Winter’s not my favourite season, so when it’s dark, icy, cold and snowy outside, I like to think of sunnier, warmer, dry days outside.
So, it was like a warm breath of summer air when a note from Steven Threndyle popped into my inbox with an invite to a cycle tour of the trestles this July.
Sunny weather is pretty much guaranteed at that point, so just thinking about it cheers me up.
The inaugural Okanagan Trestle Tour is being organized for Sun., July 14 from Myra, east of Kelowna, to Penticton, concluding with a barbecue, entertainment and wine expo there.
This is not a race but a chance to cycle a one-way trip through this 80-kilometre portion of the Trans Canada Trail, with five rest stops for food, drinks, mechanical support and first aid.
This event marks the 10th anniversary of the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire when
12 of the wooden trestles in Myra Canyon were destroyed and two steel ones damaged by wildfire.
At a cost of $13.5 million in federal-provincial funds, the historic Kettle Valley Railway rail bridges were rebuilt and the canyon re-opened to the recreational community in 2008.
Myra Canyon was designated a National Historic Site in 2002, but in addition to its amazing history, the route offers panoramic views out over the valley and Okanagan Lake, from an elevation that can be refreshing even in mid-summer.
Cycling is a popular and practical way to enjoy this former railway, now a recreational trail, and people come from all over the world to enjoy it.
The trestle tour has the support of B.C. Parks, Trails B.C., Trans Canada Trail, Tourism Penticton and Tourism Kelowna, and it will support the Trans Canada Trail Society and B.C. Trails Society for maintenance of the KVR.
For details, go to the website at: www.okanagantrestlestour.com
Fishing
Anglers, especially those who like to fish for bass, may be interested in participating in a poll on a proposal to change the daily quota for bass from four to eight, since they are an invasive species.
Ministry policy is that conservation regulations should only be applied in low-risk locations.
Vote at: http://a100.gov.bc.ca/pub/ahte/angling/okanagan-regional-bass-quota
Finch update
Further to my column regarding injuries to the legs of finches in the Mission area of Kelowna, another reader has written that he has seen evidence that mouse traps have been causing such injuries.
He said he’s seen mouse traps attached to the legs of birds, so he urges people to put them in hidden spots where birds aren’t likely to go, or encouraging the cat to take care of the mouse population—but not the birds!
Judie Steeves writes about outdoors issues for the Capital News.
jsteeves@kelownacapnews.com
