Route: Lightning Lake
Area: Manning Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada
Date of walk: 25th September 2024
Walkers: Andrew, Gilly and James
Distance: 3.6 miles
Ascent: 100 feet
Weather: Light rain throughout
After yesterday’s walk at Mount Revelstoke, we drove to Kelowna where we met our son James who is currently working in Vancouver. We’ve not seen him since Christmas, and our reunion is why we’re in Canada – the walks are a bonus. The next day, the three of us set off for Vancouver, a 5/6 hour drive. In order to break the journey we planned a short walk near the half way point, which involved a minor detour into the E. C. Manning Park
This provincial park covers over 80,000 hectares and represents a transition zone between coastal rainforest and the semi-arid Okanagan. There are the towering cedars of the northern Cascade Mountains, high alpine lakes and meadows, and the Skagit and Similkameen river basins
The area is home to hundreds of bird and animal species, including endangered and protected species, and peak predators – grizzly bears and cougars
The objective of today’s walk was Lightning Lake. The lake is freshwater and is unusual as it drains in two directions, into Flash Lake in the south and the Similkameen River to the north. We parked in the large parking area by the shore of Lightning Lake. The weather was miserable and we entertained thoughts of abandoning our plan but, having made the effort to get here, we decided to carry on. One benefit of the weather was that we’d have the paths to ourselves. We set off in a clockwise direction and before long entered into the woods which surround much of the lake. The poor weather made for atmospheric conditions in the woods, where many of the old trees were festooned with lichen
Lightning Lake is shaped like a figure of eight and at its narrowest point we crossed over Rainbow Bridge. The walk could be extended by continuing around the shore, but we didn’t have time for that and contented ourselves with a loop of the Little Muddy Creek section of the lake. This brought us back to the start of a walk which we’d all enjoyed despite the constant rain
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The start of the walk from the car park at Lightning Lake, just off the Gibson Pass Road
We cross Little Muddy Creek
It is wonderful to be out walking with James again after such a long absence
The lake is encircled by woodland, giving us some shelter from the rain
Path through the woods...
View across Lightning Lake
We approach a section where the lake narrows...
Lichen, a feature of the walk
We walk along the narrow neck of the lake and will soon be walking back on the other side...
The lake is a figure of eight shape and the walk could be extended here to include the rest of it. There was no time for that today and so we crossed Rainbow Bridge, which spans Lightning Lake at its narrowest part
The lake could easily be mistaken for a river here
Start of the return section along the other bank of Lightning Lake
View along the lake
Lichen festooning the old trees, a wonderful sight...
We pass by a small picnic area. In summer and in better weather this would be a busy place
Back into the woods, with occasional views across the lake...
Looking back...
We descend a flight of steps to another short woodland section...
Another flight of steps leads back to the start of a wet, but very enjoyable walk
