Mad Dog Mountain is one of several peak in the Marble Range which has a trail to the summit. These limestone peaks have barren rugged karst formations on the summits, offering wonderful hiking opportunities. We parked on the Jesmond Road at Foundation Creek and followed the trail up the creek between Mad Dog and Lime Ridge. This trail has … Continue reading…
The Outer Inks Trails are mostly forested double tracks with a few single tracks added by dirt bikers on motorcycles. It is not an official trail system. The old double tracks on Crown Land were used by ranchers (grazing leases) and for forestry access. Recreational use has mainly been motorcycles and ATVs, but the trail system is also suitable for … Continue reading…
When the Dewdrop Trail was built, it connected the Dewdrop Range (grasslands and hills) with Red Plateau (forested uplands). The route climbs (lava flow) north-south oriented ridges to the top of the Escarpment. The trail continues along the rim of the Escarpment to various viewpoints. There was once a loop route back then which we had hiked, but decades of … Continue reading…
There is a large chunk of rugged terrain on Crown Land east of Kamloops. A series of rocky bluffs and forested slopes rise one after the other to the north above the South Thompson River. There is no real access from Shuswap Road because of private homes, but a gravel road climbs up the power line on the east side … Continue reading…
Bearcat Caves generates a lot of local interest and we get frequent enquiries about how to get there and what it is like. We returned back to Bearcat Caves in June of 2016 coming in by the original route detailed in earlier articles. Bearcat Caves Report Bearcat Caves For a couple of years, the main road through the Monte … Continue reading…
The Dewdrop Trail climbs the old lava flow cliffs by going up gullies and ridges to the top of the escarpment and then the trail skirts the rim bearing west. For most of the route, there are fine views and interesting geological features. Usually we climb 2300 vertical feet (700 m) to the rim then we hike along the rim … Continue reading…
On a recent trip to UBC, we walked the campus, hiked down to Tower Beach and then Wreck Beach all the way to the end of the trail, then came up the bluffs and toured UBC Botanical Gardens. The beach route had very few walkers, but the Botanical Gardens was a busy place. We chose to walk as many paths … Continue reading…
The hike along the Adams River Trail is an enjoyable walk in any season, but in late spring we can witness the meltwaters surging through the canyon and we can enjoy the wildflowers along both sides of the trail. The trailhead is on the north side of the road just after crossing the bridge. After climbing a short hill, … Continue reading…
We have been exploring the forested lands off the Lac le Jeune Road for a few years. For snowshoeing, this road is the best access to get to the 3000 – 5000 foot elevation level. At the upper end of this area, the forest is thick and the access in winter is harder. Some of the best snowshoeing in our … Continue reading…
The Deadman Valley runs north for over 50km from the Trans-Canada Highway, a scenic drive, but also a good route to explore lakes, falls, hoodoos, and backcountry routes. Each time we make the whole-day trip, we pick new points of interest for more exploration. Last year, it was Deadman Falls, Sherwood hoodoos, and Snohoosh Lake (Deadmans Tour). This year it … Continue reading…
The Jesmond Lookout is at the north end of the Marble Range. It is the last peak of the range and all the lands north of the Lookout are the relatively flat. high plateau of the Cariboo. The Jesmond Road follows a valley west of the Marble Range from Kelly Lake to Big Bar Lake. Both ends can be accessed … Continue reading…
Big Bar Lake lies in the southwest corner of the Cariboo, not far from the Big Bar Reaction Ferry on the Fraser River. The simplest route is to drive north of Clinton and then follow the gravel road for 33km to Big Bar Provincial Park. This is a beautiful spot just north of the Marble Range (a favorite area … Continue reading…
The route up to the top of Mara Mountain from the northeast (NE) is our favorite “trail” so we hike it every year in mid-spring. It starts at end of the Pruden Pass Road and immediately climbs through open forest and grassy slopes. There are two steep pitches to the upper part of the mountain and there are no trails … Continue reading…
In the Grand Coulee corridor in Central Washington State is a series of dry rocky coulees and pothole lakes. The channeled scablands were scoured by the released floodwaters of Lake Missoula during successive ice ages. This area is barren and rocky, but the State has funnelled water down this corridor from the Roosevelt Reservoir, supplying a chain of lakes, including … Continue reading…
While hiking in central Washington State we ventured out to mountain bike a section of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. This route is a rails-to-trails recreationalal corridor that follows the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railway bed for 430 km across Washington State from the western slopes of the Cascades to the Idaho border. We rode was the eastern … Continue reading…
In November we “tramped” in Tongariro National Park, completing the Northern Circuit in 3 days. From Whakapapa, we left the lower slopes of Mt. Ruapehu and backpacked for 8.5 km over to the Mangetopo Hut. The trail wound through the tussock slopes on a wet route, but we climbed to drier slopes in the saddle between the two volcanoes and … Continue reading…
