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 Barnhartvale Horse and Hiker Trail Preservation Society has been successful in establishing a number of trail systems in Barhnartvale. Trailheads are marked and horse-man gates are installed. At junctions, trail posts mark the way. There are boxes for trail maps, but each time I have been here, the boxes have been empty. If I can get hold of a … Continue reading…
If you only have two days of hiking, choose the Cathedral Rim Trail, but if you have an extra day, try the Lakeview Mountain Loop. Take the Pyramid Lake Trail, then turn off onto the Goat Lake Trail at the junction. Follow the trail as it switchbacks down to Lakeview Creek. Cross the bridge and follow the easy trail up … Continue reading…
In Cathedral Provincial Park. start from Quiniscoe Lake, take the Pyramid Lake Trail and continue to climb to Ladyslipper Lake. Wildlfowers cover the meadowed slopes around these plateau lakes. The lake is a beautiful blue color and larch trees add a magical quality to these high cirques. Climb the ridge to the rim, following cairns. Views continue to be impressive, … Continue reading…
Once established at Quiniscoe Lake, there are two premier hikes, although they can be combined into one long day (14 km) and can be done in either direction. The Cathedral Rim hike offers a good route up to the rim of the bowl above the lakes of the park. To do this hike in a counter-clockwise direction, start at the … Continue reading…
The first of a series on Cathedral Park…. Cathedral Provincial Park lies southwest of Keremeos high in the Cascade Range. Access is by the Ashnola River Road which leads right to the trailhead. It is possible to hike up the track to the alpine, but this is a long (16km) dreary back-breaking hike and not recommended. We did it once … Continue reading…
If you have the opportunity to stay one extra day at Peters Lake in Monashee Provincial Park and you have already hiked Mt. Fosthall, then another good hike is to climb to Fawn Lake and beyond to the Valley of the Moon. From Big Peters Lake, take narrow trail up the draw on the signed Margie Lake Trail, but watch … Continue reading…
A hike into Monashee Provincial Park must be well-planned and good weather is important. It is a long drive, a long hike to Peters Lake, and a good climb to the top of Mount Fosthall. But, if the conditions, are right, this is a premier hike. From Big Peters Lake, follow the (signed) trail to South Cariboo Pass, then continue … Continue reading…
Monashee Provincial Park is approached from the west side of the Monashee Divide. Almost all of the approaches to the Monashees are difficult. This is true wilderness and there are not many roads that penetrate the ranges. The trailhead is reached by traveling west from Vernon through Lumby to Cherryville, and then north to Sugar Lake. Drive 46 km north … Continue reading…
If you don't set goals and targets for your efforts, you won't set aside the time and effort to explore new areas. A new area takes time to research, time to prepare, time to travel to and from, and will probably take longer than planned if you are exploring new territory. For some areas, there is no information, so you … Continue reading…
The Tunkwa Lake area is well-suited to snowshoeing. the road in is kept plowed in winter the road to both campgrounds is well-used and there is plenty of parking the high-country open terrain means that snowshoers can bear off in any direction the terrain is flat by the lakes and gently rises through the grasslands to the west there are … Continue reading…
When given a choice between a pair of skating skis on tracked trails and and snowshoes on marked trails, both feet end up in ski boots. But, when the snow falls heavily and the new choice is classic skis in deep snow or snowshoes, it is a toss-up. I keep my snowshoes in the vehicle for that day when it … Continue reading…
One of the best cross-country ski networks is at Sovereign Lakes on Silver Star Mountain. It lies within Silver Star Provincial Park so it has a nice balance of trail and infrastructure development and recreational wilderness. Even if you have cross-country trails in your area, a trip to Sovereign Lakes is worth a day or a weekend. Take the turn-off … Continue reading…
The cross-country ski trails on Silver Star Mountain have been a bit of a mecca for cross-country skiers for a number of reasons. First, the road goes to the Village, which is at a higher altitude, access to early and late snow. Second, the mountain and the nordic club have invested in infrastructure for cross-country skiers – lots of trails, … Continue reading…
With GPS technology, we can record our routes and then make them available to others. On Christmas Day, we hiked 7.5 km through the snow, and used the Tracks function in our Garmin Colorado GPSr to follow our route. Each GPS is a little different, but most follow the same general steps: Its a good idea to clear any old … Continue reading…
Another route onto the Wapta Icefields is from the Yoho Valley. This is also a challenging route and also should be attempted in good conditions. We had to camp out along the route (most skiers do) and so you need to bring full winter camping gear. The route starts at the head of the Yoho Valley near the campground. The … Continue reading…
Most skiers will do this trip in reverse and we have hiked into Bow Hut from Bow Lake this way too. One one of our trips, though, we found ourselves at Balfour Hut in poor conditions and chose to ski out to Bow Hut, then down to Bow Lake. In whiteout conditions, we compassed our way up Vulture Glacier onto … Continue reading…