Frederick the Great and Cartwright Mountian Blues: Monday, May 23rd!

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles in it. -Margaret Fuller, author (23 May 1810-1850)  

Up at 6:05 am, well ahead of my untrustworthy alarm clock, to make my sandwich for today's hike, as well as cutting up my two apples, salting them lightly and placing them in a Ziploc bag, ready to be eaten at the Tea Break. Worked away on messaging and photo editing until just after 8:00 am when I heard Matt stir. Since I was going to leave the house around 8:30 am I was hoping he and Zoe would both be up so that I could say goodbye to them. 

They planned to do a bit of wine tasting in Summerland before they headed back to Vancouver but I knew I'd not be back before they left for home. A sleepy Zoe was up shortly before I was ready to go adn as Matt had wrapped her in a cosy afghan and she was curled up on the couch I bid her stay where she was and kissed her goodbye, shaking hands with Mattias and thanking them for the lovely gifts they'd brought, as well as the splendid time we'd had with them over the course of their stay. 

Chloe Alexis Dunn Looks great Mom, good job!!!

Ayn P Looking good and I see the plant we got last summer in the can made it thru winter!

Colleen Teahan Waldron Looks fab :)

Alan Waldron Looking great! Nice work.

Sara Jane McGillivray Looks wonderful. You could look for Russian Sage (great purple spikes) which does well in the Okanagan.

Christina Tassell Sticks Like cat pee😁

Christina Tassell Stinks

Robbie Burma Russian sage is big and striking. And it doesn't stink...it smells like sage or even a bit like rosemary.

Corinne Durston Glad our friends from around the globe care enough to debate plants! Love you all!

Christina Tassell I will post a photo of mine!

Robbie Burma Very Zen!

Laura Safarian If the rumours are true that you are in Penticton, we should hook up for lunch one day. I'm in OK Falls, just down the road.

Lynn Copeland Beautiful

Penny Doorbar Sure is! Looking great x

Hello Cartwheelers et al! Let me echo Sergeant Spumoni's thanks to Field Marshall French, Friederich the Greatest and Test of Hummanty Tinka for their stellar non-leadership on the ascent of the cliffs of Cartwright! We couldn't have done it without you so thanks for your generous, ever vigilant shepherding. Cheers, Patrizzio! PS: For those interested in reading evidence gathered in support of a number of pending courts-martial, Field Report, Cartwright Mountain, Summerland theatre, May 23rd, 2016, below:

Had decided, earlier, that since I wasn't going to be able to stick around for java and debriefing, after the hike, I'd drive straight to Summerland. Did just that and recognized Robertito's spiffy Miata in the IGA lot when I drove up. Didn't take long for the rest of the localoids and Pentictonites to arrive and once the Tinkamobile roared into the lot we knew we'd soon be on our way. I hitched a ride with Chuckerini, riding shotgun, while Mother Teresa grizzled in the back. Didn't take long, at all, before we were parked near the intersection of Cartwright Ave and Herron Road, close to where there is easy access to the trail for the Test of Humanity mountain bike race. Day was cloudy and a tad overcast but without even a breath of wind so it looked like weather would hold. Most of us had jackets of one sort or another but nobody was wearing any rain gear, except Sergeant Spumoni, all kitted out in an impressive blue hurricane proof combo suit, [Marketed as a self-contained, portable sauna!], that would allow her, toasty warm and dry, to haul in nets, brimming with mackerel, in a howling North Sea gale! 

At any rate, once Jack Rabbit Gilliana had made a preemptive comfort station stop and the two Three-Star Generals, (Artillery Al and Fighting-Mad French), had decided our fate, we moved out, following the well-worn bike path. What a way to start the day's outing as we climbed, ever so gradually, and easily, on the well-packed dirt surface. For my part, I was quite surprised to find that we weren't trekking through mud, given the amount of rain we'd had the night before, at least in Penticton. Surprisingly, even Phlegmatic Phillipo, uncharacteristically dyspeptic as a result of a tummy upset, characterized, and perfectly so, the terrain: "Dry as a bone!" 

Grade soon began to increase as we pressed on, passing scatterings of Lupine and a gorgeous hedge of Wild Rose. Exertion warmed many and outer jackets were removed as we crested the first hilltop to wind our way, snaking, lazily, to a ridge with the trail, smack dab down the middle. Here we enjoyed our first lovely views of tranquil Okanagan Lake and encountered the first of the mountain bikers we'd meet over the next little while. Spamela and I were a bit behind the lead group, at this point, and we were treated to the enchanting warbles of a Meadowlark, perched atop a lone pine not far from where we were walking.  

Further along we stopped to let the Top Brass catch up and while so doing, treated ourselves to snatches of Garnet Valley below and the wildflower bejeweled hillsides above. Once the Dynamic Duo arrived, Assiduous Al took the lead and the true forced march began, impressing two more bikers with our punishing pace as we passed them as if they were standing still. [The fact that they were, in fact, stopped, didn't prevent them from cheering us on, even though they sympathized with our foot-soldier plight!]  

Onward and onto a gently rising meadow leading to the base of the first serious hill we were to encounter. Here, Frederik The Great was delegated leader and we followed him up the increasingly steep slope. I was behind him as he was about to skirt a very large pine, a thick fan of pine needles, twigs and small stones surrounding its trunk when a violent thrumming/whirring quite startled us as a Sage Grouse,(?), exploded, literally erupted, in a blurred flurry of beating wings from its nest. Quite a sight, I must say, one I, nor my racing heart, had ever experienced before!

 

Not wishing to further alarm the lovely creature we immediately backed off, giving the nest a wide berth, even as the parent tried to lead us further away. I found the rather steepish climb which followed quite strenuous but the adrenaline already coursing through my system held me in good stead and I pushed ahead of those who had stopped for a minute's rest, once close to the top, to make my way towards an open clearing, littered with magnificent stumps trunks, peppered with wildflowers and, comically, a large, rough ladder, attached, at the top, by a number of braces nailed into the trunk of a tall pine. A fire look-out or hunting platform?

Once the rest of the gang joined me we trekked but a bit further to fetch up on a charming grassy knoll, flat in most places, but with a few rocky outcroppings, perfect to sit upon while taking our Tinka Tea Break. More views of Okanagan and Summerland below but it was the wildflowers and numerous weather sculptured trunks and stumps that drew my attention. One in particular, a still standing, hollow trunk, filled at its bottom with pine needles, an inviting bed for a family of field mice or fairy folk, perhaps! However, Tireless Tinka wouldn't let us rest our weary bones for long and much to Jimbo's extreme vexation the order to move out was given before he'd had but a single bite of his ploughman's sandwich!

Now following Abominable Al we wended our way through a shallow ravine and up an easy hill to a ridge where we found the bike trail again, dead fall across it chain-sawed to provide free passage. A few minutes later, dissension reared its ugly head as Pushy Pam stamped her foot and insisted we return to the grassy knoll for lunch. Forthright French opted to reach for the top so the group bifurcated, Robertito and Amiable Al opted to stay with Kranky Krannitz while the rest of us joined Jimbo. Waving goodbye, we twisted our way through another small ravine and then the most challenging climb of the hike ensued. Footing here was quite difficult, at times, not only due to the acute grade but also because the under-surface of loose stones offered little stable purchase. Once past these patches, however, the going became far easier, in terms of footing, even though the hill face stared right back at one, a near vertical wall we threaded our way across!

Welcome respite came at the end of this extended climb but since we had not yet reached our goal, we pushed along, down into another shallow, easily negotiable ravine and then a short hike up onto an extended, rocky ridge where Jocular Jim finally called a halt: Lunch time had finally arrived! As I munched my sammie, I strolled the ridge, marvelling at the almost 270º views, wonderful, wonderful as ever, the striking cloud formations and changing light imbuing the landscape with a simple, straightforward beauty that took one's breath away. Well rested, although a tad chilled as the wind whipped around us, we broke camp and after a group shot at the Photo Tree, Canny Chuckerini lead us down, ever down a series of virtual cliffs, similar to the ones we'd bested earlier, dismissed as trivial grades by most, looming as more than tricky, nerve-wracking, joint-punishing descents. Still, I gritted my teeth, girded my loins and pressed onward, or more correctly, downward!

On the last, long, more easily traversed slope, Faithful Federico and Fleet-Footed Frenchie stayed slightly ahead of me, generously keeping me relatively close company to ensure my passage was a safe one. Stupendous views of Giant's Head and the lush meadows and vineyards of Summerland punctuated and rewarded my slow, careful progress and before long I was reunited with all my companions, back at our vehicles. Thanking one and all, (Terrible Tinka, Rascal Rob and Pushy Pam were nowhere to be seen so we assumed they were already caffeinating themselves somewhere!), for such a delirious-making outing, I hopped back into Chuckster's car and we made for the IGA lot. He was off to Nelson the next day so he had loads to do at home to get ready for his trip. Once we were back at my vehicle, I thanked him for leading much of the outing and wished him safe travels over the coming days and headed for home myself. Cartwright Mountain, on this particular route, an incredible mix of easy to moderate to significant effort, all shrink-wrapped in more than stunning scenery! Hip Hip Hooray for Gentle Breezers!!! Map and Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1181472400#.V0N7XgHHGN0.email

Thanks to Chuck and Jim for a great hike today! Someone left a swiss army knife in Jim's vehicle and I've got it. Please let me know if it's yours and we'll make arrangements to get  it back to you! Pam I forgot to thank Al as well for the great  hike today! That was pretty silly of me given that Al lead me and Rob safely back to the cars! ......Pam

Hi Everyone, We are meeting at the dog park at 9 am and we'll decide where to go from there Hope you can make it Gill Looking forward to it! Unfortunately I can't make it.  Have a great ride!! Hi The Sisterhood! Wonderful news! I'll see everyone tomorrow. Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrick, A contractor doing my patio resurfacing called me today he can come to see my house for an estimate only tomorrow afternoon. So, with regrets I have to decline the invitation for the game this time, sorry for the late notice.

But please keep me in mind for the next game. Regards, Mike

Hi Patrick - attached is your En Primeur order confirmation. Thanks very much!
Cheers! Dick, Shona, & Shannon Lancaster