Hiking partners: Greg Bell, Glenn Thompson, Bruiser, Charlie Brown & Tia
Weather: Warm & Sunny
What a great day for a hike! We started at 10:02 am and finished at 1:02pm. This is a VERY strenuous hike. It is straight uphill on the climb to the summit. I mean straight up. No one should attempt this hike if they have any ambulation issues!!
You must also have good hiking boots- no sandals, or running shoes with no tread. Seriously- there were very treacherous trail conditions. Going up was hard enough, but coming down is even worse. Thank goodness the trail was narrow, and there were lots of branches to hang onto- especially on the descent. Just ask Glenn, who took an unexpected slide down a path on his butt, when he lost his footing- and Glenn is in great shape and loves a challenging hike.
So- if you do this hike- you MUST be in good physical condition and be prepared for some tough slogging.
Having said that- what an amazing hike. We passed by a waterfall, which allowed us to get some very ice cold water to throw onto our faces, and have a much needed rest. The water wall is just over 1/2 up the climb to the summit.
And the summit!! It was well worth the effort. The views were amazing. Right below us was Shannon Lake, and Shannon Lake Golf course. In the distance we could see Two Eagles Golf course, and of course Okanagan Lake. In the distance to the right was Gorman's Mill. To the left was Mt. Boucherie. My photos follow (please remember to click on the photos to enlarge them!):
1) My hiking buddies as we prepared for our ascent!
2) Tia found a creek to lay down in and have a drink of cool water on the side of the path.
3) On the trail. Good hiking buddies. Lots of energy and lots of laughs.
4) The waterfall.
5) A view of Okanagan Lake and Mount Boucherie which was about 1/2 the way to the summit.
6) Time for a rest on an old (and very large) fallen tree.
7) Me and my hiking buddy Tia in front of a grand old tree that we called "Grampa".
8) The Summit! The views were spectacular! Was very nice to see the Canadian flag. The hounds had a good feast, as did the hikers.
The hike down was treacherous. Thank God there were trees we could grab onto as we descended this very steep trail. As I alluded to earlier- Glenn- a very fit guy, wearing really good hiking boots, lost his footing and slid on his butt for a good while before he could get his footing back.
I told Glenn after we got done- "One and Done" for this hike!
Final points:
* you have park on a street at the end of Shannon Heights Place- and it is at the end of a cul-de-sac
* there is very little space to park, so if the trailhead is busy, you might have to park a long way from the trail head
Time: 3 hours- 1.5 to summit/30 minutes for lunch/1.0 back down
Rating: Difficult to very difficult- very steep sections- lots of loose rock/shale/tree roots/fallen trees
Not for the faint of heart, or people with ambulation issues/knee problems.
A good link to the trail:
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