Nelson, British Columbia
I recently came back from spending dreamlike three months in the beautiful mountain town of Nelson in British Columbia, Canada. I am so lucky to have traveled there for work during this covid time. I had never heard of Nelson until a few years ago. But it is now one of my most favorite places on earth.
Nelson is a small Canadian town situated at the foot of a mountain by the beautiful Kootenay Lake in the southern interior of BC. It is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts with wide ranging mountain and water activities. The town has a lively center on the flattish part around Baker Street. The residential area spans above town on the side of a mountain.
I arrived in Nelson in the spring when trees were starting to bloom. I left in mid-July as mountains were getting covered in wildflowers. The town is surrounded by mountains on all sides and lined by a pristine lake below. There are no bad views in Nelson.
My Nelson Experience
For such a small town, Nelson had almost all the amenities I would regularly want (except A/C, which I’ll talk about later). I found it to be convenient and easy to navigate as the town center is so small but full of quality places and filled with super friendly Nelsonites.
Baker Street is lined with great restaurants, cute boutique stores, coffee shops, spiritual stores, massage places, etc. I was shocked to even find an authentic sushi place (Kurama Sushi Japanese Restaurant) where I could talk to staff in Japanese. There was plenty of access to organic and natural food particularly at a local coop supermarket (Kootenay Co-op). Somehow local fruits and vegetables tasted better.
The absence of chains ensured room for local businesses to offer unique services. I spent money knowing it was going directly to local people. But if I needed things beyond mom and pop stores (e.g. a suitcase), there are Wal-Mart and other chains on the edge of the town.
I had the pleasure of walking down to town and hiking back up daily. The streets are sometimes so steep that there are stairs on the sidewalks. I enjoyed peeking into quaint houses and well-kept gardens during my otherwise strenuous walk home. It wasn’t until two weeks before the end of my trip I finally discovered the local buses (BC Transit) are actually quite convenient.
When I drove in Nelson on occasions, it was a bit like riding a rollercoaster. Sometimes the road in front of me would disappear with a steep drop off. And climbing back up, I always cheered for the car to make it. I also learned to appreciate different types of vehicles, which was a major consideration when going on Forest Service Road (FSR) to trailheads for hikes. They were often not maintained well and required high clearance AWD vehicles to drive on. I can’t imagine how people drive in the winter (snow tires required)!
All in all, based on my time there, I would say the quality of living is high!
Hiking
I believe Nelson is a world class hiking destination. I took advantage of vast hiking options almost every weekend. I was so amazed that a short 15-minute drive from town can put you in pristine nature with no human to be seen.
I didn’t have to go far to walk in the nature, with Rail to Trail running right above town for miles. Just across the lake is Elephant Mountain, which offers a steady climb to Pulpit Rocks with a panoramic view of Nelson after the first 3.5km and could be stretched into a full day hike up and beyond.
Joining Kootenay Mountaineering Club was a great way to learn new trails and meet people. And there is a wealth of information on West Kootenay Hiking. I typically didn’t have to drive for more than an hour to get to trailheads, but the two far hikes I did (Fry Creek in May and Monica Meadows in July) were well worth the long drive.
Every hike was my favorite hike. Knowing I would eventually be leaving Nelson, I took in as much of the fresh mountain air, scent of trees and earth, and beautiful natural sceneries as I could. Two bear sightings (from the safety of a car) capped off my amazing nature experience!
Extreme Heat
My last two weeks in Nelson included a historic heat wave with temperature topping 105 degrees Fahrenheit (+40c). Even after the heat wave, the temperature remained high, frequently exceeding 90 degrees F, and it had pretty much stopped raining. None of the three AirBnB places I stayed in on this trip had A/C, which seemed to be a less common amenity (I heard it used to not get so warm).
Then my last week, the air suddenly got hazy. It was still relatively early in July, but the wildfires had already started earlier than normal.
Luckily, I was getting ready to leave and got in my hikes in time. I survived the heat by eating absurd amount of raw fruits and vegetables and taking ice cold bath throughout the day. And whenever I drove by the lake, I made sure to take a dip. But I had to wonder, why is it so warm?
I imagined actions by humans played a role. Around Nelson, I had witnessed the sad reality of logging, with parts of mountains stripped of trees. I guess I cannot expect normal to continue if we are altering the environment so much. I admit, I use paper products and contribute to this. But seeing what happens at the source has brought me new awareness of the effects of our behavior. I also saw how people lived closer to nature (e.g. growing food and composting food waste), which contrasted with my city life.
My Takeaway
Every action has a consequence, and I realized I need to do more for the environment as an empowered consumer. So I am making small changes when possible, such as buying less packaged products, using a drying rack to dry clothes (instead of electric dryer), reusing materials (vs. recycling), more local shopping (less Amazon), and planting more.
I know these are pretty insignificant on their own. But I’m hopeful they are joined by many other small changes, and together we can make an impact. So a place like Nelson can preserve its rich natural heritage and is available to visit.
