UPDATE:  September 25, 2020
We are GOOD TO GO for tomorrow.  Might be chilly, might be a little rain…..bring layers, and a rain jacket.😃👍🏻  Looking forward to seeing all of you!

September 23, 2020 WEATHER UPDATE:

The forecast is looking quite unsettled for Saturday:  could be sunny, could be rainy.  Please be sure to check back here for updates on Friday afternoon.👍🏻

Registration for this event will open on Saturday, August 15, at 6:30pm.  Only the leader and co-leaders will be previously registered (…cuz we kinda need a spot!)      ; )

A big Thank You to Sharon Peters for volunteering to co-lead this hike and make room for more participants!👍🏻

Waterfalls…Caved-In Tunnels…Impossibly Narrow Supply Wagon Roads…Trestle Wreckage!

You will see and learn about allllll the above and more on this hike!  We will park and hike along the Coquihalla Lakes Rd (gravel, gated/closed to vehicular traffic) and follow the Historic Kettle Valley Railway above us, (which also happens to be part of the Trans-Canada Trail) in the Coquihalla Lakes region.  We will see sights from the past and I will be describing some of the history of this special area.  I am no expert, just someone with an interest in our local history.

There is something amazing about actually seeing remnants of what was once there – really gives one a sense of how huge a task it was to build that railroad and keep it running. (landslides, avalanches, etc.). We will follow the gravel road (mostly flat with a couple of uphills) for approx 3 to 4 km, observing key points along the way (Falls Creek {I think…!} waterfall, the old bridge, original masonry-work of the wagon trail), then find a nice spot along the river and have lunch.  On the return, we will take some time to scramble up and explore (from the outside, and well back…safety first!) some of the collapsed rail tunnels.   As a side bonus, the Fall Colours will be in high gear!

A six to eight kilometre out and back hike with very little vertical change.

Meet up at the Aberdeen Mall Meet Up Spot (make sure you are at the correct spot – ACROSS the street from the back of the mall, NOT beside the Odeon Theatre) at 9:30am.  Drive caravan-style to the trailhead.  (On the Coquihalla, take the exit for the Britton Creek Rest Area, and continue south-west along the Coquihalla Lakes Rd a few kilometers until you reach the end (closed by a gate) with a parking area.  This is the trailhead for our hike.