Central Okanagan Hiking Club
Friends hiking with friends

News & Schedule for May 2012
(schedule and navigation at bottom of this page)

Hiking Etiquette
Whether you are new to the club, or an experienced hand there are a few points of etiquette that we all need to be reminded of from time to time.

• For Newbies. We were all new to hiking, or at least new to this club at some point. There’s no shame in that, but if you are new you MUST do a few things first. Check with the hike leader to see if the trip you want to go on is right for you. You might walk 10 km a day, but that isn’t the same as hiking up rock faces or loose scree. Do you have the right gear? Generally speaking newcomers should try out one of the shorter weekday or weeknight hikes before doing longer weekend trips, but if you are in great shape or an experienced hiker, talk with the leader. If you just show up, and people don’t know you, or you don’t have decent gear, a hike leader may well turn you away.
• Show up on time. The time listed is usually 9 am for most weekend hikes, but that means we are supposed to LEAVE at 9 am. Show up five or 10 minutes early. Usually we need to carpool and make sure everyone knows where we are going. This means you need to leave enough time to get the essential details, especially if you are driving.
• Be ready to go. That means you have your gear, your vehicle is gassed up, your lunch is ready and all the other details.
• The right gear. If you are new, or don’t know a trail, find out what you need to bring. Even on sunny hot days your pack should contain extra clothes, fluids to drink in
  sufficient quantities for the planned hike, proper foot gear, lunch.
• The default is dogs are NOT allowed, but sometimes they might be okay. If you want to bring your dog, it is up to you to check with the hike leader and make sure bringing
  your dog is okay. If you don’t, and the hike leader says you can’t go, don’t get mad at the hike leader. Ask first and then you’ll know.
• Saying ‘No.’ This is perhaps the toughest thing for a hike leader to tell someone who shows up, all eager to do a hike, but if they brought a dog without checking, if they
  don’t have proper gear, if you don’t know them and you aren’t sure they are physically prepared for a hike then you need to say ‘no.’ It isn’t nice, it isn’t easy, but if you go easy now, someone who goes out badly prepared can spoil the day for everyone or it could become a safety issue.
• Driver checkpoints. If you are driving make sure you talk with the leader before you drive off. Are you crystal clear where you are meeting up with thegroup? It is very easy indeed to get the wrong corner.
• After Hiking If you have meetings or things to do after the hike it is UP TO YOU to find out if you’ll be back in time. If the hike leader isn’t sure, that is the trip may take longer than you have time for, please don’t go. It is really, REALLY annoying to be out on a beautiful hike you have planned for (whether as the hike leader or another participant) and here someone whine incessantly that they have a dinner engagement. And yes, sometimes when a leader predicts a four hour hike, it turns into a five hour hike. If you have to make that five o’clock date then think twice before you decide to go.

Mid-week Shorties

Every Sunday
Short hikes of 2 to 2 1/2 hours starting from Sportchek (this is a CHANGE, formerly they began at the Applebowl) starting at 1 pm. All trail heads are closeby, within a 20 minute drive. Details are in the main schedule below.

Every Friday evening
Short evening bike rides (~ 2 hours duration) for May and June, starting from the Chevron station at the corner of Guisachan and Gordon drive. Bike rides start at 6 pm EXCEPT for Friday, May 4 and Friday May 11. Both of those trips will start at 5 pm. Some rides will be led by Suzanne (250-317-3861) while others will be led by Sally (250-765-4852).

Every Thursday evening
At 6:00 pm we hike up Knox. Meet by the green transformer, next to the tennis courts at the foot of Knox Mountain. This is on the corner of Broadway and Kingsway. Please note one alteration: on Thursday, May 17 we are going to see the Great Tree (the biggest Ponderosa Pine in the Okanagan) off Beaver Lake Road in Lake Country. Meet at 6 pm in the parking lot just west of Highway 97 on Berry Road. That’s turning left when coming from Kelowna, at the last stop light in the ‘downtown’ section of Winfield. Newcomers are especially welcome on these 1.5 to 2 hour hikes and are encouraged to try this out to see how hiking matches with their fitness levels

Every Tuesday
Short hikes of appoximate two hour duration. Starts from the Applebowl at 10 am.
Tuesday May 15 Bonita 250-763-1830 – Scenic Canyon Regional Park 10 am Sportchek $3
Tuesday May 29 Doris – 250-763-2025 – Knox Mountain 10 am Meet at Ellis at the bottom of the Knox $0

SCHEDULE - May 2012 - if you wish to receive the schedule by e-mail please send a note to hikekelowna@gmail.com