Kettle River Inukshuk.

Description:

I have been coming to the east Kettle River valley in southern British Columbia for over 35 years - it is a special place I wanted to share with others. The location is remote so I suggest you come prepared to camp for a visit of at least 2 days or more. You could do it in a single day but you would miss the natural beauty of this wonderful valley. There are numerous BC forestry recreation sites along the river over the length of the valley as well as a popular BC Parks Kettle River provincial campground at the south end of the valley. There are 2 forestry recreation sites within a kilometer of the cache. Take your time to explore the many canyons, swimming and fishing holes. The best time to visit is July and August when the level of the water drops and gets warm enough to swim in. The wild huckleberries are generally ready from the 3rd week in July to mid August. I have seen numerous deer, bear and the odd moose along with ducks, osprey and eagles. I have caught small rainbow and brook trout and know there are some larger fish towards the southern end of the valley. Many of the pools have large schools of whitefish.

I built a rock cairn inukshuk within a few meters of the cache to help you find the location. The cache is NOT in the inukshuk! Wild animals and range cattle roam this valley and might knock the cairn over. They have done that to others I have built in the area. If you find it damaged could you please help and re-build the inukshuk. The cache is on a rock precipice overlooking the river so please do be careful, especially if you have younger children with you.

To locate the geocache:

You can reach the east Kettle River valley from the north or south. I would suggest you travel the entire length of the east Kettle valley and make a holiday of it. The total length of the unpaved section is about 85km over a logging road with some active sections. The road is good towards the south and a little rougher towards the north. Lots of people travel the road in cars or with trucks carrying campers or pulling trailers so there will be no problem, just go slow and enjoy the scenery.

Whether you drive from the north or south you will find a wider spot in the road at N 49 47.298 W 118 42.987 with a small rock cairn on the river side of the road. It is about 50m to the south of the 78km marker on the Kettle River Forestry service road which runs the entire length of the East Kettle River. From the road side cairn look towards the river to see another small cairn and walk to it. From there you should see the inukshuk near the hide.

From the south:

1. Take Hwy 3 east from Osoyoos or west from Grand Forks. Hwy 3 is called the Crow's Nest and is the major route connecting Vancouver to southern Alberta
2. When you get to the small community of Rock Creek turn north on Hwy 33 towards Kelowna. You will pass the Kettle River provincial campground on the right a short distance north of Rock Creek.
3. At Westbridge turn right off Hwy 33 on to the Christian Valley road. This road is paved but eventually turns to gravel and becomes the Kettle River forest service road (FSR). If you stay on Hwy 33 you will end up in Kelowna. This is the wrong direction. Hwy 33 follows the west arm of the Kettle River along the historic Kettle Valley railway.
4. Stay on the Christian Valley road and travel north. The paved road turns to gravel about the 32km marker (at least it was paved that far the last time I traveled from the south). As you journey north you will travel through ranch land and the signs of civilization will diminish. You will pass by several forestry rec sites which make for ideal overnight camp spots. Take your time to stop and explore the river along the way.
5. As you head north the marker numbers increase. Keep going north - the geocache is near road marker 78 just a few hundred meters north of the Sandy Bend rec campsite.

From the north:

1. Take Hwy 6 from Vernon to the Needles/Fauquier ferry. This road continues to Nakusp and from there north to Revelstoke or southeast to Nelson.
2. After passing through Lavington, Lumby and Cherryville the road climbs towards the Monashee summit and you will pass McIntyre Lake on your left if traveling east. A short distance after McIntyre Lake you will see the Spruce Grove Cafe on your right (which is closed down at the time of this writing). Hwy 6 then crosses over Coalgoat creek and you will see the Kettle River forest service road (FSR) going off diagonally on your right at N50 02.968 W118 33.530. Turn right here. The markers on the Kettle River FSR start at 51 or 52 and increase as you head south.
3. There are many logging roads which take off from the Kettle FSR. Stay on the main road and just follow the signs. Go slowly as there is active hauling from time to time.
4. The marker numbers increase until you get near the Kettle River crossing. After that point the markers countdown. Cross the bridge over the Kettle River heading south - the geocache is near marker 78