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.
Opax Mountain lies northwest of Lac du Bois. It is a sprawling, forested hill with volcanic bluffs on various flanks, wet areas on the upper plateau, grass slopes on the west ridges overlooking Tranquille Canyon, logged areas, and a few viewpoints. There are loop opportunities, but they are not all that easy to follow. For a first visit, use an … Continue reading…
Chuwhels Mountain is a rounded ridge-shaped peak that sits between the Lac le Jeune Road and Greenstone Mountain. It can be accessed from every side, but the approaches from the south, west and north all require 4WD or snowmobile. The east side has good road access. From the Lac le Jeune Road, the Chuwhels Mountain FSR starts directly across from … Continue reading…
With multiple access points and steep trails it is hard to get to know which trails are best to combine for a hike. Rather than do one post on this area, several recommended route options will be listed separately. This loop can be started from the Sahali area or from the main entrance near 6th Avenue. In this post, directions … Continue reading…
This site feels prehistoric, other-worldy, unique. The combination of shapes and colors makes this a very special place. Its quite close to home, but hard to get to. Route Choice One – Go past Savona and turn onto the Sabiston Creek Road. Follow it to the Copper Creek Road and descend towards the lake. You will come to private property. … Continue reading…
We have been to Sunshine Meadows in 3 seasons. It is a good ski hill and a rewarding cross-country ski area in winter. As a section of the backpack all the way over to Assiniboine, it is a scenic and moderate section of the 52+km one-way route. And, for a summer hike, the 21 km return hike is open, has … Continue reading…
For the most part, Greenstone Mountain and the surrounding hills are used by off-road bikes, quads, and snowmobiles, but the area is accessible to hikers, mountain bikers, and snowshoers. It is a very large area with many backroads and trails and linking them up is not an easy matter. As you approach Greenstone Mountain, you climb through the grasslands … Continue reading…
The Kamloops area is blessed to have so many lakes and rivers. Paddling the rivers is always great because they are close and there are a number of good access points, and 150 km of river paddling within an hour’s drive, but paddlers will always face going upstream for half the journey unless they can use some kind of a … Continue reading…
This hike surprised us. It starts on the Lake Minnewanka Road. Turn off to the Upper Bankhead parking area. Start at the trailhead sign. The trail climbs through mixed forest up to the old C-Level mining area. There are some derelict buildings and fenced mine shafts at the 1.1 km mark. At 1.3 km (just past the coal tailings), take … Continue reading…
There are no bug issues in the winter. Wise hikers stick to unplowed backroads, low-level trails or do their trekking on cross-country skis or snowshoes. Winter is not a B Season. The first hiking season is Before Bugs. Starting in March and ending in mid-June, the BB Season is the perfect time to do low-elevation hikes, south slopes, or mild-areas. … Continue reading…
One of the best hikes in the Rockies is the trail up to Helen Lake and beyond to Dolomite Pass. The trailhead starts on the Jasper-Banff Parkway, 33 km north of the Lake Louise Junction. The Crowfoot Glacier viewpoint is on the west side; the Helen Lake trail is on the east side. The trail climbs through fairly open forest … Continue reading…
This route makes a large loop around Mount Morrisey. It is an interesting drive taking in several lakes and some areas to hike, but it is best suited to backroads mountain biking. Start at Sun Peaks. Take the McGillivray Lake FSR which starts at the end of Sun Peaks Drive. Follow the gravel road to McGillivray Lake but keep going … Continue reading…
This trail is 13 km long and runs from the McQueen Lake area to Deep Lake. We recommend traveling west to east since there is a net drop in elevation. A two-car system or someone to drop you off makes this a point-to-point trail. The trailhead is actually at the east side of the McQueen Lake property (at N 50° … Continue reading…
The McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center is run by SD73. School groups use the Overnight Center all year. There are a number of established trails for hiking and cross country skiing and the public can use the trails, obeying posted regulations. To avoid direct contact with school groups, it is recommended that hikers park at the southwest entrance, right at … Continue reading…
This is a low-key hike, but a pleasant one nonetheless. If you are looking for additional distance, you can climb to the lookout or hike the Forestry Capital Trail (a separate post) over to McQueen Lake. To get to Isobel Lake, take the Lac Du Bois Road, then as you near the north end of McQueen Lake, take the fork … Continue reading…
Our two rivers run through the heart of the city, natural wilderness corridors, watery trails complete with wildlife. On the river today, dead salmon floated along or lay on the beach, crows, magpies, and seagulls scoured for scraps, gaggles of geese clustered in bays, ducks dove for aquatics, a bear foraged for fish on the shore, all while cars, trains, … Continue reading…
Rabbit Island sits out in the middle of the Thompson River not too far away from McArthur Island. Deer overwinter on the island, boaters land here in the summer, and an occasional camper sets up a tent on the island. The island shrinks from the middle of May to the middle of June. In late fall to early spring, it … Continue reading…
