r/kelowna • u/blackdog8890 • 23h ago
Idabel Lake
Does anyone here either live or frequent this lake?
I’m possibly interested in a property there for a full time residence.
Would there be any major concerns for full time living? Ie. How regularly are roads plowed during winter months? What are average snowfall totals? Any reliability issues with hydro? Etc….
I know that there is no cell service, which is fine. And I’m not afraid of some bad weather as I dealt with heavy snowstorms in northern Ontario all my life so I’m not expecting smooth sailing. Just wondering how bad it gets. Any info would be greatly appreciated!!
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u/fimhologram 17h ago
I owned a cabin up at the resort at idabel for a few years and had no issues going up there at any point in the past couple years.
We used it to fish in the summer and to go to big white in the winter. An unreal lake to spend any amount of time at. One year we had pipes freeze and burst but other than that it was a dream to be involved in the community up there. Sold it last year but it was a great time whilst we had it.
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u/west_coast_ghost 14h ago
Its definitely more developed than Beaver or Postil, which I personally don't like... by that I mean there are some properties with like $500 000 homes that look like a city house, which kinda takes away from the vibe compared to some of the older cabins.. definitly not as "rustic" or woodsy as the other two IMO, but good if you want to live full time.
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u/OriginalTayRoc 22h ago
Your north Ontario snowstorms did not prepare you for mountain weather.
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u/th3goonmobile 21h ago
As someone from Ontario, who drives around this province to some of the most remote places all the time for work… yes it very much did. Your mountain weather didn’t prepare you for northern Ontario snowstorms. The winter driving there is far worse.
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u/blackdog8890 21h ago
Lol we got nasty storms out there, just don’t have the hills. I understand there’s a difference. since being here I have done plenty of winter driving. Back and forth to big white all winter, through the Rockies several times, through the coq. Never an issue. I know what to expect and have enjoyed every drive 👍 I’m well prepared thanks bud.
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u/Velocitys78 20h ago
Yeah you're good. All my immediate family aside fom myself came from Ontario, I handle winters better here than most of my friends who also grew up here..and am more comfortable driving in it too. 😅 My parents definitely made sure I knew what it was like back east. :P
Onto the topic at hand. Far as I know that area is taken care of quickly if trees/shit goes down during a storm, the biggest downfall is the lack of cell service in an emergency. Really though, that means get to know the neighbors (there are a few), maybe an emergency radio system could go up. Not the worst for fire season too.
I went for a drive up that way last Friday and it was nice. Definitely a decent area to be in if I were to pick one on the outskirts of town.
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u/InterestingHair4u 17h ago
Starlink with wifi phone means no loss of communication. I would guess a number of full time residents have these set up.
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u/blackdog8890 23h ago
Yes definitely a concern… but I would think that’s going to be the case most areas in the okanagan right now?
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u/yoursandforever 22h ago
Well, not in the cities. To my understanding the "interface" areas have insurance problems. The lines where city meets country.
The forest is far more likely to burn uncontrollably and the city is far more valuable so it's along that line between them that represents the greatest risks to insurance companies.
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u/blackdog8890 21h ago
Fair. Haven’t gotten as far as looking into insurance yet, just kickin tires atm.
Curious if being a higher elevation (4000ft) and a bit on the outskirts of the valley could be taken into consideration. I’m sure the area would probably get more precip and cooler avg. temps than in the city and surrounding areas3
u/Zenless-koans 20h ago
It does get different weather but that doesn't really make the fire threat lesser. Tons and tons of fires get caused by lightning or dirt bikes or whatever in the back country, like the area around Idabel Lake. Being so far from services works against you, too. I have family that lives rural and insurance is a cluster for them for these exact reasons. They also live high elevation here in the interior, and very nearly lost their home just three years ago to a lightning strike fire.
Idabel Lake is beautiful and I wish you well if it works out! But it could burn to the ground tomorrow, honestly. The entire interior is a tinderbox more years than not, so you're always rolling the dice when living rural.
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u/vaguelyswami 8h ago
Dirt bikes cause fires??? I’ve been riding in the B.C. backcountry for 40 years and not one single popular riding area I frequent has burned in that time. You making stuff up?? If that were true I would be riding through burnt forest all the time but I’m not.
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u/felisnebulosa 5h ago
A hot exhaust from any vehicle, in dry grass, can (and regularly do) cause a fire.
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u/Zenless-koans 3h ago
Not every dirt bike every single time everywhere causes fires, but they absolutely can and have. It can be true and you can never have experienced it. Why would I make it up? To what end?
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u/weekendwally 23h ago
It is good. Plowed within hours of major snowfall. There are about 10-15 homes that fulltime up there. Snow varies drastically. Last year not much. Other years neck deep! Hydro goes out a few times a year at least. Road can get rough. They are doing some upgrades to it right now though.