Great Work by the Trail Volunteers

The conditions of the grant from the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC for updated trails marking, mapping and signage on the trails on the Sugar Lump side of the Village includes the requirement to match the funds with volunteer labour and/ or our own expenditures. 

13 adults, along with several kids from the Alpine Club, came out on a lovely cool and mostly sunny spring Sunday to trim branches and remove vegetation so that when we install the trails markers and signage it is visible. 

We split into two teams, each with an assortment of hand tools, and one team started at the east end of Gruhls Pool trail and one at the west end. We met somewhere in the middle on the back side of Sugar and retired to the covered deck at the daylodge to enjoy bevies and snacks to replenish vital fluids and nutrients. 

Thanks to all who attended, and the next planned work day is August 2, when we will be installing the trail markers as well as trimming more brush on Twisted Tree and Sage Pool Summit Trails. If you have not done so already please confirm if you want to come out and join the fun. snowmacb@gmail.com

A good turnout, and at least two titanium hips, that I am aware of. Thanks Rod for the pics.

Great Work - Susanne

Susanne cut and gathered all of these dead branches from her neighbourhood, and Janine and I loaded them up. For now, they are in my trailer at home - will haul to Rock Creek if we don't get a debris pile location soon.

Two more dumpster jumpers this morning - sorry ladies, I didn't have a camera with me to get you on video.

Utah Fires - firefighter lives lost, injuries, ski resort burned

 https://www.castanet.net/news/World/622118/3-firefighters-killed-2-injured-while-tackling-wildfires-on-the-Colorado-Utah-border

Bin is Full

As of 6:15pm Saturday, the yard waste bin is full. I am not aware of a second bin coming. If there is not a fresh bin in the morning, the Rock Creek transfer station is open Sunday.

 Location:

1610 Rock Creek Dump Rd.

Phone:

250.446.2231

Hours:

Monday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed Statutory Holidays*

Tipping Fees:

Weight based

Payment Options:

Cash, cheque, debit, Visa, Mastercard

Materials Accepted:

• Household waste (mixed waste)

RECYCLABLE MATERIAL

• Commercial customers - printed paper and packaging including: corrugated cardboard (please flatten); boxboard and paper products; plastic and metal containers; gabletop and Tetra-Pak cartons; 
• Recycle BC Depot for blue box materials including: corrugated cardboard (please flatten), boxboard and paper products; non-refundable plastic and metal containers; gabletop and Tetra-Pak cartons; Styrofoam containers, trays and packaging; non-refundable glass bottles and jars; plastic bags and overwrap; other flexible plastic packaging. Please empty and rinse all containers. For a complete list or to download a Recycling Guide, visit Recycle BC.
• Scrap metal EXCEPT vehicle bodies. Please remove all fluids (eg. oil, gasoline). Take vehicle bodies to auto wreckers. Consider taking large metal objects to your local scrap metal dealer.
• Large appliances/white goods
• Empty propane tanks up to 100 lbs.
• Yard and garden waste
• Clean wood waste

Note: all refundable beverage containers are banned from the transfer station recycling depot – please take them to your nearest bottle depot.

Please separate all recyclables. Ask the attendant for assistance.

What do you do when the bin is full? Thanks Tom and Dan

 

FireSmart Day, and first Artisan Market

Thanks to Rod and James from the Baldy FireSmart Team, Ian Nagel from BC Wildfire, and Darren from RDKB FireSmart for their presentations.

I took notes and will try to get them together in the coming days.

Attendance could have been better, but there were a lot of people in the village cleaning their lots and hauling to the yard waste container. Most if not all the attendees are already on board with FireSmart, and all speakers emphasized the importance of talking to our neighbours and getting them on board. All attendees went home with swag.

Fire will come - it is what we do to prepare that we need to focus on. Darren is a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, and has also deployed on structure protection assignments. He stated what we have heard from many speakers - if you have done the work, they will try to protect your home. If you have not done the work, they will bypass your place to protect more homes.

There is money in the rebate program at this time - Darren encourages you to get your paperwork in by September, even though the deadline this round is in October.

The group had a site visit,  Tom led us to his FireSmart Home under construction.

Pro burger flipper.

Mel is doing some amazing stuff with resin.

Solar Halo this week - Idleback Lake

Thanks Paul W.

 

Waiting at the lodge door...........

 

Ready for the weekend............

 

Bin is here - don't know if the end will be opened tomorrow, or if I will be standing in my utility trailer and throwing up and over. 

NDT testing complete, Chairs are back on the line.

Brandan getting the grill ready for tomorrow.

Mid-day today, Kettle River Provincial Park - "Solar Halo"

Thank-you Cheryl Dennill

 Castanet has photos of the Solar Halo, but I think Cheryl's is the best.

Wildflowers

 Lupine showing at lower elevations, paintbrush in my yard starting to bloom.

Growing paintbrush:

Paintbrush needs the roots of a host plant. I put seed at the base of tufts of grass and other plants in the fall. If you want seed, you can buy it online, or remind me in the fall and I will give you some.

Road Block

 

About the weather.........

Still sunny this morning. In my decades in the Tree Fruit Industry I saw more cherries than I care to remember. I gradually regained interest in apples and peaches, but do not care to ever eat a cherry again.

One thing I do know, is if we are going to get wet weather, it will be when the cherries are ripe, and when the older varieties are most susceptible to cracking from moisture in the stem bowl.

Right on time, the forecast is for a chance of moisture, leading up to heavy moisture Friday night into Saturday morning. 

Hey - it is worth it for the swag and the burger!

10:00 Saturday at the lodge. Sign in, and receive a coupon for a burger, and a ticket for the swag draw. Some of our swag got lost in transit last year, and this year we have that, and more.

Presentations by our local FireSmart Team, and the RDKB.

Barbeque and social time - meet your new neighbours.

Hwy 33 Corridor

Still a few people who think 110km is slow, but not much traffic today. More property owners have placed 1000 l totes at the end of their driveways with buckets - hoping that a tossed cigarette may get extinguished before the fire takes a run at the hillside.

Lots of freshly cut hay - hopefully enough time to get it all baled before the weather change on Friday - we may get significant moisture. 

Fuel

Monday am, bottom of the hill 1.729,

Monday pm Kelowna 1.509

Tuesday am Kelowna 1.809

Tuesday am Costco 1.459 

ER Closure

 https://www.castanet.net/news/Oliver-Osoyoos/621278/South-Okanagan-General-Hospital-ER-closing-Tuesday-night 

Saturday

There is plenty of info, courses and videos on firesmartbc.ca . 

What is different about Saturday, is the opportunity to meet face to face with a FireSmart assessor, someone from BC Wildfire, and members of your community.

I'll have a complete guest list later in the week.

We have plenty of new folks in the village - we all need to work together to protect our community.

Some things you may not know:

• In 2021, one structure protection specialist said they could not save the village, there are too many trees, and houses are close together
• Several structure protection specialists have stated that if you have done the work on your property, and it won't take them long to do a couple of last minute things, they will try to protect it. If you haven't done the work, and it would take them a long time to try and protect it, they will move on in order to protect as many homes as possible.
• Precedent was set in Fort Mac - insurer of a FireSmart home sued the insurer of an adjacent home that was not FireSmart, and caused the ignition of the other.

I do not accept the statement, "well we have insurance." What good is your insurance if the whole area that is our happy place is incinerated?

This area was incinerated in 1930.

Veteran wildfire specialists all over the Province have stated that they have seen extreme wildfire behaviour in the last few years - the worst they have encountered.

There is heavy fuel loading in the forest.

Some articles will tell you that if the fire is extremely hot, it can eliminate the things in the soil that are required to support new growth.

You have a FireSmart group and a Community Association who have been working hard to get grant funding/projects on the crown land around the ski area. 

If you drive up from Highway 3, you can see the park like spacing left after removing ground and ladder fuels along the road corridor.

There is a prescription in place to carry that work all the way up to the ski area, however we do not know when the funding may be provided for that.

Our village needs a lot more work. An ember landing in a pile of pine needles is going to ignite.

Take a look at Australian Kendal's place. He consulted with his 9:00am ski buddy, and hired Andrew and Larix to clean up his property. Next door Bruce and Jan have done their own clean up.

Debris Removal

Long before "FireSmart" became the term, I started the first community burn pile some 35 years ago. It was in plain sight, and easy to monitor.

I will not comment on why we lost the burn pile down the road, but two of the reasons we lost the gravel pit were an opinion that the site was not suitable, and someone dumped construction debris there last fall.

When I was on the FireSmart board, I arranged one day of chipping in the village. The workers doing the work were harassed multiple times. I won't organize that again.

Our options now:

• Saturday and Sunday 9:00 -5:00 - take your branches and forest debris to the container in the parking lot. No Stumps, no logs.
• Check the RDKB info and haul what is permissible to Rock Creek

Organize some others for tree falling and debris removal together. Andrew falls trees, Larix Tree services climbs them, has a bucket truck, a chipper, and a machine with a rake to clear up the forest floor. Andrew comes from Midway, Larix comes from Greenwood. A few properties booked together can save moving equipment.

If you are taking down trees and don't want the firewood, place logs 3 - 6ft long at the edge of your property and others will take it - put out a sign or post on FB, or send your listing to unbaldy@gmail.com .

You can contact the winter snow removal contractor to see what services they might provide.

Better Mapping

Fire to the northeast of us is now listed at 7.6 hectares - due to better mapping, not significant spread. Now listed as "being held."

Free Printer Ink

CLI 250, CLI 251 Canon. 3 Sealed cartridges, 5 self-sealed cartridges.  Free if Baldy pick-up or Oliver meet-up.

or cost of shipping to you. 

BMR Summer Events

Check the BMR events page for the dates of the Artisan markets, the days of summer barbeques, and which days you can grab snacks, beverages and ice cream at the kiosk. 

Trails Grant and Community Hours

The first of several trails work parties is this Sunday June 28th. I will have more details to post this week.

The community association obtained a grant for trails upgrade and signage focusing on the east side. The grant requires that the community put in hours.

A work party is great for comraderie. I know that a few people in the village go out and do trail work on their own. If you document that work, it may count toward hours for the grant. A photo, the name of the trail, the volunteer names and hours can be submitted through unbaldy@gmail.com  .

Summer Soltice

I reassured a friend the other day that the ground was still damp in my backyard. There was noticeable inflow into the open reservoir below Ponderosa. Ditches and creeks were active when I was exploring the other day.

The backyard is drying out, the village roads are drying out (note to self, slow down). There is a wildfire being actionned north of us, and a recent interface fire in West Kelowna, both human caused. 

You may like your summers on the beach and winters at Baldy, but don't forget all of us need to do some summer work on our properties for our ourselves, and the common good.

June 27th weekend is a good weekend to be up here - opportunities to talk to wildfire professionals, book a wildfire assessment, take you branches and forest debris to the dumpsters provided (not trees or stumps)

If you have removed trees and don't want the firewood, place lengths of the logs at the edge of your property with a sign or a post on the FB page, and others will take them for firewood.

Welcome Sunnie!

I love puppies, and Sunnie is adorable. It has been awhile since I played with one. I wasn't quick enough with her playful sharp teeth. Thankfully my hand is healing well this morning. Just one photo this morning - Jayne is much more proficient than I am with photoshop on the background.

This one is immediately after the disinfectant and bandaid - perhaps a "sorry" pose. 

Moose in the Village

 Spotted by Rob this morning, video posted by the Pink Palace.

North of us, "Northeast of Oliver" - updated to human caused

Size upgraded to 2.5 hectares.

Conair tankers from Castlegar and Penticton on the fire. The routed from Castlegar goes right over us.

https://www.flightaware.com/live/ 

Click on the aircraft for detailed info - FDG aircraft are Conair

K50608

Out of Control

Fire Number K50608

0.5 Hectares

Discovered On June 20, 2026

Updated June 20, 2026 at 3:33 p.m. PDT

Kamloops Fire Centre

BC Wildfires Active Fires Layer

Talk to your neighbours.............

I am still looking for more details on the FireSmart event, but I encourage you to talk to your neighbours, invite your new neighbours, and show up June 27th for the Community FireSmart Event.

Getting funding for these events is contingent on a number of things, including participation.

Sign up for a free FireSmart assessment, get the latest info on rebates. I assume there will be FireSmart swag, have a burger and a beverage, and get to know folks.

Keeping our homes and ski hill safe from fire requires full participation. Embers can spot a long way ahead of the main fire. An ember landing on dry combustibles can ignite and spread quickly. An ember landing on a FireSmart property is manageable.

The fire in West Kelowna this week is a reminder that we should all have a grab and go bag ready, and a photo/video inventory of your mountain home is also a good idea.

70 acres of alder done..........

You may have seen the social media post today - estimated 70 acres cleared. Sorry Teledeano - I did mention your preferred area, but it is not on the priority list at this time.

I checked in at the office first - brush cutting has been happening daily, including last weekend. Saws and mowers can throw debris a fair distance.

Flashback to 2021

Listening to CBC on the truck radio as I drove down to the valley today stirred up a lot of memories from 2021.

A fire started in Kalamoir Park - West Kelowna this morning, and for a time there were many homes evacuated.

West Kelowna Fire Chief James Brolund said at the Fire Dept morning briefing, they talked about today being the kind of weather that could really get a fire going if there was an ignition. Not enough cooling overnight, and strong gusty winds.

I know Baldy family were affected by smoke, and possibly evacuation orders. The fire is now "held" and people are returning to their homes. 

Pretty amazing video posted  by Paul R. of the tanker drop just below their place.

Swarm of bees? That is what it sounded like.

Lots of brushing going on this morning - it did sound like a swarm of bees. 

Brushing

The skid steer with front mower is actually a mower, so in spots the alder is flattened and stripped of bark. It does do a decent job in many places. Uneven ground and other areas are done by brush cutters. I have not hiked to see where areas have already been brushed off of Eagle.

 

Found these on RDKB Facebook

Looks like we'll be getting a bin up here on FireSmart Weekend for yard waste and branch disposal. Not sure on the BBQ lunch - I don't have the info yet on whether burger coupons will be issued from the FireSmart event grant, and do not know yet who the presenters will be.

 

Google Cam?

A white car with what looked like a camera tower on the roof was picked up on surveillance driving through the village today. I could not read the logo on the car door, but the tower looks like a smaller version of the one that Google brought up several years ago to be mounted on a sled going through the ski runs. 

Firesmart Day - June 27th - 10:00am to 1:00pm

Firesmart Day - show up, you might learn something.

BMR Activities

Summer Long Weekends at Baldy

Dates:  June 27th & August 1st | 10am – 5 pm | Baldy bar

Enjoy your long weekends over the summer up at Baldy! Go for a hike around our beautiful mountain, then enjoy a BBQ down at the base area! Check out some goods in the Artisan market featuring local vendors!

Interested in being a vendor at our artisan markets? Please email fb@skibaldy.com

June Morning on Baldy

• 5:00 am droplets falling from the sky
• 6:00 am snowing
• 7:30am sunny and windy

All this moisture is great, but we know it can dry out fairly quickly when the consistent summer weather arrives. 

Good to see those who have been cleaning up their properties - no word on a community burn pile, so Rock Creek is the current option. 

Location:

1610 Rock Creek Dump Rd.

Phone:

250.446.2231

Hours:

Monday, Thursday & Saturday: 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Closed Statutory Holidays*

Tipping Fees:

Weight based

Payment Options:

Cash, cheque, debit, Visa, Mastercard

Materials Accepted:

• Household waste (mixed waste)

RECYCLABLE MATERIAL

• Commercial customers - printed paper and packaging including: corrugated cardboard (please flatten); boxboard and paper products; plastic and metal containers; gabletop and Tetra-Pak cartons; 
• Recycle BC Depot for blue box materials including: corrugated cardboard (please flatten), boxboard and paper products; non-refundable plastic and metal containers; gabletop and Tetra-Pak cartons; Styrofoam containers, trays and packaging; non-refundable glass bottles and jars; plastic bags and overwrap; other flexible plastic packaging. Please empty and rinse all containers. For a complete list or to download a Recycling Guide, visit Recycle BC.
• Scrap metal EXCEPT vehicle bodies. Please remove all fluids (eg. oil, gasoline). Take vehicle bodies to auto wreckers. Consider taking large metal objects to your local scrap metal dealer.
• Large appliances/white goods
• Empty propane tanks up to 100 lbs.
• Yard and garden waste
• Clean wood waste

Note: all refundable beverage containers are banned from the transfer station recycling depot – please take them to your nearest bottle depot.

Please separate all recyclables. Ask the attendant for assistance.

Augmenting the brushing by hand, with a rented machine

 

From BMR Facebook. I knew it was coming, but waiting for nicer weather to get out there and take some photos.

"Crit Lake"

One of the early investors in Baldy was John Crittenden (sp?). I was told that on an early exploration of the terrain, he got a little wet when his sled broke through.

Sadly John died in a car accident on a ski trip to the rockies. The original ownership group prepared a bronze plaque honouring him, to be mounted at the "lake". For decades, the plaque sat in various places in the Baldy Bar. It has been a few years since I have inquired, but the last time I asked, it had apparently disappeared. If anyone comes across it, we should do something about getting it on display.
 

Someone told me this a long time ago.........

Engrave your tools, skis and other valuables with your drivers license number. If your stuff ends up in a pile of recovered stolen goods, the RCMP can quickly identify who it belongs to. 

Angry

Yesterday I met a nice guy, contractor, journeyman. I posted a promo for his business, but took it down as soon as I learned his tools had been stolen. I will repost after I have talked to him.

This is particularly disturbing as the tools were taken from the back of a pick-up truck, in a driveway, in the few minutes the contractor was inside the building. Three pick-ups parked there, lights on, smoke coming out of the chimney. Still daylight.

Was someone watching? Owners of the other two pick-ups had gone for a ride on their quads less than an hour before.

Images provided to me from cameras in the village so far are all vehicles that I recognise as people owning/staying in the village. 

I have a dashcam image of someone walking in the village around noon - someone I do not recognise.

Stuff can be returned, no questions asked.

Batteries are marked with initials, hand tools are trade specific and culprit may not know what they are for - keep an eye out for discarded tools.

Tools stolen on Whiskey Jack - updated time line

Calling all cameras. Milwaukee Tool box, grinder, batteries stolen from the back of a pick-up in Jones' driveway . Updated timeline - the contractor continued working until closer to 7:00 pm. So the window for the theft would have occured closer to 7:00pm.The contractor had just gone into the cabin before leaving, and the stuff was gone. The contractor's truck was picked up on camera circling the village closer to 7:00pm.

Reported to RCMP

Three guys, three pick-up trucks - working all day. Two guys head out on their quads around 6:00pm. Third guy goes into the cabin briefly before heading home. Tools disappear from his truck while he was inside. Someone watching?

The squirrels won't be happy...........

Lots of activity at the Jones cabin this week. Soffits and fascia for the squirrels, a little trim paint, and the roofing will be replaced.  

If someone tries to sell you Milwaukee batteries with CS markings, they are stolen.

 

Chimney Cleaning

Top Hat is here today and tomorrow, cleaning pre-booked chimneys. If you missed this round, contact Al to get on the list for another day, probably in July.

 

Volunteer Time - Trail Improvement - Grant requires labour from us.

Fresh Air, Mountain Vistas & Camaraderie Await!

The Mount Baldy Community Association (MBCA) has been hard at work designing, building and mapping new trails on Mount Baldy’s eastern slopes to expand summer hiking and winter snowshoeing opportunities for everyone to enjoy. This summer, the work continues — and we would love your help!

Join fellow outdoor enthusiasts from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a rewarding day of trail maintenance and signage installation while enjoying spectacular mountain scenery, fresh alpine air, and great company. The BMCA has been successful in obtaining a grant from the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC to fund the design and production of trail signage, and as part of this grant, we are required to provide volunteer labour for its installation. After all, sometimes it really does take a village.

Volunteer Dates

• Sunday, June 28
• Sunday, August 2
• Sunday, September 6

Volunteers will meet at the lodge at 10:00 AM, and refreshments will be served at 2:00 PM.

Whether you are an MBCA member or simply someone who loves the outdoors, we warmly welcome you to join us. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, give back to the mountain community, and help create an exceptional trail system for future hikers and snowshoers.

Work will include trimming brush and branches for visibility, installing colour coded markers on trees, and then installing signage and mapping,  Volunteers please bring with you gloves and basic hand tools such as snippers and hand saw.

The MBCA’s goal is to have all trail maintenance completed and signage installed by October 1 in preparation for the 2026/2027 snowshoeing season.

In the meantime, all trails remain open, they are ribboned to help with navigation, and visitors are encouraged to come explore, search for wild berries, and take in the breathtaking mountain views.

Please contact Rod by email at snowmacb@gmail.com to let him know you will be joining us so we can plan for work and the refreshments.

We hope to see you on the mountain this summer!

 

 

 

Stay Safe - another ER Closure

https://www.castanet.net/news/Oliver-Osoyoos/617399/South-Okanagan-General-Hospital-ER-closes-Monday#617399