With overnight snow in the hills, we chose to hike in the valley bottom next to the Thompson River.     We started at the west end of Mission Flats Beach and hiked along the sandy beaches upstream.  

Our route took us past two islands, then into the wind, we hiked along the shoreline trails to the start.

In winter we sometimes walk one of the river beaches where the snow clears off first.   Later in winter, ice will build up along the shoreline and then we use microspikes and hike on the ice instead.  

On this windy cool day we spotted lots of gulls and a few eagles.    We walked on the sand in an easterly direction, then looped past the two islands and worked our way to single track trails in the forest back to the start.  

We will be back during the winter to walk the ice when the weather is right.