great to see all those places I still think of as home. Glad you had a wonderful trip.
Thank you for showing me Canada. I will probably never get there, and I have so enjoyed the beauty of your country! I love it that there is so much natural beauty left there!! And I am glad you had such a nice trip!
That last spike is very cool. I love that it’s just a wee arrow painted on a sleeper. I also heartily approve of Canadians calling it a railway, rather than a railroad 🙂
One day, I might just ride that train from one coast to the other. One to put on the list of “things to do before I die.”
Thanks for the travelogue. I prefer the Last Spike understatement to the over-the-top coverage and behavior that has been going on in the US for a funeral.
I just got back from a trip to Revelstoke & Craigellachie(among other places). The thing that struck me most after returning was how safe I feel on normal Ontario highways that aren’t on the side of mountains or in danger of rock slides.
Thanks for sharing the gorgeous scenery with us. Looks like you had a wonderful time.
That was awesome. I can’t wait until our next vacation. (This virtual traveling is my only option for now.)
BC is wonderful! We just returned from our yearly trip to Ainsworth Hotsprings and the trail you did as well. We were over there mountain biking, and soaking in the hotsprings. I did do some knitting as well!
I am so glad you had a break from the electronic world you deserve it!
I’m thinking maybe you meant “motherlode”?? But hey, anyone who’s weathered mothering two teenage girls at once is certainly entitled to use the word “motherload”!
I love the arrow marking the last spike! The paint must have to be refreshed year to year. I wonder if it is some summer intern’s job to repaint it, or if there is a civil servant who does it year after year?
The continuity of it boggles the mind (and also invites some skepticism now that I think of it).
Gorgeous photos! Thanks for sharing!
Craigellachie is the Grant family motto – it means “Stand Fast”.
I know this because I had it on a coffee mug. 🙂
Hey, the blanket looks bigger to me! I mean, now it can cover two people though not generously. I will ignore the proof of math and say that you are almost there!
Echoing the homesick sentiments…and I’m still in BC! Only transplanted to the Big City on the Wet Coast, far from the Kootenays. I grew up in the East Kootenay – drier, fewer trees (Ponderosa pines instead of cedars) and more grassland – but still with the mountains and the glacier-fed lakes, and the osprey nests on the hydro poles. This province is indeed stunning…I can’t imagine ever leaving it! So glad you enjoyed our corner of the world!
That is beautiful! I think I know where I must vacation next!
But, have you perfected sock knitting and hiking?
Oh, you’re so very right! BC is beautiful! One of my favorite vacations ever involved a drive from Calgary to Vancouver. It was absolutely breathtaking every single minute! 🙂
What a gorgeous place! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us. The blanket may not be getting bigger fast, but at least it’s not getting smaller!
Lovely photos! Again, brought me great memories…and two thoughts: (1) That you could’ve knit up a storm without the Internet in wherever-it-was; and (2) that the Last Spike monument is in keeping with our typical Canadian modesty…
I graduated high school with 492 people so thinking of a town of only 600 people makes me feel like my high school was HUGE!
Wish I could visit there – looks outstanding and fun and restful.
But what’s the photo of (your?) feet? Is that the cold or fading shoes or mendhi (henna drawing – I may have spelled it wrong) on them?
Really glad to have you back, and the blanket looks outstanding. As do the green socks.
Thank you for the lovely view of BC, a someday wish of mine. I am following the blanket with interest as it is in my queue for this year, fingers crossed as I type this.
Of course when you live in the most beautiful province of the most beautiful country in the world it is hard to convince your husband that there is any reason to vacation any where else.
I had the extremely good fortune to HOLD an osprey for about 20 minutes. It was injured and the wild bird sanctuary brought it to the vet I worked for. It’s wings were wrapped against it’s body so that it wouldn’t flap and fuss, but I held it at arm’s length while it waited for an x-ray. (It was HEAVY). We stared into each other’s eyes and it was one of the most “spiritual” experiences of my life. I mean an OSPREY looking deep into my eyes from only my arms length away!
I’m going to be visiting Toronto for business in September and I want to hit at least one yarn store. I’ll around the Metro Toronto Convention Center. I would love some suggestions!
What are people thinking?! OF COURSE the Yarn Harlot could do a SINGLE CABLE CROSSING – with her eyes shut!!
Love the last spike picture.
Thank you for the lovely pics. I feel like I’ve been on vacation. Can I just tell you, OT, that I just followed your sock recipe in Knitting Rules for the second time (about 1 1/2 yrs in between 1st and 2nd) and you rock? You have made socks make sense. And your book is one of the only places that addresses ease. No, really. Check Ann Budd’s book. Check Charlene Schurch. They have you measure foot, multiply by sts/” and cast on. Even as a newbie sock knitter I knew something was wrong with that picture. My socks are for my DH and the 1st sock is almost done and fits like a glove. Thank you, Ms. P-McP.
Thanks – we liked having you visit!
Your photos are so gorgeous. Glad your husband was able to relax!
Thank you for honouring my province with your lovely compliments!
thank you for posting such great pictures of my homeland! it makes me terribly homesick way out here with my toes in the north atlantic but they are beautiful none-the-less. i love that part of the province – when my parents were first married they lived in Silverton and taught at the highschool in New Denver…brand new baby and only a wood stove to cook with!
I must visit Slocan Lake before I die, if not necessarily swim in it. How does it compare to the Bay of Fundy? I need to hike Mount Revelstoke as well. (Revelstoke… Revelstoke… love that name. If I wrote murder mysteries I would start one set in Lord Revelstoke’s castle forthwith.)
I miss BC. I am a dual Aussie/Canadian citizen who was privilged to live and work in many beautiful BC locations…
I’m back in Australia now, which has it’s own charms…but wishing BC wasn’t quite so far away.
Congrats on the wedding and I’m glad that you and Joe had a great time.
I went to the Last Spike as a kid. It was just a pit stop on the side of the road and very understated.
I love the trip through that part of BC, especially the Needles ferry. What community is it that is trying to ban cell phones? I don’t think I could live there.
That sock looks so pretty with the beads.
Oh my, I’m going to be going home to the West Kootenays for my yearly visit in a week or so and my family has booked a cabin by the lake in New Denver for a week! Your photos have brought back to me again just how much I need to go home, even for a little while.
I love that single cable crossing! I did that for the first time last year and we played on it until another family came along. My poor dog didn’t know what to think.