Our area doesn't have many well-established snowshoe trails.   Sun Peaks has developed some trails (link), but we find these trails so stomped in that they become hard-packed hiking trails.   Put the snowshoes away unless you arrive right after a snowfall.   Overlander Ski Club has also established 8km of trails in the Stake Lake system.  

Overlander Ski Club and the Kamloops Thompson Trails Alliance cleared the 3.6km Bushwacker Trail on top of McConnell Hill for use as a multi-purpose trail and recently members have identified and cleared a linking route from the lower Basalt Bluffs Trail all the way to the top and linked into the Bushwacker Trail.  

We hiked up this steep trail to record the route on the GPS and help clear it for winter use.   The route is 700m with one steep switchback climb up a forested spur to the top of the hill.   We found it easy with boots on the snow, but it will be more challenging on snowshoes.   It will be classfied as a black diamond route, but with enough snow, it will be fine for intermediates too.  

This is an exciting new addition to snowshoeing in our area because it means that we can snowshoe an extra 5km of trails with views from the lookouts on top of McConnell Hill.  Watch for our snowshoe tracksand follow them to the top of the hill…