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.
With Balfour Hut as basecamp, an interesting ski is to travel west through Balfour Pass, rounding Mount Balfour on the north side. Follow the moraines and then ascend Diablaret Glacier up to the high ridge on the west side of Balfour. This is a particularly interesting side route for several reasons. First, it offers a wide view of the Yoho … Continue reading…
In a previous post, the trip from the Peyto Lookout to Peyto Hut was featured. The next leg is to bear south toward either Bow Hut or Balfour Hut. If you choose Bow Hut, there are two route choices to Balfour. On our last trip, we skipped Bow Hut and followed the high route to Vulture Col. Stay in the … Continue reading…
Outdoor enthusiasts world-wide keep the Wapta Traverse on their “bucket list.” It is a high altitude route traversing a number of glaciers on the Great Divide. Although there are other traverses in the Canadian Rockies, many require crossing steep icefalls and are best suited to skilled mountaineers. The Wapta Traverse, on the other hand, can be completed with reasonable skiing … Continue reading…
All the trails on Mount Morrisey can be linked up, but practically speaking, they fall into two groups. All of the Upper Trails are best accessed by taking the Morrisey Chair to the top and cross-country skiing across the top of the mountain,following the Holy Cow Trail. The lower trails can be accessed by skiing up to McGillivray Lake. From … Continue reading…
This is a favorite route in summer and winter. It is very unlikely you will see anyone along the trail, but watch for wildlife. We have seen lynx, moose, deer, coyotes, bears, grouse, owls, marmots, rabbits, and wide variety of birds. In spring and summer, wildflowers cover the hill. Wetlands in the center of the hill feature waterfowl, frogs, and … Continue reading…
We talked about backroads as winter corridors into the forest and how little information is available. A series of posts will offer a few routes over the winter: Hull Hill North We recommend this route for a number of reasons. First, there is a good road to the “trailhead.” Drive south on the Lac le Jeune Road and turn onto … Continue reading…
Surrounding our cities are tens of thousands of hectares of forested lands. Backroads penetrate into the bush everywhere. Some are gravel roads used as transportation corridors, some are dirt roads used by ranchers and the forest industry, and some are juts rough routes that really don’t go very far. A few are plowed and cleared in the winter, but the … Continue reading…
Immediately to the north of Kamloops lies a sloping plateau area with very few trees. It is on the border between lowland sagebrush and grasslands and also borders on Lac du Bois Provincial Park. It has been frequented by off-road vehicles and used to be the location for bush parties or shooting at targets. The off-road motorcycle/ATV activity has moved … Continue reading…
There are a few guidebooks out there that help us with routes, trailheads, junctions, and some route descriptions. There are also a few websites that support hiking, biking, and exploring wilderness areas. But, they only cover 1% of the available routes in an area like the Interior of B.C. Pick any area in the Interior. For example, I started the … Continue reading…
Aylmer Lake (sometimes called Star Lake) sits on the high, open ridge above Little Shuswap Lake. Cross the bridge over the South Thompson River at Chase and proceed west. At a well-signed junction, take the Bear-Loakin Road (Niskonlith Lake too) and climb up the switchbacks. The hillside opens up. In spring, this is one of the best areas to hike … Continue reading…
There are extensive mountain biking downhill trails at Harper Mountain, but limited cross country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities. The longest trail is about 5km and is untracked, but the skier or snowshoer may be traveling on either fresh snow or over snowmobile tracks. It is not a trail system that we return to. In this area, there are better choices. … Continue reading…
The trails in this area cross the forested sections between groomed cross country trails. The make a nice day’s outing if you are staying up at the Resort, but the trails sometimes get “stomped in.” They also cross the ski trails at various points. If you follow the trail system up to McGillivary Lake, a return look of about … Continue reading…
Although we prefer unmarked snowshoe trails, this route has some nice terrain to cross. We can’t recommend Loop A much since the lake is too close to the area used for motorcycle racing in the winter, but we enjoy Loops B,C, and D. Take the time to go off the trail north of C onto the big marsh on a … Continue reading…
The Skimikin Trail system is used by hikers, equestrian clubs, mountain bikers, and in winter, snowshoers and cross country skiers. The campground has been expanded to provide a number of equine sites and the trail system has been expanded with the support of the CSRD and the Shuswap Trail Alliance. There are over 100km of trails in the area. Although … Continue reading…
On Nov. 12, we featured how to access Six Mile Lake and offered a lower loop option. This post offers a higher route to viewpoints looking out to Kamloops Lake and all the hills in each direction. The Six Mile area has open forests, meadows and grass slopes, numerous rocky outcrops and cliff bands, ponds, and glacial-carved terrain. Because the … Continue reading…
In order to do these hikes/explorations, a hiker will need to drive the Upper Dewdrop Road and continue to stay high. The road is a bit rough, but not 4WD. As it climbs into a steep valley, it turns north and follows a gully all the way to the top of Red Plateau. There are some eroded sections on the … Continue reading…