Three Amigos – Dewdrop Traverse – Dead Coyote Ramble
There are a few trails that climb from the Dewdrop Range up to the rim of red Plateau. The Dewdrop Trail is the best known, but there are more routes that climb the steep slopes of the Red Plateau Escarpment to the trails that follow the rim. We drove out the Frederick Road and then turned onto the rough upper road. With recent rains the road was only suitable for 4WD trucks so we made our way cautiously along the route for 2.6 km. There is a mountain bike route that starts off the road, but it was grown over so we just aimed for the Three Amigos Trail (400 m). The trail is easier to find farther back, but in mid-fall that area was very muddy. There are no signs so a map or GPS is helpful to hike these trails.
Once we were on the trail, we stayed left and followed the Three Amigos Trail for 4.7 km, climbing 600 vertical m. The main view was southwest toward Rousseau Hill and Kamloops Lake.
To the east the steep slopes of the Red Plateau Escarpment stretch for 6 km to Jag Hill.
We crested to the top of Red Plateau, then we turned east on the Dewdrop Traverse Trail. There was snow in the forest and in cutblocks.
After traversing for 1.7 km we came to the junction with the Dead Coyote Trail, passing a fading sign before turning right.
As we descended the Dead Coyote Trail some weather started to roll in, but we got to the end of the 11.1 km loop route relatively dry.
The outing was a slower hike with steep slopes and some rougher patches to get through. The area is in a remote backcountry area with douglas fir – juniper open forest and wide views at frequent viewpoints. We will return to hike in the area, combining other trails next time.