Kekuli Bay PP on Kalamalka Lake – August 27, 2013
A windy road to get here from Kamloops, down to 60 km in
places, but lots of lovely farms and grazing cattle to look at along the way. This
campground is just above beautiful Kalamalka Lake and has its own boat
launching dock and a narrow little beach area that runs between the train
tracks and the lake.
A lot of the sites were reserve only, but I was lucky enough to get a really pretty site high on the hill with some nice cooling trees on both sides. Some of the newer sites below don’t have any trees. You can hear the traffic from Highway 97 as it runs above the campground, but at night, there is a chorus of crickets that sounds divine. I finally had my swim in the turquoise green water, and it was as beautiful, clean, and clear as I always dreamed it would be. Kalamalka Lake is a "marl" lake and has earned the nickname of "lake of a thousand colours". When the water warms, it forms calcium carbonate and limestone crystals that reflect sunlight. The lake's distinctive blue-green colour often has ribbons of deep blue running through it.
There is a path that goes all around the campground, and it
was fun to see the cattle and horses grazing on the farm next to the
campground. Two osprey had their nest on the hillside. There is no cell
reception there and no power except for about 4 spaces in the parking lot where
you can park right beside your neighbour and feel the heat reflected off the
pavement. I stayed there for a week, and
it even rained! But it was a great place to hang out, only 15 minutes south of Vernon.
My campsite at Kalamalka, a nice view
Our curious neighbour
The park boat dock
The campground, in terraces up the hill
Looking above the cg to Highway 97 and the orchard on the other side of it
Looking towards Vernon
My new solar panel
Then I had to look for a clean and safe RV park in Vernon
that had internet but I had no luck. I did try an older park that had mostly
park model houses, and some RV spaces but I only lasted one night. The manager
came the first morning and asked if I understood the regulations – that the dog
could not walk on the pavement to the exit on the way to be walked outside of
the park. He had to be carried, the manager said. You are kidding , I said, pick my dog up, all 75 pounds of him and carry him? That’s
right he said, or drive him out. I asked him, did someone complain about this?
Oh yes, they did, he replied. Ok, I answered, then I will be on my way.
I packed up all my stuff, hooked up the trailer and was out of the park before I realized that I hadn’t even looked at the map, I didn’t even have a direction! I parked on the side of a road and sat in the truck cab all ready for the tears of frustration to come, with the engine running to keep us cool because it was around 90' outside and suddenly my cell phone rang. It was an angel, must have been, because she suggested I travel to Kelowna, and within a couple of minutes she found an RV park, Canyon Farms, that was highly rated on Trip Advisor. I called them and they had one spot available for one night. I was on my way.
Thank you Sister Marnie!
