In late fall most of the trails of the area became quite icy so we decided to hike in the lower grasslands on a route I call the Barren Hills. It is just an section of the lower Batchelor Hills. Some of the old double tracks were used by ranchers. Most of the single tracks are relatively new, made by … Continue reading…
We hike the Barren Hills every spring once the trails dry out. The trailhead is off a short side road just past Batchelor Hill. Mountain bikers call this area Batchelor Hills which is an accurate name, but since both sides of the Lac du Bois Road are the Batchelor Range and the Batchelor Hills, we call the small area north … Continue reading…
As spring approaches, the lower south-facing slopes clear of snow first, but the hills above with no tree cover follow shortly afterward. Within two weeks after we can hike on the lower Barren Hills, the upper Barren Hills can also be hiked but hikers will face a bit of snow and mud on the north side of hills or in … Continue reading…
There are a few hikes we do every year at the same time of the year. We see the same things, but it is like a warm homecoming to hike a trail we know and love, especially in spring when the hills have dried out. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”OSM Cycle” z=”13″ … Continue reading…
In March the hills take a while to dry out, so we look for south-facing lower elevation routes. The hills north of Brocklehurst offer us a series of trails. Over time, we have developed a 14km return route for shoulder season, but we can vary the route to do somewhere between 7km and 14km. On this last spring outing, we … Continue reading…
The first trails to dry out and be good for hiking and biking are the lower Barren Hills, above the North Shore. These slopes are south-facing, treeless, and open. Older double tracks and newer single tracks (bikes) traverse the hills, keeping much of the route gently rolling, avoiding steep climbs. It is easy to get a 8km out and back … Continue reading…
A series of tracks between Lac du Bois Road and Mount Mara can be linked up to create a hiking or biking loop. It is an area best suited to shoulder-season since there are no trees and can be very hot in summer. There are a number of junctions to interpret so it takes a couple of outings to recognize … Continue reading…
The hills above the north shore of Kamloops rise steeply above the flood plain, but the hills beyond are mostly rolling and treeless Bachelor Hill stands above this area with Telus towers on top. A road switchbacks up to the top, but this is the least pleasing route choice. Instead, a number of old double tracks can be combined … Continue reading…
We hiked the Sonoran Desert canyons and ridges, all below the treeline. Tall saguaros, various types of cacti, and prickly shrubs covered the hills and the only trees we encountered were in riparian zones in stream valleys. One day we drove up the road to Mt. Lemmon, an alpine village destination for a summer get-away and a ski hill in … Continue reading…
Skoatl Point is a dark, barren volcanic core rising above the Bonaparte Plateau. It is in a remote forested area surrounded by many lakes frequented by anglers and hunters. It is the only maintained trail in Bonaparte Provincial Park. Access is via the Jamieson Creek Road (for 25.5 km), then west on the Windy Lake Road. The trailhead … Continue reading…
Mt. Bowman is the premier hike in Marble Range Provincial Park. Access from Clinton is via the Kelly Lake Road, then a right turn onto the Jesmond Road. At 21 km north on the Jesmond Road, an unsigned side road winds to the trailhead area. Alternately, there is an access route through the Circle H Mountain Lodge, requiring permission. We … Continue reading…
The south side of Mount Mara is very rugged, with many bluffs, cliffs, canyons, hoodoos, and rocky slopes. We usually hike on two trails on the south side, but there are a number of hard-to-get-to areas requiring scrambling on steep terrain. To the west of the main canyon is a “hidden vale”, untouched by cattle grazing, wildfires, or human activity. … Continue reading…
In late winter when the snow still lingered in the hills, we stomped across the ice and through the snow to explore the three hills that make up Batchelor Hill in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area. The trailhead we chose is the “Upper Barren Hills trailhead”, off a short side road just past Batchelor Hill itself. The double … Continue reading…
Balancing Rock is a well- known landmark in our area, but not many people actually hike down to it. The parking spot is at a pull-out and gate 1.5 km west of the Six Mile Viewpoint on the TransCanada Highway. Drivers need to make a careful turn if there are other vehicles nearby since it requires a sharp turn on … Continue reading…
Kiholo Bay is found on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. The whole area was covered in lava flows less than 200 years ago so access is often a rough road through ragged, barren black lava beds. Trails are really just paths along the shoreline, partly broken up by waves and partly cleared by people who throw … Continue reading…
When Sun Peaks opens its Sunburst Chair for summer hiking, we buy a lift ticket and hike the upper trails on the mountain. In most years we hike back to the summit of Tod Mountain, an 8.5 km route. On this last hot summer day we hiked with our grandson, so we wanted a shorter scenic hike. We chose to … Continue reading…
