Sunday afternoon saw a crowd of over thirty people gather at the Recreation Center for the Oliver and District Heritage Society and the Okanagan Historical Society  geology field trip to Balancing Rock which is located about 14Km up the My Baldy road. The rock is a short walk from the road where there was adequate parking for all the vehicles.

 

At the rock, geologist, Murray Roed, gave a talk on the geology of the rock, and his theory on how it came to be there. He stated that it would have been carried from somewhere north of its present location by a glacier during the ice age and deposited there when the ice melted. Murray, further talked about the geology of the south Okanagan with topics such as McIntyre Bluff and the formation of various features in the area, after the talk, he took questions from the folks present. Refreshments followed the talk.

 

It was a very pleasant day, a little windy but mild enough not to need a coat, the path to the rock is easy to walk for anyone to manage. The rock itself is precariously balanced on the edge of a rock outcrop, had it settled 18 inches towards the edge, it would have rolled down the hill and not be a feature to wonder at.

 

The book, “Okanagan Geology South” was being sold after the talk, profits from the book going to the Student fund at UBC Okanagan. The book is also available at the Oliver archives.

Photo and article supplied by Dave Whalley

Second photo taken by George Cornish