At the end of winter, Interior Mountains and all high terrain is still blanketed in snow. Well-used trails have ice until mid March then mud follows. After the hills dry out, it is only the lower slopes that can be hiked for another month or more. Anxious to get started on hiking, we have opted to go for a week … Continue reading…
Those of us who have been exploring the backwoods for many years spent the majority of our time having poor map information. Topo maps were either out-of-date or too large in scale to be useful. Trail maps were rarely to scale and were not very helpful in the field. Well-researched maps with trail-specific information was rare because the process of … Continue reading…
If you travel to Painted Bluffs Provincial Park on the north shore of Kamloops Lake, you can hike into the bluffs, and when you do, you will be stunned by the "other-wordly" feeling of the shapes and colors in front of you. Eroded, sinuous multi-colored slopes drain the slopes above, channeling water into one stream gully above the alluvial fan. … Continue reading…
Wood Duck (click to hear the call) Mallard
Continue reading...Although we have enjoyed skiing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing at Silver Star, we have never found the summer hiking here to be memorable. If hikers come right at the peak of flower season, the hike to the peak is a pleasure. For a good workout or for downhill mountain-biking, the mountain offers trails: Alternately, hikers can choose the Sovereign Lake … Continue reading…
We live in an area molded by geological processes. The last major events of our area were the Ice Ages. While the ice was on the land and as the ice retreated 10 000 years ago, landforms were created and have since been weathered and eroded for 100 centuries. We can still see evidence of the work of the ice … Continue reading…
The Upper Grasslands of Lac du Bois Provincial Park are a wonderful place to hike in the snow, snowshoe, or cross country ski. Your choice will be determined by the conditions. When we did the hike listed here, the snow was about 1' in depth and a bit crunchy so boots with gaiters were a good choice. With more snow, … Continue reading…
This was an article I wrote for Gold Country: Moving goods through the Interior of B.C. was never easy. High mountains, steep canyons and raging rivers challenged every route. The Pacific Fur Company established posts at Okanagan, Spokane, and “Shewhaps” (Kamloops) at the junction of the North and South Thompson Rivers. In competition, the Northwest Company connected routes between New … Continue reading…
As of today, there are 156 posts on this site. Over the next year, it will grow to over 300. How do you find information on this site? Use the Search function (on your right). It works very well. Go to the Site Map page (see Pages on the right) for a quick scan of content. Search by Category. Over … Continue reading…
The Barnhartvale Horse and Hiker Trail Preservation Society has been successful in establishing a number of trail systems in Barhnartvale. Trailheads are marked and horse-man gates are installed. At junctions, trail posts mark the way. There are boxes for trail maps, but each time I have been here, the boxes have been empty. If I can get hold of a … Continue reading…
If you only have two days of hiking, choose the Cathedral Rim Trail, but if you have an extra day, try the Lakeview Mountain Loop. Take the Pyramid Lake Trail, then turn off onto the Goat Lake Trail at the junction. Follow the trail as it switchbacks down to Lakeview Creek. Cross the bridge and follow the easy trail up … Continue reading…
In Cathedral Provincial Park. start from Quiniscoe Lake, take the Pyramid Lake Trail and continue to climb to Ladyslipper Lake. Wildlfowers cover the meadowed slopes around these plateau lakes. The lake is a beautiful blue color and larch trees add a magical quality to these high cirques. Climb the ridge to the rim, following cairns. Views continue to be impressive, … Continue reading…
Once established at Quiniscoe Lake, there are two premier hikes, although they can be combined into one long day (14 km) and can be done in either direction. The Cathedral Rim hike offers a good route up to the rim of the bowl above the lakes of the park. To do this hike in a counter-clockwise direction, start at the … Continue reading…
The first of a series on Cathedral Park…. Cathedral Provincial Park lies southwest of Keremeos high in the Cascade Range. Access is by the Ashnola River Road which leads right to the trailhead. It is possible to hike up the track to the alpine, but this is a long (16km) dreary back-breaking hike and not recommended. We did it once … Continue reading…
If you have the opportunity to stay one extra day at Peters Lake in Monashee Provincial Park and you have already hiked Mt. Fosthall, then another good hike is to climb to Fawn Lake and beyond to the Valley of the Moon. From Big Peters Lake, take narrow trail up the draw on the signed Margie Lake Trail, but watch … Continue reading…
A hike into Monashee Provincial Park must be well-planned and good weather is important. It is a long drive, a long hike to Peters Lake, and a good climb to the top of Mount Fosthall. But, if the conditions, are right, this is a premier hike. From Big Peters Lake, follow the (signed) trail to South Cariboo Pass, then continue … Continue reading…