May 9, 2011
We spent the afternoon exploring along the Ashnola River and Ewart Creek, doing research on my new business idea.
When we were exploring Valley Of Fire State Park north of Las Vegas recently, I watched a Las Vegas based tour operator traipsing clients with cameras through the desert, and I thought … “I could do that !” Ever since then I have been working on developing a business idea.
Personally escorted day tour adventures in the South Okanagan / Similkameen ! Off the beaten path wilderness adventures ! For small groups of one to three people ! In a honkin’ huge six wheel drive one ton diesel dually !
It’s kept me awake at night, tossing and turning. Joanne and I have brainstormed it. I discussed it with the manager of the local tourism information centre in Keremeos. The idea is growing !
Today we drove up a logging road following the Ashnola River to research three BC Forest Service remote wilderness campgrounds alongside the Ashnola River as potential picnic lunch locations. And then we drove down a dirt trail alongside Ewart Creek to a trailhead leading into Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park. The Ashnola River is the northern boundary and Ewart Creek is the eastern boundary of Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, a wilderness preserve in the Cascade Mountains. And the areas is … by anybody’s standards … wilderness ! And yet, it’s only about 35 kilometres / 20 miles from Keremeos.
We drove back to Keremeos, then north to find the “Keremeos Columns”, a nearby geologic formation of basalt “columns” up in the mountains. We had not yet been to the Keremeos Columns. And we still haven’t been ! And likely never will be ! Between Keremeos and Olalla we turned up into the mountains following the trail to the Keremeos Columns. We got lost a few times but eventually found the right trail. And it was the worst “road” we’ve ever tried to drive on. Worse than anything we’ve ever encountered in Mexico. And not the sort of experience you would expect clients to pay for ! Before reaching the Keremeos Columns we gave up. At a radio transmission tower of some sort near the top of a mountain I turned the truck around ( much easier said than done ! ) and we headed back down.
And so ended the first day of “out in the field” research and development of my business idea. Stay tuned !
May 13, 2011
This morning we drove to Osoyoos … to move a trailer from NK’MIP site 145 to site 120 for Marty at RV Days. It didn’t go particularly well, and took a lot longer than we had anticipated, but it gave us an opportunity to discuss our Similkameen Day Tours business idea with Marty. He was supportive and encouraging. We had a picnic lunch in Osoyoos, ran a few errands in town, then headed back towards Keremeos, doing more business research on the way back home. We stopped at Spotted Lake. We stopped at Forbidden Fruit, our favourite Similkameen Valley winery. We discussed our business idea with Kim, who owns Forbidden Fruit with her husband. She was also very supportive and encouraging. We stopped at Seven Stones, one of the Similkameen wineries we had not yet been to. It’s named after, and pays homage to, the Legends Of The Seven Stones Of The Similkameen. We did not reveal our business idea to the owner. We stopped at a greenhouse in Cawston to buy some bedding plants, at the grocery store in Keremeos, and at our favourite fruit / produce stand in Keremeos. WOW … one of the larger “fruit stands” ( selling fruit, produce, local wines, jams, jellies, honey, etc. ) burned to the ground a few days ago in Keremeos.
May 14
Today there was a potluck dinner at Riverside RV Park Resort. It was supposed to be a generic birthday party for everyone who has a “significant” birthday this year. Some residents will be turning 60, some 65, that sort of thing. I was asked to perform a magic show immediately preceding the potluck dinner. I did ! This was the third time I have performed a magic show here … upon request … for free ! And … the final time ! ! ! Enough said ! ! !
DSK
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