Similkameen Highlands

From the archives…a late summer camping trip into the highlands above the Similkameen Valley. At a crossroads with Oliver on one side, far below, and Cawston up, over and down the switchbacks on the other side. We camped at Ripley Lake, also known as Bear Lake, and in fact we saw many bears each day make their way across the plateau, down the mountain and above the lakeshore (far right in this image). From our perch across the water, this was prime viewing position and my ‘bear eyes’ were in full effect spotting the beasts all day long. At night, we tucked all our provisions away and kept an ear out for the snuffling sounds of the black bear. Thankfully, they slept straight through ’til morning as well. Here’s a shot of the plateau above the lake we camped at – I am certain there is a bear in this image somewhere.

Similkameen / Okanagan, BC, 2011.