Bonnie and I decided to go for a hike along the Columbia River, before heading back to Kelowna. We had done some shopping, and were finished at about 10:50am.
We walked to the bridge on Highway #3, that crosses over the Columbia River, in the downtown core of Trail. We started hiking in a northerly direction, along a well maintained trail that meanders along the river. To our left was the very fast flowing river, and to our right was a very wide grassy area, that had benches, and picnic tables along the length of the walkway.
Bonnie is on the path, and is looking back at the boat launch. In the distance, you can see the bridge that crosses the Columbia River, which is where we started our hike.
The river bank has beaches (yes beaches!), and all along the river bank were rocks, which formed natural swimming areas (like little bays that were not affected by the very strong currents in the river). It was fun to play/walk on the rocks. It was obvious (and confirmed by Bonnie) that young people jump/dive into these pools in the hot summer months. It reminded me of being on the Oregon Coast, and climbing up on the rocks to watch the waves crashing. I hope these next few photos give you some idea of what I am trying to describe!!
We had to get back to Kelowna, so after about 45 minutes walking along the river, we had to turn around and head back.
Bonnie tells me that the next time we will walk south of the bridge along the river, where the trails goes through the downtown, and cultural areas of the City. She tells me that the landscaping is amazing, the flower gardens and hanging basket, statues and art works on display are spectacular.
If you are ever in the Trail area, for any reason, I highly recommend taking this hike.
Distance: about 5 kms
Time: 90 minutes (but we did a lot of exploring on the river banks/beaches)
Difficulty: Easy
**NB**:
If you plan on playing on the rocks, make sure you have good and tread on your shoes. Recommend running shoes or hiking boots.
No comments:
Post a Comment