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.
Skoatl Point is a favorite hike so we try to plan for it each year. It is a wet route in the summer so we schedule our hike for late summer or early fall. This year we picked a fine day for the hike. We drove on the Jamieson Creek Forest Service Road for 28 km to Whitewood Lake, then … Continue reading…
The Orchard Lake Trails are backcountry horse trails in the Sullivan Range. They are accessed from the Badger Creek Forest Service Road, which starts 16.5 km north of Heffley Creek on Highway 5 (North). Most of the “trails” are double tracks through the forest, passing small lakes and forested ridges, but increasingly the area has also been logged. Routes on … Continue reading…
In late summer the pelicans start their migration south, stopping for a few weeks in our area’s lakes or rivers. I expect to see them in Campbell Lake in August or September so I plan ahead to paddle with the pelicans. Unfortunately the wind forecast was wrong and I battled stronger winds out of the west as I paddled the … Continue reading…
On a sunny-cloudy day in September we drove into the Dewdrop Range to hike the Frederick Bluffs. There are no signed trailheads, nor any trails to follow. Before the area was included in the Lac du Bois Protected Areas there were some single and double tracks through the valleys between the bluffs but nature has reclaimed the land and we … Continue reading…
We traveled to Murtle Lake before smoky conditions smothered the area and we decided to shorten our time there. On the second day we paddled the west end of the west arm of Murtle Lake. We launched from Birch Beach and paddled past Smoker Island. The wide bay at the mouth of File Creek and Anderson Creek is shallow and … Continue reading…
On a smoky day I drove up into the hills to look for a smaller lake to paddle, then go for a short hike. I chose Pat (Six Mile) Lake. Access is on a rough road that turns off the Trans Canada Highway just west of Tobiano. the old double track was once the highway and a bit of the … Continue reading…
In mid-September we drove to Blue River, then followed the Murtle Lake Forest Service Road to the end of the road. We loaded our gear into portage packs and into the kayaks and fastened the boats to kayak carts, then portaged 2.5 km to the Murtle Lagoon. At the launch, we reloaded the hatches and paddled west. The original plan … Continue reading…
There are several sections of hiking trails that can be combined for a loop route of about 5 km in Monck Provincial Park on Nicola Lake. We hiked southwest from the campground and climbed the hills to a crossing of the Monck Road, then looped back on higher trails on a sunny day. From a viewpoint on the trail, we … Continue reading…
We camped in Manning Park and did some of the hikes into alpine areas. We hiked to Third Brother Mountain on a fine day and took many photographs along the way. On our drive up Blackwall Peak, we stopped at a lookout for the view. While we up on the slopes of Big Buck Mountain, we had a direct view … Continue reading…
In every month of the year there are interesting routes that start in the Lac du Bois Nature Conservancy. On a sunny day in early September we struck off through the tall grasses toward Clay Lake. A faint single track route goes over to the end of Clay Lake, but it was mostly grown over with snowberry shrubs and windfall. … Continue reading…
In winter we cross country ski or snowshoe the Stake Lake Trails and for a longer route, we sometimes take the Vista Trail from Stake Lake to the Lac le Jeune Lookout. In summer, we may start at Lac le Jeune and hike on the Stake Lake Trails from the south end. One of the routes we have done many … Continue reading…
Nicola is a large, windy, and busy lake so we paddle it at strategic times. There are 3 launch areas on the east shore of the lake and of the three, we enjoy the north end of the lake the most. Another fine paddling area is along the west shoreline, south from Monck Park. There are several launch spots in … Continue reading…
The Heather Trail starts at the end of the Blackwall Peak Road in Manning Park. The trail bears north, then northwest through subalpine meadows. It can be hiked or backpacked. We even ran the whole length of the trail some years ago. On our last trip to Manning Park, the goal was to hike to the summit of third Brother … Continue reading…
Frosty Mountain stands at 2408 m (about 7900 feet) just one kilometer north of the US border in Manning Park. The trail to the summit of Frosty starts at the Lightning Lake Day Use area. For the first 3 km, the trail switchbacks above the lake through the forest, gaining altitude steadily. Frosty Creek Camp is an open-forested area at … Continue reading…
We hiked to the top of Frosty Mountain in Manning Park on a fine day. At the top we enjoyed the views and took some photos. By matching photos to maps and GPS/compass bearings we were able to identify the mountains in the distance in each direction. Looking northwest, Skyline Ridge (another fine hike) was only 5 km away. The … Continue reading…
I paddle the river early in the season, then as the ice comes off the lakes, I paddle the lower lakes like Jacko Lake, Paul Lake, Pat Lake, and Trapp Lake. As the weather warms I do a circuit of lakes which usually includes Stump Lake, Roche lake, Bleeker Lake, Scuitto Lake, Campbell Lake, Lac le Jeune, Stake Lake, Pass … Continue reading…
