The 2013 Routes and Blues trail has already taken fans to three sites, where hikers have followed up their outdoors experience with good food and fine entertainment.
The trail continues Friday, Aug. 9 when fans can head out to the Kingfisher Interpretive centre to meander along the Shuswap River and learn about the remarkable interconnection between salmon and everything that lives and grows in the region.
Meet at the Kingfisher Interpretive centre at Mable Lake at 10 a.m. Later dine at Kingfisher Hall and enjoy an organic disco with No Sinner.
On Saturday, Aug. 10, hikers will walk the waterfall loop trail of Albas Falls, an important site in Secwepemc Nation Territory.
Meet at the falls trailhead at Albas Provincial Falls at 10 a.m.
In the evening, go into the wild at Seymour Arm with Current Swell and Salmon Arm’s Million Dollars in Pennies.
Visit the Lower Flume Trail on the Adams River on Sunday, Aug. 11. Famous for the Adams River sockeye salmon run, hikers will walk in the footsteps of Secwepemc Nation leaders, who cared for the Shuswap for thousands of years.
Meet at the Lower Flume trailhead on Holding Road at 10 a.m. Head to Quaaout Lodge and broaden your horizons with a concert featuring George Leach.
On Wednesday, Aug. 14, guide yourself along the shorelines of the lake to downtown Salmon Arm in the scavenger hunt-styled discovery contest before heading over to Wednesday on the Wharf.
Pick up the special self-guided packet from the Salmon Arm Bay Nature Bay Interpretive Centre (SABNES), where members will share their knowledge and love of the area.
Noted Secwepemc storyteller, Kenthen Thomas, has joined this year’s Routes and Blues interpretive hikes as trail storyteller-in-residence.
The interpretive hiking series – part of this year’s Roots and Blues Outreach Project – is made possible thanks in part to a grant through the BC Parks Enhancement Fund.
Son of late, beloved elder Mary, Kenthen brings a rare ability to bridge the contemporary with the traditional, captivating people of all ages.
Thomas’s tales render forest landscapes into settings for a vivid, but little-known history of the country’s first people.
His dramatic and often humorous retelling of traditional Secwepemc stories and teachings fosters a deeper respect for the land and all our relations.
The hikes also provide a great introduction to the wonderful elements of the Shuswap lifestyle.
For more information, visit www.shuswaptrails.com or www.routesandblues.ca.
Attend any of the hikes to enter the Weekly Summer Challenge Contest for a chance to win great prizes and experience the Shuswap in a whole new way
