FIFTY YEARS IN CANADA

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    The left turn and your heading for Nelson. 33kms west.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85zUR2FExow

   

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      Nelson  b.c.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmHe9IuDjE4

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  I skimmed the east side of the lake, so going to do a bit of a fill-in.

  Some info on the lake itself,   Selkirk mountain range to the west. the Purcell range to the east.

  Peaks range from 2100-2750 metres ( 7000-10000 ft )

  530 metres (1736 ft. ) above sea level.

  Kootenay Lake is 44kms long, average width 4 kms. and up to 152 metres ( 500 ft deep.) never freezes, and the water is pure enough to drink.

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   On hwy 3a between Creston and Crawford Bay, i have been informed there are 400 bends, not 200 as I had said. Anyway its TWISTEY  .

   About 4 minutes north of the Ramada hotel in Creston will bring you to Swan Valley Honey. Mr. Lee, the owner rents the bees out to the many orchards to Pollinate the fruit frees.  We go a couple of times a year to buy his honey at the farmers market in town.

   Next stop is Wynnwood Cellars Estate Winery. Small Winery with tasting room, produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris,and Chardonnay.

   A few miles north is a very old Bar at Sirdar, with the old horse hitching posts still there.

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    Kuskonook harbour is the biggest on the south end of the lake.

     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=st7-EOPXDso

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    Boswell village has a couple of Resorts, I dont have much info on them. There is also the Glass House, con structed of thousands off bottles. you can take guided tours May through Oct.

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXBs9kMM7hU

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    Gray Creek has 2 old historic general stores, You can buy anything from Guns to Cabins, Canoes to Woodstoves here. The Lakeview has Liquor, Grocery, Gas, and Post Office, and lakeview picnic tables

    The Gray Creek store is the oldest ( 1913 ) with two floors of amazing stuff. You will also get the latest conditions on the Trans-Canada Trail which crosses here, and the dangerous Gray Creek dirt road that runs to Kimberly. Some of the Grades on the trail are 16%. Open from about late june to september  ( sometimes )   High clearance 4x4s only.

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   Forgot to give the length of that trail, its 85 kms.  You will climb 1500 metres ( 4000 ft ) to the summit near Oliver Lake. No services, of course,  Hav,nt been more than 12 kms up the trail.  Turn off hwy3a just before the bridge onto Anderson rd.take the left fork 1.3 kms in.

   Past Crawford Bay, on the hill above the Ferry Terminal is a good Italian restaurant called Boccalino,s and also a right turn which will go to the village of Riondel.

   Right on the lake with views of Kootenay Glacier, there is a good coffee shop and Bob,s pub with music in the summer.

   Lots of hiking and biking trails up and down the hwy.