Bridges and Beaches : Myra Canyon to Chute Lake

We spent last night down in Kelowna, the largest settlement in the Okanagan Valley.  On the drives to and from the trail we got close-up views of the extensive fruit orchards for which the region is famous.  It was nearly 15°C warmer down in the valley than it had been 900 m higher up on the trail, which gave us some much needed rest without freezing.

When we set off from the parking lot at Ruth Station it was deserted. It was a cool, crisp autumn morning, and there was no sign of the crowds that filled the trail on Sunday afternoon.  The sun was just beginning to turn the sky a soft pink behind the brownish haze of smoke from the forest fires burning farther south. 

As we walked southwest, the trail became a gravel road once again, soft and sandy in spots, rocky and rutted in others, and wash boarded in many places.  Although we had one more major trestle to cross, it was clear that this section was less popular with the tourists, cyclists and day trippers than the previous 12 km through Myra Canyon.  That was okay with us - we relished the quiet solitude and the gorgeous scenery.

We followed the treed corridor, which was bordered by dark green conifers, bright yellow trembling aspens, and tamaracks that were just beginning to turn from green to yellow to burnt orange. Progressing onward the trail was about 1000 m above Kelowna, and in those first few kilometres we just caught glimpses of the smoky valley through the trees as we skirted along the ridge. 

As we progressed, the trail became more open, and a large drop on one side gave way to expansive views out over the valley below. On the other side, bare but colourful rock rose up like a wall. Many tiny chipmunks and red squirrels appeared and disappeared among the cracks and crevices, but although we kept a sharp lookout, we never spotted any pikas.

About 10 km into our hike we came to a very large, sandy pit with the remains of a large bonfire in the middle that was crisscrossed by multiple ATV tracks.  Several dirt pathways and tracks led off in various directions, leading both up and down the slopes.  Just beyond this spot we came to the Belleview Trestle.

This steel girded trestle is 238 m long, making it one of the longest bridges in the system.  Its bed sits 65 m above Bellevue Creek Canyon, and it is protected within the Myra-Bellevue Provincial Park.  Due to the monumental efforts of volunteer fire fighters the trestle escaped the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire of 2003.

As we set off down the long, curving trestle we could hear the rush and roar of water far below us in the steep, forested, gorge.  This is one of the only streams we've crossed in this section that hasn't been completely dry.  From the middle of the bridge we could see its clear waters in the shallow, rocky, bed far below. 

Beyond the waterway, the perspective from the middle of the final bridge in Myra Canyon was truly beautiful. Looking towards the sun, the tall conifers below gave way to layered hills that disappeared into the distance.  In the other direction forested hills accented with the yellows and oranges of fall glowed in the morning sunshine.

When we continued along the rail trail on the far side of the Bellevue Trestle we were surprised to see a car driving along the trail. It turned out to be the first of about half a dozen that passed us over the course of the day.  Apparently this stretch of the rail trail is not only used for recreational purposes, but also served as a racetrack for ATVs and dirt bikes as well as giving access to a huge network of mountain biking trails, the Chute Lake Lodge, several recreational sites, and likely other destinations as well that people drive to and which we were previously unaware of.

Within a few kilometres of the bridge we passed the entrance to the Okanagan Boulderfields Recreation Site.  This spot hadn't appeared on any of our maps, or we might have considered trying to camp there last night.  Apparently, the Okanagan Boulderfield is a geologically unique landmark, which is a 1 km sq pile of boulders that are believed to have originated from the collapse of the major rock beneath.  Apparently it is a popular spot with climbers.  With a long day of trekking ahead of us we did not have the opportunity to explore this site ourselves.

However, after the turnoff into Okanagan Boulderfield we did indeed enter a very impressive section of boulders. Tall piles of rock bordered both sides of the Trans Canada Trail, towering over our heads.  The stacked stones had an almost square, block-like shape, with many crevices and cracks in between, and they were very colourful, ranging from grey, to pinkish, to yellow.  Brightly coloured mosses and lichens adorned these boulder piles as well, which added additional texture and colour.

When we came to Gillard Creek, which was far below us, we crossed it on a huge culvert.  Just before we made the crossing we came to what looked like an old ranch.  The only remaining signs of it were a series of wooden gates and fences on the edge of the trail. As usual, there was no sign or sound of water in the creek bed far below.

Shortly after this point we began to see signs of the extensive network of mountain biking trails that stretched down the slope from the KVR to Kelowna, far below.  We passed several trail heads with interesting names like 'Big Bird', 'Moose Knuckles', and 'Two Fingers.'  Some of the narrow dirt bike paths were so steep they looked like shear cliffs.  No way on earth would I have the courage to ride those things on a bike!

The next few kilometres were very beautiful.  The trail followed the top of the ridge, with a huge dropoff on one side.  The advantage of this vertigo inducing drop was that we had panoramic views out over Kelowna, West Kelowna, the deep blue waters of Okanagan Lake, and the Okanagan Valley.  From our vantage point we could see the elegant white span of the William R. Bennett Bridge connecting the two cities, and the tall towers of downtown Kelowna.  Beyond the city we could also start to see the green and striped patchwork of orchards and vineyards.

As we progressed along the ridge we came to many overlooks offering fantastic views of the valley below.  ATV drivers had cleared areas every 50 m or so on the side of the trail, and many of these spots had fire pits right on the edge of the cliff edge.  There were plenty of places to camp, and I think sunrises, sunsets, and the twinkling lights in the valley below at night would be magical from up there.  However, there was no water to facilitate camping.

We made slow progress – a combination of wonder and exhaustion - but eventually we turned away from the valley, and made our way into a new and equally fascinating landscape. We continued down a corridor of glowing golden aspens and dark green conifers, but in this stretch the effects of the 2003 forest fires still dominated. The trail was very exposed, bordered on both sides by young, regenerating pines.  The hills beyond were partially bare and rocky, with a thin layer of young conifers and aspens.  Tall, black, charred trunks still stood tall at intervals along the slopes.

This burnt landscape continued for many kilometres, revealing just how big the forest fires must have been.  Looking back, it seems that is area has been affected by fire every 2-3 years for the last decade.  As we've crossed this country we've seen over and again how natural disasters are becoming a more normal and frequent part of many of areas.  In BC it is clear that forest fires are part of the new reality just as droughts now regularly plague the prairies.

One of the things we distracted ourselves with today was the variety of different warning sings along the trail. One was for 'Wilderness Watch' which was much like 'Neighbourhood Watch' but for nature.  Another warned of 'Irregular, hazardous road surface ahead, Use Extreme Caution.'  One of the more worrying read 'This fire area is considered hazardous to personal safety.' While the warnings sounded dire, today's walk was actually very enjoyable and not hazardous feeling at all, especially given conditions we've had to brave to get this far.

To add a little variety to the afternoon we passed several small ponds.  They were surrounded by burnt brown cattails, yellow fall foliage, and red undergrowth and new shrubs, and they looked like the perfect places to spot a moose.  Unfortunately we did not have much success in spotting much wildlife, so perhaps the larger species one might spot across the region have yet to return after the latest fires.

Finally we approached Chute Lake.  Just as its somewhat scummy looking waters came into view a car passed and the occupants stopped for a chat.  A few minutes later a couple on bicycles passed us, giving us encouraging words as they did so.  As we continued, the somewhat swampy waters opened up into a long, clear, beautiful lake.  A small lookout with a large rock covered in memorial plaques provided gorgeous views of forested slopes reflected in its waters.

Around 3:30 pm we arrived at the Chute Lake Lodge.  This large lakefront property looked very interesting, featuring a forest of glamping tents, several small wooden cabins, a large log lodge, boat rentals, and a licensed restaurant.  It looked beautiful and is considered an iconic stop for cyclists on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, and we would have loved to step inside for a bite to eat it is temporarily closed for cleaning and renovations at the moment.

Still unsure whether we would continue on or stop for the night at Chute Lake, we walked around to the Chute Lake Recreation Site to take a break at a picnic table. Perhaps we made things unnecessarily difficult, but we found it a bit confusing to find the campsite.  We didn't see a sign for it on the KVR, and when we followed the extremely rocky and rutted road towards where the Backroads Map app suggested the entrance should be, we found ourselves boxing around very clearly marked and taped off private property.

When we got to the campground, we found three campsites tucked into the trees along the edge of the lake.  Unfortunately two of the three sites had highly cut up and vandalized picnic tables as well as fire pits filled with empty beer cans.  As such we set down on the singular picnic table which remained.  Offsetting these conditions was the wonderful sandy beach, and the rocky, forested hills with their bright fall colours which were reflected almost perfectly in the smooth, mirror like surface of the lake. Sean waded into the shallow water to fill our water bottles, because stay or go on, we figured this was the only source of water we'd have access to for the rest of the day.  After 30 minutes of resting ourselves and filtering water we decided to stay put for the night, and try to push through an extra long day to Penticton tomorrow.

Partly this decision was attributed to Sean's new shoes.  A good rule of thumb for hiking is to always break in new shoes before wearing them on a long walk.  However, sometimes you really have no option, which means you're in for a painful day.  After walking nearly 3,000 km in his old shoes, Sean finally replaced his falling apart ones in Kelowna yesterday.  This meant today was pretty painful for him, and it was best kept short.  

Around 6 pm three gentlemen on motorbikes rode down to the beach, passing within a few feet of the tent. There they raced in figure 8s up and down the sandy water front, quickly enjoyed 6 beers between them and then, after tossing their empty cans into the lake, raced off again. About half an hour later we were joined by a couple in a camper van, who parked on the opposite side of the campground.  They are our neighbours for the night.  At 6:30 pm the temperature had already dropped to very close to zero, and as I write this at around 11:30 pm I can already feel the cold creeping through my sleeping bag.  It is going to be a very cold night.  I can only hope our luck with weather during the days continues to hold out as we strive to complete our way to the Pacific this year.

See you on the trail!

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