The peaks in the Coquihalla Summit area offer a number of steep hikes starting off the highway. One of the most forgiving trails of the area is the Zoa Peak Trail. It has a steady (but not steep) climb starting at 1238m to the top of the peak at 1856m (2027 feet climb) over 4.3 km. The summit is a … Continue reading…
The Fiery Furnace is a labyrinth of slots, dead-ends, slickrock ramps, and surprises in Arches National Park. There is no designated trail, but there is at least one loop route through the fins, passing by arches, and other hidden spots. A permit is needed to enter the area and once started, visitors have to figure out their own route, often … Continue reading…
The Devil’s Garden Trail is the best hike in Arches National Park. It starts at the end of the road and heads north through the fins. Eight arches can be seen along the route. We chose to the Primitive Loop which swung out to the east side across sand dunes and over slickrock to Fin Creek Canyon. Some of the … Continue reading…
It would be rare to meet someone at Painted Bluffs. It is a remote and quiet spot on the north side of Kamloops Lake. For those who do visit the site, most stay on the lower slopes, but some of the upper gullies and ridges have some surprises for explorers. On this last paddle and hike, I was able to … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park offers unique views for our area and visit offers different perspectives, depending on the weather, the season, the light, and the line of sight. This last trip had blue skies and wispy clouds. The right angle was required to capture the colors and shapes of the hills.
Continue reading...Although we ski on the Nordic Trails in winter, we leave the trails for hiking or biking until late in summer. We find the entire area wet and buggy before mid-August. The main trails – McGillivray and Great Gray are drier, but many of the side trails are muddy, wet, and even swampy in places. It takes months for the … Continue reading…
The First Canyon to Spahats Falls Trail drops from the Wells Gray Road down to the river, winds through the forest, then comes up beside Spahats Creek. The trailhead is in a parking area 260m south of the First Canyon bridge. A trail also goes north to Second and Third Canyon from this spot, but the this trail goes … Continue reading…
From Lac le Jeune Provincial Park or from a short drive up the Ross Moore Lake Forest Service Road, a loops follows double tracks up to a scenic viewpoint. Follow the Stake Lake Trail system trails up Rustler to Ambush, then south on Lookout. After visiting the lookout, return a 0.9km back to a junction and take Ricochet down to … Continue reading…
The Mahood Lake area is a great place to camp and explore. The Deception Falls Trail is a short drive on a narrow, rough road. From the Provincial Parks Campground, follow the road north until it crosses the Canim River. This is the end of the maintained road and the rest of the route is manageable by all … Continue reading…
We returned to hike the Skoatl Point Trail in September this year. We have hiked this fine trail every year and there are several articles already on the site (type Skoatl into the Search Bar) for further information. We drove up the Jamieson Creek FSR, then onto the Windy Lake Road. The trailhead is a bit hard to find … Continue reading…
The trail to Sylvia and Goodwin Falls starts at the end of the Clearwater River Road. Take the left turn into Clearwater and follow the road over the river bridge heading west onto Camp 2 Road. Turn onto the unsigned gravel road which angles sharply to the right. This is the Clearwater River Road and it runs for 38 km … Continue reading…
Mt. Huntley stands above three lakes – Clearwater Lake, Hobson Lake, and Azure Lake. The trailhead is on Azure Lake at Four and a Half Mile Campground. The trail is actually the Huntley Col Trail, established by Hugh Neave and friends and documented in Roland Neave’s book, Exploring Wells Gray Park. The only access to the trailhead is by water. … Continue reading…
From the top of Mount Revelstoke the Jade Lakes Trail winds through sub-alpine forests, meadows and rock slopes to a junction. To the right is a short trail to Miller Lake, up the hill is the steep route to Jade Pass, but the route to the left goes over to Eva Lake. The hike to Eva Lake is moderate, 7.1km … Continue reading…
Joss Mountain is a fine hike in the Monashees. It features alpine meadows, open ridges, and impressive scenery. Driving Directions (for the west approach): Drive east toward Revelstoke, but at Three Valley Gap (lake), turn right onto the Wap Forest Service Road. Follow the good gravel road for 6.0km and turn onto the Wap Spur Road #5 Follow this backroad … Continue reading…
Drive up to the top of Mount Revelstoke on the Meadows in the Sky Parkway, then take the trail over the hill above, and then choose the Jades Lakes Trail. Follow the trail as it winds through meadows, forest, slide zones, and wet areas. At the trail junction, go steeply up to Jade Pass and have lunch. This will be … Continue reading…
A year after hiking Guanaco Peak in the Coquihalla, we returned to do it again. This time we chose to mountain bike the 5.5km km on the overgrown backroad to the trailhead (and back). Last year’s article has detailed directions on the route – Guanaco Peak (link). Log: The road into the Zum Recreation Site is a bit … Continue reading…
