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.
In the last third of winter we snowshoed the upper end of the Lac du Bois Grasslands Conservancy. The goal was to go on a known route to the end of Clay Lake, then continue east over to Meadow Pond and back, following some known tracks, some user-made snowshoe tracks, and breaking trail to connect them. There are some … Continue reading…
On a sunny and mild inter day, the Bush Lake routes seemed to be a good choice. There were numerous stomped-in tracks to follow through the forest, along double tracks, and across marshes. All of the “trails” are user-made and the same tracks are set every year by mid-winter. There are many possible choices and snowshoers can pick their own … Continue reading…
A route that we snowshoe every winter is through the middle grasslands of Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area through the maze of glaciated ridges and gullies, looping to viewpoints on the stomped in paths. We have developed routes over the years, but other snowshoers and hikers now do these loops too, so we can benefit from tracks set by … Continue reading…
On a late winter day I hiked on the Sage Trails from the Bunker Road parking area and did a loop around the perimeter in a cold wind. The trails were still quite icy so I used microspikes and enjoyed the 1.25h hike. This loop route is one of my “go-to” hikes when the weather and/or conditions are marginal. I … Continue reading…
Every year we snowshoe on the flanks of Hull Hill. We have several routes that we return to do, and some new explorations too. The main access area is a short drive down the Goose Lake Road. A gate to a side road leads to a parking area for 5 – 6 vehicles, but parking on Goose Lake Road is … Continue reading…
On a grey winter day I drove past McQueen Lake to the Pass Lake area. For this day, I snowshoed down the road to the Rec Site, then went around the shoreline, exploring the area. There was no one else around. Snowmobile and snowshoe tracks followed the main roads and looped around the lake. I paddled Pass Lake last spring … Continue reading…
Melba Lake lies on the forested southeast flanks of Chuwhels Mountain. In winter we can snowshoe to the lake from Lodgepole Lake or from the Logan Lake Road. On a sunny winter day I parked just off the main road and followed snowed-in backroads to the southwest side of the lake. In previous years I had followed the branch roads … Continue reading…
As winter progresses, the beaches in the valleys start to clear, leaving a combination of sand/gravel bars and ice shelves. By mid-February we can hike routes in these areas. the Mission Flats area has extensive winter beaches, but the TransMountain Pipeline work has closed off some access, so we park close to the landfill and hike back upriver. The trails … Continue reading…
From the Timber Lake Road an informal trail winds on a route upstream, following Peterson Creek as it flows down through a forested canyon. There are 3 small bridges on this loop route. There was a track set by hikers and snowshoers and at many points there were tracks that headed off on other routes, but I had done this … Continue reading…
From the Hull Hill trailhead off the Goose Lake Road, I followed known tracks to Anderson Creek, then set new tracks upstream, exploring ridges, gullies, forest glades, and forgotten tracks. For more Kamloops Trails videos, click the YouTube link.
Continue reading...A new video is now available on YouTube: Click the menu bar for more KamloopsTrails videos. Note – With the Trans Mountain Pipeline work, park farther down the road and hike in from the west end.
Continue reading...On a sunny winter day I chose to drive up the Paska Lake Road to the high country (at 5000 feet) to snowshoe Paska Lake and backcountry tracks of the area. It turned out to be a bit of an adventure, as explained in this video: There will be more days of exploring routes through the forest, along lakes … Continue reading…
On a foggy winter day we drove to the parking area for the Isobel Lake Trails and we snowshoed an 8.7 km loop route on established trails, with tracks set by fat tire bikes. It was foggy at the Eagle’s Eyrie parking area and around the lake, but we climbed up the Direwolf Trail to 1256m elevation (4120 feet) where … Continue reading…
Lodgepole Lake sits at 4600 feet and the road is kept plowed in winter so the Rec Site at the lake makes a good trailhead area for winter snowshoeing. There are many possible routes and snowshoers set tracks, many of which are set every year on known routes. Each time we snowshoe the area, we combine different trails and often … Continue reading…
On an exploratory snowshoe from the Chuwhels Lake Road onto ORV tracks, I found my way to Bow Lake and back (article). I returned 10 days later to try to find a loop route back. On a mild day, we followed the track I (and others) had set, then crossed the lake and through the forest to find another track … Continue reading…
A new video is now available on YouTube: Click the YouTube link on the menu bar for more KamloopsTrails videos.
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