Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/170490
Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park O fficially, Kalamalka Lake park is a "fine example of North Okanagan grassland," with groves of ponderosa pine, bunchgrass, and Douglas fir. There are more than 430 species of vascular plants—said to be a rare find in such a small area. Unofficially, it's also a great place to search for marmots, spy a rattlesnake, sit by a jade-green lake, work your glutes on a mountain bike (where allowed), or simply hike the network of overlapping trails. Kalamalka is a marl lake, meaning that when it warms, dissolved limestone crystallizes, giving the water a green-blue hue that makes it appear enchanted. More than 20 kilometres of hiking and multi-use trails wind through the core of this spectacular lakeside park (everything from the Cosens Bay Trail north); there's another 20 kilometres of mountain biking and multi-use trails in the Cosens Creek area. To Vernon . Kalamalka Rd R d. KALAMALKA LAKE PROVINCIAL PARK ns Jade Bay Juniper Bay Turtles Head Point eek Rd. Coldstream Cr To Coldstream Bay Kids t on . Rd Ka lam alk a L ake 97 Two main gates provide entry to the 42-square-kilometre park (the Red and Cosens Bay), in addition to the Twin Bays parking area, where we begin with an easy trek along the Juniper Trail to the lookouts on Turtles Head Point. Loons call from the lake and motorboats slice the sunlit water. The fine fall weather has drawn trail runners, mountain bikers, grandparents, and mothers wearing babies, such as Darcie Emerson from Victoria. "It's beautiful," she says. "You could just hike and hike for miles." Aiming to do just that, we connect with the Crest, the Grassland, and the Corral trails, and trek on to Cosens Bay beach, where two canoeists have pulled up. A woman wades in the lake in a tank top and capri pants, while a family of three snaps photos of one another on the gravel shore. It is tempting to linger at the picnic tables next to the fringe of cottonwood trees, but more trails await us. Grasshoppers spring up like popped kernels as we walk alongside the dry foliage, and two schoolaged girls pass us on horseback. There are many activities going on in this beloved park, which features prickly pear cactus and Western rattlesnakes, generally active from April to September. Mammals include cougars, coyotes, lynx, red fox, and the blue-listed Townsend's big-eared bat. As we near the Cosens Bay parking lot, the area that included the historic Coldstream Ranch, started in 1863, becomes visible. The area is home to rattlesnake dens, but seeing no coldblooded residents, we continue on the Comin' Round the Mountain Trail. As we stroll, another hiker tells us that a cyclist spotted a bear on the Parabola Trail, and not long after we see its fresh scat on the path. A few minutes later, we do meet a "Bear"—an eight-year-old golden retriever—but the bruin remains hidden in the forest. We scan the rocks for marmots, without success, but that's no worry. When the sun sets on our day at Kal, we're already making plans to return. se Co Lookout Trail n Cose Cosens Bay s Cre ek 0 N .5 1 km rob struthers Location: 8 km south of Vernon city centre. Hiking distance/time: There are many overlapping trails in the park. Kevin Wilson, BC Parks area supervisor for the North Okanagan, recommends the Lookout Trail, about 6 km end to end; roughly two hours. Difficulty: Most of the trails are easy to moderate. The Lookout starts out as moderate, becomes rocky and steep, and offers payoff views. Good to know: During the Second World War, the Cosens Bay section of the park was used as an infantry range. Warnings about unexploded munitions are posted. Info: BC Parks (bcparks.ca). • The hikers walk the Corral Trail overlooking Kalamalka Lake in Vernon. B r itish C o lumbia M agazine • fal l 2 0 1 3 35