Canyon View and Ellis Ridge Trails
I headed east up Penticton Avenue and turned right up the Beaverdell Road. The pavement ends at a cattle guard and to the right is a parking lot. Off to the left a paved road heads into the Lost Moose Resort. Shouldering a light pack with a water bottle I set off on the main trail through bunch grass and ponderosa pines, to first explore the Canyon View Trail.
A couple of smaller trails led off to the right, but I kept on the main trail through the ponderosa pine and bunch grass. The first intersection came at the 216 metre mark, left to the Ellis Ridge Trail and Right to continue on the Canyon View trail. 294 metres later I was on the rim overlooking the rugged canyon of Ellis Creek and Penticton, but the trail seemed to peter out.
Backtracking 21 metre I noticed a rock figure (an inuksuk?) and cairns off to the west. Sure enough, following the cairns, I located more trail. It again petered out in 175 metres, but I soon found a trail crossing my path that headed back in the direction from where I had just come. A windfall had thrown me off. I was to run into several more windfalls further along the trail, and as several times the trail was very faint temporarily lost it. Another project for the future would be to cut the windfalls and signpost the trails.
From this point on the trail wandered back up hill through a little heavier forest at times, with significantly more pine in the mix, and 640 metres later I was back at the parking lot. Today I was lucky and kept running into deer, somewhere between eight and twenty --definitely eight because I saw that many in one group.
Back down the trail I went to check out the Ellis Ridge Trail. While the Canyon ridge was a relatively gentle walk this one was a bit steeper, but worth the effort. The leg to the first junction was 488 metres and considering the steepness of the terrain is a fairly easy walk. At this point the trail circled down hill and back up before again heading back to the parking lot along this section.
Down I went to get some more views of the rugged canyon and on the way back up stopped for a breather at a nice picnic table. This loop is about 500 metres in total. (I had filled up my GPS) At the top corner of this loop the trail continues along the side hill up about 6.4 kilometres to the parking lot for the Carmi hiking and skiing trails. Back I headed to the parking lot, still hoping to catch sight of a mountain goat or big horn sheep, but it was not to be on this day.
Slipping across the road I checked out the Lost Moose Resort. One sniff on walking through the door and I was sorry I had not timed the end of my hike for supper. The Lost Moose Resort has a nice licensed restaurant with a deck overlooking the valley and lake. They also have three Bed & Breakfast rentals and a large campground with 14 sites, but have been able to fit up to 300 people in with no problem.
Tired from a good days hiking with friends, stop at the Lost Moose Resort and forget about preparing supper and doing the dishes. No sense in ruining a good outing by having that to look forward to!
Who would have known there are so many awesome places to go close by? I can see a lot of local camping this summer!
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