Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/170490
Kettle Valley Railway Trail T rue to its roots, the Kettle Valley Railway Trail is still about people going places. Sailboats dot Okanagan Lake as we stroll along the stretch from Penticton toward Naramata, a multi-purpose section of the Trans Canada Trail. There's a sweep of eroded clay cliffs on one side, a cowcatcher (a metal grille to clear obstructions from train tracks) that was retrieved from the lake on the other—and beyond that the expanse of the lake. The railway was completed in 1914, but the last train blasted through in 1973. Now the bustling trail is used for cycling, hiking, strolling, and more indulgent pursuits. Case in point, we encounter a tanned couple wearing sunglasses. The man has a broad smile as he strides along bearing a paper bag. To Naramata Stru Three Mile Point t t Cr eek To Summerland OKAN AGAN LAKE Naramata Rd. Ra nd o l p h Cr eek Mt. Munson 97 1 Pe n t i c t o re nC ek St. N Vancouver Ave. Main 0 • above: A view from the popular KVR Trail across the vineyards and orchards near Okanagan Lake. opposite: Penticton native Tayla Babakaiff explores a trail near her hometown. Mt. Campbell Lakeshore Dr. er inst stm Ave. We O K A N AG A N H I G H L A N D Johnson Spring Creek 2 km Penticton rob struthers Location: Penticton toward Naramata. From the north end of Main Street follow Front Street to the parking lot next to Okanagan Lake. The trailhead is about a five-minute walk up Vancouver Avenue. Turn left at Vancouver Place. Hiking distance/time: About 6.6 km round trip and 1.5 hours for the portion hiked; trail continues. Difficulty: Easy multi-use path with a 2.2 percent grade. Good to know: The nearby Rock Ovens, used by labourers to bake bread during railway construction, can be seen further down the trail at Rock Ovens Regional Park above Naramata. Accessed off the Kettle Valley Railway Trail. Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (rdos. bc.ca). Search "rock ovens." Kettle Valley Railway Trail (kettlevalleyrailtrail.com). "Are you actually hiking with a bottle of wine?" I ask him. "Two!" he reports gleefully, pointing to a bottle sticking out of his back pocket. "There's a vineyard with tastings up ahead." The walking trail is cut through a bank of clay sediment. The lake drained 10,000 years ago exposing the sediments, which created fertile benchlands and gave rise to the orchards that line the trail. You can practically hear the produce growing around you—grapes for the many wineries, apples, and pumpkins. Tractors roar by the D'Angelo Estate Winery and B&B—and all around there is the sense that you are close to the beating pulse of working vineyards. After crossing the Andrew McCulloch Trestle Bridge we arrive at The Trail Store, which serves up ice cream, sandwiches, drinks (including an ambrosia apple slushie), and more. Since they're about to close for the season, server Jean Hollett scoops David an ice cream the size of a bowling ball. The day's customers included a couple from Sweden and a family from New Zealand. "A lot of people have compared the trail to Tuscany," says Hollett, whose family owns the business. Visitors from big cities are often thrilled to dig carrots, or pick their own cherries, apricots, or plums at the three-hectare family farm. Early October is still apple season, so Hollett invites us to grab one from the box outside. We share it as we stroll back along the vineyards, surrounded by fall's abundance. B r itish C o lumbia M agazine • fal l 2 0 1 3 39