The town of Hedley never ceases to surprise me when it comes to oddities. For example they have an incredible ratio of one-eyed humans vs bi-eyed ballers. To find a cave that a Buddhist monk lived in for a decade or so checks out.  Much of what I know about this subject comes from the other blogs and videos that I suspect all derive from the same, likely one-eyed source. So take it for what it is. In the early 1900's when Camp Hedley was thriving and banging out as much as 42,000 tons/year of ore, and some side-product gold bars, additional water was needed to power the steam plant which provided electricity to the thriving Nickle Plate Mine. That water came from Hedley Creek, also known as McNulty Creek on many maps, and previously know as 20 Mile creek, as it's 20 miles from Keremeos, in the good old days, before...

Discover the Best Waterfall Adventures in the Okanagan, British Columbia The Okanagan region in British Columbia is renowned for its stunning landscapes, where lush forests, crystal-clear lakes, and majestic mountains create a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts. Among the most captivating natural wonders in the Okanagan are its waterfalls. Whether you’re a seasoned hiker or a nature lover seeking a peaceful retreat, the Okanagan’s waterfalls offer adventures that are as varied as they are breathtaking. In this post, we’ll explore the best waterfall adventures in the Okanagan, highlighting must-visit spots, hiking tips, and the awe-inspiring beauty of these natural treasures.   1. Fintry Falls: A Hidden Gem with Historical Charm Located in Fintry Provincial Park, Fintry Falls is a spectacular series of waterfalls cascading down a rugged canyon. The falls are accessible via a well-maintained trail, which includes a staircase that takes you up close to the falls. As you hike, you’ll...

The Renata Rock Arch

I stumbled across Renata Rock Arch last year sometime. Likely on Google Earth. The arch is actually a bridge as it was formed by erosion caused by the creek which runs under it whereas an arch is caused by 'erosion inherent in the rock'. It's apparently the largest in Canada at 44m wide, 4m thick, and 20m high. The Arch resides on the west side of Lower Arrow Lake across from the tiny community of Deer Park. 4km north of the arch is Renata which was a community that was founded by three french prospectors in 1887 and then grew as a result of the CPR railway which is 6 miles away and now called the Trans Canada Trail. A quick google of Renata reveals a very interesting history that may intrigue you. Do it. To touch on that briefly the Columbia River Treaty was ratified in 1964 and the Arrow...

Disappearing Data Due to Dead Drives

As I've discussed in other posts I gobble through a whack of hard drive storage shooting video, timelapses and the processing of this imagery behind the scenes. I think I'm just shy of 100 TeraBytes. The other day I had a hard drive die on me which isn't that uncommon. Fortunately I have a back up of all my drives which has been standard practice for years. When I buy a new storage device I always buy two. I pop over to our fire proof safe (which likley wouldn't keep the drives safe from heat in a fire but hopefully dry) and retrieve my back up drive. Plug it in and... nothing.   Now that's a drag. There are several things you can do in the event of a dead drive. Send it off at great expense and have the pro's try to retrieve your data. Try a different power source,...

Sneaky place for a pond on Drought Mountain

On April 27th I popped down to Vancouver Island to shoot a FortisBC + BC Ferries LNG bunkering. Here's a photo of the bridge of a BC Ferries vessel which is totally irrevelevant to this blog post but cool. The bridge has a mirror image with red LED's on the other side - depending which direction it is sailing. Very Star Trekish.  ​ On the return trip I was rubbernecking the Coquihalla Connector decent down into Okanagan Valley..... always spectacular..... when I happened to see a cave far above in the bluffs on Drought Mtn. I suspect this might just be a boy thing but I'm always intrigued by caves. I should note that this isn't the obvious big cave that's above Highway 97 and below the Connector. Mission spawned. I'd be back in the near future. The following day I plotted a route on Google Earth to Drought Mtn which...

Ice cold colours of the lower Twin Lake

The Monashee's are a gem that remain pristine considering their proximinty to the Okanagan Valley. I know of 6 appealing hikes  based around Cherryville that are between 2-3 hours from Kelowna. There are more than that but some don't interest me as they are of similar distance without the reward of a sexy summit, alpine lake, or spectacular view. Twin Lakes is the easiest of all these hikes and I think this is my fifth trip to this location. Some of the photos were pulled from other trips as the weather was better. It's about 2:15 from Kelowna and a one way hike of 1:45. A logging road that requires a bit of clearance but not a four wheel drive takes you up to 1790m. The trail starts with a long up-hill which is always a bit of a grunt when you're not warmed up. Alongside the trail are lots of...

Jade Lake in Revelstoke National Park

I broke some new ground this past weekend in Revelstoke. I was invited to join some friends and their family on an alpine hike in Revelstoke Provincial Park. This was quite different than most of my hikes in several ways. First off was the 26km paved road that gets you pretty much into the subalpine. We were on the trail head from the parking lot at 9:50am with several tour vans ahead of us. By on the trail head I mean walking the 1km paved road from the parking lot that is closed to all but the shuttle busses. As this was a day trip our packs were light and pace was fast. We weren't entirely sure of our destination as the fitness level of the group was undetermined. After 90 minutes of hiking well worn, fat trails we came to the Miller Lake fork in the trail (the brochure labels...

September long took myself and a buddy on a huge backroad expedition around Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake. I feel I got some stellar images and was able to tick off three bucketlist locations that have been nagging at me. You'll need to click the continue reading button to see the pics in this post and the video at the end. It started with a rendezvous with a friend at Scotch Creek in a non-descript white van. He suggested hitting up Johnson Lake which I'd never heard of but is 65km north east of Kamloops or a massive potato gun shot east of Barrier. After some horrific premade hamburgers we plummeted into his sloppy ruddered kayak and wiggled around crystal blue waters. Upon our return, truckloads of humans began to arrive at the forest service rec site marking the start of the long weekend so we moved on. Johnson Lake and...

   Happy BC Day! Had my first trip into the alpine this weekend. 68km east, as the crow flies, of Kelowna is Granby Park. Home to the southern interiors largest pristine watershed. The Granby Range makes up the southern most mountains of the Monashees and is prime grizzly territory. The peaks aren't as gnarly as you'll find between highway six and Revelstoke but the forests are beautiful and the alpine offers grand views.   Logging on the outskirts of the park makes for easy access. You can drive to 5600' at which point you come to a 'No motorized vehicles from June - October' sign. A hike up a gentle slope will get you to the summit in about 1:45.We passed a band of wild flowers between 6000' and 7000' feet and saw some humongous deer. Probably the largets I've ever seen. The park also has mountain goats, lynx, cougar, bobcat,...

Had an interesting adventure this weekend. Myself and a friend ventured up onto the Okanagan Highlands above Okanagan Falls. The 201 forest service road was immaculately groomed. Unfortunately this didn't make a difference for some cherry picker workers from Keremeos who were hitch hiking do to low fuel levels while on route to a back country rave at Clarke Lake. Being the kind Canadians we were, we picked them up and delivered them to their destination. Then ventured on to Allendale lake which is totaly new territory to me. It's a man made lake with 6 forest service rec sites.  We opted to venture a bit further and try to find a spot with less humans. This took us to Solco Lake. High in elevation and off the beaten track. We managed to find ourselves a sweet campsite that was isolated from the other inhabitants of the lake. Had a moose...

In the summer of 2013 I hiked into Divide Lake in Okanagan Mountain Park on a cell tower access road. Divide is a  narrow lake near the summit that's wedged between two large rocks that resulted from some unpleasant tectonic rumblings. We spent the night at Divide lake and then dropped down the western slopes for 90 minutes to Baker Lake. It's the largest lake in the 10,000 hectare park and has a delighful little tent spot. It's ridiculously remote and terribly appealing. Divide Lake Filthy Divide Cabin Baker Lake  It was this trip that really turned me on to the beauty of the park. It inspired me to spend too long on Google Earth planning future expeditions. After several more hikes and camps in the park I set my sights on an mysterious lake which is suspiciously big to be unnamed. I plotted out a route, plugged in my GPS...

Finally got up Carrot Mountain in West Kelowna. Most hiking friends of mine have been up there and most seem to agree that it's a grunt. Compounding the grunt factor was the camera baggage. I was somewhere around 70lbs. Fortunately there is a waterfall about half way up that we were able to fill extra water bottles at so we didn't have to pack all the water all the way. This water source seemed to appear and disappear as we hiked. I suspect it is spring fed but we used the water for cooking and coffee and boiled it. The mosquitos in the valley on the hike up were positivley horrific. Once up top the southerly views are great over West Kelowna. The wind was absolutely howling so we were forced to camp away from the cliff edge to get some shelter.   We chose to make a loop out of...

McDougall Rim is the prominent mountain to the west that can be seen from pretty much anywhere in Kelowna. It's gentle slope rises up to 1400m and is home to Hayman Lake which is actually more of a swamp. Below McDougall Rim is Rosevalley Resevoir which is a popluar hiking and biking destination. This is a sweet hike with spectacular views starting just after the 2km mark. It's a well used single track trail that climbs quite conistantly. It's not terribly steep but is long if you go to the top. There's no potible water and it's bear country so be prepared. Hiking access to McDougall Rim starts off of Bentley Rd. in West Kelowna above Bylands Nursery. After a couple of kilometres of private road you come to an obvious parking lot at the cattleguard. Mutliple atv/4x4 trails head up the hill to your right (north). If you stay right you'll...

 My latest piece of video production equipment is a drone which is also known as a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or a UAS (Unmanned Aerial System). To fly a drone commercially requires much more behind-the-scenes than you might think. Especially if it weighs more than a kilogram. You need to have training which includes safety protocals, aviation weather knowledge, knowledge of Transport Canada aviation regulations, Restricted Operators License - Aeronautical for a radio and more. You need a medical form from a doctor, a visual observer to be with you to help maintain security of the operation area and watch for hazards including other aircraft. You need to apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) from Transport Canada which (at this point in time) requires an application for every commercial flight. These applications take as many as 22 business days to get approved. You must have maintenance procedures in place...

    This was my first venture out with my daughter this year. My daughter, her friend and myself spent the night on top of the peak of Dilworth Mountain. It’s super easy walking access on a windy paved road that climbs steeply up to the radio towers.  Because my daughter brought her friend I stayed in a hammock nearby which has a built in mosquito net and the kids took the tent. It was the first ever time camping for the young lady accompanying us and she was very excited.    When you are on top of a mountain and you have nothing to do it forces you to take a step back and appreciate the beuty that surrounds you. the beuty can come in many different forms and especially when it's pointed out to you by a nine year old.  I shot a few time lapses on this outing...

I love to be outdoors. Now that ski season has ended I try to get out in the local Okanagan hills as much as possible. This usually involves hiking wi...