A variety of random ideas crossed my mind as I created this publication - few of which rated a chapter of their own. Here then, are the numerous loose ends. Consider it a FAQ of sorts.

Why do most of the routes begin at the Peach in downtown Penticton? I felt that I needed to provide some kind of reference point for all of the trails in general. The Peach, a big orange concession stand in Rotary Park at the northern end of Winnipeg St., has been in place since the 1960’s. Due to its location, it is one of the landmarks that all locals are familiar with, as well as one that most visitors see when they come to town. Thus, The Peach is ‘Kilometer Zero’.

Why are so many of the maps presented at different zoom-levels and orientations? I rotated numerous images in the publication in order to provide the best overview of the areas being described. Look to the top & bottom corners of the maps that accompany each chapter in order to get an idea of elevation and orientation. I realize that this is not standard practice, and is likely some kind of sacrilege in the mapping community, but hey, this is not your ordinary publication and I am surely no cartographer. If you want to spin the maps around to your heart’s content, visit the Google Earth links off the main page and have at it.

What is the difference between Singletrack, dual-track and two-track? Singletrack trails are generally a half-meter wide or less, with a trail surface that consists of dirt or rock; they are my personal favorite, hence the book and its title. Many singletrack trails in the Okanagan are or were cattle and wildlife trail networks.

Dual-track and two-track trails are more or less the same. I use the terms loosely and oftentimes interchangeably to describe routes that consist of a parallel set of singletrack trails, the width of a mid-size vehicle tread apart. My experience is that dual and two-track trails often fade into singletrack or vise-versa. Most dual and two-track trails are abandoned logging or mineral exploration routes, and many of them are overgrown and decrepit to the point that one would not wish to actually drive a modern vehicle on them.

Roads are surface routes that could potentially be driven upon by a quality vehicle without risk of damage. They could be dirt, rock or paved surfaces, depending on the context I used the term in. None of these descriptions are hard and fast, and they only reason that they continually appear in the publication is that singletrack trails oftentimes cross or intersect with these roads. Do not think that because I call a particular surface a road, you can drive upon it without damage to your vehicle. I have traveled many back country roads that fade to singletrack on entry and exit; rendering them ‘islands of travel’ as far as vehicles are concerned. The forest has a way of taking over clearings if left to its natural course.

Why did you not provide suggested completion times for the trails? I have not offered any estimates of how long a particular route might take to travel, as I truly have no idea what speed or mode of transport you might employ. You may walk, hike, bike, snowshoe, ride horseback upon, XC-ski or cross-country run the routes described herein. I therefore had to ask myself, “who am I to say how long it will take anyone from a wide variety of ages, modes of transport, abilities or fitness levels to traverse a specific distance?”

Examine the GPS and Google Earth files for the trail in question, paying attention to the overall elevation change, indicated level of difficulty and distance. With those facts and a little knowledge of your own skill, I feel confident that you will arrive at a much better estimate of time required than I could offer. When in doubt, over-estimate the time you think a route will take and bring twice as much water as you think that you will need. I spend far too much time exploring side trails, cleaning, pruning and maintaining as I travel, thus my estimates on time vs. distance are all but useless.

Why are there so many trails missing? A person could spend a lifetime searching out trails in this valley. There are thousands of square kilometers of land in the South Okanagan, and the place is littered with trails coming and going from every direction. I am aware of the location of dozens of trails that do not appear in this book, but I have yet to explore them. I will add more trails to the website as I work on future editions, but in this case, I simply had to ‘draw the line’ at some point, or the publication would never have been 'published'

Additionally, I have omitted all of the popular trails situated on the Penticton Indian Band reserve lands out of respect for the First Nations people and their territory. If you wish to enjoy the First Nations trail networks, I can only suggest that you contact the band office and ask for permission. Remember that this is reserve land - not a non-native recreational area.

I have also omitted routes that are located on private property, except in special cases where I was provided specific permission. I was determined to avoid the creation of trespassing issues between myself, landowners and the public, as such, I have also omitted a vast number of trails that pass through specially designated ecological reserves such as those managed by The Nature Trust, The Land Conservancy and Canadian Wildlife Service, etc.

Why didn't you rate the trails with difficulty indicators?  Originally, I had set out to do just that. I soon realized however, that I had no idea what means of transport readers would use while traversing the trails. Routes that are difficult for riders might be a breeze for hikers. What about equestrians or trail runners, birders or snow-shoe enthusiasts? As such, I ask that you simply read the text which accompanies each route. It will provide all of the trail detail that one could ask for, and in some cases, more.

Where are the Okanagan Mountain & KVR trail systems? There already exist numerous books describing these areas on the market and online. In the case of the KVR, publications are available in nearly every book shop in the Okanagan. Check out ‘Cycling the Kettle Valley Railway’ by Dan & Sandra Langford (ISBN-10: 0921102887). For information on Okanagan Mt. Park, pick up a copy of Okanagan Trips and Trails by Judie Steeves and Murphy Shewchuk (ISBN ISBN-13: 9781550413496) or consult the BC Parks website on the area. You can also turn to the local library, which holds numerous works detailing both of these areas.

For those of you so inclined, here is a Google Earth file which presents an overview of most of the BC KVR circuit, and here is the GPS file version of same.

As such, I felt that these areas did not warrant another overview on my part. I did however, present an abbreviated look at short sections of the KVR adjacent to OK Falls, Penticton and Summerland. See the chapter in this publication titled ‘Rail Beds - Local Sections’.

Why so much history? The simple answer is “because I enjoy history”. History and geography were two subjects that captivated me during my school years. Nowadays, I oftentimes find myself in the forest, pondering how an artifact or long abandoned and overgrown road or trail was created. I simply assumed that others might wonder this same thing, so I set out to scratch the surface of answering some of these questions.

During the research phase of creating this publication, I spent an exorbitant amount of time reading historical text relating the interior of BC. I also sat down and spoke with numerous senior citizens in our community. Many are the minds that I would have loved to engage, but old age and dementia took countless individuals before I had the opportunity to speak with them.

I strongly encourage everyone to make a point of listening to, and somehow recording the experiences of our elders. Once they are gone, so too is much of their enticing history.

I would also like to take this opportunity to draw your attention to the work of the Okanagan Historical Society and their matchless publications. See your local schools, libraries, the OHS home page and your local bookstores for copies. It is my opinion that selections from these publications should be considered required reading in our school’s history classes.

Why do you support taking dogs into the back country? Much to the chagrin of some naturalists, I feel that there is no better place to take your dog for a walk then a forest trail - provided you are looking out for them. Over the decades, I have logged many thousands of kilometers of forest trail with a faithful canine companion by my side - and I would be hard-pressed to name a better hiking companion. No matter which way you want to go or when and where you want to stop, they think it is a good idea. You do however need to keep a few things in mind for the good of your pet, wildlife and your fellow man.

Defecation; not a quaint subject but let us not beat around the bush. Judging by the paths that I’ve seen around the valley, it is a topic that needs to be addressed. Simply put, if you have a pet, it is your task to pick up after the animal, period. Just stuff a small baggie or two in your pocket before you go out with Fido; I guarantee that you will need it. Trailside feces are annoying, disgusting and unsightly. Unfortunately, I see a lot of it on popular trails due to lazy pet owners. Pick up after your pets or do not own one!

Oftentimes, I see that folks have in fact taken the time to pick up the mess, but have then simply thrown the bag containing it back on the ground near the trail - give me a freaking break! If you are that ignorant, you don’t deserve to own a pet. If you forget to bring, or run out of baggies, at least have the decency to use a stick and remove poo from the trail.

Other important canine considerations include prickly pear cactus, the likes of which we have in spades here in the Okanagan. If the spiky fruit from these plants become attached to a dog’s foot, your pet will try to chew at it, causing the spikes to then become lodged in it's mouth.

Even when carefully scanning your route and watching where 'Fido' walks, you will still need to hike with a small pair of pliers or tweezers, such as those found in a Leatherman multi-tool. If you are in an area where you see a lot of poison ivy, be sure to keep animals away from it as the oils from the plant can transfer from their fur to you, your belongings and your family later on.

The Okanagan is home to a variety of snakes, the rattle snake being the only one that can harm you or your pet if it is surprised or harassed. Your dog is unaware of the danger posed by these reptiles and may be inclined to pursue and corner one - generally with dire consequences.

The pursuit of wild animals appears to be hard-wired into the canine brain. They will attempt to run down deer, goats, sheep, moose and elk in a heartbeat. It is your job to make sure that your pet isn’t allowed to do so. If the dog does not listen to your commands, keep it on a leash - and train it sooner than later. Pursuit upsets wildlife grazing, rearing and reproductive cycles, and in BC, it’s against the law.

Canines that run wild in the woods also put themselves and their owners at risk since they could encounter skunks, raccoons, foxes or animals that may harbor mange, rabies or other diseases. Try bringing Fido home in the car after he’s been sprayed by a skunk or arrives back at your feet, pawing at his face and sporting a muzzle full of quills from a porcupine.

Search & Rescue If you get yourself in over your head, experience a medical emergency or have a serious accident while on the trail, chances are you will soon get to meet one of the Okanagan’s fine Search & Rescue personnel. These Folks will save your butt when the going gets (really) bad. Search & Rescue can be contacted at 251 Dawson Ave, Penticton. Their phone number is 250.492.6005 and their email address is search-pen@shaw.ca I have met with their membership and provided them with a copy of all tracks found in this book.

If you are keen to explore a lot of the trails in this area, then I suggest that you pause now and add their number to your cell phone’s address book. Not that a cell phone works everywhere in the valley, but at least it tilts the odds of reaching support a bit more in your favor. Keep in mind that they are not guides or people to be contacted with minor questions about the area; they are your lifeline when a real tragedy strikes.

What is with the colorful GPS tracks? The rainbow effect is my attempt to colorize the GPS tracks by slope. In general, the lighter colors indicate a gentle slope and the darker colors steeper pitches. Don’t take this too literally however, as sometimes this color pattern may be misleading due to glitches in the software application I used to create these tracks. Colorization was meant to be a very general, ‘at a glance’ method of evaluating a trail’s level of difficulty.

Why do you use American English spellings? Many words in this publication will have you scratching your head, wondering why I spelled it that way. Simply put, I like the look of American spellings more than the Queen’s English. Life is short, don’t sweat the small stuff.

The Google maps look ‘odd’ Yes, they can look odd in many ways; homes attached to the side of steep slopes, entire forests that appear to be laying down, water with a bizarre sheen to it, some sections are high-resolution, others are horribly distorted. This and many other quirks you will find within Google Earth at this stage in its development - and these things are out of my control.

Google’s mapping technology imparts somewhat of an odd pitch on surfaces and if you ask them about timelines involving the addition of further high resolution mapping, they will tell you “we’re working on it”. Then again, it’s a big planet and they have a lot of ground to cover. In ten years we will likely look back on this era of Google Earth and laugh at how primitive it appeared.

Why are so few of the trails marked or signed? This book and website describe more un-marked dual and singletrack trails than any guidebook that you are ever likely to read. Much of the time, you are completely on your own with nothing more than this text, your wits and hopefully some manner of navigation to make your way along a route.

The catch with trails is that they are generally looked upon by politicians as something other than the recreational facilities that they really are. As such, funding for trail-building / trail maintenance and signage is not even on their radars.

Basically, you are in the forest or along a mountain ridge on many of these trails - and it is unusual to find signage in these locals. I can only suggest that you download and use the Google Earth and GPS files available on this website. These resources, used in partnership with a little common sense and preparation, will vastly reduce the likelihood of becoming lost.

Fire Hazards In most cases, this means you! Over fifty percent of wildfires are caused by human error or bad judgment. I stand in amazement at how absurdly ignorant our species can be. Don’t be a statistic. Unless you are caught in an emergency situation, none of the trails described in this publication are long enough that they require an overnight stop or campfire. I implore you to avoid open flame in all of its forms while recreating on any of the trails presented herein.

After living through two of the valley’s largest wildfires of the past century, I can report that it isn’t pretty! Lots of choking smoke filling the valley, dead animals, destroyed property and wilderness that will remained charred for decades.

You are recreating in the driest landscape that you will encounter outside of a proper desert, and it tends to go up in flames faster than you can imagine. For the most part, the ground is deep with layers of pine needles and remains bone dry for much of the year.

What's with all of the notes on water and cell service? The water is pretty-much listed as 'non-potable' or none. The non-potable bit tells you that there is water, but you'll need a quality filtration product to drink / cook with it. The cell service is that of Rogers Wireless - which is pretty much the weakest signal in this valley - I know, I had it for 10 years! I now have Telus Wireless service and its far better coverage. If a chapter states 'weak signal' or words to that effect, I'd like to hear feedback from you on what your provider's signal strength is when you visit the areas in question.

Favorite businesses to patronize Through reading many trail guides I have noted a predilection for pointing out favored venues of one sort or another. Here are my thoughts on the subject:

Pubs - Kettle Valley Station Pub on Eckhardt Ave. Great food and ambiance

Breakfast - The Kaleden Restaurant on Hwy.97 heading north toward OK Falls. It reminds me of the ‘mom and pop’ restaurants that my grandma ran when I was young. The views from the sundeck overlooking Skaha Lake at the Kaleden Restaurant are beautiful

Lunch - IL Vecchio Delicatessen Robinson St., downtown Say hi to Val, she is 'salt of the earth' The food is fresh and amazing on the palate

Supper - Theos's downtown, Earls on Main St. or the Kettle Valley Pub. All serve great food at decent prices. Each offers pleasing ambience and great service (I'm kind of a Theo's junkie though...)

High Class Dining -  Zia’s Stonehouse Restaurant in Summerland offers a taste of high-end dining in a refurbished architectural heritage site. This beautiful house was built by Alfredo Biagioni in 1916 - he shoveled out the basement by hand!

Book Store - The Book Shop 238 Main St. Hands-down the largest selection of used books I have ever experienced. The staff are all very knowledgeable and pleasant to deal with. Hooked on Books - right across the street, offers new books and the staff are also very knowledgeable.

Annual Festivals - Peach City Beach Cruise in June. Naramata Days on the first Sunday of Aug.

Favorite Local Park - Manitou Park, Naramata

Rural Walk - Trout Creek Stroll (see chapter in Sweet Singletrack)

City Walk - Hobo Jungle via the Esplanade Trail or the paved walkway that follows Penticton Creek up to the Penticton water treatment plant

Easy access, scenic spot - Munson Mountain (on Middle Bench Rd)

Wineries - Thornhaven Winery; because I love the ‘open patio with a view’ concept and Hillside Estate Winery, as it sports a beautiful physical structure and is located on the KVR, adjacent to the Three Blind Mice trail network

One 'Must See' - Aside from the many summit look offs in the valley: Linden Gardens in Kaleden. Loads of paths through a massive outdoor garden, centered around the fantastic FrogCity Cafe.

One 'Must Do' - Eat 'live' organic fruit right off the tree or vine. It doesn't matter what kind, one taste will convince you of the merit of ultimate freshness.

Favorite Coffee Spots - Bean to the Beach on Vancouver Ave. or The Bench on Vancouver Ave. in Penticton.

Bakery <By a landslide> True Grain Bread at 10108 Main St., Summerland

Entertainment - The Dream Café on Front St. or the South Okanagan Events Centre (SOEC) on Eckhardt Ave W. These venues are polar opposites, with the Dream Café catering to smaller acts and the SOEC generally booking large commercial presentations.

Accommodations - I have only ever stayed at the Ramada in Penticton, which I found spotless and complimented by the excellent Kettle Valley Station Pub. I imagine however, that the Lakeshore Hotel would be a great place to stay as well, with its views out over Okanagan Lake and close proximity to downtown nightlife.

For the less well-heeled, there exists a Youth Hostel on Ellis St. I have not stayed there, but - with the exception of the Halifax Hostel, downtown Halifax - I've have had nothing but good experiences at hostels across Canada to date.

The valley offers an amazingly wide variety of accommodations. See the Tourism office at the intersection of Eckhardt Ave. and Hwy.97 for a full rundown of what is available, or visit them online.