The Southern Interior is light years ahead of other areas of the province in establishing epic trails but still faces challenges in completing some of them compared to other areas.

Most of those who enjoy outdoor recreation don't truly appreciate the great longer-distance trails we have in the Okanagan such as multi-use paths, like the Okanagan Rail Trail, the KVR Trail from Penticton to Little Tunnel, the South Spur of the KVR along the west side of Skaha Lake and the KVR Trail from Summerland toward Princeton.

Nowhere else in Canada has a Myra Canyon, with its 16 wood trestles, two steel spans and two rock tunnels in 12 kilometres. It's considered the highlight of the ultimate epic trail, the 28,000-kilometre Trans Canada Trail.

The Okanagan, of course, took advantage of the opportunity to convert rails to trails. However, it is an ongoing challenge to establish the 125-kilometre Trail of the Okanagans from Kelowna to Osoyoos, with the long-term goal to connect Sicamous to Brewster, Wash., for example.

With more than 100 existing paths already in the territory, the goal is to connect and merge them into one large spine, 370 kilometres long. It's happening bit by bit with........

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