RV Lifestyle

McIntyre Bluff at the south end of Vaseux Lake

Skaha Lake looking north to and Lake beyond

Then, about 55 million years ago, Volcanic activity was common the collisions subsided and the during the birth of the Okanagan, monumental pressure that had creating mountains throughout been pushing eastward through- the central Okanagan including out eased. This Knox Mountain in , relaxation created deep cracks Giant’s Head in Summerland and throughout the province, among most of the hills around the White them the newborn Basin northwest of Oliver. Valley. The ancient rocks that had once been the continental shelf of The final geological touch in the North America, long buried by shaping of the valley came two Quesnellia, rose to the surface. million years ago, when the valley They now form the cliffs along was covered by a series of ice the east side of the Okanagan, sheets. The Pleistocene glaciers As the last glaciers melted about torrential rain to Vancouver and as well as the massive McIntyre rounded off the local mountains 10,000 years ago, the meltwaters Seattle are grey skies and a brisk Bluff that forms the west wall and brought massive amounts created the silt benches between southerly wind on Lake. of the valley at the south end of of sand and gravel to the valley Penticton and (that Vaseux Lake. bottom. are now renowned for their fine As a result, the south Okanagan vineyards), as well as the sandy receives only 30 cm of precipita- benches of Oliver and Osoyoos tion each year – about the same that are so ideal for the noble as Tucson, Arizona. The cold grape varieties. Canadian winters are strongly moderated by the large lakes in The Okanagan lies in the the valley, and vintners needing rain shadow of the Cascade to harvest icewine grapes at -8 °C Mountains. Pacific storms, are often forced to wait for the pushed by westerly winds, are coldest night in January. wrung dry as they ascend the cold coastal slopes of these high The summer beach experiences peaks. As the air descends into and tree-ripened fruit are still the Okanagan, it is relatively part of the Okanagan’s unique warm and dry; often, the only charm. local signs of a storm bringing SS Sicamoos moored on Okanagan Lake at Penticton CSANews | SUMMER 2017 | 25