Mel surveys the scene from a view platform Arriving at the parking area on a typically hot Okanagan summer day in the mid-thirties we took drinks and surveyed Myra Canyon’s numerous visitors for the day. The largely burnt out forestry was a stark reminder of the fire that raced through the area destroying so many trees and endangering wildlife. Heading down KLO Road in Kelowna, recently bought sandwiches and drinks in the back seat of the car, we headed on to McCulloch Road before turning into the steep rises of the Myra Forest. Millions of dollars have been spent in the replenishment of the trestles in order to resume the trails multiple leisure use for hikers, cyclists and a heritage steam train ride. I’m happy to report the local authorities and other interested stake-holders have done, and are doing a magnificent job in restoring the destroyed trestles over the awe-inspiring pass of the Myra Canyon. The regular service ended in 1964 with the very last train passing through in 1973. Its creation was ordered due to the needs of mining in the area but the railway came to carry both freight and passengers. The service was part of a ‘Coast to Kootenay’ line that linked the towns in the area and also joined the important main Canadian Pacific line at the town of Hope, BC. The Myra Canyon section of the Kettle Valley Railway was constructed between 19. Our trip was to view and walk arguably the most spectacular part of the old route, The Myra Canyon with its huge wooden trestles newly restored, promised a unique experience up in the foothills of the Purcell Mountains. Some five years ago the original mountainside trestles which the Kettle Valley Railway had historically travelled across were horribly destroyed during the Great Okanagan Mountain Park Fire which ravaged the area and changed the landscape for ever. One of the visits I was most looking forward to during my current stay in British Columbia was an excursion to see The Kettle Valley Trail which has points just 18km south-east of Kelowna.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |