The beauty of Ymir area in Summer
The beauty of Ymir area in Summer
JULY 31, 2017 • SUMMER JOURNAL • BY ANNELIES ELLERMAN
Just a mere 20 minute drive from our Lodge, Nelson is the tourist draw to the area. And rightly so, it is a beautiful town with well maintained historic buildings, amazing restaurants, shops, places to stay and of course Kootenay Lake.
But if you like to get away from the crowds and explore the area’s undiscovered beauty, spend some time South of Nelson where our Lodge is located.
As the area’s tourism organisations promote mostly Nelson and the area up North, South of Whitewater Ski Resort is not highlighted as such. When we purchased the property that is now Logden Lodge we realised the gap in information about this beautiful area between Nelson and the US border.
So what did we do? We asked the people living in this area and what we found just took and still takes our breath away. We call it nature’s paradise and if you like lakes, this is the area to go to.
The area is home to spectacular remote lakes. Across the road from our Lodge is the Bonnington Range, not only incredible for back country skiing in Winter, Lost and Barret lakes are hidden here as well.
Going South past Salmo another accessible lake is worth the visit; Panther Lake. The hike to these lakes is for higher levels of hikers but for any level of fishing experience.
Wulf Lake is Ymir’s hidden treasure. It takes a decent 4x4 to master the road to where you can park and a good walk slash hike to reach the lake. You could even spend a night. The cabin is a bit run down but waking up early morning you will see it was all worth your while.
When you are traveling with young children the hikes to these lakes may be too steep and too long. The 3 Champion Lakes towards Trail, are a great option. It is said to be the warmest lake in the area, nestled in the middle of the forest. If you do like to stretch your legs, we have trails on our property easy enough for children and the area offers walks and hikes which are very doable and enjoyable even for the high level hiker.
And then there’s always the bike too of course. Nelson area is well known for it’s more than 100 mountain, cross-country and downhill biking trails, catering to all from beginner to expert. But also closer to home various forest and mountain trails await you in Salmo and Ymir, all maintained by local volunteers.
I’m particularly fond of the Salmo River myself and can not get enough of the view of the river during my walks to the bridge and back. But the Salmo River offers much more.
The Salmo-Nelson Great Northern Trail old railroad goes along the river for the most part. An easy walk or bike ride surrounded by beautiful nature, an active beaver population and a rich variety of birds and other wildlife. Or if you are travelling with a kayak or peddle board? Further downstream, this river offers some serious challenges especially during Springtime.
Different spots along the river also makes it easy to enjoy the water on a hot Summer day. The Ymir Swimming hole is a secluded gem where you can spend the day alone or share the diving board with other locals.
Most people have never heard of Ymir. True, it is a small mountain town in the midst of it all though. Kootenay Pass, Whitewater Ski Resort, Paddy Shack, 15 golf courses, Creston Wildlife Centre are just to name a few. And did you know Ymir is home to Tiny Lights Festival?
If you like to know more about the flora and fauna of Ymir area, we do offer Nature Walks. More info here.
Other blogs you might like:
6 Great Things To Do while visiting our Lodge
Experience Ymir's booming Mining Days