cabackroads destination--Juniper Beach Provincial Park, Cache Creek, British Columbia

cabackroads destination--Juniper Beach Provincial Park, Cache Creek, British Columbia.

dates of travel--July 14, 2016

After the shopping stop at the Costco in Kamloops we headed west on Canada 1 and 97 North looking for a Provincial Park with a dump station.

Our twenty-eight dollars got us this campsite just on the other side of the riverfront sites. The money got us water and 30 amp service. No sewer connection and if fact, it was another five dollars to use the dump station within the campground. It looks like the Provincial Parks in British Columbia are taking lessons from the American National Park Service on how to nickle and dime their customers.

The campground managers were Wilma and her husband which deserve a special mention as being some of the best, most attentive campground hosts I have encountered in my travels and professional career. Outstanding service, attentive, and even managed to treat a grumpy American with respect and a professional attitude. In this Provincial Park, the hosts were the best amenity.

The downside to the park is right in the middle of the picture. Those trains. And just so the trains on one side of the river do not get lonely, there is a track just behind the campground. Yep, you are going to hear trains night and day. Our first clue, was the private campground advertising "no trains" on the ad that never mentioned the Provincial Park!

Here is the official link to the park: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/juniper_bch/

This part of British Columbia is sometimes considered to be an extension of the Great Basin Desert in the United States. In fact, there is plenty of cactus in the park. This species is also found in Okanogan County where I bird hunt. There it is found in very scattered patches though I have had two dogs run into it during hunting season.

No problem finding it within the confines of the park. It "carpets" the ground underneath the sage and dryland grasses. The problem once walking into the sage is how to find the way out!!

Nasty, nasty stuff and lots of it!!

The next morning as we headed north I kept searching for the last sagebrush bush alongside Highway 97.  I believe the last sage was just at six lake summit on the highway. From there we finally left the Great Basin ecosystems behind us.