Mount Boucherie Hike

Where:

• Mount Boucherie

 

When:

• April 27, 2021

 

Who:

• Ed, Jace

 

Trailhead:

• from downtown Kelowna, head south on Highway 97, turn left (south) onto Bartley Road, which turns into East Boundary Road
• follow the signs for 1.5 km, and you will see a small parking area on your left (you can park along the road across the street)
• there are three trails from the parking lot so take the Boucherie Rush Trail

 

 

Degree of difficulty:

• 300 meters of elevation gain
• 5.6 km out and back
• the hike took 40 minutes to the top and 25 minutes coming down at a leisurely pace
• well maintained trail with switchbacks and wooden railings at the narrower and steeper sections of the trail

 

 

Interesting notes:

• the 360-degree views at the top are well worth the climb

• Mount Boucherie is the remnants of a former stratovolcano created nearly 60 million years ago
• it is named after Isadore Boucherie, a farmer, stock-raiser, and an early settler to both Rutland and the west side of the lake
• in the late 1880s, Isadore purchased the land, which is still known today as Boucherie Ranch, and the mountain behind the ranch still carries his name
• unique rock formations and ancient solidified lava rock can be seen throughout the trail
• another unique aspect of this trail is the Antelope Bush which is a plant species indicative of the Sonoran Desert