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 abandoned Village of Pokeist stands on the bench above the Thompson River halfway between Ashcroft and Spences Bridge. At one time, the village had about 800 people, but the smallpox epidemics decimated the population. Apart from a few trailers, relics, and a residence or two, a small wooden church (St. Aidan’s) still stands there and is visible from the … Continue reading…
The Marble Range has a number of first-class hikes that are not well-known. They are accessed off the Jesmond Road, a two hour+ drive from Kamloops. We return to hike there in June-September each year, but we often choose an earlier date because the snow clears earlier there than in other ranges, even at the 7000 foot elevation. Our favorite … Continue reading…
The Stake Lake system has 60km of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and exploring afer the snows melt. From mid-June through August, we choose different loops each time to vary the outings and to enjoy the different forested areas . The 8.5km loop over McConnell Hill (Sidewinder-Ambush-Rustler) featured many wildflowers. The north side aspect was lined with columbine, violets, and … Continue reading…
A snowshoe trail within the Stake Lake Trails system crosses an interesting geological feature, the basalt bluffs of McConnell Hill. On both the north and west side of the hill, steep bluffs rise from basalt talus slopes to the top of the mesa. Basalt is formed when lava flows quickly close to the surface of the earth. During the cooling … Continue reading…
There are hundreds of lakes to explore in our area and anything with a shoreline perimeter of 3km or more is on our list to paddle. We have hiked the trails around Hyas Lake before, but we had not paddled the lake. We were delighted with this quiet lake high in the hills. It is about 45km from Kamloops. … Continue reading…
A hike we return to each year is the Sugarloaf Mountain hike from Lundbom Lake. Lundbom Commonage is reached by driving on the Okanagan Connector from Merritt, then a left turn onto the Lundbom Lake Road. The good gravel road passes Marquart Lake and goes along the shores of Lundbom Lake. There are campsites on both ends of the lake. … Continue reading…
The road to Paska and Face Lake is paved and both lakes see frequent use, but a backroad heads northwest on the upland plateau over to Dominic Lake to an area that is not as well-known. From the Logan Lake Road, turn north onto the Paska Lake Road and follow it for 9 km. The same road continues to Face … Continue reading…
On the east side of Adams Lake, accessible only by boat is a strip of land designated as a provincial park. It is user-maintained and usually in good shape. Many of us do maintenance at the site when we arrive and try to leave it in better shape than we found it. Spillman Beaches has a series of camping areas … Continue reading…
We can hike or bike double tracks all the way from Lac du Bois to Tranquille. The route goes around the east side of Lac du Bois at an elevation of 882m and enters Lac du Bois Park in the upper grasslands. At 1.7km, we turned uphill onto the wooded flanks of Wheeler Mountain. A large pond is … Continue reading…
Every spring the snows melt from distant mountain ranges and the lands at the head of Kamloops Lake are flooded. We can paddle in the bays and channels, and enjoy the views, especially on a calm day. Reflections from the hills and the sky blend with tones of filtered light. Cloud shapes contrast with the colors of the hills, reflected … Continue reading…
Sunrise Mountain rises steeply above Barnharvale and makes a good hike in any season. Previous articles detail some of the seasons and routes: Sunrise Mountain Sunrise, Sunset In June, we chose the trailhead at the end of Ronde Lane and hiked briskly to the top in 1.25 hours, had lunch on top, and returned the same way. The final section … Continue reading…
In June each year, we can launch our boats from the Tranquille Wildlife Management area and paddle out into the flooded lands at the head of Kamloops Lake. We have a 10km circuit that we can do, but each time a different channel is taken. At the peak of the freshet, all the channels are connected, but as the water … Continue reading…
This trail was a traditional route for First Nations people of the area, connecting the villages at Cayoosh (Lillooet) and Big Bar. The section of the Fraser between Bridge River and Big Bar has a number of cliffs on both sides and rapids below. When Simon Fraser came to map a route down the Fraser, the guides told him not … Continue reading…
Last fall we hiked a 5 lakes loop in (link to previous story). We returned to bike the same loop this time, but extended our ride to include the south part of Roche Lake Provincial Park too. The double track past Black, Bog, and Ernest Lake is rough and there are many large permanent mud puddles to skirt, rocks to … Continue reading…
Three short hikes are side-by-side, but separated by deep gullies. They can be combined, but only with a lot of up and down. All 3 can be accessed from the main Dewdrop Trail parking area. Follow the trail up to the stile crossing, but veer left and follow an old track up into the canyon. The trail disappears after a … Continue reading…
After a long day of backpacking through Wild Horse Canyon, we were left with the second leg of the loop, a 13 km route, most of it uphill. The day was warm and we were out in the treeless south-facing slopes of Okangan Mountain, so we got an early start. From Goode's Creek (15 km from the start), the trail … Continue reading…
