Cathedral Park - Part 2

Cathedral Park - Part 2

Pictures to follow. Just got a new scanner which I hope will be up and running in a few weeks.

So far we’ve just handled the easy trails in the Cathedral Parks core area. The more challenging Rim Trail uses the Ladyslipper Trail and then heads up the scree to the rim that circles the lakes before dropping down at the western end to link up with the Diamond Trail and back to the lodge.

One can also cut the circuit short by dropping steeply down the Glacier Trail past Glacier Lake, or taking the trail down to Quiniscoe Lake. We took the Glacier Trail down and the ladies were very glad to get back to the cabin, some good wine and a great dinner.

Much of this terrain is over broken ground and boulders, particularly, it seemed, on the north-western end near Red Mountain and the Quiniscoe Trails. Good boots and hiking poles are highly recommended, especially for less experience hikers.

Turning left at the top of the Ladyslipper Trail takes one to Smokey The Bear, Giant Cleft, Grimface Mountain and Macabre Mountain, all good spots for mountain or rock climbing.

The Lakeview Mountain Trail is 12 km with a 600 metre elevation change to the top of Lakeview Mountain at 2628 metres. Past this point the hiking is more difficult and unmarked, but it is possible to hike past Boxcar Mountain and Haystack Mountain to the Haystack Lakes, where there is a wilderness walk in camp. How I long to do that one! I imagine the fishing would be fantastic.

Permits must be obtained in order to ride horses into the park, but it just might be the ticket in getting to spots like the Haystack Lakes. There is no charge, just written permission required(unless I‘m mistaken).

Check with the lodge for accommodation rates and fees and schedules for jeep rides up to the lodge. If you are planning on wilderness camping the fee for 2009 is $5.00 per day per person. You are also advised to take along a camp-stove as fire pits are not always available.

Serious backpackers might want to hike up from the valley bottom. The Ewart Creek trail is reached by crossing a bridge about 6 km up the Ashnola Forest Service road onto the Ewart Creek Road. There are a few private residences here, but carry on to the trail head about 3 km further along, where the Ewart Creek joins the Ashnola River. The trail to the lodge is 28 km and the elevation change is 1730 metres. The first part of this trail is used by those taking horses into the Snowy Mountain Protected area. While the trip could be completed to the lodge in a day, there is a wilderness campground at the Twin Buttes area.

The shortest route is up the Lakeview Trail at only 16 km and an elevation change of 1300 metres. The trailhead is 13 km up the Ashnola Forest Service Road and crosses the jeep road into the park.

Further up the Ashnola at km 38 on the Ashnola Forest Service road, is where the Wall Creek Trail to the park core can be found as a footbridge crosses the river near the camping area. I have not taken this route -- it is apparently over 40 km of scenic hiking, recommended time two days for a round trip.

Take your camera along as there is lots of wildlife to view, from ptarmigan to mountain goat, deer and bighorn sheep. Ptarmigan can be spotted particularly on Lakeview Mountain and the mountain sheep on the Rim Trail.

Hunting and discharge of guns in not permitted in the core area of the park, so check the hunting regulations closely if you are hunting the Ashnola area.

Happy hiking.

Cathedral Lakes Park

Cathedral Lakes Park - Part 1

Will add pictures when I get the printer/scanner working

Our first trip into the Cathedral Park was many years ago when our children were in elementary school. We thought we would walk up to the lodge and get a taste of the alpine scenery. We might have made it to the lodge if we started early enough, but time caused us to turn around before we reached the lodge or alpine scenery.

Lesson learned: if you plan on walking up, start very early in the day and if possible make it a back packing trip of a few days to really enjoy it. The alternative we took many years later with some friends: take the park transport to the lodge and spend a pleasant day or two hiking and generally enjoying the area. Main access is from the base camp about 24 km. up the Ashnola River Road,, different sources quote this trail between 15 km and 29 km. I think it is closer to 15 km.

If you are an avid fisherman, think about packing in a belly-boat. You will likely regret it if you don’t because the lake look so inviting. Also, do not forget your camera and make sure you either have tons of film, or have downloaded your digital before starting the trip.

The lodge and facilities are at Quiniscoe Lake and all trails branch out from here. A few hikes are short enough to enjoy before catching an evening ride back down to the valley floor or before retiring for the night at one of the lodge accommodations or one of the campgrounds. I highly recommend packing in a light backpacking fishing outfit to try one of the many lakes that are in relatively easy walking distance.

The Quiniscoe Lake Trail around the lake is about 2 km, so is easily completed in under an hour and passes a nice waterfall.

Lake of the Woods in a short 1 km walk, and has wilderness camping sites. The trail continues and does a loop, taking you by Pyramid Lake. Elevation change is a slight 30 metres and the trail has been improved with bridges and crowned walkways to stay drier. Allow about 30 minutes to either lake from the lodge or about an hour and a half for the circuit, which is just over 2 km.

The Glacier Lake Trial is roughly 3 km in length and reasonably steep in sections, with an elevation change of about 200 metres. The trail does also continue up onto the rim trail.

I would allow about 3 to 4 hours for a return trip hike to Ladyslipper Lake as it is approx 7 km. The trail winds through mostly spruce with some larch trees, and arriving at the lake you have some spectacular views. A few casts with a fly brought a nice trout rising out of the crystal clear water to strike.

The Diamond Trail, at only 10 km, can easily be hiked in the afternoon before supper. It circles Scout Mountain and the lake with a moderate elevation change of about 240 metres. I remember lots of beautiful flowers in our August trip as I tapered training for my first Ironman event.

The Scout Lake route is fairly short and easily accomplished in less than two hours. It is about 3 kilometres in length over easy terrain just bordering true alpine country. Again as in all the trails I loved the flowers and vegetation.

Goat Lake Trail at 10 km is the furthest lake that one should try for in a day hike. This trail branches off the Ladyslipper Lake Trail and follows the outlet creek from Goat Lake. Total elevation change is not too great, around 150 metres.

More on the Cathedrals and its trails next week.

Hiking Ok Falls to Vaseaux Lake

I’ve been trying to work out a hiking trail from Penticton to Osoyoos, with no luck so far … but I’ve had some good hikes. This route from the Provincial Campground at Okanagan Falls to the second lagoon south of Vaseaux lake takes four hours at a good steady walk for the round trip. A shorter walk is straight down the dyke to Vaseaux Lake.

Even in early March the river is full of lots of waterfowl: mallards, geese, swans and even a few loons. Others appeared to be bufflehead or some type of Goldeneye. I guess there must be some fish if the loons are there.

To start my hike I drove down the Green Lake Road just west of the bridge at OK Falls and took the second road to the left after the provincial campground. It is just a short distance to the parking lot and the dyke gate. Be sure to leave the private driveway clear.

There is a walkway over the channel here, but unfortunately it is blocked, as are the other ones down river, making them difficult to access for wheelchairs. It would be possible however to negotiate though and travel down the dyke.

About 340 metres along is the second walkway. This would make for a short circuit, crossing here and heading back up the other side. The third one is 550 metres further along; crossing here would make for a nice short walk, except that the other side is near the sewage treatment plant. The fourth and final one is not quite at a kilometre (967 metres). Just north of this last walkway there are a few boulders in the river, which might offer good resting spots for some nice trout. Might be worth checking out later in the season.

It’s just 210 metres to where the KVR used to cross the river, but between the walkway and this point there is a gate and I’m not too sure if a wheelchair would make it around through the rocks. At this point you can either keep to the dyke or veer to the right onto the old KVR right of way.

Let’s first look at the dyke track, which leads down to the head of Vaseaux Lake, a distance of about 2.35 kilometres. Unfortunately, the walkthrough will not accommodate a wheelchair. You leave behind the nearby hill and Oregon grape patches and have the river on one hand and swampy land on the other, with lots of bulrushes and marsh grasses. Right along the dike I also ran across some grass at least eight feet tall! Yes, I even found another likely looking blackberry patch. Might be an interesting day spent in the right season feasting on these and plying the water for some trout or bass.

The round trip for this hike is about 8.83 kilometres. If you want, you can take the old rail bed to where it used to cross at the south end of Vaseaux Lake. It is about a 13 km round trip from where it crosses the dyke. You could of course take the Green Lake Road to this point or the next access point.

The first 2.4 km on is mainly close to the bank under the Green Mountain Road and is fairly rough and overgrown. If you are traveling with a wheelchair companion you might be wiser to take the next access road down to the railway bed.

From this last access point to the KVR trail it is 4.3 km to where the bridge was removed at the head of the lake. Before reaching the lake there is swampy land on the left and some ranches on the right. It seems to me the southern end of the lake would be a great place for a wilderness camp if we were able to turn this into a hiking trail for tourists and were able to connect Penticton with the border.

This is lovely country around here with bunch grass and ponderosa pine. I love the absence of knap weed along this section. Just a little to the right of the end of the line there is a small old road that takes one around the first lagoon below Vaseaux Lake to the second lagoon, a distance of nearly a kilometre.

I would dearly like to see this all wheelchair accessible, with a few piers for fishing access for those in wheelchairs.

Enjoy your hiking and remember, what you carry in --- carry out!

Comments and suggestions always welcome