One can wander for hours within the web of interconnecting trails known locally as The Three Blind Mice (aka: "The Mice") and rarely come upon the same intersection twice. Although the overall area is small, over 50 named - and enumerable unnamed - trails dissect it. Cattle, foresters and outdoor recreationalists have randomly created routes throughout the hillside for more than a century and wildlife for untold millennia prior - thus the calamity of trails. Click the map above to enlarge it - and see a much more detailed version.
Update: I've just completed a new, downloadable / printable version of the Three Blind Mice map and posted it here. This high resolution (nearly 13 mb in size) version of the map was last updated Nov.2nd 2012.
Turnbull, Johnson Springs and Arawana Creeks run east to west down the slope that constitutes the bulk of the riding area. These creeks have created draws and shallow canyons, crossed at right angles by glacial striations running north to south across the face of the mountain. This crisscross of canyons and striations conspires to place trail users in positions that disorient those unfamiliar with the area.
You are however, never truly in danger of being lost for very long while in the Three Blind Mice trail network, for no matter which direction you stray, you will eventually happen upon dirt or paved roadways. Arawana Creek Forest Service Road (FSR) and Mt.Randolph FSR arch around to cap the north and east regions respectively, while Greyback Mt. FSR is located on the southern flank. Both the Kettle Valley Railway / Trans Canada Trail (KVR/TCT) and Naramata Rd. are to the west.
When in doubt, descend west towards Okanagan Lake - glimpses of which are frequently evident. This strategy will eventually place you on the KVR/TCT. Carry a simple compass or smartphone; one can tell you basic directions, the other allows you to display this website with it's many maps and trail descriptions.
A gross simplification of the Three Blind Mice trail network suggests that many of its major routes follow north to south trending contours along the mountainside. These main arteries interconnect via a vast array of smaller sub-trails running approximately east to west.
As you ascend into the higher realms of the Mice, the terrain generally becomes steeper and more technical, featuring exposed rocky outcroppings and massive slabs of bedrock. Due to the arduous ascent required to reach the highest regions of the Mice, many riders, especially those unfamiliar with the labyrinth, explore loops within its lower regions.
The uppermost reaches of the Mice are often accessed using a car-shuttle strategy, employing Arawana forest service road and a second vehicle parked at the old ball diamond at the intersection of Poplar Grove and Naramata Rd. Arawana FSR, while rough and ungraded, offers direct access to the Mice's Rusty Muffler, Corral and Cows-End trailheads, as well as the Reservoir, with its Rainbow Ridge trailhead.
Hard-core trail enthusiasts may also choose to ascend zigzag through a maze of interconnected trails within the Mice, on their way to its highest points. From there, only your imagination limits your route of descent.
As of this writing, and excluding the 'Naramata Beer Run', there is little singletrack development related to the Three Blind Mice on the north side of Arawana FSR or east of Mt.Randolph FSR; this excludes dirt bike trails, which exist in significant number, but are too damaged / eroded to be of interest to the intended audience of this publication. This lack of quality highland singletrack is unfortunate, as the upper reaches of Mt.Randolph and Mt.Atkinson; the heights of land that host the Three Blind Mice, consist mainly of Crown land, littered with overgrown logging and mining roads; land that is ripe for interconnecting with singletrack trails!
I suggest that future trail development in the Mice concentrate on epic routes north and east of the current morass of trails. The main body of the network is saturated with routes, and there are many cases where the current trail system could benefit from amalgamation of short trails, into longer named paths.
Signage of the Mice trails is generally complete, thanks to the efforts of that infatigable trail master; Vance. With financial assistance from Tourism Penticton & The Penticton & Area Cycling Association, he has implemented a basic trail indication system for the area.
What follows are a few examples of the countless routes available in the Mice. I have broken them into suggested categories, but this is by no means a hard and fast rule of where you might wish to explore, nor is it an infallible guideline as to the difficulty level of each route.
While there are no actual ‘beginner’ areas within the Three Blind Mice trail network, there are plenty of great hikes and a multitude of excellent learning experiences for novice riders - if tutored by competent peers. The Mice is a fantastic location to hone your riding chops on technical terrain; on the other hand, it could be an area that turns neophyte cyclists off the sport if they are subjected to ‘too much, too soon’.
Below are some of the most common routes used by groups that I have been lucky enough to ride and hike with over the years, as well as a couple of my personal favorites. Explore, enjoy and then create your own way through the Mice!
Beginner cycling trails are almost non-existent within the Three Blind Mice. The steep road up to the Pearly Gate from the intersection of Riddle Rd. and the KVR/TCT would be enough to turn most beginners off the area! Try as I might, I was unable to point out a wholly ‘easy’ route through the network. If you are a novice and are determined to check out these trails, I suggest that you build your skills under the guidance of a patient and experienced rider; perhaps limiting yourself to the Whitetail trail for your initial outing.
Alternately, develop you skill set elsewhere in the valley prior to attempting the Three Blind Mice; the Carmi Recreational Trail Network is a great option for novice bike riders (see the Carmi chapter in this website).
Hikers on the other hand, will find nearly all of the trails in the Three Blind Mice to be accessible; be it novice, intermediate or advanced participants. Just be on the lookout for fast-moving cyclists as the area is extremely popular with riders during the spring, summer and fall.
Intermediate riders will enjoy the low to middling sections of the Mice. Stop at the Poplar Grove parking lot at the intersection of Naramata Rd. and Poplar Rd. From there, hop on the KVR/TCT heading north. Carefully cross the busy Naramata Rd. and ascend 750m along the KVR/TCT to the next paved intersection, which will be Riddle Rd.
Ascend the steep pavement of Riddle Rd. for a distance of 450m, at which point the road splits left and right to private driveways. Your destination is straight ahead, beyond the chain across the road and up to the (signed) 'Pearly Gate'. Follow Riddle Rd., which continues beyond the gates as a gravel two-track bearing left. Riddle soon switches back toward the west, and then north again, climbing steadily. Be on the lookout for small, yellow signs that begins to appear at the Pearly Gate. They will guide you up Riddle Rd. and onto the White Tail trail; the most commonly used access point to the Mice. White Tail runs north to south, approximately 3.2km along a low section of the overall trail network.
The end of White Tail is evident by the beginning of the Bobcat and Three Witches trail markers. This area sports not only a rock cairn, but also a massive deadfall - once a popular log-ride, lying just beyond it to the northwest. From here, you can elect to forge on, or if a taste of the Mice is all you seek, turn back and retrace your tracks. Trails beyond this point are certain to pose quite a challenge to novice riders.
Those wishing to push on a little further should pass beyond the Bottom Cairn and the previously noted log ride, ascending Three Witches to the Lookout Loop. Take some time to admire the amazing views before descending back down along the route that you used to attain the Lookout. Though you are following the identical path on your return to the Pearly Gate, it takes on a whole new groove and allows you to better commit the route to memory.
Advanced Use the same entrance as the aforementioned route, but when you arrive at a point where the White-Tail trail crosses Turnbull Cr. South, approximately 1.8km from the beginning of White tail, don’t cross Turnbull Cr. Instead, begin ascending the Turnbull Cr. South trail, and continue to do so until you hit Fred (Fred Junction).
At that point, turn north (left) and cross Turnbull Cr., continuing along Fred until you hit the Mule Deer junction (1.4k); begin to ascend Mule Deer. Continue to climb until you hit Rusty Muffler at a 4-way junction. Cross directly through the junction and ride 220m where you will soon meet the Marmot trail.
Head southeast along Marmot, which will eventually cross Riddle Rd., do so, and continue south along Marmot as far as the fence-line. From there, you will begin to be drawn down and west; north, and then west again; soon finding yourself following the signed trail known as Mosquito.
This route drops, quickly merging with and following the Black Bear trail for a brief stretch before Black Bear peels off and heads north again, leaving you seamlessly traveling the Dead Horse trail.
Stop and get your bearings at the first Dead Horse sign, at which point you may choose to:
- ...follow Dead Horse, which soon turns and heads north to Riddle Rd. When it meets Riddle Rd., one need drop 230m down the road, at which point you hang a left and take the Chute Out and Roller Coaster, or lower Cougar / Mr.Ed trails back down to the Pearly Gate.
- ...ignoring the immediate, upcoming right-hand turn onto the main Dead Horse trail, instead continuing west along a fenceline on the Southern Dancer trail. Follow this technical trail back down to the bottom of the Chute Out trail, hooking onto the Roller Coaster trail and returning to the Pearly Gate
- ...follow the main Dead Horse trail only as far as the Dead Horse Extension (3-way junction) appearing on your left some 300m along Dead Horse - as measured from the Dead Horse / Southern Dancer intersection. Drop down the absolutely gnarly (expert riders only) Dead Horse Extension trail, connecting with the bottom of Southern Dancer, and then taking the Chute Out and Roller Coaster trails back down to the Pearly Gate. If you are keen enough to locate the very top of Mr.Ed (its vague) then you are in for a wild ride to the bottom!.
Shuttles (Expert-Only) The highest trails in the Mice are out of reach of all but the heartiest outdoorsmen and woman; unless one car-shuttles up to the trailheads. My personal favorite shuttle, and the one I will describe in detail here, begins at the reservoir, a small pond set high above the Three Blind Mice trail network. The reservoir, originally created as the water supply for a golf course that never materialized, is the current high point of all Three Blind Mice trails.
Here you will find the Rainbow Ridge trailhead and the beginning of an amazing drop to the Pearly Gate via a combination of Rainbow Ridge / Bronco / Southern Dancer and the Roller Coaster trails. Consider this a route for those with a GPS device or reliable guide and loads of bike handling experience / skills. GPS tracks and Google Earth files for this route are available elsewhere on this website; see this chapter's companion map and Google Earth file in order to get a mental image of this route.
To access the Rainbow trailhead, make your way along Naramata Rd. as far as the junction of Naramata and Arawana Rd. Head up Arawana Rd. (which soon changes surface to gravel and becomes known as Arawana FSR) for 8km, at which point the road splits; one path leads straight to the north, the other turns right and ascends southwest.
A straight course would take you to Chute, Corporation and Greyback Lakes, while a right turn onto Mt.Randolph FSR (your choice) allows you to proceed to the reservoir road turnoff which is located 1.5km along it. The Reservoir access road appears as a shaded alley on the right hand side of Mt.Randolph FSR (incorrectly labeled as 'Arawana' with sign high on a tree to your left).
Follow the reservoir road for a little under a kilometer, at which point you will arrive at its namesake; the water reservoir. Proceed to the southwest end of the reservoir, stopping 140m short of the end of the clearing, near a pile of large, dead tree-stumps. There you will see a two-track road entering the forest on your right, heading southwest. Follow this route and keep an eye to your left, as approximately 70 meters along the road you will notice a singletrack trail entering the forest; this is the Rainbow Ridge Trailhead. Park out of the way and enter the singletrack.
The Rainbow Ridge Trail is one of the newest routes into the Mice. The track is generally evident, but seldom used and 'green' enough that a single downed tree can throw you off course and have you wandering around, looking for the trail.
In my best southern drawl: "we don't much git a lotta' riders roundabout these here parts"...
Rainbow Ridge trail features the colorful rainbow ramp & rainbow bridge near its end; these structures also mark an imminent connection with the upper section of Riddle Road. Mike R. put a great deal of sweat equity creating the Rainbow trail, High Pony & Bronco. Nice work Mike!
The Rainbow trail eventually pops out of the forest and onto Riddle Rd. There you will find Turnbull Cr. on your right and an intersection of roads on your left, both roughly equidistant. Heading across the creek and down Riddle Rd. provides a nearly direct route to the Pearly Gate, which lies approximately 5km distant. Riddle Rd. also allows access to numerous trailheads that branch off it's path to the left and right (see map).
Those wishing to continue along singletrack, as we will in this description, should choose to head left, ascending Riddle Rd. You will quickly arrive at a 5-way intersection; the High Pony trailhead is the first right. This faded two-track road soon narrows and a wildly fun, technical singletrack trail begins.
From the 5-way intersection to a point 1.8km along the trail, you are following High Pony. There High Pony drops vaguely to your right, while Bronco continues straight ahead. The original High Pony route finds rare use these days, as most prefer to follow the longer and more interesting Bronco trail, with its amazing vistas and technical singletrack surface.
The route described here continues along Bronco. As Bronco descends, it meets numerous other trails, most of which end or divert from a fence-line that runs east to west along the southern boundary of the Three Blind Mice trail network.
Man-O-War, Marmot, Black Bear and the old firebreak road soon meet Bronco, while other two-track routes pass through the fence-line and into private property to the south (don’t go there).
Seek the small yellow signs titled Mosquito on nearby trees; follow the Mosquito trail down to a point where a series of low ‘wall-rides’ present themselves as your route. Soon you will see a sign for the Dead Horse trail and just beyond it, arrive at a junction which features a well-established trail heading right (north) and a fainter trail heading down along the fence-line. A yellow marker on a tree 15-20m north of this junction, along the well-established path, confirms it as being the Dead Horse trail.
The advanced / shuttle ride described here follows the fence-line, ignoring the main body of Dead Horse, and continuing along an unmarked route called Southern Dancer. Be aware that the balance of this trail is very rocky and technical; if you had a difficult time up to this point, skip Southern Dancer and head for Riddle Rd. via the Dead Horse trail.
Within 130m, Southern Dancer arrives at an intersection, with the corner of the fence that you have been following on your left and a rock wall ahead and to your right. The narrow passage between them may be blocked with logs in a makeshift gate; pass through the opening and hang a left, following on the western side of the fence-line as it turns and heads south.
Oftentimes, immediately prior to the makeshift corner gate, part of the fence on your left is open; ignore it as it passes into private property. Instead, make your way to the corner and pass around the outside of the fence at that point, leaving all gates in whatever position you found them.
You will soon pop out onto an exposed hillside that offers commanding views over Penticton and beyond. Southern Dancer descends wildly for 2.2km before popping out above the Pearly Gate. A nearly immediate left will place you on the Roller Coaster trail. Follow Roller Coaster and perhaps you will be lucky enough to discover a hidden gem that I call The PNE along the way.
Keep your eyes open for rattlesnakes and rock cairns, tube-eating prickly pear cactus and sharp-edge slabs.
Other Options If you enjoy shuttles such as Rainbow Ridge, you will also savor the Rusty Muffler trail. The Rusty Muffler trailhead is marked with an old rusty muffler, appearing atop a boulder to your right 6.4km up Arawana FSR. From this trailhead, head down to the Coral, through the Bone Yard, down Fred, connecting with Three Witches (aka; V-Line) and out via Narnia / Turnbull and Skull to the Pearly Gate. This route is signed and recommended for advanced riders only, especially the Bone Yard.
The Three Blind Mice boasts almost limitless trail combinations. I have barely touched upon the possibilities in this chapter, as to provide a complete overview of the area would require a book unto itself (ya, I'm working on it!)
Getting there From the Peach in downtown Penticton - the following directions are going to sound ludicrous, as there are many individually titled sections of what is essentially the same road between downtown and the trailhead. If you already know where Naramata is, then skip the next two paragraphs...
Head east on Lakeshore Drive, which turns and intersects with Front St. at a three-way junction. Cross the bridge to your left and go through the roundabout, heading up Vancouver Ave. The name of the road changes to Lower Bench Rd. Continue to Tupper Ave. Turn right on Tupper and drive a short length to where it intersects with Middle Bench Rd. Turn left on Middle Bench Rd. and follow it north half a kilometer to where it turns right and changes its name to Munson Ave.
Munson runs all of six hundred meters, to where it changes in name to McMillan Ave. You now arrive at a three-way intersection known as Spiller’s Corner. Head east along McMillan Ave. and follow what is now Naramata Rd. around the sweeping corner to the left. Continue for a distance of 2.5km, at which point you will see Poplar Grove Rd. and parking area on your left. If you pass Hillside Winery, you have gone too far.
Park at the Poplar Grove Rd. parking lot (intersection of Popular Grove Rd. and Naramata Rd.) and head up the KVR / Trans-Canada Trail until you hit Riddle Rd. Head up Riddle Rd. until it ‘T’s. Ignore the driveways north and south; continue to make your way straight up and into the trail network.
Alternately, you may wish to hook up with the KVR / Trans Canada Trail within Penticton (see chapter titled Rail Beds - Local Sections) and use it to travel as far as Riddle Road. The gentle grade between Penticton and Riddle Rd. makes for a great warm-up, as what lies beyond Riddle Rd. is anything but subtle from a cardiovascular point of view.
Here are the kilometer distances and entrance points to the Mice as one drives up Arawana Rd. All routes lead off to the right hand side as you ascend. all distances are measured from the green mailboxes at the intersection of Naramata and Arawana Rd.
Intersection - "Km Zero"
Cross the KVR - 1.2km
Pavement Ends - 1.9km
First Cattle Guard - 2.4km
Second Cattle Guard - 5.9km - Entrance to the Corral Trail
Rusty Muffler - km 6.4
Cows End - 7.1km
Mt.Randolph Junction - 8.3km
Reservoir Turnoff - 9.9km
All of these distances were measured with my 03' Subaru, and should be accurate within a couple of dozen meters. As of July 2nd 2011 Arawana Rd. is fairly rough / washboardy, but drivable with any roadworthy vehicle if run slowly.
Low: 431m | High: 1206m | Length: Varies | Water: Not potable | Cell Access: Full