Canada - Land of Giants

Everything seems bigger in Canada.

Kodi and I crossed the border into Canada on Saturday. Crossing into Canada is easy, even with a dog. I can only hope it will go as smoothly going back into the US.

Our first destination in Canada was the town of Nelson, BC. located on Kootenay Lake. Kootenay Lake is over 100 miles long, and in places it is over a mile wide. It's huge! But for Canada, it's just another lake. They have so many big lakes in BC it makes Minnesota look almost like a desert.

It took me a little while to find my campsite on Saturday when I got into Nelson. Luckily I got into the area early in the day and had plenty of time to look around before dark. I realized as I was searching around for camp that my map of the area was lousy, so I picked a better one up at a bookstore the next day. A good map is essential on a trip like this, where my campsites are sometimes going to be 10 miles or more down dirt roads!

The campground I found was worth the search. At one point I stopped off at Kokanee Creek Provincial Park Campground thinking I might

camp there for the night. They only had overflow campsites available which were basically in a parking lot with a little grass, and these sites were $28/night! I ended up at 6 Mile Lake Recreation Site which was 10 miles down a dirt road next to a beautiful mountain lake and was free. A much better deal!

The picnic table at my campsite looked like it had been constructed from a giant's Lincoln Log set. It was huge!

The trees here seem enormous also. In general it looks a lot like the same trees and flowers we have in the Colorado Rockies, but everything is just bigger. I think maybe it's because the days are so much longer in the summer this far north. Even now, it doesn't get dark until 9pm. Just a theory, I'm not really sure.

Shortly after setting up camp Saturday, a fisherman told me he had seen a Grizzly Bear not far from camp just 2 weeks before. Then later that evening a guy camped above me said a bear had walked through camp just 2 days before! Maybe when you cross the border into BC there should be a sign saying; "Welcome to Canada, We hope our wildlife doesn't eat you!" Thank goodness for Bear Mace, it at least gives me a sense of security, even if it is a false one.

Sunday I had a break from traveling and spent the day enjoying the Nelson area. Nelson is a groovy little town. Lots of good coffee shops, restaurants, art etc. Just north of Nelson I got to soak in Ainsworth Hot Springs. My first Canadian hot springs experience was wonderful! Ainsworth has hot spring caves where the natural spring water goes through a horseshoe shaped cave. I tend to be a little claustrophobic, but the caves were well lit and it was a very relaxing soak.

Today I'm off to Radium Hot Springs near Invermere, BC. I'll also check out Fairmont Hot Springs while I'm in that area. For now though I need to cross a lake made by giants. I think I'll take the ferry.