In the nineties I discovered two footpaths which approached the Skaha Bluffs recreational climbing area from the north side.  These turned out to be trails employed by rock climbers to access the Skaha Bluffs, long before the current Skaha Bluffs day-parking area existed.  While these trails placed one within the climbing area proper, I sought a parallel north-south route which would allow recreationalists passage through the area without disturbing the climbing community.  Such a route would also provide a connection between two great recreation areas; Wiltse Highlands - just north of the Skaha Bluffs, and Gillies Creek / Gillies Valley to the southeast.

You may access a large, high-resolution version of the image shown in this chapter by clicking on it.

After a pair of unsuccessful attempts at locating a rideable route through the many parallel canyons east of Skaha Bluffs, I received news from local rider Jamie Johnston that he had cleaned up a game trail that fit the bill, dubbing it the Bordin Trail.  Its location turned out to be higher and further to the east than where I had been exploring.

In the fall of 2008, John Gullick and I navigated the Bordin Trail with Jamie’s GPS track at hand.  As a hiking trail, the route rates as intermediate difficulty; as a Mt. biking route, a black diamond or higher.  Hikers in good physical condition will not experience a great deal of difficulty navigating the route.  Mountain bike riders however, must be skilled bike handlers, in top form and aware that the route’s numerous pitches involve several hike-a-bike sessions.

The surface of the Bordin Trail features broken and embedded rock, as well as steep, loose sections.  Along the way, it takes you through terrain that is sure to challenge and impress.  The Bordin trail’s real value however, is recognized when one employs it as a 3.3km connector between Wiltse Highlands and Gillies Creek.  Between the two areas, there are perhaps a dozen different trails.  Several of these are described in this publication; Wiltse Highland trail, Rock Oven, Jamie’s Extension, The Fox and one of this chapter’s subjects; WARD1, to name but a few.

The Bordin trailhead access described here is initiated from the southern end of Evergreen Drive in Penticton.  Parking is very limited and neighbors are likely to become irate if too many vehicles are found parked at the end of this Cul-de-sac; car-pooling or drop-off might be a good idea.  As of 2010 the area is slated for construction, so it’s difficult to say what you will see in the way of access and parking in the future. From this parking area, choose which direction to head in order to access the many trails that ascend the height of land to the east, known as Wiltse Highlands.  You could hike the cycling route, but not cycle the hiking route as it is far too steep.

Hikers entering from the parking area Head east toward the cluster of buildings across the grassy field at the base of the mountain.  One building resembles a municipal structure or water tower, the others are metal-roofed shacks (may not be in place in the future). At the base of the mountain you will see a faint, overgrown two-track route heading south, slope side.  This remnant of a road is the beginnings of the hiker’s path up the mountain. Follow it for approximately 375 meters, seeking a faint singletrack trail which meets your route on the left and rises steeply.

Once you have located this steeply ascending left-hand trail, continue up it for approximately 500 meters, where it will intersect with the Wiltse Highlands trail.  The Wiltse Highlands trail will be the first well established singletrack trail that you happen upon.  It runs north-south across the western face of the mountain, interrupting your ascent.  Read about this trail and the Wiltse area in the chapter titled Wiltse Highland Trail.

Hike south on the Wiltse Highlands trail (a right turn upon intersecting with it) until it intersects with the steep, rocky Terasen gas line service road (SR) 400 meters along.  Proceed up the gas line road about 450 meters, ignoring trails leading off to your right as you ascend.  The gas line road flattens, dips slightly and heads northeast.  Soon you will see what appears to be a quad-track heading off to the east (on your right).  You may notice a small wooden ‘Lay’s Pond’ sign in a nearby tree just beyond it.  Head east up this route; the Lay's Pond trail.

Close scrutiny of the accompanying maps will demonstrate that instead of simply heading up the gas line once you meet it, you also have the alternative of crossing the steep gas line and foraging around for a trail. This very vague, very rough trail (as of 2010) soon heads up and intersects with another singletrack, one not mentioned in this book, locally known as plumbers crack (I'm not making this up...). 'Crack' heads up and meets with the gas line or heads down and meets with a mess of other local singletrack trails; none of which I would suggest are mountain bike friendly, due to their established history and popularity with Skaha Bluffs rock climbing community.

Approximately 500 meters along the Lay’s Pond trail you will come across another well established track intersecting from the south (on your right) this is the Bordin Trailhead.  Bordin follows the shoulder of a wide glacial striation in the land, climbing over its ridge line at a saddle, before descending its eastern face.  A little over three kilometers in from the Bordin trailhead the descent meets a significant three-way intersection; a pivotal point in this chapter.

On your right is an old trail that local land managers have deemed a candidate for reseeding and reclamation. This trail features numerous sections of unsustainable surface material on steep pitches.  It quickly erodes and continues to deteriorate with each use.  Lower down, it also crosses critical riparian areas; submerged in the spring and early summer.  Please respect the wishes of the land owners and avoid traveling on this route.

The trail leading down and to the left from this intersection allows access to many kilometers of single and dual-track trails.  In this case, I will direct you to the WARD1 trailhead.  Other area trails are also described in this book.  Review the chapters titled ‘Jamie’s Extension’ and ‘The Rock Oven’ for more information on Gillies Creek area trails.  Some of you might simply wish to explore the actual Gillies Creek FSR; it is an excellent cardio workout, followed by a high-speed descent if riding a mountain bike.

I must leave you hanging here for a few moments while I jump back to the parking lot and lead the mountain bikers among us to this same pivotal three-way intersection.

Their route initially differs from yours, but meets with it near the Lay’s Pond trailhead.  Those of you not interested in mountain bikes, feel free to skip ahead one full page to the text boldly titled ‘Jump’ below.

Mountain bike riders entering from the parking area For you, access to the Bordin trailhead involves taking a detour; first north and then south or southeast, on steep and winding trails.  Brief sections of hike-a-bike will ensue along these challenging lines to the Bordin trailhead.

A level foot path proceeds in a northerly direction across the field near the end of Evergreen Dr.  Traveling the main path north, ignore the many singletrack, dual-track and quad-trails crisscrossing and splitting off your northern route.  850m from your starting point, you will happen upon a narrow singletrack trail rising to your right. Travel this trail until it rises to meet a two track road, then continue along this road to the north.

Follow it until it intersects with the Terasen gas line SR.  This SR appears as a loose gravel road running roughly east-west on the edge of Ellis Creek Canyon.  New power lines are to be introduced to this area in 2011 and large-scale residential construction may begin soon after.  Visit sweetsingletrack.ca for updates on the area’s access.

Make your way up the gas line SR, watching for a well-worn singletrack trail leading off to the right approximately 160m from where you joined it.  The obvious trailhead is not currently signed, so bring a smartphone, GPS device and tracks, or printouts from the website if this is your first trip. This singletrack, part of the Wiltse Highland trail, begins switching back and forth, ascending southeast.  Here you will experience your first taste of singletrack climbing and see how fortunate you were to have enjoyed that flat warm-up earlier.

300m up this track it splits left and right.  Left returns you to the Terasen SR - and while you could use that route to get to our destination, it is loose, dusty and unimaginative. Hang a right here instead.  At this point you have two choices:

• follow the Wiltse Highland trail (described in this book) the right-hand turnoff of which appears 230m higher along this route. It crosses the western face of the mountain and reaches the southern section of the Terasen gas line. From there you may hike up and north along the gas line to the Lay's Pond trailhead and the Bordin trailhead beyond that. This is the easier, but longer and more technically challenging option, as the Wiltse Highlands trail presents several very formidable, though rideable ascents

• continue to ascend the route that you are currently on, ignoring all junctioning trails, as it rises to a saddle in the hillside. This lowland saddle will allow you to drop over and onto the Terasen gas line which is hidden in a natural fold in the land below. Upon descending and meeting the gas line, the Lay's Pond trailhead lies 320m to the south along it. This is the quicker, but tougher option, as the trail ahead presents several relentless ascents that are unlikely to be rideable, unless your name ends with the word 'Armstrong'.

Attained by either route, the Lay’s Pond trailhead and attendant trail makes its way east, ascending from its junction with the Terasen SR.  This trail hosts, among other things, the Bordin trailhead - which junctions with the Lay's Pond trail at a point 570m along it's length.

The Lay’s Pond trail sports some seriously tough terrain, perhaps only 65 to 70% of which is rideable. If you are set to ride it, you need to embrace some serious hike-a-bike. I rode it in 2010 with several top class mountain bikers, including one provincially rated master-class rider, and we all walked numerous sections of it's length. Follow the Bordin trail south to the same 'pivotal' three-way intersection described for hikers earlier in this chapter.

‘Jump’

Now that everyone is, figuratively speaking, in the same place; that being the southern end of the Bordin trail, on the northern edge of the Gillies Creek valley, at the frequently alluded to three-way intersection, head left and descend 300 meters.  This will place you in a clearing with an obvious two-track road (Gillies FSR) passing through it. Numerous trail fan out in every direction, all accessible from this point.

I suggest that you read the chapters titled Jamie's Extension and Rock Oven for ideas on how to connect the Bordin trail with these excellent trails.

If, for instance, you were to ascend the Gillies FSR from this point you could climb to the Jamie’s Extension trailhead (4.5km up the Gillies Creek FSR) or beyond it to the 201 etc.

As it is not detailed elsewhere in this book, but visually obvious to those standing in the described clearing, I will mention a short but fun trail that you can't help but wonder about. You will surely notice that the singletrack trail which you emerged from the forest on continues directly across the Gillies Cr. FSR and immediately reenters the forest.

This is ‘The Fox’ trail. It parallels the Rock Oven route, climbing alongside and rejoining it 700m later. Consider it an an alternative to the two-track road, which most folks use to access the Rock Oven trailhead. Be aware that The Fox will only take you part way up to the Rock Oven trailhead, you must still ascend the aforementioned two-track road in order to reach the Rock Oven trailhead.

To the right of 'The Fox' entrance, Gillies FSR gently drops to an intersection 200 meters south. There it forms part of a three way intersection. Gillies FSR turns to the right (west) dropping to the Skaha Bluffs climbing area and parking lot, or beyond that, to Skaha Lake.

The WARD1 trail and trailhead, the only other area trail that I will describe in this particular chapter, is located along the lesser used two-track road which rises and continues south from this three way junction. Heading, as we are, to the WARD1 trailhead, continue straight across the intersection.

The route ahead for the next 1.1km is easy to ascend, two-track road.  Along the way you will notice several trails joining on your left.  The first is The Fox’s top trailhead; this area also hosts the bottom of Jamie’s Extension and the Derenzy Downhill trails.  Continue straight ahead until the trail begins to curl to the right and you spot a pond ahead and to your right. If you pass the pond, you've gone too far.

The Land Conservancy is adamant that we don't go near or otherwise mess with this pond, as it apparently hosts a fragile ecosystem.

Your path continues past the north end of the pond and begins to climb a narrow two-track road.  200m beyond the pond, a trail drops off to the right.  This is the WARD1 trailhead.  If instead, you held to the route you arrived on, you would be ascending the Rock Oven trail.  It is described in detail elsewhere in this publication.

WARD1 drops as a semi-technical, well-established singletrack trail until it joins the Gillies FSR just above the Skaha Bluffs parking lot. I would rate it as intermediate to advance in required skill level.

Upon meeting with the Gillies FSR, you may wish to simply drop along it to the Skaha bluffs parking lot - where, if you read this entire chapter before setting off, you would have been wise enough to have left a shuttle vehicle!

Alternately, you can also choose to get one last 'fix' of singletrack by turning to your right and riding approximately 35m up Gillies FSR. There you will see a well established singletrack trail dropping to your left. Hop on this trail and drop to an intersection with another singletrack trail, 160m below. This intersection is the bottom of the decommissioned trail that I described earlier in this chapter. Please avoid using it

Turn left at this intersection and continue to drop for a distance of 190m, where you will meet another intersection. Stay right at this intersection, as the left-hand turn runs through a creek bed for much of the year. This is another section of trail that environmentalists find very disconcerting... I strongly suggest that you avoid it as we are simply guests in this area of private property, and the better we get along with our hosts, the longer we will be allowed to recreate here.

This right-hand trail drops along a beautiful section of singletrack, depositing one at the upper Skaha Bluffs parking area.

Trailhead access from the south, above the Skaha Bluffs parking area Gaining access to the WARD1 trailhead from the bottom of Smythe Drive is pretty straight-forward.  Make your way 1500 meters up Smythe Drive and you will arrive at a three-way intersection in the road.  On your left is the Skaha Bluffs parking lot, on your right is a yellow metal gate.  Make your way around this gate - we have the ‘ok’ from BC Parks to do so as long as we are non-motorized.  Travel 2.5k up what is now titled Gillies Creek FSR (Smythe Dr. officially ends at the yellow gate).

This will place you at a three-way intersection; right will take you to the Rock Oven and WARD1 trails, strait ahead offers only bushwhacking, and left continues up Gillies Cr. FSR to the Bordin trailhead as well as Jamie’s Extension and areas beyond.  Ultimately, it is possible to connect with the Beaverdell Rd. via this FSR.

Head right and make your way up the two-track as described in the previous page (see ‘Jump’).

Getting There From the Peach in downtown Penticton, head south on Martin St.  Upon crossing Eckhardt Ave., Martin changes name to Main St.  Continue south on Main St. to Kinney Ave, head left on Kinney, then right onto Main St. South.  Follow Main Street S. to Pineview Rd.  Go left up Pineview Rd., then right onto Evergreen Dr. Follow Evergreen to the dead-end.  Do not block the gate, nor any neighborhood driveways when parking your vehicles.

If you are entering Smythe Dr. / Gillies FSR from the south, follow the same instructions as above, but do not turn up Pineview.  Instead, travel 4.8k along Main Street S. all the way out of town toward Skaha Lake.  Smythe Dr. will appear on your left near a blind corner.  Travel up Smythe to the Skaha Bluffs parking area.  This narrow road generally experiences a moderate amount of traffic, due to the popular Skaha Bluffs climbing area situated higher up the road.  Significant land development, which will add to the traffic en route, is scheduled for this area in the coming decade.

Use caution when approaching this corner from Main St., and navigating Smythe Dr. to the upper parking area.  The final stretch of the road nearing the parking lot is particularly narrow.

Low:495m | High:868m | Length: Varies  | Water: Not Potable | Cell Access: Spotty