Update for April

A bit of a catch-up session then. Amongst the camping and enjoying the spring here in Kelowna, we’ve also been busy with a few visits and other going-ons.

We briefly caught up with Neil Hudson, when he was out for a ski marathon with Dave Aubrey (I think they managed 12 days in the two weeks :-) ), and got out for a mountain bike ride with him.

Then we got word from Paul Cannin that he would be passing through town with Anthony Goile and a mate, Andrew (whom he’d bumped into on the flight from NZ to Vancouver, of course). They gave us a helping hand at beach volleyball – the first game of our All Sport season – before retiring to our place for a BBQ. They were then Vancouver-bound the next morning, but it was great to catch up with them and scheme about the next catch up :-)

Meanwhile, we continued our All Sports on a Thursday night – playing a different sport each week (which basically means that no one has any idea what they are doing, ever!). We’ve just had soccer this last week, and touch footy is up next (does anyone else see Frances getting continually pulled up for fouls accidently trying to play touch rugby instead of American Football rules?! Never mind.)

And then we’ve also had the Ski-to-Sea race again, that we were in last year. We had a number of teams from Golder, including a full women’s team that Frances was doing the mountain bike leg for. Neil skate-skied the cross country leg for his team. The race goes as follows: Downhill ski – cross country ski – mountain bike – road bike – run – canoe. Neil’s teammate had a blinder of a downhill leg and started Neil off in 8th place overall, so Neil enjoyed his ski amongst some pretty amazing athletes (which he didn’t really quite keep up with). Overall, his team ended up 3rd in the Corporate category – nicely done! Frances meanwhile started her bike ride across the bulletproof ice of the ski-hill carpark – interesting! - before heading off on the ski-hill access road and onto the very muddy and gritty Forest Service Road to the main highway. Her team went really well and came in 2nd Womens. A very fun event.

A couple of weekends ago, we went north to Kamloops in search of MTB orienteering. We went for a run in a local regional park on the Saturday afternoon, which started in sunshine, but went through rain, hail, thunder and lightning, before returning to sunshine. We decided to push our luck and go up to a local Provincial Park with a picnic area and campground, amidst some rather dark clouds and fresh snow (from the afternoon’s stormy skies) on the nearby hills.

Paul Lake was a lovely wee area – there were some pairs of loons (yes, the bird you find on our $1 coin here), which have the most amazing haunting whistle that echoed off the hillside. A bald eagle cruised the shoreline and we went for a wander to the top of Gibraltar Rock, a massive lump of rock that falls into the lake – makes for great views. The sunshine stuck around and we made the call to camp the night there.

Neil on top of Gibraltar Rock at Paul Lake PP

Next morning, we were at Kenna-Cartwright Park in Kamloops ready for orienteering, except no one else was there. Amid thoughts of incapable navigation to the correct start area on our part, we gave up and went for a bike ride on the lovely single tracks in the park. Chance discussions with others in the park lead us to these owls that are currently nesting in the park – pretty awesome to see this many owls in broad daylight.




We eventually got back to the car to find the orienteering event in full swing, so what could we do but head back out again, this time with map and SportIdent. Neil tore off on his bike, admittedly sometimes in the wrong direction, but man, were the tracks good and he was having way too much fun to care. Frances, meanwhile, was off on a foot O course, getting rather distracted with the camera!

The yellow flower of the Arrow Balsamroot, which flowers everywhere around the Okanagan and Kamloops area at this time of year

So when the map says 'uncrossable fence' you really don't want to cross it...... Welcome to the Kamloops Jail :-)

The landscape of Kamloops is pretty dry and hot - scrabbling around on scree to get to the control

So, a bit of an update – hope you’re all doing well. Til next time.......