Camptour 6th + 7th Part: from Osoyoos to Erickson + Nelson

From Osoyoos, we headed towards Fort Steel. However, the route was too long for a single day, especially since we also wanted to make a stop in Nelson. So, on that day, we only made it as far as Erickson. It was a decision we didn't regret because that day we saw snow for the first time in our vacation, and a lot of it.
But let's start at the beginning: when we started in Osoyoos in the morning, it was warm and dry. After just a few kilometers, we made our first stop at a viewpoint that offered a great view of Osoyoos Lake. The subsequent drive towards Nelson slowly took us to higher areas.

I have to say, driving into the mountains is one thing. Even though I'm a coastal kid through and through, I still appreciate the beauty of the mountain landscapes in B.C. and Alberta.
But driving on roads where one side drops down who knows how many meters is something I still didn't get used to during these three weeks. I was relieved every time we left the slopes behind us.

The higher we went, the closer we got to the white mountain peaks. But the snow was still only in the distance. Instead, we encountered two mountain goats standing right next to the road, unfazed by our photos.

We made a stop in Nelson because we had read that there is a beautiful downtown area here. And the reports were correct, the city is small but quite charming.

When we left Nelson, Anna took the wheel for the first time. Until then, I had always driven to give the other two some time to get used to the slightly different Canadian traffic rules. Unfortunately for her, on her first drive, she encountered the worst part of our entire vacation. Just shortly after Nelson, it started snowing, and I mean really snowing. In no time, we were in the middle of a snowstorm. Luckily, the snowplows in Canada are quick, so the road was slippery but relatively clear. However, we could only make slow progress due to the weather, and we were thankful that we didn't have to drive all the way to Fort Steel. At the end of the journey, we were reminded once again how different the weather conditions can be here. As soon as we crossed the mountain pass, the snow was gone again, and the valley looked as if winter had long passed.