Wheeler Mountain
Wheeler is the middle mountain in the 3 that run north south from the Thompson River towards the plateau to the north. Mara Mountain is divided from Wheeler in Pruden Pass. Wheeler is divided from Opax Mountain by Hanging Valley. Such a large area so close to Kamloops should see lots of activity, but access routes to all 3 are a challenge and there is very little information available. Here is a start.
Routes from the south used to be easier, but fences now block the route from Pruden Pass. Routes from the east and west are really too steep and so the best access is from the north at Lac du Bois.
Lac du Bois Access:
• Park at Lac du Bois.
• Hike or bike along the east side using the road. At the south end of Lac du Bois, you will cross a cattle guard/fence. Continue south.
• Hike along the east side on an upland lake.
• Continue south until you come to a junction (at N50 47.053 W120 26.996). Turn right and climb up to a plateau area. Continue on to another lake/pond. Look for a junction to the southwhich winds its way up Wheeler Mountain. There are also routes down into Hanging Valley and various side routes, none of which carries on very far.
• Its hard to find a single peak on Wheeler. There are a series of hilltops, some fencelines, and some open areas. I prefer the views to the west and one side road leads to a lookout over the Tranquille Canyon area. There are also hilltops on the east side looking out over the grasslands.
• If you continue to the south, you will find various junctions, two of which go around either side of a hill and down into Pruden Pass.
• There is the potential to take a route to the southeast and join up with the old road heading back up to Lac du Bois in a circle loop. (If I find the route, I am going to flag it!).
• Once the satellite photos of the area are improved, we will be able to link up some of these routes better. In the meantime, this log will be updated after each new exploration.