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.
When Lac le Jeune was the main cross-country ski center there were top-notch trails bearing west in several loops that were well-used and some national-level competitions were hosted in the area. The ski hill was in operation too. We brought out kids there to learn to downhill ski. A double track trail also went up the west side of the … Continue reading…
All of the routes off the north, west and south sides of Hull hill make fine snowshoeing routes, but all require stomping in tracks and navigating the backwoods. The main access route for the north and west side is off the Goose Lake Road, which is usually plowed in winter (the plough went by the day after the recent snowfall). … Continue reading…
We hike from the Lac du Bois Road across the open grasslands hills to Long Lake in the spring when waterfowl is on the lake. We sometimes hike around the lake in a loop just to enjoy the quiet grasslands and riparian activity. We often explore the glaciated features of the area – eskers, kames, potholes, moraine ridges, striated outcrops, … Continue reading…
When conditions are right we hike the lower trails of our area all winter. One of the best routes is up the Pussywillow Lane Trail in the Dallas – Barnhartvale Nature Trails. There is parking at the end of Mountview Drive. The Pussywillow Lane Trail follows up gully up through the silt cliffs to benchlands. A network of trails with … Continue reading…
The upper bench from Lac du Bois along the flank of Mt. Wheeler is mostly open grasslands with a few scattered trees and copses of leafless aspens, ponds, marshes, and rounded hills. A double track bears south for 3 km, winding around ponds, but staying in the open below the treed slopes of the mountain, but above the Lac du … Continue reading…
Makena State Park is on the shoreline of Makena (south of Kihei and Wailea) on the Island of Maui. There are two beaches and a dormant volcanic cinder cone on the 165 acre park. Big Beach is a kilometer-long crescent of golden sand. A small reef provides safe swimming conditions near the shoreline. Separating the two beaches is a rocky … Continue reading…
By the beginning of February we often see snow start to disappear in the bottom of the Thompson River Valley. The lowest elevations and the most exposed south-facing areas are the first to clear and the expanded beaches along the river offer hikers an opportunity to walk on the sand. There are a number of shorter walks along the winter … Continue reading…
The trail up Waihee Ridge starts on a side road off the Kahekili “Highway” (at mile 6.9) on the north side of the West Maui Mountain Range. A good road leads to a parking area and a signed trail. The trail is in good shape, well-signed, and brushed out. There were a couple of muddy spots on north-facing … Continue reading…
Each winter we try to snowshoe in a different place each time for the whole season, going back to the most reliable spots first and when conditions are ready, heading to the hills for new routes, to the tops of hills, and to routes only visited every few years. When we take out novices, family members, or groups, we find … Continue reading…
The only Hawaiian island that has navigable rivers is Kauai. The Hanalei River is the second largest (in flow) on the island, descending from the upper slopes of Mt. Wai’ale’ale to the ocean in 15.7 miles. The lower part of the river flows slowly through dense forests, past taro fields, and then it winds through a flat coastal estuary. … Continue reading…
All of the side roads and tracks off the Lac le Jeune Road have areas to snowshoe. Most are explorations, but as more people venture out, tracks are set for others to follow. One area that has many hours of snowshoeing for explorers is the Upper Goose Lake Hills. This is crown land adjacent to the upper end of the … Continue reading…
Kauai has many wonderful hikes but there are also a number of excellent seacliff routes down to pocket beaches. Many of these are off backroads to a parking spot. Larsen’s Beach is down Koolau Road south of Kilauea, then along the Larsens Beach sideroad. At the end of the gravel road are a number of parking spots. The trail … Continue reading…
When winter comes and snow blankets the high country, we head up into the hills and Lodgepole Lake is good spot for a day of snowshoeing. In the Kamloops area we have to drive high enough to find enough snow to make it worthwhile, but the roads to the higher areas have to be plowed and there has to be … Continue reading…
The north shore of Kauai has fewer trails than other parts of the island, although it does have the Kalalau Trail, one of the top destination hikes in the world. There are a few beach hikes or scrambles down to pocket beaches, but the only other hike in the Hanalei area is the Okolehao Trail. We went out with a … Continue reading…
The source of the Tranquille River are the meltwaters of the southern end of the Silwohiakun Plateau. A dozen streams flow down the slopes below Porcupine Ridge (6000 feet) and end up In Tranquille Lake. The river really starts at the lake, but the log starts at the longest stream that flows into the lake. Km 0.0 – Porcupine Meadows … Continue reading…
For most of the snowshoe season we pick tracks in the forest and what we see is snow and trees. The varieties of trees depends on elevation, terrain, and aspect. The Dogwood Marshes are at 1250 m (4100 feet) elevation so the forest is mostly Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and some spruce. In the more open wet spots we also … Continue reading…
