J.P. Squire – Jun 18, 2023 / 4:00 am | Story: 432314
Photo: J.P. Squire
The rock cliff at the KVR Trail’s Little Tunnel is a perfect spot for a picnic after a steady climb past Naramata’s picturesque vineyards. Then it’s a downhill rush back to the Vancouver Place trailhead in Penticton.
The last three weeks have been a whirlwind. And that’s not even getting into all of the great outdoor news.
The Sheriff and Constant Companion Carmen joined e-biking buddies to explore Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park and then the KVR Trail from Penticton to Naramata’s Little Tunnel, both in great shape.
While staying at our farm for a week, Sunshine Coast hiking-biking buddies Suzanne and Gerd (and our friends) cycled John Hindle Drive over to UBC Okanagan (past a wrecked Mercedes on the Okanagan Rail Trail access path, RCMP investigator still on-scene) and then downtown past the GoByBike Week’s wrap-up Celebration Station at Railside Brewing. (Great salsa and crackers)
The Sheriff and CCC were joined by kayaking buddies renewing our love of Okanagan Lake and the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park shoreline south of Bertram Creek Regional Park in Kelowna (with views of the Pigeon Creek wildfire west of Peachland). Take a breath. Whew!
The highlight of our social scene, though, was a reunion with long-time friends in the Central Okanagan Outdoors Club, formerly the Central Okanagan Hiking Club.
Just when the Sheriff thought he’d been everywhere and seen everything (haha), outdoor friends have something to share. Byron praised the maze at Fintry Provincial Park near Vernon.
Fintry has a maze? The Sheriff has climbed the hundreds of stairs to Fintry Falls (Shorts Creek) countless times, and camped and kayaked there with the Kelowna Canoe and Kayak Club. He and dirt bike buddy Cec even crossed a rickety suspension bridge (now gone) in the 1980s to reach several secret pools. And there’s a maze near the Manor House? Sure enough, the website says you can explore the beginnings of a new heritage/ornamental garden, including a 60-foot labyrinth. Who knew?
Hiking buddy Tony praised the nearly 65 kilometres of paved trails on the Ciclopista de Ixtapa from Ixtapa to Zihua’s Playa Principal in Mexico. He promised to send more information, and his wife promised to remind him.
Biking buddy Kevin lauded The Loop, Tucson’s “favourite way to get around.” The Chuck Huckelberry Loop is No. 1 on USA Today’s 2022 10 Best Readers’ Choice List for Best Recreational Trail. It was born out of a flood-control project in the aftermath of disastrous floods in 1983.
It is now a massive network of paths, making for a continuous 131 mile stretch that was completed in March 2018. The system connects the communities of Tucson, Oro Valley, South Tucson and Marana in Arizona.
Kayaking buddy Peter whispered the location of a bald eagle nest close to Wood Lake along the missing link of the Okanagan Rail Trail. Shhhhh!
Any Castanet readers who would like to recommend a trail, an attraction, etc. for inclusion in a future column can email [email protected]
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Everybody wins when outdoor enthusiasts exchange ideas.
Tim Petruk, news director for Castanet Kamloops, passed along information about PaddleBC.ca after he learned Kamloops is considered one of the top paddling destinations due to waterways like the 29-kilometre-long Kamloops Lake. It is the largest in the area, and one of the best areas to enjoy paddle boarding, canoeing and kayaking. Once again, who knew?
Launched in 2022 as a collaboration between paddling associations and tourism organizations, PaddleBC.ca is the only online directory of paddling destinations, guided excursions and essential tips, such as a day-long tour of Kamloops Lake hosted by a Moccasin Trails guide, who will share ancestral songs and stories dating back thousands of years.
“It has a convenient directory of all of B.C.’s top waterways for paddling, kayaking, rafting, canoeing and kayak fishing. Adventure enthusiasts can easily search for experiences by paddling type, waterway type, or region with a focus on vetted experiences that ensure safe and memorable excursions,” says Andrea Ryman, founder of Paddle BC.
“Fun Fact: B.C. is revered as a world-renowned paddling destination, offering an unparalleled variety of experiences that appeal to every kind of paddler, from novice to expert – with over 25,000 kilometres of ocean coastline and more than 20,000 lakes to explore.”
The Thompson Okanagan region, one of six regions, has a plethura of information from yacht clubs to non-profit groups to “meeting the specialists…from guides and instructors to marina owners and sales reps.” Check it out.
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The Sheriff’s first outdoor recreation column for Castanet received rave reviews with more than 9,500 views. Does the fact they were all family members and friends count?
“I was contemplating my journalistic future and decided on a change to online posting,” said the Sheriff. “Before I even had a chance to organize an online blog, the opportunity to contribute to Castanet came up.”
The Sheriff has been a long-time fan of the popular online news service which has expanded over the years to become an all-encompassing source of information, from local to national to international news.
“I think it was the almost-immediate and ongoing coverage of the 2003 Okanagan Mountain wildfire which really solidified its place as the online ‘what’s happening’ news source that Okanagan residents can rely on,” said the Sheriff.
“During the past 40-plus years of writing about outdoor recreation, I have interviewed a who’s who of like-minded people and shared their stories, stories which deserve a much wider audience. I love a good story and even more, I like sharing a good story. And I look forward to continuing that 40-year tradition every Sunday morning on Castanet.”
The Sheriff is already considering a series on the best trails in the Okanagan for those who are new to the region or those looking to expand their horizons to new territory.
“Maps, a little history, the sky is the limit,” said the Sheriff with his usual laugh.
Photo: J.P. Squire
An Okanagan Lake kayak outing south from Bertram Creek Regional Park in Kelowna provided a unique look at the Pigeon Creek wildfire west of Peachland.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
J.P. Squire – Jun 11, 2023 / 4:00 am | Story: 431327
Photo: Big White Ski Resort
In addition to its 19 world-class biking trails, above, Big White Ski Resort has planned an amazing summer including downhill bike competitions, a brand-new modular pump track in the Village Centre, Freeride Days MTB Festival and a Summer Music Series every Saturday starting July 8.
Downhill ski and snowboard resorts in the Southern Interior have planned a series of unforgetable adventures for the whole family this summer, everything from downhill biking to big-air competitions, mountain coaster rides to concerts, disc golf to axe throwing.
And don’t forget that it’s always cooler at their upper elevations. Here is a rundown of the incredible range of activities at the four major mountains.
Big White
“Big White Ski Resort has planned an amazing season with 19 exhilarating, world-class, gravity-fed trails that range from rolling greens and flowy blues to technical and big-air blacks starting June 29,” says sales director Andrew Daly.
Add a nine-hole disc golf course, refreshing outdoor patios and a lineup of talented musicians in Big White’s Summer Music Series every Saturday in the Village starting July 8.
The mountain east of Kelowna also introduces a brand-new modular pump track in the Village Centre, providing a fun progression area for all ages, he said.
“It’s an excellent place for young riders to learn and experienced riders to challenge themselves. The weekly Fiv’r Friday race series provides a great opportunity to have a blast with your friends!”
You can also experience an intense summer of downhill bike competitions like the adrenaline-fuelled B.C. Cup Weekend kicking off the season June 30 to July 2 and the Big White Enduro on Aug. 19.
To improve your biking skills, the Bronze course at the Slopestyle Centre will be exclusively open for Sunday Sessions in August. Look out for local pros who might join you on the course.
The thrilling Freeride Days MTB Festival returns July 20 to 22 featuring slopestyle events, big-air competitions and the best trick showcases by some of the world’s best riders. Pro-rider coaches at the Youth MTB Skills Clinic for ages 13 to 18 will teach cornering skills, jumping and racing techniques each weekend in August.
Hikers can ride the Bullet chairlift to stunning displays of vibrant wildflowers along Falcon Ridge, then unwind and refuel at six eateries and The Woods new patio in the heart of the Village Centre. Dogs are welcome, even on the chairlift.
For more info, go to bigwhite.com/summer. The Summer Hot Deals page has the latest accommodation specials, including season pass holder discounts starting at just $99 per night.
Photo: Robb Thompson
In addition to offering more than 52 XC and DH trails totalling 139 kilometres, SilverStar Mountain Resort will host the Canada Cup/BC Cup/ BC Championships, Crankworx Summer Series, Wine Fest, and Silver Star Beer & Cider Fest this summer.
SilverStar
SilverStar Mountain Resort opens its Bike Park with more than 52 XC and DH trails totalling 139 kilometres from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily starting June 23.
“We’ve added an extra Extended Play session on Saturdays, meaning riders will be able to enjoy the Bike Park until 7:30 p.m. every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday,” says marketing coordinator Chelsea Weisgerber.
“Our new trail, Chien Chaud, will be complete from top to bottom along with some other fun trail improvements and we’re adding bike carriers to our gondola, giving riders more ways to upload.”
SilverStar will host the Canada Cup/B.C. Cup/ B.C. Championships on July 8-9. The Crankworx Summer Series Aug. 4 to 6 will feature the Rheeder Slopestyle, a gold-level Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour Slopestyle event with course designed and built by local athlete Brett Rheeder. The SilverStar Wine Fest is August 10 to 13, and the SilverStar Beer & Cider Fest is Sept. 9.
Photo: Rueben Krabbe
Sun Peaks Resort will fully open last year’s major expansion of its Bike Park with a second mountain, several new trails and a second chairlift, Sundance, to the existing park on Mt. Tod. And the concert lineup will provide more live and free outdoor entertainment than ever before.
Sun Peaks
Last year, a major expansion of the Sun Peaks Bike Park added a second mountain, several new trails and a second chairlift, Sundance, to the existing park on Mt. Tod.
“This will be the first year that the expansion will be open for the full season,” said Colin Brost, senior director for destination and market development with Tourism Sun Peaks.
“In addition to the bike park expansion last year, the Sun Peaks Recreational Trail Association partnered with the resort to build 10 kilometres of free-to-use, pedal-access trails on Mt. Morrisey. For 2023, we are opening an addition to our pedal-access trail offering in the alpine. Along with that, two more new trails on Mt. Morrisey will be opened by SPRTA.”
Opening day is June 16. The Canada Cup finals and B.C. Cup DH race go Aug. 18 to 20 and the Canadian Enduro Series runs Sept. 23 and 24.
The Sun Peaks concert lineup will provide more live and free outdoor entertainment than ever before from Canada Day though the end of September, including Canadian music icons Delhi 2 Dublin on July 7, Current Swell on July 29 and Shred Kelly on Sept. 1. Retro Concert Weekend will be Aug. 25 to 27. The full music lineup is at sunpeaksresort.com/music.
You can find the full event calendar here.
Photo: Tom Poole
Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s No.1 summer attraction is its Pipe Mountain Coaster, above. It features two 1.4-kilometre tracks where you can reach speeds up to 42 km/h on twists and turns across ski runs, between glades and through a tunnel.
Revelstoke
Revelstoke Bike Park was actually the first in the Southern Interior to open on May 20 with access to the lower network of trails via mid-station on the Revelation Gondola. The park has 18 flowy and technical trails, ranging from green to double-black, more than 50 kilometres total.
“You can enjoy strictly downhill travel or climb further into the alpine and back down Fifty-Six Twenty (rumoured to be the longest flow trail ever built) running our full vertical drop of 5,620 feet,” said Laura Meggs, communications manager in the marketing department.
However, Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s No. 1 summer attraction is its the Pipe Mountain Coaster, with two 1.4-kilometre tracks (the second track will open June 24) where you can reach speeds up to 42 km/h on twists and turns across ski runs, between glades and through a tunnel.
“This family-friendly ride allows you to control your own speed, making it ideal for people of all ages,” said Meggs.
The ultimate way to explore is the Play All Day Pass offering access to all of the resort’s star attractions, two rides on the Pipe Mountain Coaster, checking out 50 different obstacles in the Aerial Adventure Park, exploring 20 kilometres of hiking trails, unlimited play with complimentary disc rental on the Woodchuck Disc Golf Course and 10 chucks at the Peak Axe Throwing.
More information is posted at revelstokemountainresort.com.
“You can take a ride on the Revelation Gondola, bringing you up to 5,500 feet, and dropping you off at several stunning mountain viewpoints and hiking trailheads,” said Meggs.
“You will glide through the treetops to Revelstoke’s most beautiful view, overlooking the Columbia River as it winds through the valley between two towering mountain ranges. Enjoy a burger at the Mackenzie Outpost before strolling your way up through subalpine rainforest to spectacular mountain views, wildflower meadows or an alpine lake.”
“We have a wide range of events this summer: disc golf tournament, yoga in the plaza, Canadian Enduro League, Girls Gone Mild weekly social ride series, Bank Heist and Transelkirks Run,” said Meggs.
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
J.P. Squire – Jun 4, 2023 / 4:00 am | Story: 429313
Photo: J.P. Squire
Even on a Wednesday, the trails at Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park are busy with cyclists, hikers and dog walkers. The Corral Trail, above, provides a beautiful panorama of Kalamalka Lake for those who want to sit on a bench or pause while cycling.
Castanet welcomes our new outdoors columnist, J.P. Squire. A veteran reporter, with a career spanning more than 40 years, Squire writes his column, Making Tracks, in the third person, calling himself the Sheriff. In addition to recounting his outdoor adventures cycling, hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and skiing, he will also keep readers informed about upcoming outdoor events in the Okanagan.
The Sheriff is back. Did you miss him? OK, perhaps you missed hearing his tales of adventures (or more likely, misadventures) with Constant Companion Carmen.
The Sheriff enjoyed a well-deserved vacation for the month of May while contemplating his journalistic future and ultimately deciding to head in a new direction.
It was the result of chatting with friends during an e-bike trip to Parksville and Tofino on Vancouver Island. As always, the Sheriff shared his numerous tales of hiking, biking and kayaking, cross-country and downhill skiing for the last 40-plus years.
Friends laughed and laughed at the lessons learned from miscalculations and happenstance circumstances. And thanks to dozens of emails lamenting the possible end to his weekly outdoor recreation columns, the Sheriff realized how much his musings meant to other like-minded outdoor recreation fans.
So my column will now appear on Castanet Sundays morning to give you a heads-up on Okanagan outdoor activities scheduled for the next week and coming weeks to give you a chance to plan your participation. The column introduction will continue to be an outline of our adventures in the valley and beyond,
As for our latest outings, the Sheriff and CCC returned to Parksville, tented and e-biked at beautiful Rathtrevor Provincial Park, and again e-biked the Parksville to Coombs Rail Trail. This gravel 16.3K trail follows the south side of the E&N tracks and has an elevation gain of only 213 metres.
The Parksville trailhead is at Springwood Park (trailhead kiosk near the dog park parking lot) but we started at the industrial park opposite Rathtrevor and close to where friends had rented cabins. After several unsuccessful attempts to find the path to the rail trail (amid much laughter and backtracking), we made it to Top Bridge Regional Trail.
Alltrails.com says: Top Bridge Regional Trail is “the one that surely deserves to be highlighted with its superb pedestrian-cyclist suspension bridge spanning the English River. Inaugurated in 1999, Top Bridge Trail is a lively junction of parks and nature conservation areas.”
It is also the favourite swimming hole for locals but the water is a little chilly in May and the river was running fast due to the spring freshet. Top Bridge Park also has a specialized mountain bike trail system.
Alltrails.com reveals: “Top Bridge’s best-kept secret is the petroglyphs that, according to a local historian, you can find by opening your eyes a tiny bit wider while you’re exploring down by the Englishman River. You could see at least three distinct First Nation carvings on the rocks.”
At the Coombs end (after checking out the incredible Coombs Market), the rail trail starts across from Station Road.
The rail trail is multi-use so no ATVs, dirt bikes or other motorized vehicles are permitted. We did come across a limping dog who appeared to be lost, so we shared some of our water and cookies, and market staff promised to look for him after work.
Generally considered a moderately challenging route, it takes an average of three hours 36 minutes to complete the out-and-back, says alltrails.com, noting it is a very popular area for backpacking, birding and mountain biking.
The highlight of our trip, though, was the paved multi-use pathway between Tofino and Ucluelet called ?apsclik tasii (pronounced ups-cheek ta-shee) which means “going in the right direction.”
Colleen MacDonald, author of Let’s Go Biking Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands and Sunshine Coast, says “any direction is right on this fantastic path suitable for all ages and abilities.”
The path is exciting as it winds back and forth, up and down over numerous creeks and past ocean views. The best part is the stop at Long Beach’s Incinerator Rock where you can climb a steep hillside (and watch the spray of whales as they swim offshore as we did). The steep, steep, steep climb up Radar Hill produced only one panoramic viewpoint.
At the Ucluelet end, you can check out Ancient Cedars Trail and hike the Wild Pacific Trail at Amphitrite Point Lighthouse (named after the sea goddess and wife of Poseidon) with so many beautiful ocean viewpoints that you lose count.
Returning to the Okanagan, we realized how fortunate we are to live in a region with so many more opportunities for outdoor recreation compared to Vancouver Island.
Our first outing was from Kekuli Bay Provincial Park along the Okanagan Rail Trail to Kalamalka Road in Coldstream to Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park. From Kidston Road (Red Gate parking lot), we took Corral Trail down to Cosens Bay for lunch. The more adventurous e-bikers looked for the gnarliest trails (allegedly) while the Sheriff took the picturesque Comin’ Round the Mountain back to the Red Gate.
The Sheriff is now adjusting to new deadlines and publication dates so the usual posting of upcoming activities will come next Sunday.
Okanagan outdoor recreation clubs, organizations and groups should email information about their upcoming events to [email protected]. The Sheriff also appreciates hearing from groups or individuals who have explored valley trails and want to share the trail’s condition.
In the meantime, the Sheriff highly recommends MacDonald’s Let’s Go Biking Okanagan and Beyond guide book, featuring 36 easy rides, hikes, walks and runs which is available at local book shops or through letsgobiking.ca (e-book available).
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.