HikeOnThru

I wanted to link up a network of trails to walk from Kelowna to Vernon, and having walked short section of each it was nice to turn it into a longer trail. Put this post together for anyone interested in hiking this route.

Total length: 128km

Duration: 4.5days (Oct. 3 to Oct. 7 2016)

k2vtrail
Red dots mark my nightly camp spots
Blue – Mission Greenway (MG)
Red – Angel Springs Trail (AST)
Green – Kettle Valley Rail Trail (KVR)
Yellow – Highlands Trail (HT)
Purple – High Rim Trail (HRT)
Pink – Coral Trail (CT)

Trail Prep

Mapped out the route on my phone using the Gaia GPS app for iOS.
Mission Greenway Map
Printed out the maps from Cabin Forestry’s High Rim Trail info page, this page also has gpx data for the HRT.
Couldn’t find a map for the Angel Springs Trail or Highlands Trail
packed 5 days food and carried 3L worth of water capacity.

Day 1 (Oct.3) – Okanagan Lake to Kettle Valley Railway Trail
Day: 24.0 km
Total: 24.9 km

Set off in the morning taking the bus to the start of the trail at the Lakeshore rd & Trustwell rd intersection. With perfect weather I walked East along the Greenway, looking out of place with a overnight pack and trekking poles, sharing the crisp morning with runners and dog walkers.

Phase I of the Greenway is basically flat and wide enough for a vehicle, but a nice walkway through the city anyways. Phase II turns into more of a single track hiking trail with some ups and downs.

View of the Pinnacle on Layer Cake Mountain

I took a few wrong turns towards the end of the greenway, you need to take the Saskatoon Trail uphill to McCulloch Rd, walk the road to your left (South-East) for about 400m to the start of the Angle Springs trail. There was construction on a new bridge over KLO creek but I was able to walk through the area, guessing it will be completed in 2017.

Its a gradual climb along KLO Creek on the Angle Springs Trail with a couple short steep sections, this is also a mountain bike track, so watch for bikes. Passed by a few high cliff walls I watched a group do some rock climbing. I had to cross the creek about 4 or 5 times, but this late in the season I was able to rock hop and keep my feet dry. A short break to check out Angel Springs, a small clear pool with orange algae looking stuff growing.

Approximately 4km up the trail you’ll come to a Angel Springs/KLO Creek signed junction, cross the creek and continue up the hill following the Angel Springs sign. I filled up my water here because it was getting late I figured it would be a dry camp tonight. Climbing about 450m up to the KVR you follow a good trail, met one MTBer coming down this section. Getting dark I set up camp just before the trail joins the KVR on a small flat area just off trail. I spent way too long trying to hang my food in the dark with my dim headland (don’t forget to put some new batteries in!).

Day 2 (Oct.4) – Kettle Valley Railway Trail to Long Meadow Lake
Day: 29.4 km
Total: 54.3 km

The last time I walked on the KVR it was only a short section was open due to many of the trestle being destroyed in the 2003 Okanagan Mountain Park Fire. So it was nice getting to see them rebuilt and finally get the views of the Okanagan below. At this point its been about a 1000m elevation gain from the lake. Overcast weather and wind made it chilly the entire day.

Over the bridge and into the tunnel, you cross 18 trestles and go through 2 tunnels

Pano from the big curved trestle looking into the valley

Pika, or Rock Rabbit spotted along the trail

The trail is near dead flat, but with really nice views. I saw 2 water sources (about 6.5km, there was a creek running below the trestle, and towards the end there is a piped spring, unsure of water quality though), with a couple of outhouses and shelters. After the Myra Station parking lot you follow the rail bed for another 12kms to the shore of Hydraulic Lake.

KVR is part of the Trans Canada Trail, or now know as The Great Trail

Just after passing Hydraulic Lake and crossing McCulloch Rd, the footpath becomes more obscure, but I was able to follow pink ribbons tied to branches to mark the rough route along this section of the Highlands Trail. Eventually leading into Kelowna Nordic XC ski and snowshoe trails it was hard to find the correct way due to every trail being marked with the same colour of ribbons. Taking a few wrong turns leading to head ends and consulting the GPS, I eventually made it out of the maze and set up camp at Long Meadow Lake.

Blurry camp site photo next to Long Meadow Lake

Day 3 (Oct.5) – Long Meadow Lake to Frog Pond
Day: 23.5km
Total: 77.8 km

Following the route North you shortly come to Brown Lake, which would also offer nice camping, the trail continues as you follow a road dropping down to Mission Creek.

Trail blazed by the Friends of the South Slopes

Once to Mission Creek it looked like there may have been a bridge over the river at one point, currently there is a tree across to keep your feet dry, otherwise you have to ford it. A nice flat area with a picnic table I had lunch and dried out my gear that was wet from the night time condensation.

Start of the High Rim Trail across Mission Creek

Crossing Highway 33 you have a good climb of 600m over about 5km to the rim of the Thompson Plateau on quality trail. You cross a couple small creeks towards the top, and once up top there are several flat spots to possibly camp, though some are near roads.

Trail is marked with a combination of pink and black ribbons, triangles, and painted wood sticks.

Route consists of a mixture of decent trail and forest road for the rest of the way. There is a section about 11 km from Hwy 33 with some downed trees, but not to serious. Just past here I grabbed water from the Frog Pond (marked on the James Lake FSR to Goudie FSR HRT map), a shallow stagnant pond that I wasn’t to fond of using, but there was no other option. Hiked a little past the pond and set up camp in a big flat spot in the bend of a FSR.

Day 4 (Oct.6) – Frog Pond to Damer Lake
Day: 31.0km
Total: 108.8 km

Not terribly far past where I camped last night was The Grand View, a beautiful treed in spot with a vista of the Okanagan below, with a really nice camp area. A couple small tent pads and a pit toilet, I recommend staying here is possible. I think the Frog Pond is the last water source before here thought, so a short water carry is necessary since its dry.

The weather turned and started to rain on and off most of the day, so I didn’t stop much to stay warm or take many photos. Once you cross the James Lake FSR there is a section with many down trees that makes for very slow going. A friend and I came back and cleared 600m worth of trees but this area needs some TLC with a chainsaw, but still passable. Trail continues to stays in the trees, and drops into a couple small valleys to cross Kelowna and Vernon creeks, bridges still good. Passing through what must be the smallest provincial park in BC, it might only take a few minutes to walk though Wrinkly Face Provincial Park, but still with a nice view.

I ended the day just before dusk at Damer lake, about 400m off trail, camping at the small recreation site. Not many really flat spots for tents, but you can make due. Had a quick dinner before it started to rain, which lasted most of the night.

Day 5 (Oct.7) – Damer Lake to Vernon
Day: 19.2 km
Total: 128 km

Woke up to everything wet after all night showers, but within sight of Vernon. The trail climbs up a short ways and joins a FSR that winds down the rest of the way. The rain has turned most of it into a muddy mess, but I was able to find somewhat firm ground to make my way. Towards the end the road intersects with various mountain bike trails, but easy to find the HRT way. Once I got to the Twisted Sister bike trail that cut down towards the last I took that instead of the HRT proper since it doesn’t actually go down to the lake.

View from above Cosens Bay of Kalamalka Lake

Following a couple trails I made my way down to the lake, it turned out to be a decent day with the sun coming out. Once to the lake I followed the Coral Trail around to Cunlie Road to the nearest bus stop in Coldstream. I was about to take 4 buses and 2 hours back to Kelowna to get home.

I would highly recommend the High Rim Trail to anyone for their first multi day backpacking trip, its a good combination of views, straight forward navigation, and a few strenuous climbs but mostly easy grading. To extent it next time I would hike the Wild Horse Canyon Trail starting in Okanagan Mountain Park, join the Highlands Trail over Little White Mountain, and continue on the High Rim Trail for about a 163km 1 week trek.

Up in the far North of India, in a region called Ladakh, the often disputed state of Jummu & Kashmir with Pakistan and China, flows the Zanskar River. The blue waters are the winter gateway to a small remote community called Nerak. Locals walk the river, when it freezes, to resupply when the snows closes off the walking route over 5000+m passes to the North and South to the closest road.

Leh is the largest city in Ledakh, which is a popular summer destination, but nearly deserted of tourists in the winter. This region is considered a high altitude cold desert with elevations above 3500m, small amounts of precipitation, and temperatures down to -40C.

DAY 1 – Daily Milage: 2.5km (2.5km Total)

I decided to join a guided group trip since I had no idea what the conditions would be like, and we set off the morning of Feb. 5, 2016 in a group of 7.

Loading the bus for the 2 hour drive to the start of the trek.

Leaving Leh, with its beautiful background of snowy mountains.

A brief wait while the road crew drills. The plan is for a road to go all the way to Nerak, which will impact the Chadar Trek I believe.

Walking down the dusty footpath from the road to the river.

First steps on the ice, it took a while to figure out the best way to walk. A cross-country skiing like motion worked best for me, sliding along hoping not to fall.

The Zanskar Valley was stunning the entire trip, a deep gorge made up of loose rocky sedimentary layers, with peaks around 6000m.

Camp 1, it only got to around -15C each night. The rest of the group was from much warmer parts of India, but everyone survived their coldest night ever.

DAY 2 – Daily Milage: 5km (7.5km Total)

The first day the company had some issues with organizing porters so we became are a day behind schedule. We would have 2 short days instead of one normal length day. The morning was crisp but warm tea (chai) and a breakfast of fried roti with lentil soup helped to get going.

Kitchen tent, by far the warmest place to hang out.

Parts of the river are not frozen or the ice is to thin to walk on so we must head up the bank to get around the spot.

It was difficult to look up at the scenery and keep an eye on the ground to not slip and fall.

Porters from a area are well prepared for the conditions, gum boots give good grip on the ice and pull sleds across the ice.

Night life at camp, most huddled around the fire after dinner was done.

DAY 3 – Daily Milage: 11km (18.5km Total)

Today is the first full day of walking, the river was mostly frozen with only a few scrambles over sections we didn’t want to get wet on. Normal routine was get up around 7AM for tea, breakfast at 8AM, and head out by 9AM.