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 the snows melt, mud is a challenge on most hiking trails, but any sloped route that is south-facing will dry off first. A route from the bottom near Tranquille up an old double track, then along a series of steeper ridges climbs through sagebrush grasslands to a high point above the Tranquille Canyon. The final goal is the top … Continue reading…
On a mid-March sunny day I hiked from the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road across the sidehill (above the tracks) and up a series of ridges through the sagebrush grasslands. Each of the many ridges that run down to the lakeshore are separated by gullies, but there is a bench area above the gullies that traverses over to Battle Bluff. … Continue reading…
This winter we have had some of the lowest water levels in our rivers. There were many people hiking on Rabbit Island since the channel was very narrow and shallow. We went across to the island hiked around it, staying below the high water mark to avoid going onto private property (much of the island floods during freshet). Much of … Continue reading…
One of the first areas to clear of ice, snow, and then mud are the Valleyview benchlands. There are 5 areas that can be hiked. One of the least well-known areas is the Silt Cliffs Triangle bounded by Highland Drive, Owl Road, and Valleyview Drive. The easiest access is from Valleyview Arena. There are a number of double tracks, single … Continue reading…
In the second week of March we snowshoed through the Dogwood Marshes, then continued east, climbing the slopes of Hull Hill. The route is now stomped in so others may wish to try the 9 km return snowshoe route. Right below the summit is a small lake, which is where we stopped for lunch. Hull Hill is a rounded forested … Continue reading…
On a sunny early March day we hiked from Tranquille on the Lake down the Thompson River to Cooney Bay. There is no trail, but there is a rough path along the wetlands to the shoreline of the river. We reached Cooney Bay in 1.7 km. Ice had jammed the shoreline driven down the lake by prevailing winds. It is … Continue reading…
At the first part of March we hiked the sandy beaches and river shoreline in the Mission Flats area starting on Mission Flats Road just before the landfill entrance. The beaches area is across from the airport and we can enjoy the wide views to the north, west, and east. Some ice flanks the river’s edge, but the beaches were … Continue reading…
On a sunny early March day, the Smelly Richard Trail was the snowy hike, using traction devices on hiking boots. the trailhead to the Triple Lumen Trail is just off the Lac le Jeune Road. The junction to Smelly Richard is about 1 km up the trail. Much of the trail had been hiked by one or two people, but … Continue reading…
On a sunny late winter day I hiked a series of single track trails on the snow around Batchelor Hill. There was a fresh snowfall on all of the trails, so winter boots with microspikes were used, but the going was slow. The first 2 km section was around the eastern slopes of Batchelor Hill to trails that wind around … Continue reading…
On a snowy winter day, I hike the Batchelor Hills, going up the Tower Trail and coming back down the Cows with Guns Trail. I hiked in a snow storm for the second half of the outing. All of the trail was in sagebrush grasslands. I hiked through the gap between the Tower Hill and Batchelor Hill to the saddle … Continue reading…
We drove the snowy roads to Isobel Lake to snowshoe the winter trails, following fat tire – snowshoe trails into the hills on the north side of the lake. All was quiet at Isobel Lake and there was a fresh snowfall of about 6 cm on all of the trails. We followed the lake trail then continued west on marked … Continue reading…
With mild weather in the latter half of winter, the lower south-facing hills dried out and some of the hills offered good early-season hiking. From the first parking area I hiked on double tracks up over a series of steep hills. There were some muddy areas, but it was easy to go around them. The Batchelor Range … Continue reading…
In late winter the Sage Trails area from Bunker Road was clear of snow and ice. On cooler days, the ground was frozen so there was no mud either. The trails can be combined for a loop route that takes 60 – 75 minutes and there are fine views at several points along the way. Wisps of fog garlanded Mt. … Continue reading…
When the snows melt in late winter, the valley bottom clears off first and at the same time, the rivers are at their lowest flow. The Thompson River flows into Kamloops Lake, but there is also a large floodland area that has sandy islands in winter and in early spring. The river braids out in the delta area and in … Continue reading…
In a mild month of February, we hiked into Red Canyon, the longest canyon that winds up into the Red Plateau Escarpment above the Dewdrop Range. There was no snow at the parking area (the Dewdrop Trail), nor on the trail to the mouth of the canyon. We hiked past the stile fence crossing for the Dewdrop Trail, then continued … Continue reading…
Red Hill stands on the east side of the Lac du Bois Road. An informal gate provides access to a trail around each side of Red Hill. There is also a faint single track to the top of the hill, a fine viewpoint of the lower grasslands. With a layer of snow on the ground I hiked around the north … Continue reading…
