Hiking has always been my way of reconnecting with nature.

With every step, each bird song, every physical challenge, every sweeping vista and every day’s destination reached, I leave behind a little stress and recharge my soul.

When another trip I planned for this fall fell through, I decided it was time to explore my own backyard—to walk from Penticton to Osoyoos and back. What I discovered over those six days was a diamond in the rough, a network of trails and quiet roads so close to world class that I can’t help but wonder how we can help it reach its full potential.

Everyone who lives in, or visits, the Okanagan agrees the scenery is spectacular but most of us experience it at high speed, usually by car. On foot— mostly away from the highway—you can immerse........

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