Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/170490
outdoor adventure Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park W hen we arrive at the nearly empty parking lot of Enderby Cliffs Provincial Park, the bite in the air reminds us that fall is here and winter is breathing down our necks. Chestnut horses graze in the farmers' fields surrounding the trailhead. Car windows are laced with frost. A couple of large dogs stomp and pant nearby, ready for their owners to begin their workout. The local canines have a clear advantage over us shivering, furless creatures. "Let's see them on the rope ladders," challenges David, as the dogs bound along the trail and he zips up another layer. The cliffs are close to 1,200-metres high, towering above the Shuswap and Okanagan valleys, so we soon warm up. They were created as glaciers pushed south from Shuswap Lake, scouring a path through the valley. Known as Tplaqin, a Secwepemc word for cliff, the trail supports a range of ecosystems, with sagebrush, rabbit brush, and bunchgrass on south-facing slopes, and red cedar and hemlock on the north sides. To Sicamous ND 2 km GE HUN A IGHL AP H 1 TER USW 0 Reeves Lake S R AN SH N Cr eek ENDERBY CLIFFS PROVINCIAL PARK 97A Enderby Sh us wap Brash Creek Sh us wa 97B rt be Lam p R iver To Salmon Arm River To Vernon rob struthers Location: 5 km northeast of the city of Enderby. Hiking distance/time: About 13 km to the summit and back. At least three to four hours round trip. Difficulty: Moderate, but with some strenuous sections. Good to know: Bring hiking poles if you have them. Not only does a pole provide better balance, it reduces compressive force on the knee. Carry lots of water, too. Info: BC Parks (bcparks.ca). 34 • A lone hiker stands at the summit of the Enderby Cliffs. After a little over one kilometre, we come to a bench and a wooden cross, which was carved in the German village of Oberammergau. The monument was a lovely gesture from a local gentleman, and hikers occasionally leave flowers there. Switching back and forth on the climb to the top, we're able to enjoy the view of the Shuswap River. On one stop, we meet Marion Guiver, a member of the Shuswap Lady Striders, who is hiking with her husband. The fact that the Striders have more than 180 members speaks to the hiking opportunities in the area. The cliffs are a group favourite. "Last year, one of our members was 80. She did it for her birthday," says Guiver. At this point, it's clear: we must make it to the top. While the climb is steady, it does not feel treacherous. It turns out that my trail information is outdated, and there will be no showdown of canines vs. those with opposable thumbs. After the Enderby Cliffs became a provincial park in 2001 the rope ladders were phased out and the trail rejigged to B r itish C olumbia Magazine • fa ll 2013 make an already popular trek far more accessible, largely through the efforts of the local Splatsin First Nation and the Shuswap Trail Alliance. More than 10,000 people now climb the cliffs every year. The landscape changes as we ascend through dark forest worthy of Hansel and Gretel, with cedar hemlock, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine. The trail then winds through a bunchgrass meadow. At the top, the wind whistles, the dry bluebunch wheatgrasses swirl like blond baby hair, and we absorb views of the Okanagan and Shuswap valleys in one big gulp. The winding Shuswap River stretches out like a squiggle on a blueprint from the high elevation. We see the roofs of farmhouses, Mount Ida, Fly Hill, and Larch Hills. Bald eagles circle on the air with the grace of figure skaters. On the trek down, two flustered looking quail rush across the trail. A Columbian ground squirrel decides to race me as we tromp down, down, down. By now, the day is warm, and at the pullouts families lounge together, sharing oranges and pieces of chocolate and soaking in the precious October rays.