From the Bluebird Hills in the Dewdrop Range I spotted a frozen waterfall on the Red Plateau Escarpment east of Castle Butte. I returned the next day to explore the route up to the falls. I parked on the edge of the road and hiked the 1km off-trail route to the base of the falls. The gently sloping foot of … Continue reading…
As winter snows disappeared and the ground started to defrost, I headed into the Dewdrop Range on mostly dry terrain, hiking over the hills and dropping into gullies to explore frozen waterfalls. The route followed the Bluebird Trail at the start and finish, but wound south on rougher terrain overlooking Kamloops Lake. On a blue sky day I followed a … Continue reading…
At the end of winter, I head into the canyons to find frozen falls. There are a number of them in our area, but many are hard to get to. A favorite is deep in Red Canyon in the Red Plateau Escarpment. I donned my microspikes and hiked up the Dewdrop Trail, then veered left into the mouth of Red … Continue reading…
Back in 1979 I did a solo backpack to Battle Mountain. I took some photos with a cheap disposable camera, but lost the photos over the last 40 years. Recently I purchased a device to scan old negatives and found a few images. I did the backpack again in 2019 (link to the article). In 1979, I parked at the … Continue reading…
As winter progressed we had some milder days and over a few weeks, the snow and ice on south-facing lower slopes melted and ran off downhill. The lower slopes of the Batchelor Hills are often the first to be clear of snow and ice. On a cold day, the ground was frozen so I chose to start at one of … Continue reading…
The Santa Catalina Mountains rise above the Sonoran Desert near Tuscon. Stream-cut canyons provide access into the mountains. A narrow and winding road was built into the canyon, wide enough for only vehicle at a time and since 1978 a tram has run up the canyon for 3.8 miles with 9 stops along the way, providing access to various trailheads. … Continue reading…
In winter I either hike in the valley or snowshoe in the high country. One of the areas that offers many routes choices is Lodgepole Lake. I drive to the end of the road at the Rec Site and then head out on one of the many route possibilities, sometimes exploring new routes. On a mild winter day, I went … Continue reading…
The hike into Romero Canyon is one of the best hikes in the Santa Catalina Range near Tuscon. It starts in Catalina State Park. There are a number of connecting trails in the park, but the Romero Canyon Trail climbs out of the park into the Coronado National Forest and the Santa Catalina Natural Area. The hike to Romero Pass is … Continue reading…
I have been exploring the hills for decades, often finding old homesteads in unexpected locations. I have also researched the locations of old homesteads from historical sources and I have used the imagery on Google Earth to find even more. A few books (some no longer in print) have also helped. Some of the homesteads have been featured on this … Continue reading…
Over the years I have climbed Jag Hill from every direction. Recently I hiked up from the Pimple on double tracks to the right elevation, then traversed along the ridge off trail to the summit overlooking the valley. We have driven up Rd Plateau Forest Service Road and traversed to the summit (the easiest route). I have gone up from … Continue reading…
The Garden of the Trolls is an area of interest on the slope below Jag Hill. It has about 30 large volcanic boulders, some full of holes or fissures spurring the imagination to think of stone trolls (Tolkien). There are no trails to the area and the trolls can’t be seen until you hike right into their midst. They can … Continue reading…
In mid-November we hiked from the McQueen Lake area to Isobel Lake, then around the lake, and back on the same trail, a 5.5 km hike on the snow. My usual route for this hike was along the former Forestry Capital Trail (now called Beers-a-Waiting by mountain bikers) but with recent snowfall there was not much parking for a group … Continue reading…
As temperatures dropped and days became shorter, I hiked up the access road to the Napier Ranch Conservancy. It was the day before the snows fell so the route was dry/frozen. At the entrance to the Conservation Area is a sign and a gate. It was quiet and there were no livestock on the slopes. A double track can be … Continue reading…
Kane Valley is southeast of Merritt, with a short drive off Highway 5A at Aspen Grove. There are 51 km of cross country ski trails there, but they are also used by mountain bikers, hikers, and snowshoers. Trails are maintained by the Nicola Nordic Ski Club (website link). Although I had hiked some of the trails before, the goal is … Continue reading…
By researching we can narrow down the probable location of homesteads established under the Homestead Act (1872). Settlers arrived later, especially up in the hills where farming and ranching is a marginal opportunity. Under the terms of the Act, a quarter section was available for $10 and rights to the property were conditional on developing the land with a home … Continue reading…
There are a few trails that climb from the Dewdrop Range up to the rim of red Plateau. The Dewdrop Trail is the best known, but there are more routes that climb the steep slopes of the Red Plateau Escarpment to the trails that follow the rim. We drove out the Frederick Road and then turned onto the rough upper … Continue reading…
