After years about hearing about the arch up on the Dewdrop Escarpment, the clues were sufficient enough to go look for it. We couldn’t spot it from below, even though we had been assured it could be seen. What we found out was that the place to see it is farther up the road. We headed uphill to where we … Continue reading…
The peaks in the Coquihalla Summit area offer good hiking opportunities for hikers in the summer and cross country.snowshoe activities in the winter. Many of the peaks are steep, but once up at the treeline views are expansive. There are only a few designated trails up these peaks, and of these, the easiest is Zoa Peak. Take the Falls Lake … Continue reading…
We hiked Estekwalan Mountain a year after our first time on the mountain. The first trip last year was in late fall on the snow (link to previous post). This September trip had hot and dry conditions. The road up is still a bit rough, but most vehicles will be fine, unless conditions are wet. We followed the trail to … Continue reading…
Stoyama Mountain is the last big mountain in the north Cascades. It can been seen from the Coquihalla Highway as you drive between Merritt and the crossing of the Clearwater River, a long rocky ridge-like mountain to the west. Stoyama is 7438 feet, rising above the hills around. The mountain itself is part of an encircling ring of rocky mountain … Continue reading…
Mount Temple, at 11 760 feet looms above all the other mountains of the Lake Louise-Moraine Lake area. I had been to Sentinel Pass below Temple more than a dozen times and had even hiked up the Temple Trail to the first buttress to have a look at the trail. When I received the invitation out of the blue to … Continue reading…
If you go in to the Assiniboine area, there are 3-4 main dayhikes. The way in and back out can take 1-2 days each way. We once went from Bryant Creek to Magog Lake once, then out through Og Meadows, Valley of the Rocks, Simpson River, Citadel Pass, and Sunshine Meadows, a total of 48km. We did this on a … Continue reading…
We hiked all the main trails in the Assiniboine Mountain area and the Nub hike was our favorite. The peak of the Nub at 9000 feet stands out in the middle of the surrounding peaks with views to every part of the core area. From Lake Magog, follow the main trail for 3.6km through the forest towards the Nublet. On … Continue reading…
In the Mount Assiniboine area, most hikers basecamp from Lake Magog and do day hikes on a number of trails and just about everyone does the lakes loop past Sunburst Lake, Cerulean Lake and Elizabeth Lake. The most logical route is to take the trail up to the Niblet for the viewpoint then wind down toward Elizabeth Lake and the … Continue reading…
There are at least seven Trophy Peaks and the eastern ones are not easily accessible from the Trophy Mountain Trail. Fortunately, there is a good trail to the easternmost ridges and peaks and 3 can be reached by going up this well-defined trail. The route is used by Wells Gray Adventures to access the Trophy Hut (link) . Start on … Continue reading…
Backpackers to Assiniboine often come to the core via Assiniboine Pass, then exit through Wonder Pass, creating a partial loop route, but Wonder Pass is a prime day hike too. From Assiniboine Lodge, the main trail runs east past the Naiset Huts and then starts a gradual ascent to Wonder Pass. The lower half of the route at first runs … Continue reading…
After many years we returned to Assiniboine Provincial Park for some hiking and exploration. On our previous trip, we started at Bryant Creek and stopped at Magog Lake, then proceeded down past Og Lake to the Simpson River and over Citadel Pass to Sunshine, a distance of 48 km – Assiniboine trails (pdf) The biggest decision to make is how … Continue reading…
Silvertip Falls has more of a vertical fall than Helmcken Falls, but it cascades, rather than falls straight down. It comes down from the Trophy Mountains, draining the snow bowls between Trophy 1 and 2 and Cwem Cwem Lake. Silvertip Creek falls drop 200m down to a gully on the south side of the Trophy Range. To get to Silvertip … Continue reading…
Johnson Lake sits high in the hills above Adams Lake. The best road up to the 3800 foot lake is from the Agate Bay Road. The road is wide and well-graded. The other route is from Adams Lake, either from Brennan Creek or from the 28.5km mark. I followed the latter route which climbed through a series of switchbacks with … Continue reading…
The Kamloops area has many lakes and rivers to paddle but some are much better for the self-propelled enthusiast. We try to get to them all, from tiny fishing lakes to the giant resort lakes. The best lakes have few (or no) high-speed motor boats, are big enough for a full workout, have good launch spots, and interesting … Continue reading…
The Cirque of Tarns route is a challenging route up to a hidden spot on the north side of Raft Mountain. The final destination is perfect. We wanted to set up our tent right then and there, and camp at the side of the high tarn across from the glacier, beneath the summit of Raft Mountain. But the way up … Continue reading…
After a number of years visiting Painted Bluffs Provincial Park, we now only visit by boat. The land route is not easy, nor pleasing. After a long drive to Copper Creek, there is no suitable access because of private property, fencelines, and the railway. On the other hand, a boat can launch from Savona (or Tobiano) and go … Continue reading…
