Every year in spring we hike through Mara Canyon, starting at the new trailhead in the gravel pit and following the canyon trail to the wide open area below the summit, then we climb to the top of the ridge on the east side and descend the RidgeTrail (Cinnamon Ridge) back to the start. Over the years we have … Continue reading…
On a grey day in early April I hiked up the double track access to the base of the hill, then continued to the summit on steep single tracks. A few images are shared here. All photos by th author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption. The hike takes about 2.5 hours and some navigation is … Continue reading…
On a grey spring day we hiked from the Frederick Road up open slopes on a favorite route, to Dewdrop Ridge. By hiking up through the grassland-sagebrush slopes for one kilometer, we reach one of the best viewpoints of our area, looking up the Thompson River toward Kamloops. Cooney Bay and Kamloops Lake lies 1.3 km below the upper rim … Continue reading…
The Mara Trail winds through the hills between Mara Mountain and the Tranquille River Valley. We can extend the trail to include the Mara Outer Loop by hiking over a hill above the Tranquille River on the west side, then loop back over to the shorter Mara Trail (loop). It is a good choice in early spring because the south-facing … Continue reading…
A lesser-known set of trails can be hiked off of Rose Lake Road or from sideroads in Valleyview. the Lower Rose Trails are a network of single and double tracks between Rose Hill Road and Owl Road, south of the Valleyview neighborhood, but north of the gasline route between Rose Hill and Juniper. My favorite trailhead is off Rose Hill … Continue reading…
In early spring the south-facing lower slopes of the river and lake valleys dry out first and a good choice for a 9.3 km return hike is to follow a trail from the Savona Cemetery along the slopes of Kamloops Lake toward Sabiston Creek. The trail continues past the beach area there by the tracks, but it climbs steeply up … Continue reading…
In late winter the south-facing slopes dry off first so we head up into the hills, enjoying dry conditions when the route is ready. We hike up Tranquille Ridge from the bottom to the top of the hill sometimes called The Pimple, though we prefer just to refer to it as the Tranquille Ridge Summit. The route follows some double … Continue reading…
We can hike over to Rabbit Island in late winter and early spring by fording a channel on the north side of the island. We hiked over from the southeast corner of McArthur Island, then walked upstream to the narrowest point for the channel crossing. The water is cold and and there is a current, so we need to take … Continue reading…
On a hazy grey morning we drove the potholed road down to Cooney Bay. We hike along the river, then around the bay on Kamloops Lake. Tranquille River drains into the bay. We crossed on a small ice bridge, but soon we will have to use logs to cross over. At the end of the bay we hiked over the … Continue reading…
In spring the snow and ice clears off the wide beaches between the Airport and the floodlands areas toward Cooney Bay so we can hike on the Rivers Trail along the dike and pick the junctions that parallel the beach. By staying left, but not going onto the beach, we can follow trails through the cottonwoods and flood channels, bearing … Continue reading…
When I was in elementary school one of my teachers used the saying “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” to teach the seasons. On a cool, windy early March day I hiked on the sidehill benchlands, keeping a brisk pace because of the conditions. I did spot some early wildflowers like this … Continue reading…
As the snows started to melt in the river valleys, we headed out to the Tournament Capital Ranch to hike/walk the paths along the river. The tracks were icy, snowy, or muddy, but we used microspikes and picked the best route along the river, and on various tracks that allowed a loop route. The fog lifted and we had periods … Continue reading…
A hike on Dewdrop Ridge, all off-trail. Images of snags and trees in a photo essay: … … … … … … … … … … … There are several articles on the website about hiking Dewdrop Ridge for anyone else who wants to enjoy wind-shaped trees and snags.
Continue reading...On a late winter windy day I put on my microspikes and hiked up to Jacko Lake from the Lac le Jeune Road. The access road is being used by the Trans Mountain Pipeline workers for the first short section, but the road to the boat launch was not plowed. Vehicles have been driving in there on the snow and … Continue reading…
On a mild late winter day I snowshoed into the Butterfly Marshes, an areas seldom explored at the far south end of the Bush Lake system. There is an access road near Stake Lake, but there is no parking there until late in winter. I ventured along the access track, then onto the marshes. My plan was to visit an … Continue reading…
In late winter the valley bottom beaches clear of snow and ice and we can hike/walk on sand, gravel, and some icy sections on the beaches. There are several good locations on the South Thompson, the North Thompson, and the Thompson Rivers. The north end of SChubert Drive has a loop route that includes a walk along the river and … Continue reading…
