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.
Bleeker Lake is a short drive north of Roche Lake. Turn left at the signed Bleeker Lake Forest Service Road before coming to the main right turn to Roche Lake. The end of the lake is only 1 km, but the best place to launch is another kilometer along the north side of the lake at the Bleeker Lake Recreation … Continue reading…
The hike to the top of Trophy Mountain is the premier route in our region. We started going up the mountain in 1976 and we have returned every year. The month for our hike varies, but we always go up through the meadows to Plateau of the Lakes and from there we vary the route – up to Long Hill, … Continue reading…
Dunn Lake is a picturesque long lake set among steep-sided mountains. To get to Dunn Lake, we went to Little Fort and used the Little Fort Reaction Ferry service, then followed the 7 km gravel road to the Joseph Creek Valley on the north end of the lake. Right at the junction of roads at the north end of the … Continue reading…
From the summit of the Trophy Mountains a number of remote mountain ranges are visible. To the northwest is Garnet Peak overlooking Azure Lake. It is the third highest peak in Wells Gray at 2876 m (9874 feet). It was first climbed by a team led by Hugh Neave in 1974. Access is from Huntley Col from Azure Lake. To … Continue reading…
After paddling Pillar Lake in the morning, we drove up into the Fly Hills to paddle Bolean Lake. From Falkland, drive south and turn left onto Silvernail Road. Not far up the sidehill, turn left onto (signed) Bolean Forest Service Road and climb the narrow, steep road for 9.5 km. Once onto the Fly Hills Plateau the road levels … Continue reading…
Monck Provincial Park lies on the western shores of Nicola Lake. From the campground area, trails go along the lakeshore and up onto the rocky hill above the road. Views over the lake are found at many points along the trails. There is one short spur tail that goes from the campground out to the bluffs on the south side. … Continue reading…
Pillar Lake is located 11 km north of Falkland. A BC Recreation site right next to the road provides a good launch spot for canoes and kayaks. Pillar Lake is a narrow lake, but paddlers can cover 5 km by going up one shore and back on the other shore. Pillar Lake Resort has the only set of buildings on … Continue reading…
In the summer, we plan and schedule hikes to the summits of peaks in the Interior, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate on a schedule so we try to have a Plan B, an alternate local hike. The Stake Lake Trails have many options for a summer hike over the hills. Less interesting than hikes into the alpine zone, … Continue reading…
Ruckle Provincial Park is a popular camping location on Salt Spring, but the rocky shores make launching and landing difficult, especially for the longer ocean kayaks. Paddling books and websites suggest launching in Fulford or Ganges Harbor, but we found a spot in the park that works fine, with a bit of extra work. We parked at the day-use area … Continue reading…
Nicola Lake is windy enough for the Interior sailing community to have based their activities on the lakeside for 20+ years. The lake is often too windy for paddling, but we can watch the wind forecast and we can pick days to paddle earlier in the morning before afternoon winds arise. The north end of the lake makes a nice, … Continue reading…
The Dewdrop Trailhead starts at a short side road off the Frederick Road and climbs for 5km onto the escarpment of the Dewdrop Plateau with a vertical climb of 736m meters (2414 feet). We hiked up onto the rim one morning in early July. Along the way were a few wildflowers, in the lower grasslands, on the ridges, and in … Continue reading…
Salt Spring Island can be used as a basecamp for kayaking in the Gulf Islands. Some of the areas to paddle include Fulford Harbour, Long Harbour, Ganges Harbour, Prevost Island, Wallace Island, and coastline sections wherever a good launch can be found. Paddling out of Ganges Harbour is a good choice early in the morning before the crowds come to … Continue reading…
The Bonaparte River starts high on the Silwhoiakun Plateau at an elevation of 4400 to 4800 feet, where numerous creeks and streams flow into the basin of Bonaparte Lake. Bonaparte Lake is 18 km long and about 2 km wide. The outlet is on the west end where the Bonaparte River begins its 140 km journey to the Thompson River. … Continue reading…
Nicola Lake offers kayakers days of paddling, but it is a windy lake so checking the wind forecasts is recommended. Since the lake is too big to paddle the entire shoreline in one day (or even two), we can pick one area for a shoreline exploration of a loop route. One of the best launch spots is at Monck Provincial … Continue reading…
Steamboat Rock State Park is found just south of the Grand Coulee Dam in Central Washington State. It is right in the middle of the Grand Coulee that was formed by the scouring of the lands into the channeled scablands caused by the release of Glacial Lake Missoula at the end of the last Ice Age. In an earlier era, … Continue reading…
Ruckle Point Provincial Park is located on the south shore of Salt Spring Island. There are 7 km of shoreline and 15 km of forested trails for hikers. The walk-in campground is on a grassy-rocky bench overlooking the channel. This was our base camp for a week of paddling and hiking. The entire south shoreline is rocky, but there are … Continue reading…
