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.
The dry hills around Six Mile Lake are rugged, covered in grasses and open forests. Most visitors go to Pat Lake to fish, but the hills invite exploration when the cattle are not grazing on the hillsides. The high point is north of Pat Lake (sometimes called Six Mile Lake). There are a series of hills to ascend, but we … Continue reading…
The Greenstone Mountain road climbs up through grassland slopes for 2.4 km to a junction. The route on the left goes southeast and climbs up the mountain. The route on the west goes past some small lakes on the benchland, then climbs through the forest to Duffey Lake. We mountain biked along this road in early April. [map style=”width: auto; … Continue reading…
Recently I gave a presentation to the Kamloops Adult Learners Society. The topic of the 2 hour presentation was Wildflower Seasons in the Kamloops Area. The slideshow photos were all taken by me over a period of 2-3 years and I only included photos I was pleased with. I talked a little about each wildflower and answered questions as they … Continue reading…
The western end of the Dewdrop Range has a number of rough double track roads which can be driven with a high clearance vehicle, but they also provide good routes for mountain biking. The route starts at the junction of the Fredrick Road and the Upper Dewdrop Road. A parking area 140m up the upper road is an area used … Continue reading…
Tranquille Canyon has a number of rugged wonders, but many of them are hard to get to. The slot canyons require a steep hike down and any exploration will involve some scrambling. The gorge lies below Mt. Wheeler and Red Plateau. There were no trails until recently but now there are the beginnings of a faint single track that takes … Continue reading…
As the weather warms, the grasslands come to life. Grasses start to green up, wildflowers emerge, ducks arrive at the ponds and lakes, birds flit along the meadows and perch on shrubs, and beetles scurry along the ground. The first flowers to emerge are sagebrush buttercups, yellow bells, spring beauties, and a few tiny yellow or white flowers. At this … Continue reading…
There are a handful of good launch spots on the South Thompson River and the beach at the Lafarge Bridge is one of the best ones. A dirt road goes down to a gravel beach. We can park on the side road above after unloading the boat. We launched and paddled upstream east to Rivershore Golf Club. There is a … Continue reading…
From the Valleyview Nature Park trailhead, there are numerous single track trails that go east up gullies, over ridges, and along benchlands, all in the open grasslands of the Valleyview Silt Cliffs area. We hiked a route that we know well. Since there are many trails in the area, it may take hikers several visits to link up trails to … Continue reading…
The informal trail/route around Long Lake starts at the 7km mark on the Lac du Bois Road and winds its way over to the end of the lake. Long Lake sits in a basin between Mt. Wheeler and Batchelor Ridge in the middle grasslands. In March and the first part of April, the grasses are just greening up, but sagebursh … Continue reading…
Spring is the time for eagles to lay their eggs into high nests in trees. One old snag in the cliffs area of the Dewdrop Range offers us good views down into the nest. When we had been to this spot a few days earlier, the parents were at the nest, but there were no eggs. On … Continue reading…
In an effort to escape rain and big city busyness while in New Zealand, we decided to explore the Bay of Plenty area so we drove for a few hours northeast from Wellington and found ourselves at Waihi Beach. We opted to turn right right and continued down to the end of the point at Bowentown. We weren’t sure … Continue reading…
There are no trails for this loop, but there are fine views and lots to see along the way. It starts by parking at the first pullout on the Frederick Loop and we climb to the ridge overlooking Kamloops Lake, then we follow a series of ridges west, looping back on lower ridges below and above the sets of bluffs … Continue reading…
The grasslands hills in Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area start with the lower grasslands-sagebrush slopes at the south end, but as we climb to the north, we enter the middle grasslands where we can hike through the open hills. By the mid-late part of March, wildflowers emerge to greet us as we rove through the open meadows. Sagebrush buttercups … Continue reading…
The Frederick Bluffs are a rugged area of rocky hills, bluffs, gullies, and scrubby grassland on the eastern end Dewdrop-Rousseau Creek Wildlife Management Area. To get there, follow the Frederick Road and when the road splits into two, take the left fork. Follow this good dirt road for about 2 km and park at one of several pull-offs. An old … Continue reading…
There are a few hikes we do every year at the same time of the year. We see the same things, but it is like a warm homecoming to hike a trail we know and love, especially in spring when the hills have dried out. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”OSM Cycle” z=”13″ … Continue reading…
The first day of paddling on the river was in February and the last day will be in November this year. When we paddle early in the season, the river is cold so there are some things we can do to make the experience more reasonable. Check the weather forecast in the last 24 hours. Wind is the critical issue. … Continue reading…
