The Barcello Canyon hike on Sunday, July 9 above Cawston is the outing that was aborted at the end of April due to high water in the creek. (Directions: Turn left off Hwy. 3 onto Daly, cross Upper Bench/Barcello Road and park along fence where Daly takes a right turn.)
We met at Riverside at 9:00 a.m. to carpool to trailhead which took about 50 minutes. The hike is approx. 6 km (4.3 to the Falls) to the valley viewpoint. Everyone enjoyed the cooler shaded hike along the creek. We ate our lunch near the falls and climbed up to the ledge behind the falls which is always a highlight!
Then we pushed on to the viewpoint, a very open hot, dry spot where an amazing mariposa lily was in full bloom. The view south over Cawston and the Similkameen Valley revealed storm clouds moving in. We arrived back at our cars just as the rain was starting.
It’s a moderate uphill trail with about four crossings of the creek which didn’t present any difficulty at this time. VFFN has done this hike numerous times over the years with varying challenges in water crossings.
Submitted by Johanna Nott
