FAQ

In Case of Emergency

Call 911

You are at 1038 Highway 95, Spillimacheen

The cross streets are Highway 95 and Westside Road at Spillimacheen

The nearest hospitals, ambulance, and police are in Invermere (40-minute drive south) or Golden (50-minute drive north).

Cell Coverage

Cell service can sometimes be spotty to and from the camp, but cell service on site is reliable.

Host Contact

We can be reached at our cell phones at all times. At night you may have to call twice to get past the “Do Not Disturb” feature on our phones. Ask for the number if we haven’t given it to you already.

Bears & Other Wildlife

Please leave the nice bears alone. Put your food and garbage away. Keep your head up.

Other tips for dealing with bears: https://flywayfarmforest.ca/news/#bears

If you want to see some bears from a distance, we can suggest a place or two.

Amenities

Kitchen

The kitchen and bath are available 24 hours a day. We prefer you do your cooking and washing between 6am and 9pm, if at all possible.

You are welcome to use the pots, pans, cutlery, utensils, BBQ and stove. If you need a space in the fridge please let us know and we’ll happily make one. There is also a chest freezer and a fridge/freezer downstairs if needed.

Water

We are very grateful to have drinkable, mountain spring water piped directly into our home.

Bath & Washing Machine

Towels are available in the bathroom for your use. There is also a washer/dryer behind the bathroom door.

WiFi

The WiFi password / QR code is on the front of the fridge in the main house kitchen.

Bedding

Many guests bring their own sleeping bags and pillows, but we have lots of spare sheets, pillows, comforters, and blankets to lend.

Trailers

The trailers do not have water or gas for cooking. Please do your cooking on the picnic tables, or up at the main house. The toilets in the trailers are also not functional.

Garbage, Recycling and Returnables

Are up at the main house, near the back door. Please keep your sites neat and clean, and store all food and food prep tools in your trailer or car or at the main house. Poor site hygiene will attract undesirables, including mice, rats, porcupines, skunks, crows, coyotes and bears (especially in the spring and fall).

Groceries and Supplies

The nearest boutique food and coffee place is 300m to our north at Beeland. There is gas, booze, and limited groceries at Brisco, about a 10-minute drive to our south. Other than that the nearest full-service grocery is in Radium (a 30-minute drive to the south). For a major centre you’re going to want to go to Invermere (40 minutes south) or Golden (50 minutes north).

Farm Eggs

Unfortunately we had to re-home our goats and chickens a few years ago. You can still get fresh farm eggs from Patty’s Greenhouse (no relation). Ask us for directions, and bring cash.

Camp Expectations

We think humans are awesome. We are an inclusive of all humans, and of all genders and identities types kind of place. If this is at odds with your worldviews, good luck with your continued search.

We like to think we’re pretty chill, and we want everyone to enjoy their stay, whatever that means for them. But we do like our calm. So if you’re looking for a place to hang your disco ball and party until 2am, we’re probably not the right place.

Otherwise we try to operate by the campground rule — leave it better than you found it — and hope everyone who visits can do the same.

Quiet Hours

We ask for quiet between 10pm and 6am.

Check In & Out

Check-in is after 3pm and before 9pm unless other arrangements have been made in advance. Check-out is no later than 11am, again, unless other arrangements have been made.

Good communication really helps, and we try to accommodate as much as we can.

Dogs

We love dogs. We have dogs. We’ve even had a cat visitor or two. To keep your best friend safe, however, you should probably keep them on a leash. There is a busy highway nearby, and in the fall, bears.

Health & Safety

Bears and Wildlife

The farm is nestled next to the Columbia Wetlands between the Purcell and Rocky Mountains. Beautiful, but there are foragers: bears, coyotes, cougars, raptors, crows, mice and other beasties who would love to snag your egg salad when you’re not looking.

Awareness and respect of the land will go a long way. Secure food storage is essential. The best way to avoid an unwanted encounter with wildlife (and the potential loss of lunch or worse) is to keep your campsite/trailer clean, put your food and cooking tools away and stay aware of your surroundings.

For more specific info on what to do during an unexpected bear encounter, please read https://flywayfarmforest.ca/news/#bears

Fire

There has been a fire ban the last few years, especially in August. Propane and BBQs are still allowed during fire bans. We set up a propane fire pit during these times. That, along with a mosquito coil, and you can hardly tell the difference. 🙂

Otherwise, we provide firewood. No other fires are permitted on the property. No other wood may be harvested. We ask at least two people be present to start a fire and the fire be attended at all times. Please keep the fire under four feet (1.2 metres).

The Highway

This is really important to consider for families with small children or dogs who do not have 100% recall. We cannot be responsible for safety near the highway and have to insist on this being the guest’s responsibility.

Mosquitoes

We live next to one of the longest continuous remaining wetlands in North America. We get mosquitoes, especially in the evenings. Once the sun sets and the bats start eating them, the mosquitoes tend to chill out. Please come prepared.

We provide mosquito coils at the back door for everyone’s use.

General

We are in a semi-wild place here, and we back onto some of the most pristine wild areas in southern British Columbia. This is a great place to come for your first camping experience, or as a way-station or jumping-off point on your backcountry adventures, or to expose young children to the outdoors.

However, if you take this place for granted or do stupid things, you will get hurt. It’s even possible to do everything right and still get hurt. Be prepared. That way a minor incident won’t become an emergency, and an emergency won’t become a tragedy.

We love this place and we want everyone who chooses to come here to have a safe and happy experience. If asked, we’ll help as much as we can. Ultimately your safety and the safety of your group are your responsibility.