May 10, 2024 - Day 11

Please tell me I am not the only one who had no idea whatsoever that there is a large desert in the middle of south central BC. It's amazing to see when you consider where it is...and it just appears in the mountains with no prior warning. You'd swear you were staring at a scene in New Mexico or Arizona. The only thing missing is the cactus, and we even found a miniscule patch of those!

A hike seemed the thing to do though we had to be careful because with the desert comes desert temperatures - close to 30 degrees which after the wonderful 16 to 20 degrees we've been enjoying was downright hot. We even had to stop and buy water and sunscreen before starting.

We even stumbled upon a spot on the trail where some thoughtful soul had decorated a desert Christmas tree. Gayle, you see this frequently in NS but I was taken aback to find it here.

Heritage Park in Ashcroft rounded out our exploring for today. Their displays reinforce the importance of the CPR in the growth of Canada.

Just sit back and enjoy it!

Shortly thereafter we hopped back on the Gold Rush Trail and returned to our "home" in Cache Creek.