Would you like to know why Forgotten Hill is closed from mid-October through to April?
We’ve been asked that question a few times. That’s understandable since this property is so magical in all seasons. So, maybe we should lay out our reasons clearly. We’re happy to have guests, but winters can be tough, even if the temperatures are manageable.
Obviously given its name, Forgotten Hill is up a hill overlooking Naramata village and its vineyards. The view encompasses the southern part
of Okanagan Lake, the mountains and Summerland to the west, Penticton, and Skaha Lake to the South. However, the view afforded by the property’s 640 m+ elevation come as at a price: we get snow in the winter, just like Penticton, but here, it accumulates. We’re not talking about meters of snow, but it does pile up on the edges of the road and by the time winter fades, it’s not unusual to have piles of snow 50 cm high in some places.
Since we live here year-round, we plow the snow and keep our road clear and passable. This requires at least 1½ to 2 hours of plowing after each snowfall. The roads that lead up to our property, however, are the purview of the highway maintenance company contracted by the provincial government. Generally, these companies do a good job of maintaining the roads that lead up to our property, Smethurst Road and Cottonwood Lane. But, considering the vast geographical area the highway maintenance company has to deal with, their road clearing timing may not dovetail with the schedules of our bed and breakfast guests.
We’ve been keeping our road clear for the last 18 years, well before the B&B was built. That’s a lot of plowing… But plowing our road, as noted above, isn’t the end of it. The roads that lead up to Forgotten Hill B&B are low priority when it comes to plowing. And this low priority means that, understandably, major roads and bus routes, including school bus routes, get plowed first.
These realities combine with the fact that from mid-October through to April, we had fewer bookings than hoped for when we tried to stay open all year in the infancy of the B&B. It became apparent that keeping Forgotten Hill open during this period would be uneconomical and also quite stressful when snow had to be cleared to allow guests to come in and out.
The video presented here shows what’s involved in keeping just our road passable in winter, from the entrance into of the property to Forgotten Hill Bed & Breakfast.
This video which is slightly over one hour long is presented here compressed down to one minute: