Wandering the East shore of Kootenay Lake

On June 28th, we arrived in Riondel. While we spent the next two days exploring the west side of the lake discussed in my last post (which you can read here), our first evening was spent in East Kootenay, touring Riondel and taking a walk up to the Pilot Bay lighthouse. The walk to the light house takes about 5 minutes up a hill in the forest. The forest was cool and calm which was wonderful after such a hot day. The mosquitos, however, were also enjoying the cooler air and were numerous in the area. Luckily the walk in the woods was quick and we were soon able to enjoy the view from the top.

The Pilot Bay lighthouse stands atop the hill overlooking Kootenay Lake next to a single picnic table. You can climb to the top of the lighthouse, but be aware of the very steep steps up to the heavy trap door at the top. From there you can stand on the small balcony and take in the view of the lake and surrounding mountains.

We arrived in the evening, so the sun was on its descent. The views from the top were beautiful and it was definitely worth the short but steep climb up. It was also a great way to get a sense of the area as the drive to Pilot Bay passes the Kootenay Bay ferry terminal and many beautiful lakefront properties on the winding road to the park. If you came to the area to do more hiking, you can make your way to Pilot Point at the tip of the peninsula.

While Thursday and Friday were spent across the lake, Saturday was spent in Riondel. In the morning we visited Ro, the only coffee shop in town that sits inside a renovated church. The coffee is good and the baking is evening better. After our walk to the coffee shop, we stopped at the Circle of Friends Artisan Shop where we got ourselves a magnet. All the products inside are made from local artisans.

We spent most of the day down by the beach. Our border collie decided to swim for the first time and overall it was a great way to spend a hot July 1st. The beach is connected to the North Bay campground, which boasts amenities such as potable water, bathrooms with flush toilets and showers, and an on-site sani dump for RVs (some costs applicable).

On Sunday, we drove into Crawford Bay after our morning walk and explored the shops there. Our first stop was the North Woven Broom Co. a handmade broom company that has created brooms as props for shows such as Bewitched, Road to Avonlea, and in the Harry Potter book promotions in Canada amongst others. After stopping here to look at the brooms and watch the weaving process, we continued on through the town, stopping at all the shops along the way.

We ate lunch at Black Salt Cafe in Crawford Bay which had delicious food with many vegetarian options, and huge portion sizes. It is one of my grandmother’s favourite restaurants in the area, and I can see why! I got the Veggie Power Cowboy Burger, which was a gigantic burger with a mediterrean twist. I would definitely recommend eating here if you are in the area.

In the evening on Sunday we went out on the lake in kayaks for the first time and had a blast. The wind was strong enough to create some waves, but aside from having difficulty getting into the boats, the water wasn’t too choppy to navigate. If boats or paddleboards are available to you, definitely bring them to the lake!

On our last day, Monday, we went for a hike. We opted for a 5 km out-and-back hike in Pilot Bay Provincial Park because the weather was quite hot and we didn’t want to try to do too strenous a hike in 30C. The hike took us just under 2 hours total, with a break at Pilot Bay beach to let the dog swim and cool off in the lake. The hike through the forest shows immediate signs that we are in BC, not Alberta through the different vegetation. There are far more ferns (and other plants such as holly) that you don’t see to this extent (or at all) hiking in areas like Kananaskis.

Our first detour on the hike was to Sawmill Bay, which I honestly recommend to skip. The beach is covered in sawdust, which makes the water murkier and the beach itself more buggy. The rocky beach at Pilot Bay Campground was a lot more pleasant.

The hike back was short and sweet, but we could feel the heat increasing on the trail and we apprached midday. On our way back to Riondel we stopped a the Ladybug cafe near the ferry terminal for some cool drinks. We relaxed and cooled down in the afternoon and took the kayaks out again for one last time in the evening, this time on glassy calm water. We had a campfire in the evening and enjoyed our last night in BC under the stars before driving back to Calgary in the morning.