Dean Perez: Cathedral-Manning Park Traverse(Fat Dog Course)

I spent another fantastic weekend in the interior with Max’s family. Saturday morning kicked off with a run on Canyon Trail and Windy Joe Trail in Manning Park. After that, we drove down to Osoyoos and snagged a campsite at Haynes Point. We took a refreshing swim in Osoyoos Lake before Max and I headed out for a night run up Mount Baldy, running under the stars never gets old.

Sunday morning, Olesya dropped us off at Cathedral Trailhead for what turned out to be an epic 62 km traverse from Cathedral Park all the way to Manning Park. While we were pounding the trails, the rest of the family went fruit picking and later picked us up at Pasayten FSR.

We started at Lakeview Creek Campground Trailhead on Ashnola River Road and followed the trail to the Centennial/Diamond junction. There were still patches of snow hanging around in the meadows. Instead of sticking to the main trails, we detoured over Scout Mountain and descended its west side, reconnecting with the Centennial Trail after some route finding, the snow was still playing tricks on the trail.

From there, it was a long, fun descent down to Wall Creek Bridge at the 29 km mark on Ashnola River Road. We ran a couple kilometers along the road before picking up Centennial Trail again and entering Manning Park. This section was the second major elevation gain of the day, winding through burned forest with pink flagging tape from the Fat Dog race helping us find our way through to Easy Going Creek, then following Trapper Lake Trail down to Calcite Creek and finally to the Pasayten River.

Crossing the Pasayten River was definitely the most heart-pounding moment for me. The river was wide, fast, and deep. Luckily, Max, an experienced mountain man and SAR personnel, was with me the whole time. Following his instructions, we crossed arms and shoulders together, gripping a tree pole for balance. The water reached between my waist and chest, and I slipped 3 or 4 times, but Max was always there to steady me. We made it safely to the other side, which felt like a major win.

Waiting for us on Pasayten FSR were Olesya and the kids with warm food, the perfect end to a challenging and memorable day out.

All in all, an incredible weekend of running, adventure, family, and teamwork!