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 Disdero Lakes are found in the Robbins Range area in a large grasslands basin. The lakes lie in an east-west crescent for 3km. Side roads come in from the Robbins Range Road on either side ending in private property. Although fishing sites list Disdero Lakes as fishing lakes, we could not find any information on access so we … Continue reading…
When we hike in the hills above Tranquille Creek, the bluffs on the west side of Wheeler Mountain invite exploration. The lava cliffs rise in stages but the most interesting section has 300 foot cliffs facing southwest. We followed backroads and then worked our way over to the foot of the bluffs. The route is off-trail and a slow-going traverse. … Continue reading…
Rousseau Hill is the prominent hill overlooking the north shore of Kamloops Lake at the west end of the Dewdrop Range. It stands above the turn in the lake so we can look down both arms of the lake from a high viewpoint. To get to the trailhead, we start on the Frederick Road and continue along this good gravel … Continue reading…
Every year we hike Mt. Mara from the northeast. We will continue to do this wonderful hike as long as we can. We start at the end of the Pruden Pass Road and we climb the northeast slopes to the top, avoiding private lands in the pass. There are bits and pieces of a trail on the way up, but … Continue reading…
One of the best lakes to paddle in our area is Paul Lake. We launch from the Provincial Park beach and follow the shoreline all the way around. We can head east or west and our choice is often governed by the wind. On this occasion I paddled west to Gibraltar Rock, then down to the west end of the … Continue reading…
When we started to hike the Interior in the mid-1970’s, we purchased a copy of Exploring Wells Gray Park by Roland Neave. It was our guide to the Park and we hiked every route we could and did not really finish the listed hikes until the 1990’s. Some routes have disappeared as deadfall and overgrowth has returned paths to forest … Continue reading…
The Angel Arch trail is a short trail up a side canyon off the Upper Salt Creek route in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. It starts at the junction of two canyons at the edge of the Salt Creek riparian zone. The faint trail follows the wash southwest for 1.3 miles, climbing a ridge to a viewpoint of the 150′ tall … Continue reading…
Heffley Lake remains one of our best lakes for paddling. It has not yet been overdeveloped, although the northern shoreline gradually has more homes, docks, and private developments. Most of the southern shore is undeveloped, although the upper slopes of Mt. Lolo have been logged for many years. A nice lake can be spoiled with too many homes, docks, and … Continue reading…
Every spring Neskonlith Meadows is one of the best places to hike to see the early bloom of wildflowers. A permit is needed from the Band Office (see below), but it is worth the extra time and cost. The avalanche lilies and buttercups come out first and are followed by yellow bells, then spring beauties. Bluebells can be found in … Continue reading…
We can bike, run, walk and hike the Goose Lake Road for now. The route through the grasslands, riparian zone wetlands and forested hills have long been a recreational corridor, especially for cycling. The road follows the wetlands of Peterson Creek for a few kilometers, habitat for wildlife of the area. The grasslands cover the hills on both sides, with … Continue reading…
For decades we have been running, hiking, and walking through the upper areas of Coal Hill and the Ironmask Hills. With the purchase of the lands by the owners of the new mine, there are now some new fences. There are also some new mountain bike trails, new signage, gates, a kiosk and new vigilance for access to the area. … Continue reading…
The Valleyview silt cliffs area has some unique ridges that run north-south, remnants of drainage divides into the glacial lake after the last ice age. Erosion has narrowed these ridges providing an opportunity for “spine-walks.” We started our hike/scramble at the end of Valleyview Drive, following tracks up into the hills. The ridges run from Juniper northward, down toward the … Continue reading…
The road through the pass between Mt. Wheeler on the north and Mt. Mara on the south has a block of private property bounded by fences and signs so any east-west travel is not possible without climbing well up the hillsides of either mountain above the fencelines. We parked on the public road and climbed north up the sagebrush slopes … Continue reading…
The Dewdrop Range is a benchland of grassland hills with open-forested gullies on the north side of Kamloops Lake. From Tranquille, we follow the Red Lake (Tranquille-Criss Creek) Road up the hill and at the hairpin turn, we turn left onto the Dewdrop (Frederick) Road. For hikers and mountain bikers, the Dewdrop Trail climbs north to the top of the … Continue reading…
The Cathedral Rock Trail is a 1.5 mile return hike in the Sedona, Arizona area. We hiked up the steep route from the trailhead off the Back of Beyond Road. Cathedral Rock is one of the most photographed landmarks of Sedona, a turreted butte of red sandstone. The hike starts as an easy trail to the base of the rock, … Continue reading…
The Canyon Overlook Trail in Zion National Park starts at the east end of the Zion-Mt. Carmel Tunnel. There are a few parking spaces nearby but they fill up by late morning so an early start is recommended. The trail climbs the rocky hill and then follows the north rim of Pine Canyon as it winds to the west. The … Continue reading…
