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 hike a loop route through the hills above Peterson Creek every year, going along the rim, avoiding fencelines, going quietly, enjoying spring. We started at the Whiteshield Trailhead and first did the Grasslands Loop for the view up the valley. On our way up the Billy Miner Trail , we saw a few wind-shaped trees right on the edge … Continue reading…
We travel down to the Merritt area from time to time to hike on the area trails. Our favorite is the Lundbom area, but we have also hiked the other areas, like the Swakum Mountain Trails. On previous occasions we have gone up and back from the flagpole parking area, but this time we tried a loop route, returning by … Continue reading…
On a sunny May morning, I launched my kayak into marshy Lac du Bis and paddled the shoreline, a 3.3 km route. There was lots to see and no one else around. There were lots of ducks on the lake, including this coot. In the morning the low sun shone with filtered light into the shaded bays of the lake. … Continue reading…
Bleeker Lake is 2 km north of Roche Lake. Take the Bleeker Lake FSR and follow the bumpy backroad to the Rec Site on the north shore of the lake. there is a small campsite there and a rough boat launch. It is a popular fishing lake, but the lake is large enough for paddlers too. A circuit of the … Continue reading…
Lac du Bois and the hills nearby sit at 873m – 982m (2864 ft. to 3220 ft.) so spring arrives later than the lower grasslands, but when it does, the ponds are full, slopes green up, and wildflowers cover the upper grassland slopes. I paddled Lac du Bois, enjoying all the birds and western painted turtles, then secured the kayak … Continue reading…
Scuitto Lake is one of our favorite lakes to paddle. There is a nice Rec site with a good boat launch on the east shore of the lake, just off the Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road. On an early May morning we paddled our kayaks out onto the lake following the shoreline in a clockwise loop. When the lake was … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park is an outstanding location to hike to, but its not an easy route. I have paddled there from Savona or Tobiano and i have hiked over the hills from every direction to get there each year. In early May a small group hiked over the hills from the Copper Creek Road, climbing over ridges through gullies … Continue reading…
I have driven past Napier Lake many times, but had never paddled it; the challenge was to find access to launch a boat. After a number or stops along the road, I settled on a steep grassy slope near the north end of the lake. There was a small pullout there to unload. I attached wheels to the back of … Continue reading…
The Barnes Lake Trails are a bit of a hidden secret. The trail system is maintained by the Barnhartvale Horse and Hiker Society in an area which is half in the grasslands and half in open forest. Good signage is posted and most of the trails are easy to follow, allowing hikers to choose their own route. We usually choose … Continue reading…
When the winds kick up, we can skip paddling for the day, or we can get an early start and find a protected spot. Tow of the lakes that have some good wind protection are Inks Lake and McConnell Lake. In the spring, Inks Lake is close by and provides easy access. A loop around all 3 arms of the … Continue reading…
We hiked over the hills between the Tobiano area and Brussels Lake in the fall ( Brussels Hills) and we enjoyed the area so much, we chose to return to the area to try a new route in April. We turned off the Six Mile Hills Road (to Pat Lake) and turned left at the junction, parking near the corrals. … Continue reading…
We have hiked in the hills above Walhachin a few times and we returned to do a loop route in April this year. Access is off a side road that climbs south into the hills west of Walhachin. There are several possible routes on double tracks, single tracks, and off-trail in the area. We chose one that followed a … Continue reading…
We have hiked to the top of Lions Head (link) several times, linking a series of rocky hills above the South Thompson River Valley. A few old double tracks and a few newer single tracks wind around and over the hills., some in the forest, and some in open meadows. On this spring day, we drover higher up the rough … Continue reading…
With a Reserve on the east end, private ranch lands on the south side, and some private homes on the west end, there is limited access to the hills around Neskonlith Lake (except with permission), but the McGillivray Forest Service Road climbs into the hills on the northwest side and a rough road winds along the north side of the … Continue reading…
I paddled out of Cooney Bay in April and instead of heading out into the bay and then farther out to Kamloops Lake, I chose to paddle upstream into the shallow river channels and explore the delta sand islands. At low water, the river divides into 3 channels near the mouth before entering Kamloops Lake. The main channel is about … Continue reading…
In April most of the lakes in the hills are still covered in ice so we do a rotation of the valley-bottom lakes first (Kamloops Lake, Little Shuswap Lake, Nicola Lake, Stump Lake, Trapp Lake, Shumway Lake, then move to the lower lakes in the hills. When we paddle the larger lakes, we watch for a day with no wind. … Continue reading…
