outdoor adventure
Okanagan
day hikes for everyone
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David Leach and Jenny Manzer take in a view of the Shuswap and Okanagan valleys from the Tplaqin Trail near Enderby.
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B rit is h C olumbia Magazi ne • fall 2013
Five towns, five days, five easy ways to move your feet through the fields, forests, orchards, and lakeside trails of the Okanagan. by Jenny Manzer photography: David R. Gluns
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erhaps when you think of fall in the Okanagan you recall something you heard, such as the slice of a knife cleaving an ambrosia apple in two, or a downy woodpecker rat-tat-tatting against a tree in a quiet forest, a sound as lonely as the ring of a rotary phone. Or perhaps the views drive your memories: the sheen of a marl lake so green that it appears it could be smashed and fashioned into gemstones. The beauty of a day hike is that you can concentrate on enjoying these kinds of sensations unburdened by heavy packs. With that in mind, we’ve selected five day hikes that are all close together and accessible from a nearby town. Pick one or two, or stay a few days and try all five as my husband, David Leach, and I did—without spending hours on the road.
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outdoor adventure
Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park
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hen we arrive at the nearly empty parking lot of Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park, the bite in the air reminds us that fall is here and winter is breathing down our necks. Chestnut horses graze in the farmers’ fields surrounding the trailhead. Car windows are laced with frost. A couple of large dogs stomp and pant nearby, ready for their owners to begin their workout. The local canines have a clear advantage over us shivering, furless creatures. “Let’s see them on the rope ladders,” challenges David, as the dogs bound along the trail and he zips up another layer. The cliffs are close to 1,200-metres high, towering above the Shuswap and Okanagan valleys, so we soon warm up. They were created as glaciers pushed south from Shuswap Lake, scouring a path through the valley. Known as Tplaqin, a Secwepemc word for cliff, the trail supports a range of ecosystems, with sagebrush, rabbit brush, and bunchgrass on south-facing slopes, and red cedar and hemlock on the north sides. To Sicamous
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Location: 5 km northeast of the city of Enderby. Hiking distance/time: About 13 km to the summit and back. At least three to four hours round trip. Difficulty: Moderate, but with some strenuous sections. Good to know: Bring hiking poles if you have them. Not only does a pole provide better balance, it reduces compressive force on the knee. Carry lots of water, too. Info: BC Parks (bcparks.ca).
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• A lone hiker stands at the summit of the Enderby Cliffs. After a little over one kilometre, we come to a bench and a wooden cross, which was carved in the German village of Oberammergau. The monument was a lovely gesture from a local gentleman, and hikers occasionally leave flowers there. Switching back and forth on the climb to the top, we’re able to enjoy the view of the Shuswap River. On one stop, we meet Marion Guiver, a member of the Shuswap Lady Striders, who is hiking with her husband. The fact that the Striders have more than 180 members speaks to the hiking opportunities in the area. The cliffs are a group favourite. “Last year, one of our members was 80. She did it for her birthday,” says Guiver. At this point, it’s clear: we must make it to the top. While the climb is steady, it does not feel treacherous. It turns out that my trail information is outdated, and there will be no showdown of canines vs. those with opposable thumbs. After the Enderby Cliffs became a provincial park in 2001 the rope ladders were phased out and the trail rejigged to
B rit is h C olumbia Magazi ne • fall 2013
make an already popular trek far more accessible, largely through the efforts of the local Splatsin First Nation and the Shuswap Trail Alliance. More than 10,000 people now climb the cliffs every year. The landscape changes as we ascend through dark forest worthy of Hansel and Gretel, with cedar hemlock, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine. The trail then winds through a bunchgrass meadow. At the top, the wind whistles, the dry bluebunch wheatgrasses swirl like blond baby hair, and we absorb views of the Okanagan and Shuswap valleys in one big gulp. The winding Shuswap River stretches out like a squiggle on a blueprint from the high elevation. We see the roofs of farmhouses, Mount Ida, Fly Hill, and Larch Hills. Bald eagles circle on the air with the grace of figure skaters. On the trek down, two flustered looking quail rush across the trail. A Columbian ground squirrel decides to race me as we tromp down, down, down. By now, the day is warm, and at the pullouts families lounge together, sharing oranges and pieces of chocolate and soaking in the precious October rays.
Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park
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fficially, Kalamalka Lake park is a “fine example of North Okanagan grassland,” with groves of ponderosa pine, bunchgrass, and Douglas fir. There are more than 430 species of vascular plants—said to be a rare find in such a small area. Unofficially, it’s also a great place to search for marmots, spy a rattlesnake, sit by a jade-green lake, work your glutes on a mountain bike (where allowed), or simply hike the network of overlapping trails. Kalamalka is a marl lake, meaning that when it warms, dissolved limestone crystallizes, giving the water a green-blue hue that makes it appear enchanted. More than 20 kilometres of hiking and multi-use trails wind through the core of this spectacular lakeside park (everything from the Cosens Bay Trail north); there’s another 20 kilometres of mountain biking and multi-use trails in the Cosens Creek area. To Vernon
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Two main gates provide entry to the 42-square-kilometre park (the Red and Cosens Bay), in addition to the Twin Bays parking area, where we begin with an easy trek along the Juniper Trail to the lookouts on Turtles Head Point. Loons call from the lake and motorboats slice the sunlit water. The fine fall weather has drawn trail runners, mountain bikers, grandparents, and mothers wearing babies, such as Darcie Emerson from Victoria. “It’s beautiful,” she says. “You could just hike and hike for miles.” Aiming to do just that, we connect with the Crest, the Grassland, and the Corral trails, and trek on to Cosens Bay beach, where two canoeists have pulled up. A woman wades in the lake in a tank top and capri pants, while a family of three snaps photos of one another on the gravel
shore. It is tempting to linger at the picnic tables next to the fringe of cottonwood trees, but more trails await us. Grasshoppers spring up like popped kernels as we walk alongside the dry foliage, and two schoolaged girls pass us on horseback. There are many activities going on in this beloved park, which features prickly pear cactus and Western rattlesnakes, generally active from April to September. Mammals include cougars, coyotes, lynx, red fox, and the blue-listed Townsend’s big-eared bat. As we near the Cosens Bay parking lot, the area that included the historic Coldstream Ranch, started in 1863, becomes visible. The area is home to rattlesnake dens, but seeing no coldblooded residents, we continue on the Comin’ Round the Mountain Trail. As we stroll, another hiker tells us that a cyclist spotted a bear on the Parabola Trail, and not long after we see its fresh scat on the path. A few minutes later, we do meet a “Bear”—an eight-year-old golden retriever—but the bruin remains hidden in the forest. We scan the rocks for marmots, without success, but that’s no worry. When the sun sets on our day at Kal, we’re already making plans to return.
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Location: 8 km south of Vernon city centre. Hiking distance/time: There are many overlapping trails in the park. Kevin Wilson, BC Parks area supervisor for the North Okanagan, recommends the Lookout Trail, about 6 km end to end; roughly two hours. Difficulty: Most of the trails are easy to moderate. The Lookout starts out as moderate, becomes rocky and steep, and offers payoff views. Good to know: During the Second World War, the Cosens Bay section of the park was used as an infantry range. Warnings about unexploded munitions are posted. Info: BC Parks (bcparks.ca).
• The hikers walk the Corral Trail overlooking Kalamalka Lake in Vernon. B r it ish C o lu m b ia M aga z in e • fa l l 2 0 1 3
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outdoor adventure
Knox Mountain Park
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elowna must translate to “Land of the Fit Seniors,” I decide, watching the legs of grey-haired and Spandexed locals scissoring up the trails of the 310-hectare Knox Mountain Park. In a perfect world, every community would have a real (rather than metaphorical) mountain to climb within easy distance of the town centre so visitors and locals could gain a fresh perspective. There’s a grab bag of trails at Knox to choose from depending on your time and ability, and mountain bikers, runners, and dog walkers all share the trail. A 15-minute climb brings us to a second parking area with information kiosks on local history. I read about the influence of the Kelowna Land
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and Orchard Company, the devastating summer fires of 2003 when Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park burned, and the lore of Ogopogo, or Nhaatik, the demon of the lake. There are jaw-dropping views of the city and of Okanagan Lake. The panorama includes a planer mill, houseboats, and the William R. Bennett Bridge that connects Kelowna and West Kelowna—showing the area at work and play. We take the Apex Trail the rest of the way to the top, walking through rabbit brush and arrowleaf balsamroot, the official flower of Kelowna—a name actually derived from the Okanagan word for grizzly bear. Birds the size of my thumb flit through the ponderosa pines, evading
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attempts to identify them. A Northern flicker flaps past. “The nice thing about these hikes is that you get a view of the cities that you would never get from the highway,” says David. At the top of the Apex Trail there’s another kiosk hut with built-in benches to sit and enjoy the view. Further along the trail we find three cairns, washrooms, the Pioneer Pavilion, and the park caretaker’s residence— as well as a parking lot for those who need road access (open at certain hours). The park is home to bull snakes, yellowbellied marmots, mule deer, close to 50 species of birds, and also has a compelling human history. It is named after Arthur Booth Knox, generous benefactor and
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Location: In the heart of Kelowna, north of downtown. Follow Ellis Street to the parking lot. Hiking distance/time: The Apex Trail is roughly a 5.7-km hike (round trip) from the lower parking area. Total hiking time is about an hour and 50 minutes. Difficulty: Moderate to “more difficult.” Good to know: Be aware that ticks are found in the area, advises Mark Goddard, the park’s live-in caretaker. Info: Friends of Knox Mountain Park (knoxmountainpark.com).
convicted arsonist (see the Friends of Knox Park website for more details), although a significant portion of the land was donated by Dr. Benjamin deFurlong Boyce, the city’s first physician. The park also contains the tomb of Rembler Paul, an eccentric early settler, and there is a popular trail bearing his name with a small, secluded beach at the end. A mound of soil protects the tomb, but the top of the arched opening can still be seen along with the date AD 1910. As we leave Knox Mountain at 10 a.m., the park is just filling up with families unpacking strollers, friends in fitness wear meeting at the trailhead, and runners and bikers from all walks of life.
web extras
bcmag.ca
Bonus: View additional photos of the Okanagan by David R. Gluns.
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A group enjoys the lookout at the top of Kelowna’s Knox Mountain on a warm fall evening.
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outdoor adventure
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B rit is h C olumbia Magazi ne • fall 2013
Kettle Valley Railway Trail
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rue to its roots, the Kettle Valley Railway Trail is still about people going places. Sailboats dot Okanagan Lake as we stroll along the stretch from Penticton toward Naramata, a multi-purpose section of the Trans Canada Trail. There’s a sweep of eroded clay cliffs on one side, a cowcatcher (a metal grille to clear obstructions from train tracks) that was retrieved from the lake on the other—and beyond that the expanse of the lake. The railway was completed in 1914, but the last train blasted through in 1973. Now the bustling trail is used for cycling, hiking, strolling, and more indulgent pursuits. Case in point, we encounter a tanned couple wearing sunglasses. The man has a broad smile as he strides along bearing a paper bag. To Naramata
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above: A view from the popular KVR Trail across the vineyards and orchards near Okanagan Lake. opposite: Penticton native Tayla Babakaiff explores a trail near her hometown.
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Location: Penticton toward Naramata. From the north end of Main Street follow Front Street to the parking lot next to Okanagan Lake. The trailhead is about a five-minute walk up Vancouver Avenue. Turn left at Vancouver Place. Hiking distance/time: About 6.6 km round trip and 1.5 hours for the portion hiked; trail continues. Difficulty: Easy multi-use path with a 2.2 percent grade. Good to know: The nearby Rock Ovens, used by labourers to bake bread during railway construction, can be seen further down the trail at Rock Ovens Regional Park above Naramata. Accessed off the Kettle Valley Railway Trail. Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (rdos. bc.ca). Search “rock ovens.” Kettle Valley Railway Trail (kettlevalleyrailtrail.com).
“Are you actually hiking with a bottle of wine?” I ask him. “Two!” he reports gleefully, pointing to a bottle sticking out of his back pocket. “There’s a vineyard with tastings up ahead.” The walking trail is cut through a bank of clay sediment. The lake drained 10,000 years ago exposing the sediments, which created fertile benchlands and gave rise to the orchards that line the trail. You can practically hear the produce growing around you—grapes for the many wineries, apples, and pumpkins. Tractors roar by the D’Angelo Estate Winery and B&B—and all around there is the sense that you are close
to the beating pulse of working vineyards. After crossing the Andrew McCulloch Trestle Bridge we arrive at The Trail Store, which serves up ice cream, sandwiches, drinks (including an ambrosia apple slushie), and more. Since they’re about to close for the season, server Jean Hollett scoops David an ice cream the size of a bowling ball. The day’s customers included a couple from Sweden and a family from New Zealand. “A lot of people have compared the trail to Tuscany,” says Hollett, whose family owns the business. Visitors from big cities are often thrilled to dig carrots, or pick their own cherries, apricots, or plums at the three-hectare family farm. Early October is still apple season, so Hollett invites us to grab one from the box outside. We share it as we stroll back along the vineyards, surrounded by fall’s abundance.
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outdoor adventure
Oliver Hike and Bike Trail
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Location: The parking lot is accessed on Road 22 off Highway 97, 8 km north of Osoyoos. Hiking distance: Total distance: 18.4 km. Difficulty: Easy. Wheelchair and stroller accessible. Good to know: Watch for poison ivy, which flourishes in the area. Info: Oliver Tourism (winecapitalofcanada. com). Search “Things to Do.”
of birds, from Bullock’s orioles to bobolinks, which nest in nearby meadows. There are more than 10 species of owls listed and at least eight different types of woodpeckers alone. For the converted birder, it’s an avian Graceland.
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The sun-dappled setting is bucolic, but it’s also important. Along the river trail there are rich valley-bottom habitats that are very rare in the Okanagan. “We’ve lost probably 80 percent or more of those kinds of habitats in the valley,” says Dick Cannings, naturalist, birder, and Okanagan resident. The area encompasses a range of wet and wild habitats, including old river oxbows, wet meadows, marshes, birch and alder, and just a couple of hundred metres away are dry, desert-like grasslands with scorpions and rattlesnakes. It’s a dense area with some rare birds, says Cannings. Birders from around the globe bring their binoculars in the hopes of seeing species such as endangered yellow-breasted chats, bobolinks, or long-billed curlews. My shoes crunch on the gravel path as we head south toward Osoyoos Lake. We are the only people on the trail, though there is the constant flutter of winged creatures. I am not a skilled birder and don’t spy any unusual species, although I do recognize the black-billed magpies showing their white-tipped wings. Wild rose and sumac bushes dot the landscape, as well as occasional bales of hay, and brown cows regard us with deadpan stares. At the trail’s end near the northern tip of Osoyoos Lake there are a series of oxbows and wetlands supporting close to 300 species
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irds and grapes are both plentiful in the Okanagan, and nowhere is this more apparent than the pocket between Oliver and Osoyoos, which includes “the Osoyoos Oxbows,” one of Canada’s Important Bird Areas. An information kiosk next to the parking lot where Road 22 meets the Okanagan River Channel details some of the species in the area and shows the patchwork of ownership. One of the most photographed buildings in the Okanagan can be seen near the kiosk: the historic Haynes Ranch, which dates to the early 1900s. The abandoned, now dilapidated wooden structures sit on the east side of the river and are sometimes occupied by barn owls and long-eared bats. Most of the land around the structures is a wildlife management area, and there is also an ecological reserve nearby. From the trailhead, we see Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, where visitors can peruse the wine shop or lunch at their acclaimed restaurant The Sonora Room. The trail, a maintenance road for the canal, follows the Okanagan River. Heading northwest, the path intersects with Ryegrass Road (Road 18). Along the way, there are wineries on the east side of the river, their crops forming orderly, sunlit rows. Short blasts at regular intervals ring out, intended to deter birds from pecking grapes. The only traffic on the route is the occasional farm vehicle.
to know if you go
The Okanagan Valley is about a halfday’s drive northeast of Vancouver in the province’s southern Interior and has a mild, dry climate that is suited for grapes and fruit trees. The area is popular for its beaches, ski hills, lakes, and wineries, so there is a range of accommodation options, from campgrounds, to motels, to high-end resorts, particularly in Kelowna, Vernon, and Penticton (though rooms may fill up on holiday weekends). For accommodation info see hellobc.com.
info • Thompson Okanagan Tourism
Association (250-860-5999; hellobc. com/thompson-okanagan.aspx).
web extras
bcmag.ca
Search “hiking boots” for expert footwear tips.
• David Leach and Jenny Manzer explore the path along the Okanagan River channel. 40
B rit is h C olumbia Magazi ne • fall 2013
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The wooden structures of the historic Haynes Ranch, near the Oliver Hike and Bike Trail, are a popular draw for photographers.
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