This fall my partner and I visited Cranbrook and Kimberley for a unique two part trip. We wanted to make the most of the very short fall season for the colours. What we didn’t know is that this area gets an extended shoulder season! The colours pop in the high alpine around the end of September and then when you think it’s over, all the lower elevation deciduous and larch ripen mid October into November! Come along with us and see for yourself how we captured the colours. We may have sipped on a great craft brew and had a whole lot of fun in the process too!
The Road to Adventure
We paired our first trip with a Tasting Passport that the BC Ale Trail helps put on. This passport has a stamp as you go format where every-time you visit a restaurant, cafe or pub that is participating you will get a stamp. Six stamps gives you the chance to win an amazing prize. This year it was a Helicopter Picnic and other various prize packages! The great news is that it includes both Cranbrook and Kimberley, so there is a lot of choices. We found some great spots, the competition runs from mid September to mid October.
We really focused on hiking in our first trip. The Larch at the higher elevations peak in late September and there are some breathtaking hikes in this area. We started with Tanglefoot Lake. Having spent time in this area, I have heard about this lake for so long and was so happy to finally make it up there. All the stories are true! This place is magical and with the Larch colours it was spectacular! It was a bumpy road to the trailhead, so a 4x4 is recommended, however there is a second access that takes a bit longer to hike but is a good option if you have a small car. We just used All Trails to get the trail information.
“I just love taking in slow crisp mornings and watching the deer and the birds. What a way to wake up.”
We stayed at Elizabeth Lake Lodge on our first trip. I always pass this lodge and wanted to stay here because it has an amazing mini golf course! It is also right beside the Elizabeth Wetlands and if you like birds, this is the place. The place was so lovely and had very nice people managing. We took our coffee (graciously provided by the Lodge and fresh ground) and walked around the wetland at sunrise. I just love taking in slow crisp mornings and watching the deer and birds. What a way to wake up.
Bear Lake
Our second hike was to Bear Lake. I have never heard of this one but was told it had some amazing views and good larch trees. It is a shorter but steep hike but the final destination is worth it! This glassy blue lake had dozens of fish surfacing and a landscape of yellow larch on the shoreline. We really enjoyed this hike, I’ll be back next year.
After hiking we found great places to have a craft beer and a great dinner. I didn’t realize that this area had such an amazing food scene! We had no problem filling our tummies with great fuel after our big hike days.
There are various Breweries in the East Kootenay’s which means there are so many options when you are looking for that post hike thirst fix. We were still enjoying most of the patios at the end of September, it was still really warm and felt like mid summer. I like the vibe of this area so much, Kimberley and Cranbrook have a chill relaxed feel.
We wrapped up our first trip with full hearts and lots of photos. The next trip back to these little mountain towns would look a little different but still just as adventurous!
The Lower Larch and Valley Adventures
We came back to the East Kootenay’s just at the right time for the peak of the lower larch trees. This second trip was October 24-26 and the trees were just popping with colour! We had a few different activities planned and decided to spend a bit more time in Kimberley. It’s still prime time to paddle-board, hike and bike and can sometimes last into November. You might just need to add an extra layer. We planned a small hike and paddle board our first day. The second day we did the North Star Rails to Trails bike path from Cranbrook to Kimberley!
Lower Elevation Larch are usually larger/taller. Some areas have more density than others.
We woke up to some insane fog our first morning. I instantly wanted to get out on the water because the conditions were insane. It always seems to be this time of year when the outdoor temps drop that the lakes start to have a beautiful fog to them. We pumped up our paddle-boards and headed out on Moyie Lake. We originally wanted to paddle St. Mary’s lake, however we were closer to Moyie and didn’t want to miss these conditions. The Larch were surrounding the lake and the sun was just peaking over the mountain adding a magical gold to the lake. It was a feast for the eyes and so peaceful.
The next stop was to grab some breakfast in town. We love Hot Shots cafe for it’s yummy breakfast and of course some good coffee. We then ventured to Kimberley to discover some larch hikes near the ski area. We drove up to the trails area and it didn’t take long to find some beautiful trees by just exploring the bike and hike trails.
We came back to Downtown and wandered around some of the shops. They have some amazing clothing and organic shops in this German inspired town. We kept busy until hunger told us to find some dinner. We decided to grab some Pizza at Stone Fire. They have a wood burning stove oven so the food was delicious of course! There is usually live music on the weekends here as well. The town is quiet this time of year and starts to get very busy come ski season.
Downtown Kimberley
The next day we prepared for our bike ride. You can rent bikes from either Cranbrook or Kimberley however we decided to use our own. You can also e-bike this North Stars Rail to Trails. Where we started, it was a 24.5km ride one way. It took us about one and half hours while taking photos for the one way. It is relatively flat because it follows the old rail line and that adds a lot of joy!
Larch all along the Rails toTrails path!
Once we arrived in Kimberley we were hungry! So what better than some burritos from the Burrito Grill! We love this little Mexican inspired grill. We fuelled up and wandered around downtown again until the ride back and took a nice slow cruise back to Cranbrook.
After getting back to Cranbrook we decided to share the most insane Veggie Burger at the Firehouse Kitchen and Tap. We had some celebratory craft brews and then headed in for the night.
Both of our mini trips were amazing and so different! The versatility of this area always astonishes me. We can’t wait to get back for our Winter trips!
This trip was in Partnership with Cranbrook and Kimberley - All opinions are my own.