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.
On the south side of Pemberton is One Mile Lake and a number of trails suitable for walking, hiking, and mountain biking. A loop goes around the lake, but a good connector trail goes to Nairn Falls Provincial Park, and mountain bike trails go over the ridge on the east side. Over 2 days of hiking, we went to Nairn … Continue reading…
At the very end of the Wells Gray road is the boat launch. Everywhere beyond is best explored in a boat. We can paddle 21 km north on one shoreline and 21 km back on the other shoreline. When the river volume drops in August, we can even paddle the additional 2.5 km up to Azure Lake by using back … Continue reading…
The Wells Gray Corridor Road ends at Clearwater Lake where there is a campground and a boat launch. Right at the campground is a longer (km) trail over the forested hills above Clearwater Lake. The Chain meadows loop Trail is about 16.5 km. The trail winds to the top of Bluff overlooking the falls, then goes north on a wet … Continue reading…
There are a number of lakes in the Roche Lake Provincial Park area. Some are easily accessible like Bleeker Lake, Roche Lake, and Horseshoe Lake and some are harder to get to, requiring high clearance or 4WD. Horseshoe Lake Campsite/boat launch is off the West Roche Lake Road and the branch road is clearly signed. The road is a … Continue reading…
There are 60 km of hiking trails in the Stake Lake network. A few of them go over or around McConnell Hill. The hill rises 600 feet above McConnell Lake, with steep cliffs on the west and north sides. Below the cliffs are talus slopes of broken rock, a rugged terrain, not suitable for hiking. Yet, when the snows cover … Continue reading…
Jacko Lake is one of the closest lakes to Kamloops and at a low altitude, it is also one of the first ice-free lakes for fishing. It is a busy place in spring so we paddle on the larger lakes early and come back to Jacko in summer when the lake heats up and fishing is not so good. When … Continue reading…
Although we have walked the Othello Tunnels many times over the years, we returned to enjoy the route on a smoky day in August. An image gallery features some of the highlights. Hover your cursor for a caption or click an image for a full-sized view Othello Tunnels images
Continue reading...Saul Lake is on the Sawmill Lake Forest Service Road about 30 km northwest from Kamloops. A short drive leads to a boat launch and an open spot for camping. The whole area is very open with cutblocks and replanted areas all around. There are also extensive marshes to the east. The bays on the east side are full of … Continue reading…
Before the Kettle Valley Railway was built between 1910 and 1916, there were older trails and routes to the Interior used by First Nations, fur traders, explorers, and gold seekers. From Hope one of the routes went up the Coquihalla River, but there was one difficult area right where the Othello Tunnels were later added, so mule trains and … Continue reading…
Tranquille Lake lies at the foot of the southern end of Bonaparte Plateau. Porcupine Ridge is due north and backcountry surrounds the lake. The road ends at Wendego Lodge, the destination for most people who go to this area. We drove through Lac du Bois, then took the Pass Lake Road and continued on the Sawmill Creek Road.until the 40 … Continue reading…
When smoky skies blanketed the Interior, the Fraser Valley had far better conditions so we drove to Chilliwack to hike one of the mountains on the south side. Our first choice was Mt.. Cheam, but the smoke had increased overnight and there were no views anywhere up high so a more moderate trail was chosen. The Elk Mountain Trail is … Continue reading…
Plateau Lake lies in the hills of the Douglas Plateau, accessed on backroads from Highway 5A. From the highway, it is a quick drive to Peter Hope Lake, but a slow and difficult drive over the hills to Plateau Lake. It is not easy to get there. There are several possible routes in, but Rec Sites and Trails BC … Continue reading…
The San Rafael Reef is the edge of the San Rafael Swell, a 75 mile uplifted, tilted ridge of layers of sandstone in central-eastern Utah. It can be accessed by Highway 70, but for hiking trailheads, Highway 24 is the best route. A number of trailheads start off the roads which go into Goblin Valley State Park. The trails at … Continue reading…
Shumway Lake lies in the lake chain gully south of Kamloops on Highway 5 A. The west shoreline is right next to the highway and the east side is at the foot of a mostly treed hillside. It is not a fishing lake. It is one of the “reservoirs” along 0hte Campbell Creek drainage, used for irrigation by ranches in … Continue reading…
Mount Rose and Mount Swanson are the rounded hills on the west side of Armstrong. The hiking trails climb about 200m to broad hilltops and wind over forested ridges, through wooded valleys, and along sideslopes. The trailhead is found off Chamberlaine Road (Salmon River Road > Hallam road >Chamberlaine Road). From the signed trailhead there are 8 km of trails … Continue reading…
Trapp Lake is in the lake chain gull on /highway 5A. When we drive south across the grasslands hills we drop down Cardew Hill to Shumway Lake then 3 km farther along is Trapp Lake. All of these lakes are murky, alkaline lakes, prone to algae build-up in summer. Half-way down the lake is a short track to water’s edge … Continue reading…
