It is hazy tonight, and my airways are reacting. Fortunate to have made it to the end of August without having to close all the doors and windows.
Of the four wildfires directly north of us, one is out of control, one is "being held" and two are under control. There is another out of control fire farther north, and east.
The smoke forecast sight is inconclusive - this could be coming from several places.
Hello Baldy Babes,
A perfect day for
a summer hike on our beautiful Mt. Baldy. Cheryl and I greeted our hikers at
the Lodge.
We hiked up the
Baldy Trail to Webster Trail and up Jaeger Meister to Dead End and down to the
Stripper Pole for photos and hydration. We headed back to the Lodge for Baldy
Mountain Resorts BBQ out at the picnic tables. Trevor, Quinn and Brandan kept
us well fed and quenched. We even had some retail therapy in the newly
renovated Guest Services.
Looking forward to
seeing your smiling faces next year!
Take Care, Marian
Fresh tape just below the intersection of Baldy and McKinney Roads, and again at the 201/akaBaldy FSR.
No new fires on the app - looks like directional markers for crews attending the fires noted below.
Earlier in the fire season, you could look up how many crews, air craft etc were active on each fire. Now it just says suppression is happening.
Just after 2:00pm we had 4 recorded lightning strikes north of Baldy. Lightning tracker shows a large cluster of new strikes south west of Beaverdell. If you hike to the top this weekend, have the BC Wildfire App on your phone. If any of these flare up, you can report smoke with photos on the app.
There was a lightning holdover fire near here, declared out yesterday.
I heard a second hand report of two local fishermen discovering a fire and putting it out - that one does not appear to have made it into the BCWF data base.
Fire zone west of us, ban goes in place at noon on Thursday.
Our danger rating for Baldy was "moderate" yesterday. The McCuddy Station, Demelo Ranch area, is forecast to hit "extreme" today.
There is a new fire start in Penticton this morning - map shows within City boundaries, but it has a BCWF #. Eye witness reports bucketing action.
Two more days after today of hot weather. RH is dropping. Temperature is climbing. Take care in what you do.
I have a job on my to do list that involves the use of a grinder. Not doing that one anytime soon.
The closer you get to town, the drier/hotter it is. If you have room, it doesn't hurt to have a shovel, water, and other hand tools in your vehicle.
I am running out of options to keep my older Canon printer operating. Anyone using Canon 250 and 251 Ink cartridges? I may have a great deal for you.
I have checked with Rob, and learned a little more about drone capabilities.
I stopped outside the lodge and talked to a family. They had been walking around the base area with one showing particular interest in the lifts. It is something I often do.
One of the family members drew my attention to a drone. It zoomed directly toward me and did a bit of a dip and pull up, possibly realizing it was too low.
The drone was dark gray or black, and larger than the one that BMR owned at one time
If you see some footage of my face, truck, and other folks outside the lodge, please let me know where you saw it.
The drone operator 's actions were inappropriate.
If you attended our FireSmart event, one of the speakers was the forester in charge of this prescription.
The SSC was vandalised by rodents when Baldy was in receivership a number of years ago. They had a blast between the inner and outer layers of the structure. Insulation settled, and the place stunk. Today, she came tumbling down. The part still standing is an electrical room that feeds other assests.
My winter photos from the top of the Eagle often show Mt. Bonaparte in the background. Some of the locals rely on the NOAA Bonaparte weather forecast as being similar to Baldy.
On Sunday, Peggy and Dale hiked 10 miles from Bonaparte Lake to the summit of Bonaparte. Thanks for the photos of Baldy Peggy.
The permit is free, but you should print one off and have it with you. I have two - as the forest districts change at the old microwave. Easy to find online.
The permit will tell you what fire suppression equipment you should have with you.
I saw a rather large antlered animal on my way to town yesterday. I could post a high res image, but then you might figure out where I saw him.
Yes we had a couple of wet days, but the BCWF app shows that Category 2 fires are prohibited.
Billowing smoke as I drove up from town this afternoon. Others came up looking for the source too.
I tried to contact the warden to confirm that restrictions had not changed. Someone else was able to connect.
There is a place to put your forest debris, please use it.
Vast swaths of timber incinerate each year. My thoughts are that selective thinning and other forest practices that can reduce the intensity of wildfire, is a better option than leaving things intact and watching it burn.
As the prescription is developed for the spacing adjacent to the Baldy Road, I can't help but think that more widespread spacing could be justified. When the logs were decked from the fuel mod fire break near the ski area, I was taken on a tour. Many of those logs were already "denim pine." Sooner or later, the die off that is rampant in our village will be more obvious down the road. Would it be more economical to selectively log more of that down hill forest while it is merchantable timber?
My grandmother's brother, and 3 more generations of his family have been loggers at the coast for a very long time. When they held all the timber rights to a particular Island, I was given a tour around 1980. I was shown blocks where the first generation had logged, some of which had already been logged again by the second or third generation. The regeneration rate on the coast was astounding at the time. I acknowledge that a lot has changed since 1980.
As I drive to Kelowna on Hwy 33, I see more lots being developed in forested areas. As previously noted, there are also water totes and buckets at the side of the highway where property owners are tired of seeing roadside fire starts.
When our village was laid out, the vision was for lots of trees. That was many decades ago. There are things we can do to protect our homes and investment. What is it going to take to get more owners to wake up and do something?
The FireSmart information is all available online. Free assessments and rebate grants have been on the table for some time. The dead trees in the village are not only fuel, but they are in danger of hitting your home and doing damage.
New buildings in our area require FireSmart exterior finishes.
I discussed our current situation with an area tree removal contractor. I asked him what he thought it would take to kick start FireSmart again in our community. His reply, another fire.
Trees are snapping and coming down in the village more often now.
Many of the absentee owners with their heads in the sand do not read this blog, particularly in the summer. So now you have seen another rant, and the people who most need to read it, probably won't.
Quick response, great work, fire "being held." Flight Aware showed last heli returning to Penticton a short while ago.
It would not be a fire season without something between the Industrial Park and the Kobau turn off.
https://www.timeschronicle.ca/fast-moving-wildfire-near-osoyoos-industrial-park-closes-hwy-3/
Photo courtesy BC Wildfire
Get a GEN 7 loyalty card. Sign up for an online account. Get an e-mail hint like I did yesterday, filled up today for $1.00 per litre. Line ups and traffic control from 11:00 to 4:00. I didn't go inside to see what the other specials were, no where to park!
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/565930/Fire-crews-responding-to-fire-burning-off-Highway-33
This appears to be north of where many of us have seen homeowner water totes and buckets along Hwy 33.
It is early August, but there are a few signs that we may have an early fall.
They need to get a new file photo for these stories. The pick-up in the background belonged to someone who retired a long time ago.
The "household garbage" bin was emptied as usual on Tuesday morning. Tuesday evening, the dumpster was stuffed full. A loaded truck came up from below at least once and dumped stuff including furniture.
Thank-you to our Regional Director for responding - a replacement dumpster likely arrived today.
One truck may or may not be connected to our community. Go to the RDKB website and find out what goes where.
Baldy Babes - every season.
Join the Baldy Babes for a hike on August 30th, coinciding with Baldy Mountain Resort's end of summer barbeque - all welcome.
I don't usually light my woodstove at this time of year. It is burning now and venting into a very wet outdoors.
Reason for lighting it? Both sets of work gloves I wore today are sopping wet.
In Loving Memory of Jane
Bland September
24, 1942 – July 11, 2025
She was dearly loved by her husband of 62 years, Michael; her daughters, Marnie and Charmian; her granddaughters, Sola and Mia; her sisters, Halcyone and Rozzy; extended family members and many close friends.
Jane was intelligent, creative, quick witted, and deeply committed to her work as a childcare services manager. She was a passionate advocate for children’s needs, first in North Vancouver and later in Penticton. She shared her love of art with family and community, and her encaustic work remains a lasting reflection of her vibrant spirit.
Jane also found great joy in spending time with her granddaughters and took deep pride in her roles as a mother, grandmother, and lifelong companion. She was a dynamic and social person who loved connecting with friends and family in Kaleden and at the family cabin on Mount Baldy.
We will miss Jane, Mom, Amma, deeply and are grateful for the love and beauty she brought to our lives.
There are many options out there, from guys who will just drop the trees for you, to full service contractors Who will drop. limb, buck, chip etc.
It's only 10:00am, and the crew has taken care of the dead ones that required the bucket truck from Porcupine.
You should be registered on the Provincial matching list.
There is a walk in Clinic coming to Oliver on Fridays for those who do not have a family Doc
We sometimes referred to him as "perfect" Michael. A good looking boy with dark curly hair, and a handsome adult, with that same curly hair, He had a brilliant mind. He would have turned 40 this year. He was probably a pre-schooler when we first met. He was a friend to both of my nephews. I have lots of photos of him at birthday parties. I'd visit with his Mom outside the school as we waited for the kids.
He was a brilliant scholar, having a holiday with family. Beach front, at Hilton Head, Carolina. He had gone for a walk on the beach with his Mom. They saw the storm coming.
“It was a lovely, sunny day,” she said, until ominous clouds soon overtook what had been a clear sky. She and her son turned around to head back to their starting point about two miles away when they noticed stormy clouds in the distance. Rain had not yet started to fall, but Vesna said she and her son saw a lightning bolt “football fields away.”
The last thing they said to each other was, “Let’s get off the beach.” Both Jurist and his mother were struck by lightning almost immediately after.
Michael was gone in an instant, his mother injured. Electrical storms - you never know.
I remember the noise and the feel of the lightning strike up here a couple hundred feet from my cabin.
It is sunny now, but I've heard thunder in the distance - we may not get a storm. My tools are put away, and I'll find other things to do............
When I hear thunder, I always think of Michael.
