By Mike Davenport, Vancouver, BC
Sometimes we have to make hard decisions. Admittedly, some are easier to make than others.
Take a recent case in point. I was at the hangar early on a Saturday morning, working hard to help reassemble the Stinson after the annual, when a friend showed up and asked if I’d like to go to Mabel Lake. The fly-in at Mabel Lake had recently been the subject of a number of discussions, both in the hangars and at lunch in the local. At first, I said no because the Stinson was down, and I really needed to get her put back together. Besides that, I had no idea where Mabel Lake was. However, after about 15 seconds of sober thought and still with no clear idea of Mabel Lake, I had to decide. Which would be better: A hot afternoon working in the hangar? Or the same afternoon at a gathering of like souls sitting in the shade with those not flying that day enjoying an adult beverage. I said, “to hell with this” and grabbed my camera bag.
I soon learned that the Mabel Lake Resort includes many large homes and cabins, a nine-hole golf course, and the airpark located about an hour and a half east from Langley, British Columbia, as the Cardinal flies.
Located southwest of Revelstoke in the north Okanagan Valley on the west shore of Mabel Lake, CBF9 is a 2,900-foot grass strip maintained by the same golf course’s grounds keepers, so you have to know, it is smooth. PPR is required. Once there, a delicious lunch can be had at the clubhouse.
A brief walk to the lakeshore gave access to even more of the spectacular vistas that only British Columbia can offer. The marina dock was filled with both private and rental boats and jet skis. One teen was seen enjoying the day riding on a float being towed by one of those jet skis.
The fly-in was deliberately kept as a low-key event with no events scheduled in deference to the residents. However, some interesting departures demonstrated their short-field capabilities in the 31 degrees Celsius temperature. (The Cardinal was low on fuel, and as a result, we needed a stop at Vernon to correct that.)
The flights to and from Langley were smooth and provided tremendous views of the area’s high ranch lands, mountains, and even an abandoned open-pit mine. As there have been few fires in the area, southern BC has, so far, dodged that bullet. That smoke free CAVU weather also provided the opportunity for some landscape shots as well as air-to-air photography.
Altogether, a great day for flying and for just kicking back and relaxing.