One of the trail areas that clears of snow, ice,and mud early is the set of trails off Bunker Road, a section of open grassland benchland in Kenna Cartwright Park.   Most of the trails are shorter and moderate hikes, but there are also outstanding views from the edge of the bluffs.  We hiked these trails – Sage to Fescue, Fescue to the gate, Arnica to TRU Connector, Panorama Trail out and back, and back by the Sage Trail, a 4 km route.

From the Fescue Trail we got our first long view to Mts. Peter and Paul, the Dome Hills, and Mt. Lolo beyond.

A few wildflowers were emerging like this yellow bell.

yellow bells (fritillaria pudica)

From the TRU Connector Trails we had good views down to The Thompson River, Rabbit Island, McArthur Island, the North Shore, and up the North Thompson River Valley.

A few younger ponderosa pines were growing in sheltered, north-aspect locations, here stylized to match my own impressions.

From the Panorama Trail, we can look west to Kamloops Lake.

From the edge of the bluffs we can also look up the river to the Confluence and the South Thompson River Valley.

We hiked around Rabbit Island 4 days earlier by wading across a channel from McArthur Island, shown here.

We were lucky to have a bluebird perch on top of sagebrush long enough for a good photo.   We have spotted bluebirds every day while out hiking, but they rarely stay close enough or still enough to get a good photo.