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.
From the pullout on Six Mile Hill there are fine views down Kamloops Lake toward Kamloops. The cliffs there drop down toward the CPR line. At Six Mile Point near the lake there is some private land and a few lakeside cottages, but the area to the east is Crown Land all the way to Tobiano, much of it part … Continue reading…
Botanie Mountain stands above the Fraser River north of Lytton. The rocky summit lies east of the Coast Range and the snow-capped Cantilever Range. Access is via the Botanie Valley Road which runs north into the Clear Range. The turn onto the Boatnie Mountain “Road” is not marked nor is it obvious. In a short time it was a narrow, … Continue reading…
Lac la Hache (Axe Lake) is a 2300 ha. lake on Highway 97N in the Cariboo region. There are several access points along the east side of the lake to launch a canoe or kayak, but since the lake is 16 km long, it is impractical to try to paddle the whole lake in a 34 km loop. It is … Continue reading…
Viewland Mountain stands above Horseflly Lake deep in east side of the Cariboo. It is accessed by following the road from 150 Mile House to Horsefly Lake, then up a 21 km backroad into the hills. Just past the 21km mark, a FSR on the right goes for 1.3 km to the signed trailhead. The trailhead to the regional … Continue reading…
Big Bar Lake is located at the north end of the Marble Range on the southwest corner of the Cariboo. the easiest access is to follow the Big Bar Road which leaves Highway 97 eight km north of Clinton. The 34 km road road is a good gravel road passing through rolling forested hills. The best access is from Big … Continue reading…
The Lundbom Commonage area is in the hills to the southeast of Merritt. There are extensive grasslands, some wetlands, and rolling hills with good access on older double tracks and a few single tracks. We have hiked all through the hills, but we returned to hike the Cocobonk Trail in June. We parked next to Lundbom Lake and followed the … Continue reading…
During freshet, the river runs faster so any downriver route is a quicker paddle. The route downriver from Pioneer Park to Tranquille Bay is 11.65 km and takes about 2 hours. From the flooded boat launch at Pioneer Park, the kayak enters the current and I paddled under the Red Bridge then the CN Bridge. There was not much clearance … Continue reading…
Mt. Baldy is really just an outlier hill overlooking Sorrento and Shuswap Lake. It is a good trail, designed and maintained by the Shuswap Trails Alliance. The trailhead is at the end of Elison Road where there is a good parking area and signage. The trail is well-marked all the way to the top. Most of the route goes … Continue reading…
The three best lakes for kayaking in our area are Paul Lake, Heffley Lake, and Lac le Jeune and we set out to paddle the whole shoreline of all 3 each spring. Lac le Jeune also has the smaller lake on the west side of the road, the highlight of a day of paddling in the high country. Paddling around … Continue reading…
Buse Hill is an easy hike on the east side of Kamloops. The hike climbs a hill to a fine viewpoint on top of cliffs overlooking Barnhartvale. To get to the trailhead, follow Barnhartvale Road to the Robbins Range Road turnoff and then at the Campbell Range junction, take the left turn onto Robbins Range Road and then follow it … Continue reading…
When the North Thompson and the South Thompson Rivers rise, the Thompson River expands and the estuary at the head of Kamloops Lake widens into a floodlands. We can launch a canoe or kayak from the BC Parks Lac du Bois Wildlife Management Area parking area. .This launch spot is suitable for canoes and kayaks only during freshet. We paddle … Continue reading…
The Dewdrop Trail climbs from the Dewdrop Range up the Red Plateau Escarpment to the Rim. The route goes up a gully, then traverses over onto a broad ridge to the top, a vertical climb of 510 m (1673 feet). The next ridge to the west is narrow, steeper, and rocky. This ragged red ridge has no trail, but it … Continue reading…
Mosaic Canyon is a popular hike in the Death Valley area. The name comes from the textured and colorful patterns of mosaic breccia, dolomite, and marble in the canyon walls. The trail has both narrows and wider spots as it goes up into a fault in Tucki Mountain for about 1.8 miles (2.9 km). The canyon has been scoured by … Continue reading…
Ross Moore Lake lies in the forested lands east of Lac le Jeune. It is a popular fishing lake, but all the routes in are either long or rough, best suited to high clearance vehicles. The route to the Rec Site at the south follows a network of roads from the Brigade Lake – Long Lake area (article). Another choice … Continue reading…
False Kiva is a Class 2 archeological site high near the rim on top of Island in the Sky, Canyonlands (Utah). The ceremonial site (kiva) is in a large alcove located under the rim. There is no official trail, so it helps to know where to park and the approximate location of the site. There were a number of … Continue reading…
Black Canyon is a narrow spot among black cliffs where the Thompson River takes a curved path. It can’t be seen from Highway 1, nor from the Highland Valley Road so hikers have to turn onto the Kirkland Ranch Road which goes down the east side of the river to Spences Bridge. Much of the land in the area is … Continue reading…
