We hiked to Balancing Rock and the line of hoodoos below on the slopes above Kamloops Lake. As part of a filming outing with CFJC, we explored the area, taking video footage as part of the day’s outing. The “main feature” was Balancing Rock, a conglomerate pillar with a capstone in a gully leading down to the lake. We hiked … Continue reading…
A trail winds down the western slopes above Tranquille River and along the rim to the West Guardsman, a tall hoodoo overlooking the river. Directly across the canyon is the East Guardsmen. We have hiked to the Guardsmen from the Pruden Pass Road, starting at the gate on Tranquille Road, but this was our first time down to the western … Continue reading…
Chuwhels Mountain is the highest point in the hills to the south of Kamloops. The summit is at 1891m (6204 ft). It is a sprawling, forested mountain with lots of cutblocks, and a number of forest service branch roads. There is a good forest service road that turns off the Lac le Jeune Road and goes to Lodgepole Lake. The … Continue reading…
There are some informal user-made single track trails through the forest off the Lake Bay Road and the Armour Creek FSR on the East Side of Heffley Lake. We linked up several to hike a 5.5 km figure-eight route, but we spotted more trails that will require further exploration. There were no viewpoints and most of the routes wound through … Continue reading…
Zoa Peak is located in the Coquihalla Summit Provincial Park. The trailhead is at the end of the Falls Lake Road. The trail starts on a double track and climbs up to a ridge, then turns onto a steep winding single track up the mountain. The first half of the hike is harder than the second half, which winds uphill … Continue reading…
Pillar Lake Provincial Park is located on the Chase Creek Road between Falkland and Chase. The main attraction is a a conglomerate stone pillar in the forest above Pillar Lake. On a September day i paddled Pillar Lake, parking at the Rec site on the shoreline. Directly above the parking area is the signed trailhead. The trail climbs the hillside … Continue reading…
There are a number of basalt bluffs surrounding McConnell Hill and trails go by the ones on the west and southwest sides, but there is a set on the northeast corner too, forming a kind of “basalt amphitheater.” To get to the site, the route goes around the east side of Stake Lake, then turns onto trails to get to … Continue reading…
Near the fall Equinox we hiked from the Ridge Mountain FSR to a loop route above Lac le Jeune. We hiked a good trail along the Fire Break around the north flank of Ridge Mountain. We then took a flagged single track which brought us up on top of Ridge Mountain. This ridge is inconspicuous from the north side, but … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park is located on the north side of Kamloops Lake, east of Copper Creek. It is accessible by hiking over the hills or by boat. There are no trails into the park so anyone wanting to hike there has to take a bearing and go over the hills, ridges, and gullies to the rim of the bluffs. … Continue reading…
Above the Valleyview area and below Juniper Ridge is a benchland area that was once submerged under a glacial lake. It has since been carved by erosion into ridges and gullies. Some of the ridges are now narrow “spines” and there are some informal trails and routes up, along, and down the spines. Some of the best ones are accessed … Continue reading…
Zupjok Peak is a lesser-known hike in the Coquihalla Summit, but it is a fine hike with excellent views from the alpine. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption: A video is also available on YouTube. More Information: Kamloops Trails Channel on YouTube Zupjok Peak Trail Hiking Zupjok Peak
Continue reading...The Sparks Lake Fire of 2021 burned over 90 000 hectares of forest from Red Lake up over the Bonaparte Plateau, including much of Bonaparte Provincial Park. The trails are closed and the roads are not fully accessible. Where the fire burned hot, all traces of trail markers and even the trail itself is hidden by regeneration growth. … Continue reading…
Estekwalan is located above the village of Falkland between Kamloops and Vernon. It is accessed by backroads from Falkland or Westwold. On this September morning we drove in from Westwold (Station Road > Station Bay FSR > Rob Roy FSR) on dry gravel roads. All trails up and down Estekwalan are steep and difficult. Once on top of the mountain, … Continue reading…
A paddle and hike duathlon was a good choice for a warm summer day. A paddle around Stake Lake was followed by a hike on the Giant Firs Trail. The big trees on the trail are a welcome sight in both summer and winter. Some moments of both activities are found in this short video:
Continue reading...Gulf Islands National Park Reserve has park lands on most of the southern Gulf Islands, including Mayne Island. Campbell Point, Georgeson Island, and a chain of islets on the east coast of Mayne are on the edge of Georgia Strait. There is a short trail along the ridge of Campbell Point which can be hiked. We hiked to the end, … Continue reading…
We hiked on a loop route on the McQueen Lake Trails in late August. We avoid accessing any of the trails when students are on the site (a request from the McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center). We got an early start and hiked trails which steered away from the Overnight Center. We hiked along the Red Trail along McQueen Lake, … Continue reading…
