Shuswap/Sicamous this July long weekend...houseboating or sandbagging?
Supposed to be going to Sicamous this coming weekend for a house boating trip. Seeing reports everywhere that the town is in the state of emergency and the lake is a disater. Does anyone live out there/have any insider info? I just got off the phone with the company and they are suggesting everything is in perfect condition...help!
My parents just left, took them 15 hours to get to Calgary as every major highway was closed to and from Sciamous, but that should be better soon. You can't drink the water, even if boiled and no flushing of toilets in the town.
The lake as far as I last heard was basically off limits, and there is still rain in the forecast and a ton of snow left to melt in the mountains.
If the water rises another foot they are preparing that the entire main street area could be flooded as it has already come into the city beach park area and into town near the red barn which is a ways off the lake.
I'm glad that my houseboat trip was the weekend before last! The water was getting really high next to the highway, could see this coming as when we were leaving it was pouring down really heavy.
I came through to Calgary from the Island yesterday and the Salmon Arm and Sicamous area is in bad bad shape. Specifically Sicamous.
from the Marina at the bridge, the water was flooded way up the hill, All of the creeks and rivers are extremely high and the water has washed across highway 1 in several spots and is on the shoulder of the highway in several spots.
My poor hometown is a disaster! Someone on my Facebook said they had friends who were houseboating with Waterways and the flood took out all 5 of their vehicles.
Here's a couple videos of the Waterways Marina:
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The Quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail, to the ruin of all. Yet hope remains while the Company is true. Go Flames Go!
I just came through that area on my way home from Vancouver. Had to re-route and go through kelowna/crowsnest pass/lethbridge/etc.
From what I saw, it was really bad in sicamous and its expected to rain more over the next few days as well. However, you are able to drive on highway 1 from Kelowna to Sicamous and overlook the water and it seemed fine when I drove past. I think the problems lie more along highway 97A.
I drove from vancouver through kelowna, got to revelstoke almost and had to turn back towards Kelowna. Then took the hwy 33 south and then hwy 3 east back towards calgary.
It wasnt an unsafe drive for me (yesterday). Just long!
I would pay more attention to the drinking water supply. This issue isn't getting as much attention as it deserves. It is already having an effect on businesses in the area.
Wakeboarding, tubing, and waterskiing will be pretty dangerous, there are a lot of logs out on the lake. Its a dumb idea to even plane the boat wothout a spotter right now.
If the town water is okay and the houseboat company will still let you take the boat out, go for it. Don't try to depend on any beach time, they are all under water. You can still tie the boat up at night though.
Shuswap/Sicamous this July long weekend...houseboating or sandbagging?
