The Shorts Creek Canyon Rim trail is one of the trails supported by the Vernon Outdoor Club (VOC).   Shorts Creek runs east from the Okanagan Plateau and drains into Okanagan Lake at Fintry.  There is a short hike from Fintry Provincial Park to Fintry Falls at the bottom end.   In between the two trails is a deep canyon separating Terrace Mountain on the south from the mountain slopes of the plateau to the north.   The north rim of the canyon is an escarpment of volcanic rock.    The trail follows the rim in a westerly direction, out and back.

The route enters the forest and winds its way along the edge where there are a few views south and southeast.   The single track trail is prone to windfall, but it is maintained by volunteers from VOC but expect a few down along the way.   The trail gradually climbs, gaining about 250 m.   Terrace Mountain (1950m) is the dominant feature along the way.

At one point along the trail we can see our objective, a spur 5 km away that is higher along the rim route.

A good spot for lunch is at the end of the trail on top of the bluffs.   A short side trail goes down a ridge where we can look back at the colorful cliffs.   Orange and lime-green crustose lichen colors the basalt columns.

The route is out and back, a total of about 10km.   Shorts Creek Canyon Rim is a good hike and worth a daytrip, but to find the trailhead, either use VOC’s book or use a GPS to navigate your way in the maze of backroads.

We hope to follow VOC on more hikes in the future, especially into the Monashees.