Before the snows get too deep, backroads make good hiking corridors.    Once the snow is over 20 cm, snowshoes may be a better option.   At about 10 cm hiking was easy with or without traction devices.    On a sunny, mild day the hiking route was up the Mud Lake Road from McQueen Lake.  

There was one set of footprints into Mud Lake.    The lake is about 500m x 200m and sits at the foot of the east slopes of Opax Mountain. 

There are some old tracks that run north or northeast from the end of Mud Lake.    Most of these dead-end in the forest and then it is either out-and-back or bear off through the forest, finding your own route.   

The northeast track wound around a large marsh, surrounded by douglas fir forest.  

After about 1 km the track ended in a small landing.    Using a GPS, McQueen Lake was only 320m east down the hill, winding through open spots, veering around windfall.   At Lac du Bois Road the north end of McQueen Lake was partly frozen in the sun and shade.  

This kind of backroads exploration is well-suited to November and the first half of December.    When the snow becomes deeper we can find other unplowed backroads at lower elevations.  

This is a different kind of hiking.    Anyone who does this has to be able to navigate, to adapt to bushwhacking when needed, to be well-prepared and well-equipped for backcountry winter hiking.