The Many Faces of Knox Mountain
Well done Triathletes! Wow – hats off to you.
Like me, I’m sure many of you saw a number of dedicated and fit athletes warming up for the Apple Triathlon this weekend. Every year I’m awe-struck with the talent and sheer focus that assembles for the Apple Triathlon. Congratulations to all the participants! To read about the results, check out this story from Kelowna.com.
This got me thinking about the incredible spectrum of recreation we have in Kelowna. Take Knox Mountain for instance. You’ll find people hiking, mountain biking, road biking, playing tennis, play frisbee golf, picnicking and playing at the playground, dogs playing in the off-leash dog park, photographers snapping pictures (often at a professional level), people swimming, and even scuba diving. This gorgeous municipal park is open to everyone, and the activities are free. Here’s a snapshot of the many activities you will find at Knox Mountain, right at the base of Ellis St. in downtown Kelowna.
Hike to Paul’s Tomb - Start out at the first lookout, where you can park your vehicle. If you didn’t bring one, all the better! There’s a trailhead near the west side of the parking lot. You can either choose a challenging hike up to the top look-out, or a leisurely hike to Paul’s Tomb, which we will talk about here.
The hike is about 2 km to the lake, with your prize at the end of the trail being a great swim at Paul’s Tomb beach. Make sure you stop by the actual Paul Family Tomb, just before you head down to the beach on your right hand side, built into the mountain. A little scramble up the hillside will reveal a plaque with the name Paul and the year the tomb was built.
Organized Sports – As soon as you enter into Knox Mountain, you’ll see tennis courts on your right and a treed grove on your left where people play frisbee golf. On certain days, you may see a group of people in the grassy field, doing Yoga or Tai Chi. Whoa, back up – what’s frisbee golf, you ask? Well, it’s just like golf… except your club is your arm, and the golf ball is the frisbee, and the hole is a tree with a target on it… okay, so, not really exactly like golf, but you get the picture. Basically, bring your tennis gear, your frisbee, and your yoga mat, and you are set for the whole day!
Fido’s Playground – While our furry friends are welcome on-leash anywhere in the park, they can romp around to their hearts content in the designated dog-run along Knox Mountain Road just above the tennis courts.
Lesser-known Knox – Here’s a bonifide Juicy Tip: if you were to follow Knox Mountain Road about mid-way between the first and top lookouts, you’ll see a park gate on the right hand side. Follow the trail behind this gate, and you’ll come to a great loop walk around Kathleen Lake, part of Knox Mountain Park. There are lots of different trails on this side of the mountain, popular with mountain bikers and hikers. Keep an eye out, and you may just see the Cairn Corridor, where a mystery person creates stunning cairns that are true works of art, all along a section of trail. You may also see the beautiful flower of the Prickly Pear Cactus (watch out for their prickles!) along the paths in sunny stretches.
For more secrets of Knox Mountain, visit the website of Friends of Knox Mountain Park, where you can read about the various activities in the park, or the many interesting plants and species of wildlife that make their home there.
Next Friday’s radio show will be all about hiking, and you can bet Knox Mountain will make an appearance on this list! If you have tips or pictures to share with us, please send them to info@kelownasjuicytips.com, and I’d love to post them to this Knox Mountain post and to the upcoming one on Friday.
