Salmon Ridge Trail by Amanda Yanagisawa

Amanda is back with her second guest blog post. I love that she's a Scaredy Cat like myself but pushes through it and ticks the hike off her list. Read all about her adventure...
Photo Credit: Amanda Yanagisawa

For FIVE years I have been driving past the beginning of the Salmon Ridge Trail multiple times a day, multiple days a week and have never ever stopped to take a look! I'm glad today has changed that pattern. According to my tracker this short, uphill Trail is two kilometers one direction, or approximately 2500 steps with an elevation gain of 100 m. To get to this gem of a leg burner, you turn onto Chilliwack Lake Road from Vedder Road in Chilliwack. In less than a kilometre on your left there is a large gravel pullout parking lot. Here you can see the signage that the city of Chilliwack has put up and the stairs that begin you up the mountain side. Heading up the stairs you soon enter the forest and come up on a fork in the trail. If you head left you connect with the Brindlewood trail, but to stay with the Salmon Ridge head right.... Don't be fooled into thinking you are taking the easier route when you see the trail leads down as it quickly turns back up the hill for another set of stairs! When the trail plateaus you come out of the trees and start along the ridge. The trail is wide and flat here and there is a fence on the hill side. After a short while you once again meet some stairs and head up! Alternating between staircases and gravel path you continue up (and up and up) on the path, staying right if you come across a fork (left takes you into the suburbs of Promontory). The trail ends with a single park bench overlooking Promontory and the valley and city below- congrats you have finished! To get back home simply turn around and do the same trail in reverse. This was a beautiful little trail that is highly assessable and is quick and "easy" to complete. It was teeming with life- both flora and fauna and I think it would be a fabulous place to take kids to explore and play. It is also possible to add extra kilometers by taking multiple trails or connecting them by travelling along some sidewalk through some of the neighbourhoods of Promontory making it a highly versatile trail.