Enjoying the view to the Coquihalla Canyon near Hope, BC
They say some of the best things in life are free. This is certainly the case with the Othello Tunnels Rail Trail. The trail is part of the Coquihalla National Provincial Park and it is located just outside Hope, BC. Hope, for those of you not familiar with it, is called Hollywood North since many movies have been filmed here. When you are in the Hope area and look at the rugged beauty around you, you see why action scenes in movies like the 80s Rambo where filmed here.
On my first visit to the tunnels my husband tricked me into believing we had to crawl though some caves filled with bats to get to the other side of the park. I was ready for it, camera in hand and all. I felt a little disappointed when I found out it was not the case but once I passed the first tunnel and saw the scenery that surrounded us my disappointment vanished.
The Coquihalla rapid waters roaring below me
The Othello Tunnels were part of the former Kettle Valley Railway
that passed through Southern BC. So they are big enough to fit a big,
steaming train. The Kettle Valley is said to be one of the most
expensive railways to have ever been built in the world. Its
construction took from 1911 to 1918 and it is said many workers, many of
them of Asian origin, died in the blasts that cut through the canyon
rock. This part of the Kettle Railway was declared out of service in
1959. The trail-tracks have been removed and now visitors can enjoy the 2 kilometers-hike that goes through the 5 tunnels (called the Quintette Tunnels). The tunnels are dark so it is a good idea to bring a flashlight but you will be OK without one because the tunnels are not all that long. The best part of the trail is the bridges; pause and enjoy the views of the Coquihalla river canyon that they offer. If you look close you could even see some fish jumping around in the roaring river waters.
There are picnics tables near the parking lot are and next to the river and also pit toilets. Keep in mind the trail is closed during Winter time, from November to March, due to the increase chance of rock slides so plan your visit accordingly. Check out people's opinions of the park on TripAdvisorhere.
This video offers more views of the scenery surrounding the Othello Tunnels.
A Summer snapshot of Vedder Trail in Chilliwack, BC.
Today I want to tell you about Canada's largest hiking trails. It must have something to do with the weather getting chillier and me trying to keep warm feeding myself with sunny days hiking memories.
Canada has tons of great hiking trails and the views that even the most mundane ones offer are simply too nice to miss. The country is right now working on two recreational trails that will extent from coast to coast. The Trans Canada Trail and the National Hiking Trail.
The Trans Canada trail is going to be the longest trail in the world with an incredible length of 22,000 km (pretty mind blowing, right?). The plan is to connect hundreds of shorter trails to created this master trail. The Trans Canada trail starts on the North at the Northwest Territories, crosses the Yukon, passes through British Columbia and finally arrives in Alberta. On the West side, it starts near the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island and it goes all the way to Nova Scotia on the East. It also has a few 'legs' or scenic detours like the one going deeper into Saskatchewan. This trail is intended mainly for hiking and bike riding but of course some parts of the trail will allow for other activities like horseback riding and skiing.
The National Hiking Trail, formerly known as the Sentier National Trail, will in part overlap with the Trans Canada and in other parts offer a different alternative. It's a much shorter trail but so far is about 3,800 km long . The terrain on this trail is rougher so it is meant to be used mainly for hiking unless you are an experience biker or skier.
Weather predictions say this is going to be one of the coldest and whitest winters in Canada's recent history so I guess that means I have to get a good pair of snowshoes and some real warm winter clothes before going out for my first hike on the Trans Canada :-)
Want to know more about the Trans Canada Trail? Click here!
First kilometer mark. Not as impressive as a 20k one but you got to start somewhere!
