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 on trails that led west from the main parking lot in Kenna Carwright Park on a pleasant end-of-summer day. After a long hot summer, the hillsides were dry and the colors were muted. We hiked along the Pondorosa Trail, then Big Pine and around the Lava Flow Lookout Trail to viewpoints overlooking the Thompson River Valley and west … Continue reading…
We took the chairlift to mid-station at Sun Peaks and hiked a loop route on the upper slopes of Tod Mountain. Most of the wildflowers were past the prime season, but there were a few late-flowering varieties in alpine meadows along the route. A few shrubs and perennials were starting to show fall colors already. We chose a combination of … Continue reading…
Some years ago we traveled to Tyax Lodge on Tyaughton Lake to do some hiking in the South Chilcotin Ranges. One of the hikes we did was into Taylor Basin. We drove on backroads up the Mud Creek FSR to Taylor Creek, then started the long hike up the valley into the basin under Eldorado Mountain and Taylor Peak. The … Continue reading…
Near the end of summer we were looking for smoke-free days to hike some of our local area trails. We picked Dewdrop Ridge as our hike, on a route we have done many times. We started at the first pullout on the right on the Frederick Road and headed south, up the open slopes to the top of the … Continue reading…
The Great Glacier Trail in Glacier National Park starts at the main trailhead by the campground and follows Asulkan Creek upstream before heading up the Illecillewaet River Valley. When the trail was first established, hikers could leave Glacier House and walk for just 15 minutes to the toe of the Illecillewaet Glacier. So now the trail winds up the valley … Continue reading…
Yoho National Park has some of the finest hiking trails in Canada. The Yoho River Valley is a gateway to a number of hikes into rugged alpine terrain, right by the Great Divide. Follow the Takkakaw Falls Road to the end and there are many outstanding trails. One of our favorites is to hike up the Yoho River to the … Continue reading…
The Crypt Lake Trail in Waterton National Park is an unusual and rewarding hike. It starts by booking a ride across the lake from the Marina to the landing and trailhead across Waterton Lake. The ferry is often full so that usually means a larger group of people all arriving at once. The trail to the tunnel is 8 … Continue reading…
A number of years ago we spent some time hiking in the Chilcotin. We drove many miles of backroads to get to the north end of Chilco Lake in Tsylos Provincial Park. At the end of the road we hiked up the Tullin MountainTrail to the summit. The trail wound through the forest, climbing 832 m (2729 vertical feet) in … Continue reading…
I hiked to the top of Black Tusk for the first time in 1970 as a solo effort, looking for the unmarked route to the top. The route is now obvious and flagged, but there were several vertical chimneys to choose from back then. In subsequent summit climbs the route was bootworn, but still loose, and a bit risky. … Continue reading…
We backpacked up to Garibadli Lake and camped at the campground in our first day. In our second day we hiked up into Black Tusk Meadows on our way to Panorama Ridge. The trail wound up over the ridge into the Helm Glacier drainage between Panorama Ridge and Black Tusk. We could see down to Garibaldi Lake with Garibaldi Mountain … Continue reading…
In a time before digital cameras we backpacked up to Garibaldi Lake on a sunny summer day. In the first day, we hiked up the 7.5 km trail through the forest, up the switchbacks, and along Rubble Creek toward the lake. The trail wound up to the top of The Barrier, a lava dam which is responsible for the creation … Continue reading…
In mid-August we we watched the smoke conditions forecasts (firesmoke.ca) and spotted a clearer day in the Trophy Mountains, so with one day’s notice, we got an early start to drive to the trailhead at the end of the Trophy Mountain Road. Only one other vehicle was parked there and they were camping at Sheila Lake so we hiked the … Continue reading…
I have hiked Raft Mountain (above Clearwater)a few times and on two of those occasions I did the Raft Mountain Traverse. The hike to the top of Raft Mountain is straightforward, but the traverse involves some scrambling, especially between Raft 1 and Raft 2, then to Raft 3. Then, on the way back from Raft 5, the descent to Willis … Continue reading…
When smoke covered the area we watched the forecasts on firesmoke.ca to see where we might find some reasonable conditions for hiking. We checked every day and the Lac le Jeune area or the Merritt area had the best average conditions so we paddled the area around Nicola Lake and we hiked trails in the Stake Lake-Lac le Jeune area. … Continue reading…
In a summer of smoke, I looked for a day to hike to the top of one of the Coquihalla Summit Peaks. Since I had done Yak, Needle, Flatiron, Zoa, and Illal in the last 2-3 years, I decided to return to do Zupjok Peak, a favorite. When I first started exploring Ottomite Mountain, Iago Peak, and Zupjok Peak, there … Continue reading…
While camping at Miracle Beach we did three hikes in the area, one of which was the Jack Hames Trail. The trailhead is near the mouth of the Oyster River. The first 0.7 km follows the river to the estuary, then the trail continues along the seashore between private land and the gravel beaches. Deciduous and evergreen trees lined the … Continue reading…
