On an early May morning we went to Lac du Bois and hiked around the lake in a 6 km loop. There is a good double track around the north side of the lake. Ducks, turtles, and muskrats can be spotted at the edge of the riparian zone. At the west end of the lake, the double track continues to … Continue reading…
The Ragged Red Ridge has no trail. It is a continuous ridge that rises from the Dewdrop Range to the upper rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment. The well-established Dewdrop Trail climbs up a gully, then a parallel ridge to the rim, a much easier route. We have climbed up the Ragged Red Ridge and have looped down the Dewdrop … Continue reading…
In early May we hiked the Deep Lake trail, taking the turns to complete the extended loop, a 7.3 km route. Most of the group hiked up from Westsyde Road since there is very little parking near the trailhead. The lower slopes are in the grasslands, with a scattering of pine and fir trees and some old snags. We continued … Continue reading…
The Outer Inks Trail system is a wide area of forested routes on the lower slopes of Chuwhels and Greenstone Mountain. The Coquihalla Highway is the eastern border. There are a few roads and a lot of ATV tracks. Many of the single and double tracks provide good hiking, especially in the off-season for motorized vehicles. Some of the tracks … Continue reading…
Although we have hiked to the Guardsmen many times, we try to take a different route each time or to combine different detours, often taking an eclectic approach along the way. The Guardsmen are a number of large hoodoos standing over Tranquille River in a difficult-to-get-to spot of the rugged canyon. We started at the trailhead for the … Continue reading…
On a sunny day at the end of April I brought my kayak and my hiking boots into the Six Mile Hills. I paddled around Pat Lake twice (4 km) first, then secured the boat. I headed up through the hills on an eclectic route. The open south-facing slopes have a number of ponderosa pine snags still standing, but … Continue reading…
We drove out onto the Robbins Range Road in Barnhartvale and continued to the trailhead to Buse Hill Provincial Park. We parked just off the road, and climbed up the double track toward the summit. The lower slopes are part of Buse Creek Ranch. The grassland hills offer wide views to the north toward Sunrise Mountain. The park is the … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park is located on the north side of Kamloops Lake and is accessed by boat or overland from the Copper Creek Road. This has been a hiking destination every year for decades and we have chosen different routes almost every year. On a sunny April morning we hiked into Painted Bluffs, through the hills, … Continue reading…
There is some fine hiking terrain near Six Mile Hill in the hills above the TransCanada Highway to the west of Kamloops. An old road bears off to the left just past the Tobiano turn. If you take this turn watch for vehicles moving quickly since it is a sharp turn onto a bumpy road. Some of the Six Mile … Continue reading…
In shoulder season I sometimes strike off through the hills, hiking an eclectic route, adjusting the path to explore hills, gullies, ridges, and slopes without any specific plan in mind. On a windy, cool day which had several hail storms, I wandered through the hills above Kamloops Lake. The areas were dry, with only a few early plants emerging. I … Continue reading…
On a windy spring day we hiked a loop route through Peterson Creek Park, staying as close to the canyon rim as we could. We crossed the creek on a side trail and followed a single track on the east side of the canyon that we call the East Rim Trail. There are a few interesting trees on the slopes … Continue reading…
We hiked up through the Mara Canyon Trail and continued up the ridge to the junction with the Mara Ridge trail, but on this day we turned and went to the top of the mountain first. Although I have done the Mara Canyon Loop many times (for 45 years and at least once per year), I only do the route … Continue reading…
The Barnes Lake Trails are horse-and-hiker routes in Barnhartvale. Mountain bikes are not allowed, and so the trails are less well-known. We did see a couple of horse riders and two dog-walkers, but we hiked 9.8 km and mostly had the trails to ourselves. We started at the Gardiner Road trailhead and did a clockwise loop around the outer trails. … Continue reading…
In early April I hiked from the Wade Road parking area (by the bridge) down the river toward the outflow and back through the forest, a 7 km route. The trails were all in good shape, they were quiet, and the hike by the river was a welcome change. The trails are all part of Tsútcwecw Provincial Park, formerly Roderick … Continue reading…
We hiked from the lower end of Dallas – Barnhartvale Park, starting at the Pussywillow Lane Trailhead at the south end of Mountview Drive. Our route was the outside loop of the trails, including some hiking on the Blackwell Trails on the east side of the park. Pussywillow Lane goes up a gully into the lower silt cliffs and up … Continue reading…
There is a triangular shaped benchland between Owl Road and Highland Drive that is incised by gullies, pitted with sinkholes, and ringed by silt cliffs. Access is by a trail from the start of Owl Road or from a trail on Highland Drive. Double tracks and single tracks provide about 6 km of hiking. On my hike on a cool, … Continue reading…
