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Cindy & Perry Mack photos
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Cindy & Perry Mack photos
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Story & photos by Cindy & Perry Mack
Concerts & Guided Wilderness Tours - Touring the Wilderness by Bike, Hike, Horse and … Segway?
As a seasoned traveler it's often the little things that define the character of a place. As we sat in the outdoor patio of the cafe watching people go by, it was the kid, no more than 7 or 8, comfortably riding his mountain bike down a flight of stairs, then the next little fella with a bear bell mounted on the handle bars, followed by the couple, clearly in their 50's, in full downhill biking protective regalia, and finally the strangers who meet walking their dogs through the village stopping to chat; this is a mountain town, a truly Canadian experience where a wonderfully welcoming community is laid back, relaxed and open. Where visitors and locals alike experience the thrills of downhill mountain biking and a plethora of slower paced activities. And everyone wears the same cologne, Deep Woods Off.
Sun Peaks offers guests free use of the hiking and biking trails, and the summer concerts are free as well. What an excellent location for an RV vacation. Trail maps are available everywhere but we recommend you stop in at the visitor centre to find out about all the available activities and events happening during your stay.
RVing is available in two locations, P3 is right next to the Sports Centre. The Sports Centre has a pool, tennis court and more. P5, the overflow location, is 500m farther down the road but without picnic tables. Camping is $20/night and is dry camping.
Once you’ve settled in, treat yourself to dinner out at the Voyageur restaurant, which is owned by the same gentleman who runs the voyageur canoe trips on Heffley Lake. Meat from Perry’s tender lamb shank fell off the bone and was served with a generous portion of squash and a few side veggies. My Cornish hen easily succumbed to my appetite as we finished dinner on their outdoor patio in the glow of the setting sun.
Travel Tip - Bring bug spray for the evenings because as the sun sets the little bloodsuckers come out to dine on you!
If you have guests without an RV joining you, the Delta Grand Hotel And Conference Centre is a slope-side hotel with a spacious lobby, large fireplace, comfortable sitting areas with free coffee and tea service all wrapped in colonial style. The decently equipped fitness room is open 24/7 and the outdoor heated pool can be entered from inside, then it’s just a few strokes through a channel to the great outdoors for a leisurely float, or move to one of the three hot tubs to soak those tired muscles.
Guided Bike Tour
Our guide, Jaide Foster, took us for a two-hour tour through the wilderness. It's a leisurely tour with very little uphill and was mostly on double track, so there's lots a room. We did a short single track through the woods, which spiced up the ride, but is easily accomplished by novice riders. The trails are actually the winter Nordic trails so they are well marked and mostly clear and level. The trails are free for the public to use, so you are welcome to explore on your own, or enjoy the experience with a knowledgeable guide.
The bike ride made me hungry so we took a lunch break in the village at Oya Sushi.
I dove into a spicy seafood Udon - big thick udon noodles in a spicy broth rich with tiny shrimp, mussels, onions, broccoli and cucumber. If you like spicy food you'll love this.
Wilderness Segway Tour
If you're up for a new way to see backcountry trails, the off-road Segway’s are for you. It's a family business run by Gemma Harris with support from her mother and father. Recently nominated for young entrepreneur of the year in Kamloops, Gemma is a professional photographer and Segway tour guide - another fantastic example of Sun Peaks mountain people.
Who gets to Segway? ‘You have to be 14 or older and between 100 and 260 lbs ‘, says Gemma. Surprisingly she said, most people that take her tours are over 50 but all ages love it. From wedding parties to partying rednecks, there's something appealing about effortlessly zipping along a forest trail with nothing but the hum of the electric motor, and the excited chatter of your group. After signing the requisite waivers in the Adventure Centre, we watched a short 'how-to' video and then walked to the practice field at the sports centre. Orientation was easy to follow and for the most part, operating the Segway is very intuitive. Before long everyone was getting on and off confidently and running a slalom course of four pylons. Safety is their primary concern. Once again we made our way through the village and out to the Nordic trails to enjoy the wilderness on a futuristic mode of travel. This is not a white-knuckle adventure, but more of a leisurely experience. Gemma laughed when I asked about her oldest visitors. A couple whose combined age was over 150 she replied.
You can expect sore feet by the end of your trip but other than that it's an effortless adventure.
Horseback Riding at Sun Peaks Stables
Trail riding isn’t for everyone but if you don’t get to ride a horse often, or never, this is the place to do it. A gentle pace on horseback through treed trails opening to forested mountain views is a wonderful experience for urban dwellers. One that harkens back to earlier days when the horse was mans best friend.
Guided Hiking Tour
Your guide will take you to the 'Top of the World'. We had perfect weather for this two-turned-into-three hour excursion. This was a new program in 2014 and we were the first guests to take this guided hike. We ran over time with an extra, but well worth it, side trip. Why take a guided hike when you can wander the trails on your own? Our guide Steven Rathwell provided non-stop patter about early inhabitants, the Secwepemc, why and when they migrated up the mountains, which included the plants they collected and the animals they hunted.
He pointed out the bear and deer scat along our route and entertained us with stories about his very diverse life and travels. Including how he lived in an RV behind a Wal-Mart through a Montreal winter while teaching high school. He and his father had built a camper van for him, which included a wood-burning stove to keep him warm through the bitter east coast winter. For a true and complete mountain experience you can't beat hiking with a local guide.
We began our ascent through a mixture of forest trails and alpine meadows. The views were spectacular; the sun was warm and the breeze cool. Once we reached the Top of the World, who was there to greet us - none other than Nancy Greene. Smiling in her hiking gear, she chatted with everyone who reached the summit and provided directions and descriptions of the various trails leading down and around the mountain. Shuswap Lake was clearly visible along with the nearby summit of Tod Mountain, and in the distance - the Coast Mountains. The Alpine Blossom season is mid-July to mid-August, and is the best time to immerse yourself in an awe-inspiring display of natures brilliant colours.
For a true appreciation of the scope of the Thompson region, if not British Columbia, your summer must include a trip to the Top of the World.
With the free concert series at Sun Peaks you can count on great music and a great venue. During our weekend, Blue Rodeo kept the crowd entertained for a two hour set with a huge crowd spread out across the natural amphitheater. From newborns to newly retired, couples, groups, families, singles and their dogs spread their blankets and lawn chairs across the grass. The beer tent was comfortably full but you never had to wait long for a beer.
After the mellow sounds of Blue Rodeo echoed from the last hill, we wandered into Village to find Blackdog Blue performing under the clock tower. With hundreds of others we cheered, danced and applauded as they rocked the village square with cover tunes from CCR, Janis Joplin, Elton John, Queen and rockin' blues tunes that couldn't be beat – pardon the pun. We slipped into the Mantles patio at the Grand hotel for the last hour of their two-hour set to sip Caesars, and tap our feet to the beat. Hats off to Sun Peaks for organizing an incredible weekend of entertainment.
If you don't stop at Sun Peaks for a week or weekend this summer you'll truly miss an incredible opportunity to have an incredible yet affordable experience in the outdoors. With free concerts, cheap RV sites, tons of marked hiking and biking trails, I challenge you to find a better value anywhere. If you spend a few dollars for whatever passion you enjoy the most, from a dinner out to an espresso in the village, from a guided cross-country bike tour to an adrenaline pumping downhill ride, from a guided hike to the Top of the World to a futuristic Segway tour through the wilderness, or a mouthful of western flavour with a horseback ride through the mountains, you’ll have photos, memories and stories to tell for a lifetime.
For more info on activities, events and concerts visit www.sunpeaksresort.com/summer/