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.
We hiked the Watching Creek Trail from Tranquille Crossing in mid-June. Spring melt/freshet meant that crossing Watching Creek would be hazardous, so we explored the confluence area and some side trails and returned the way we came, an 8.5 km moderate route. A short video is shared here: More Information – Watching Creek Trail
Continue reading...The main trail system in Paul Lake Provincial Park links the lake trails to Gibraltar Rock and the campground. But the west end of the park has a long steep ridge that can be hiked on an unsigned single track trail. The hike from the lakeshore to the top of Gibraltar Rock, then up to the top of the ridge … Continue reading…
All year-round the Stake Lake Trails area provides opportunities to cross-country ski, snowshoe, hike, run, walk, bike, or paddle. A favorite outing is to paddle the lake and then hike the trails. On this last mid-June day, we wanted to do a moderate hike-walk on the trails, so we picked a loop route and enjoyed mild temperatures for a 5.5 … Continue reading…
The Hamilton Corrals Commonage can be found at the upper area of the Quilchena Plateau. The Commonage area is public land, that may also have grazing cattle. Access within the Commonage is fine, but there may be gates to open and close behind you. The access road is the Pennask Lake Road which goes up from Nicola Lake at Quilchena. … Continue reading…
The Deep Lake Trail starts at the trailhead on Ida Lane in Westsyde. We can hike up the road or onto a loop trail into Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area. Signage helps to direct hikers to the loop trail, to Deep Lake, or to the Grasslands Community Trail. On a June day we hiked toward Deep … Continue reading…
In late spring we travel to the Lundbom Commonage grasslands to hike the trails. Each year we try to take a different route. There are double tracks, mountain bike single tracks, and horse rider tracks and we can combine them to create a loop route. This year, we traversed from the west end of Lundbom Lake to Hamilton Lake … Continue reading…
The Orchard Lake Trails are backcountry horse rider trails in the hills between McLure and Badger Lake. Access is by the Badger Creek Forest Service Road. Navigation is required for all of the trails. There are a few basic signs on trees, but there are many junctions, some fencelines, and some logged areas. After a number of trips, I have … Continue reading…
We hiked along the Rivers Trail from the west and went down to the river, then looped back past Dale’s Antique Beach and through the cottonwoods to the dike. The return hike was 7.7 km. We made a number of stops along the way to enjoy the birds, the bugs, and the blossoms. Click an image for a lightbox view … Continue reading…
Elephant Hill Provincial Park has natural (ungrazed) grasslands on steep hills above Ashcroft-Cache Creek. The area is one of the driest in the province and there are no trees and almost no shrub growth. All approaches are either very steep, or require access through private lands so the hills get very few visitors. On my third time to the summit … Continue reading…
We planned a hike from Lac du Bois to the western cliffs of Opax Mountain overlooking Tranquille Canyon and back, but we opted to doa treverse of Oapx Mountain from west to east, extending the hike into a long loop route. Our hike started by going around the north side of Lac du Bois and then to Hanging Valley. A … Continue reading…
In mid-May I hiked an exploratory route from the Greenstone Mountain Road to the Spade Lakes in the Outer Inks area. Using maps and GPS, I followed ORV trails, mountain bike trails, old tracks, and backroads, but also went cross-country when the track wasn’t going in the right direction for my intended bearing. For the most part, the route was … Continue reading…
On a mild day in May we drove on the rough Upper Dewdrop Trail to access the Dead Coyote Trail. Using our maps and GPS, we located the Forgotten Trail and hiked to the foot of the Red Plateau Escarpment. The Forgotten Trail was the designated down route for the Dewdrop Trail. Soon after the trail was built I went … Continue reading…
On a cool spring day I drove a short distance up the Greenstone Mountain Road and hiked a loop route. The first trail was Take it Easy as it wound up Cherry Creek then crossed over to the open douglas fir forest. There is a maze of mountain bike trails to choose from but I tried to minimize steep sections … Continue reading…
The main goal of the day was to paddle Barnes Lake, but since it was only 4 km around, I also decided to hike through the hills on the west side of Barnes Lake too. These hills rise above the east side of Ashcroft. The hike was up open sagebrush-grassland slopes to the top of three hills which had open … Continue reading…
The Napier Ranch Conservation Area are lands under the care of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, but the grassland hills are still in use for grazing by Napier Ranch too. A gravel road leads up to the gate and we can enter the area to enjoy the benchland pastures and some of the hills above the Conservation Area (Crown lands). … Continue reading…
I spent half a day with a producer from CFJC TV recording footage for an video to be broadcast later in the month. We hiked up and along the ridge taking videos and flying the drone. The footage will be edited back at the studio. While on the ridge, I took some photos and recorded some action video, shared here. … Continue reading…
