All trails in the Bonaparte Plateau area are surrounded by true wilderness. The trails/routes near these fly-fishing lakes sit at 1250m. The area can be accessed from the Jamieson Creek FSR from Westsyde Road just past Beauregard Lake. Other options are to take the Westsyde Road to the Gorman Lake Road or to go in from Darlington to the Powder … Continue reading…
Hiking up on the Bonaparte Plateau is a quiet ramble amongst the lakes, forest, and low-rolling hills. Views are limited. In the middle of the plateau, though, Skoatl Point rises 100m above the forest, bald and volcanic. The hike in and back out takes about 3 hours on a well-established trail. When we first hiked to Skoatl, the roads … Continue reading…
The hike from Tranquille Lake up to Porcupine Ridge is a hike that is listed in many sources – in hiking books, on websites, on recreational maps, and in regional literature. It is the first leg of the Masters Sub-Alpine Trek, a route all the way across the Bonaparte Plateau to Bonaparte Lake. But this hike is not a recommended … Continue reading…
The Skull Mountain Trail system is really a horseback trail network, but the trails can be hiked or biked also. It is accessed off the Westsyde Road, which connects Barriere to the Kamloops on the west side of the North Thompson River. More detail is found in this brochure: FishTrapCreektrails.
Continue reading...The Orchard Lake Trail system is primarily used for horseback riding, but it is well suited to hiking and mountain biking too. Trails are in an area of open forests and meadows. To access the trail system turn off Highway 5 in the McLure area onto the Orchard Lake Road (N51 02.248, W120 13.379). This is about 3 km south … Continue reading…
Scott Road runs from Rose Hill Road to a junction of fences to the southeast of Juniper (3km one way). This is a very enjoyable walk or mountain bike as an out and back route. For a better workout, hikers or bikers can start down in Juniper and do a loop. One end of the loop is at the end … Continue reading…
Bearcat Caves are a fairly recent discovery in our area and the details cannot be found in any book nor on any website. We heard about it about a year ago when a geocache was placed inside the caves. We finally got to it this fall. Thanks to Glenn Dreger for some of this information. A local hunting outfitter named … Continue reading…
This loop is well-suited to a shoulder season hike. We often use this route in early March since most of the area is south-facing and has no trees. Snow may linger under the north slope, but hikers can veer north around snow pockets. There are many miles of double tracks in this area and so more posts on routes will … Continue reading…
You are out for a hike and hear a bird song or call and you say to yourself, which bird is that? Here are some well-known ones: Common loon: Common Loon (mp3) Red-Tailed Hawk: Red-tailed Hawk (mp3) Ruffed Grouse: Ruffed Grouse (mp3) Northern Flicker: 42-Northern Flicker (mp3)
Continue reading...If you are overly concerned about bears, ticks, and poison ivy, then you may never get out. You will probably encounter them if you choose to hike the trails. Poison ivy is in our area and the best way to deal with it is to avoid it, and to do this you have to recognize it. Although we have seen … Continue reading…
The Enderby Cliffs are now part of a provincial park (website). The trailhead has a good parking lot and is well-signed. The hike follows a fenceline for 250m, then starts a climb though mixed forest. The first third of the hike climbs steadily on a good trail. The next third of the trail is steep and we found the trail … Continue reading…
Aside from being a UNESCO World Heritage (Fossil) Site, Burgess Pass is also one of the finest hikes in the Rockies. Much of the hike is at altitude at or above the tree line with wide views and well-established trails. There are a number of route options. One option is a two-vehicle system, starting at Takkakaw Falls. Climb up the … Continue reading…
Please note – this post has been modified. The upper part of the creek to the upper waterfall is on private lands and route information has been removed at the request of the landowner. The trail has been used by hikers, runners, and mountain bikers, but permission should be sought before proceeding.
Continue reading...Opax Mountain lies northwest of Lac du Bois. It is a sprawling, forested hill with volcanic bluffs on various flanks, wet areas on the upper plateau, grass slopes on the west ridges overlooking Tranquille Canyon, logged areas, and a few viewpoints. There are loop opportunities, but they are not all that easy to follow. For a first visit, use an … Continue reading…
Chuwhels Mountain is a rounded ridge-shaped peak that sits between the Lac le Jeune Road and Greenstone Mountain. It can be accessed from every side, but the approaches from the south, west and north all require 4WD or snowmobile. The east side has good road access. From the Lac le Jeune Road, the Chuwhels Mountain FSR starts directly across from … Continue reading…
With multiple access points and steep trails it is hard to get to know which trails are best to combine for a hike. Rather than do one post on this area, several recommended route options will be listed separately. This loop can be started from the Sahali area or from the main entrance near 6th Avenue. In this post, directions … Continue reading…