I started exploring this area in 1976 and I continue to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, I chose to share this information. Getting out 12 months each year, I continue to explore trails, tracks, routes, and waterways of the Kamloops area and beyond.
The trail is long, but the destination is worth the effort. Some caveats first. Do this hike before or after the mosquito season. Be prepared to climb, over, under, or around the deadfall. Spring is best to see the power of the river as it tumbles over the falls. Fall adds season color to the trail. The trailhead is at … Continue reading…
The main parking lot to access Okanagan Mountain Park from Kelowna is in an awkward spot. There is a good parking lot and a trail goes down to the beach below, but the routes into the park above climb quickly and wind up bluffs, through gullies, cross creeks, going up and down, without much reward. The Boulder Trail climbs up … Continue reading…
After the wildfires of 2003, the trail system on Okanagan Mountain Park has been slow to recover. One trail is permanently closed. Several others have been choked with windfall from dead trees or eroded from surface runoff. Black trees cover the hillside, but secondary shrub growth and sun-loving wild flowers have grown up. The trails are no longer a forested … Continue reading…
Wells Gray Corridor hikes start off the main road into Wells Gray. Most follow the Murtle Plateau to waterfalls, along rivers, or to lookouts. They are forest walks, excellent for the early season or late summer. They can be very buggy from June 1st through July 15th (or later). Few of the trails go very far since they are in … Continue reading…
Opax Mountain is a sprawling high plateau sitting northwest of Lac du Bois. The sides are steep and a lava cliff fringes the south, west, and east sides, but there are two routes up and some good hiking, biking, and exploring to do. Earlier articles listed two of these routes: West Opax West Opax approach East Opax (on the snow) … Continue reading…
As we travel northwest along the Tranquille Canyon, we can see a line of rugged mountains/hills overlooking the river. Volcanic cliffs and eroded bluffs loom over the canyon starting with Mount Mara, then Wheeler Mountain, and Opax Mountain. The fourth in this line is Watching Hill. It sits over the confluence of Watching Creek and the Tranquille River. The … Continue reading…
In a single week, the rivers have risen a great deal, but the North Thompson is ahead of the South Thompson, so much so that it has backed up the South Thompson's progress. One week ago, I paddled the South Thompson and the river had its usual slow flow, but this week the river was sluggish. I paddled downstream from … Continue reading…
One of the first snow-free backpacking or day-hiking areas of our area is the Stein Valley Heritage Trail. To reach the trailhead, drive two hours to Lytton and take the reaction ferry across the river. Follow the signs north to the trailhead: The trail follows the Stein River as it flows from the headwaters in the Coast Range down to … Continue reading…
The northeast side of Cache Creek rises gently with treeless slopes, then higher to aspen habitat, and forest up high on the way to the Arrowstone Hills. Double tracks lead off through the hills. Drive up Stage Road and turn off any road bearing north. The main route is off Stanley Parke Boulevard. Park at the … Continue reading…
The Goose Lake Road is a favorite early season bike route. Start at the lower end and park your vehicle near the junction with the Long Lake Road. The road turns to gravel quickly, but the day I rode it, it had been freshly graded. In a two hour ride on a weekday, I only saw three vehicles along this … Continue reading…
A local hiker contacted us about some changes that have occurred in Mara Canyon recently. His comments are provided here: "I have a very concerning issue that I want to get out to the kamloops hiking/outdoor community, and your website seemed like the best place to start. Last year I hiked the cinnimon ridge hoodoo trail for the first time. … Continue reading…
We hiked into Lyons Lake over the winter and provided information on the route and its merits (link). We returned today by another route, climbing over the hills to the northeast. The main route in is easy; the hills are all off-trail and challenging. From the top of a hill to the south, we could see Lyons Lake. With a … Continue reading…
We have a green corridor right down the middle of Kamloops Whenever we get out to paddle the South Thompson River, we are amazed by the amount of wildlife, and the relative quiet of waterway. We launch most often at the Pioneer Park boat launch and paddle up river, cross under the Yellowhead Highway and go past the Kamloops Indian … Continue reading…
If you just like to explore, the Valleyview Silt Cliffs are rich with ridges, gullies, sinkholes, and spines. The ridges come down from Juniper to the river valley and as they do, they narrow and become narrower as they descend to Valleyview. Some are just a narrow ridgetop, but most have a goat track on top of the spine. Hikers … Continue reading…
Deep in Lac du Bois Park sits Long Lake. It is in the bottom of a trench, draining both the McQueen hills and the Batchelor Range. The lake itself is 1.5 kms long, but the chain of ponds is 4km long. It is hard to get to so it sees few visitors, but it is a worthwhile destination since it … Continue reading…
The fires of 2003 turned much of Strawberry Hill into a burned landscape. We were crossing the Bonaparte Highlands during the first part of the fire and saw the mushroom cloud on our east horizon. When we got home, we watched it from the south. When you go up to the plateau now, you may be surprised by how many … Continue reading…