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.
Bearcat Caves generates a lot of local interest and we get frequent enquiries about how to get there and what it is like. We returned back to Bearcat Caves in June of 2016 coming in by the original route detailed in earlier articles. Bearcat Caves Report Bearcat Caves For a couple of years, the main road through the Monte … Continue reading…
The Dewdrop Trail climbs the old lava flow cliffs by going up gullies and ridges to the top of the escarpment and then the trail skirts the rim bearing west. For most of the route, there are fine views and interesting geological features. Usually we climb 2300 vertical feet (700 m) to the rim then we hike along the rim … Continue reading…
Each year the rivers rise in May and they usually peak in June. When both rivers rise enough, the area near the east end of Kamloops Lake floods upstream for a few kilometers. We can launch our kayaks and paddle from Tranquille Bay to explore the seasonal channels. In 2016, freshet was early and by the first of June access … Continue reading…
On a recent trip to UBC, we walked the campus, hiked down to Tower Beach and then Wreck Beach all the way to the end of the trail, then came up the bluffs and toured UBC Botanical Gardens. The beach route had very few walkers, but the Botanical Gardens was a busy place. We chose to walk as many paths … Continue reading…
The hike along the Adams River Trail is an enjoyable walk in any season, but in late spring we can witness the meltwaters surging through the canyon and we can enjoy the wildflowers along both sides of the trail. The trailhead is on the north side of the road just after crossing the bridge. After climbing a short hill, … Continue reading…
Every year we paddle downriver to Kamloops. The South Thompson River from Chase to Kamloops can be done in 3 legs – Chase to Pritchard, Pritchard to Lafarge, and Lafarge to Pioneer Park. We organize a pick up behcile at the end so we enjoy the river as it runs quickly in freshet. We paddled downriver from Lafarge to Pioneer … Continue reading…
High Bar Road connects the Big Bar Ferry Road (in Big Bar Creek Valley) to the Edge Hills and the south end of the Jesmond Road. It is a narrow gravel road that runs along benches and sidehills overlooking the east side of the Fraser River. The road is 32 km long, running from the Big Bar Road to the … Continue reading…
We have been exploring the forested lands off the Lac le Jeune Road for a few years. For snowshoeing, this road is the best access to get to the 3000 – 5000 foot elevation level. At the upper end of this area, the forest is thick and the access in winter is harder. Some of the best snowshoeing in our … Continue reading…
The Deadman Valley runs north for over 50km from the Trans-Canada Highway, a scenic drive, but also a good route to explore lakes, falls, hoodoos, and backcountry routes. Each time we make the whole-day trip, we pick new points of interest for more exploration. Last year, it was Deadman Falls, Sherwood hoodoos, and Snohoosh Lake (Deadmans Tour). This year it … Continue reading…
The Jesmond Lookout is at the north end of the Marble Range. It is the last peak of the range and all the lands north of the Lookout are the relatively flat. high plateau of the Cariboo. The Jesmond Road follows a valley west of the Marble Range from Kelly Lake to Big Bar Lake. Both ends can be accessed … Continue reading…
The upper trails in the Outer Links Trails climb into the forest on the flanks of Chuwhels Mountain. There are many double and single track trails so it can be confusing at all the intersections, but mountain bikers should just pick the ones most used and then choose to explore. We have ridden, hiked, run, and snowshoed the backroads and … Continue reading…
We rode the backroads from Douglas Lake to Westwold on our mountain bikes. The starting point was just past the Douglas Lake Ranch (community) and we rode east up over the grasslands hills to the high point on a gravel road, then descended down into the Salmon River Valley. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid … Continue reading…
Big Bar Lake lies in the southwest corner of the Cariboo, not far from the Big Bar Reaction Ferry on the Fraser River. The simplest route is to drive north of Clinton and then follow the gravel road for 33km to Big Bar Provincial Park. This is a beautiful spot just north of the Marble Range (a favorite area … Continue reading…
We paddle into the Floodlands in freshet each year. The meltwaters from the North and South Thompson Rivers expand to fill the riverbanks and raise the rivers considerably in May and June. We enjoy launching from a small parking area near Tranquille once the river rises enough to clar the grazing fences. The area is part of the BC Parks … Continue reading…
The route up to the top of Mara Mountain from the northeast (NE) is our favorite “trail” so we hike it every year in mid-spring. It starts at end of the Pruden Pass Road and immediately climbs through open forest and grassy slopes. There are two steep pitches to the upper part of the mountain and there are no trails … Continue reading…
In the Grand Coulee corridor in Central Washington State is a series of dry rocky coulees and pothole lakes. The channeled scablands were scoured by the released floodwaters of Lake Missoula during successive ice ages. This area is barren and rocky, but the State has funnelled water down this corridor from the Roosevelt Reservoir, supplying a chain of lakes, including … Continue reading…
