Dig-Dig #12: Dry Falls State Park

Apparently something like 75% of Canadians live within 100 km of the US/Canadian border. Our biggest cities, our busiest highways are as far south as we can get them. Southern BC is no exception, even in the interior. But step south across that border and you are in northern Washington state or, as an American might call it, "the back of beyond". Creaking old farms and fly-blown towns suggest that considerably more than 75% of Americans consider this to be "way too far north".

With the Okanagan only a few hours directly up the valley from Dry Falls State Park, it appeared to a couple of Canadians like a lot of expensive real estate going to waste. There are wineries on the Naramata bench that would give up their last barrels of 2004 for a chance to expand their vineyards into those open hillsides.


View Dig! Dig! August 2010 in a larger map

Bat condos.
That's what they are called.

Due to questionable planning, we found ourselves with nothing to cook for dinner, and turned to some freeze-dried beef stroganoff we had brought along just in case.

The Red Hook Extra Strong Bitter made it better. We have never really been big beer drinkers, but the craft brews we discovered on this trip were all delicious surprises. This one was bursting with flavour and didn't fall apart or become nasty halfway through.

The wind really picked up in the evening, roaring steadily up the valley from the south. It took a lot of effort to protect the stove until the water boiled. Lucky we were only making one pot.

The wind was so strong at night we had to seal up the fly completely in order to stop the (brand new) tent from puffing and flapping like a big fabric thing that puffs and flaps and keeps waking you up all night. What are those called again?

Our last evening in the US. Tomorrow we cross into the Okanagan.

Up next: We cross into the Okanagan!