Sept. 22, 2021: Hope-Nicola Valley Loop - Stats: 7.80 km / 272m gain / 1:55 hours MT
A not-so-nice weather day meant staying lower and taking in more close up views. And with a challenging backpacking trip coming up the day after, I decided to keep this one quite tame.
We parked at the Othello Tunnels in Hope and took a walk with history:
The KVR was one of the most challenging railway engineering and construction undertakings in Canadian history. Three mountains ranges and 500km of wilderness stood between Vancouver and the mine fields in the east. There were no roads through the Coquihalla into southwestern BC in the Coquihalla subdivision to accomodate wagons.
The Othello Tunnels are now fully open, making it possible to hike this loop.
Coal-fired steam engines were used till 1951.
Much of the KVR was built by European immigrants and American contractors. This included Itanlian stonemasons and Australian labourers. Tensions between workers increased after the start of WW1.
The KVR enabled BC's mineral wealth to move to Vancouver instead of Spokane.
What used to take two weeks by mule or horseback, now took only 1 day by train from Vancouver to Nelson.
We turned right here, heading the 3.3 km to the parking lot.
Ladner Creek Trestle Bridge - stats: 1 km / 145m gain
In keeping with the KVR theme, we decided to do this short hike which is located 30km east of Hope on the Coquihalla Hwy. If driving east-bound, you have to pass it and do a U-turn at exit #202. There are no signs at the beginning of the highway bridge so keep your eyes peeled for a dirt road where there's ample parking a bit lower down.
The trail starts at the upper parking area just beside the highway.
After a steep short climb on a talus slope, the trail merged onto the old railbed.
This side of the tunnel was reinforced in 1949. It was purposely collapsed for liability concerns after the Kettle Valley railway was decomissioned in 1961.
This last stretch beside the tunnel provided rope assistance but I found it easier to climb up on a trail to the left of it.
The large screen is new. So you can no longer walk on the bridge.
This side of the tunnel was reinforced in 1944. Hence the two different dates on either end of this short tunnel.
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