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.
Kiholo Bay is found on the west coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i. The whole area was covered in lava flows less than 200 years ago so access is often a rough road through ragged, barren black lava beds. Trails are really just paths along the shoreline, partly broken up by waves and partly cleared by people who throw … Continue reading…
Silt cliffs rise over both sides of the South Thompson River from Dallas through to Valleyview. These features are the remnants of glacial lakes formed 10 000 to 13000 years ago. The rivers backed up to form long ribbon-like lakes that backed up the valley. As the lakes filled, silts and sediments were deposited on the lake floor each summer. … Continue reading…
The main canyon of Zion National Park is a very busy area with many visitors flooding the buses and trails on either side of the Virgin River. The vertical walls of Zion Canyon allow for only a few points of entry, zigzagging up the slickrock on ledges to hanging canyons above, or into the river at the Narrows. But this … Continue reading…
The area of Six Mile Protected Area (part of BC Parks) below the highway is best accessed from the Six Mile Viewpoint or from Tobiano. the first part of the downhill route from Tobiano is steep and rough, but routes get easier after 15 minutes of progress down the hill. There are not trails but once we are on the … Continue reading…
We revisited the ghost town of Grafton, Utah. The previous time was in 2013 and much was the same as before, but restoration work had progressed on the buildings, fences, gates, and property. A full website is also in place which has all the detail on the history, buildings, and restoration story – Grafton Heritage Project. To get to Grafton, … Continue reading…
Campbell Creek runs through Barnhartvale, then down through the hills, right past the BC Wildlife Park, then out to the river. But where does the water come from, and what route does it take? Campbell Creek’s origins are in the hills near Lac le Jeune and in the hills along Highway 5A. The longest creek to feed the collection point … Continue reading…
Between Zion National Park and the Vermillion Cliffs to the east is an area of hills, terraces, and buttes. The Sand Hills are found in that area, with Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park as the centerpiece. Driving east through Zion, we arrive at Mt. Carmel Junction. From there, drive 6 km south to the signed turn to the park. … Continue reading…
Spalding Hill is in the middle of South Pender Island, accessed from Castle Road. It is a steep hike to the top of Spalding Hill bluffs. We parked down on the Spalding Road and walked up to the signed trailhead. The trail winds among bluffs to the top. Views extend east across Plumper Sound to Saturna Island. Turkey vultures soared … Continue reading…
The south side of Kamloops Lake is all rocky hills with steep vertical slopes down to the lake. Only the Tobiano benchland has relatively easy access. The rest of the slopes have limited access. Private property, grazing fences, and very few roads can be found along all of the south side of the lake from Kamloops to Savona, with a … Continue reading…
Brooks Point Regional Park lies at the southeast corner of South Pender Island. There are some short trails through the forest, but the best parts of the park are the headlands that jut out into Boundary Pass. The rocky points provide views south to the San Juan Islands, east to Saturna Island and southeast to Mount Baker. It is especially … Continue reading…
Jag Hill is a prominent ridge on the east end of Red Plateau. The top of the hill is an open ridge with fine 360 degree views. We can get to it from the Red Plateau Forest Service Road (the easiest and shortest route), from the Dewdrop Range or from the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road. In mid fall, we … Continue reading…
We returned back to Bryce Canyon National Park while hiking in Zion National Park. By Highway SR9 through Zion and then north on Highway 89, we drove for 2 hours to theBryce Park entrance, then turned to the Fairyland Canyon trailhead. We had hiked 4 times here before, but we always seem to enjoy the Fairyland Trail the most, so … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park is a series of colorful ridges and gullies on the north side of Kamloops Trails. Access is overland from the Copper Creek Road or by boat to the beach area below the bluffs. We have been to Painted Bluffs many times. We tried a different route in the spring, arriving at the top of the bluffs, … Continue reading…
On the north end of North Pender Island is the George Hill Trail. All of the trails on Pender Island are well-signed with designated parking, but there are a lot of turns to get to the right spot. Here is a good guide to the trailhead – Pender Parks and Trails. We climbed the trail to the hilltop … Continue reading…
Pioneer Park is a busy place in the summer, but in fall, the area is much quieter. On the river, the noisy and disruptive power boats are absent. We can return from the high country lakes to paddle up and down the river. On this grey and cool day in October, I pushed out from the boat launch and … Continue reading…
The Kettle Valley Rail lines are now gone and a gravel bed has been restored to become part of the Trans Canada Trail. This section is about 19.5 km and is frequented by snowmobilers and mountain bikers, but we sometimes see quads and dirt bikes that use the line to get to fishing spots and campsites on the Tulameen River. … Continue reading…
