Osoyoos, BC

City Streets and Sidewalks

Run Time: 64:55 + 2-minute kick

A one-day diversion north of the border. Found this resort town in the Okanagan Valley, amidst a large collection of rather northern vineyards. Very picturesque, with mountains to the east and west, which created a south-wind tunnel in the afternoon for my run, but a warm sun mitigated.

I stayed close to the lake for most of the run. Everything was paved, and most of the run was on sidewalks, not trails, so not ideal but workable. They really could use a lakefront trail here. The lake extended down into the States — the border was actually not far away, which makes one wonder what restriction boaters have. I do not remember seeing any boats, now that I think of it, so maybe it is a boatless lake.

After reading tips for returning safely without detention into the U.S. the week before, it felt like a small act of bravery to wander out of the compound. No issues, though. I am, after all, an old white guy with a valid passport, so no one asked to look at my devices. I have devices, so that was a relief. Apparently I am not flagged in the system as a Lib.

I visited five potential new distributors in South Central BC, and it was refreshingly positive. Not one comment about tariffs or trade wars. Let’s give it up for the friendliness of our Canadian neighbors. I did see some F&#*k Trudeau signs, evidence that the conservative messaging is universal, but we knew that. This vineyard/winery region needs tourists, and many Pacific NW wine drinkers are old liberals with money, so probably there is a little less brazen apocalyptism is this consumer region.

I stumbled into this locale because it was between sales visits to Castlegar and Penticton, and I didn’t want to drive till 6:30 to get to the motel. I had not heard of Osoyoos or the lake, so when our travel app pulled up 20+ hotels in one town, it was a pleasant surprise. The view from the hotel room was beautiful, with a small balcony. Seems like a nice place to visit, but I did see clouds of gnats near vegetation when I went for my run, so that is disturbing.

Bugs are one reason why wind is not always bad, although these gnats seemed to be holding their position. They were clearly working in unison, finding pockets where their collective proximity reduced the effects. There is a metaphor in their somewhere, but I just don’t like to think of myself as a gnat, so I will stay out on my own in the wind.

Visiting new regions in my sales territory is rare at this point, so I enjoyed seeing some different country, especially the Canadian mountains. I crossed over a few high passes, with a fair amount of snow still roadside, and the grasses and plants hadn’t really greened up yet, but the rocky crags were majestic. Especially as I got closer to the Pacific, where the steep inclines reminded me of Oregon’s Coast Range.

The long drive back through Seattle Friday afternoon was kind of a downer, and the red-eye flight home through Minneapolis was unfun. I could not have made that loop up to Kelowna without the extra time, however. I have targets in Kamloops as well, which is even farther north, but that will have to wait till the next trip.

I actually would like to drive all the way up to Prince George, and cross over from BC to AB or vice versa, but it would just be too time-consuming for a work trip, with too little potential return. Heck, I’d like to drive as far north as the road goes. I think it’s fun to get on a map app and find the most remote settlement at the very tip top of a continent and wonder just what the hell the residents are doing there.

I’d like to think they are living lives of quiet isolation, but my guess is they are gaming and watching Severance like everybody else.