When Red Plateau dries out (in May) and before the heat of late spring we climb from the Dewdrop Range up the Red Plateau Escarpment to the rim. The best trail is the Dewdrop Trail which winds up a gully, then a ridge, climbing 611 m of elevation (2000+ feet) in 3 km. An alternate route with no established trail … Continue reading…
We travel down to the Merritt area from time to time to hike on the area trails. Our favorite is the Lundbom area, but we have also hiked the other areas, like the Swakum Mountain Trails. On previous occasions we have gone up and back from the flagpole parking area, but this time we tried a loop route, returning by … Continue reading…
We hiked over the hills between the Tobiano area and Brussels Lake in the fall ( Brussels Hills) and we enjoyed the area so much, we chose to return to the area to try a new route in April. We turned off the Six Mile Hills Road (to Pat Lake) and turned left at the junction, parking near the corrals. … Continue reading…
We have hiked in the hills above Walhachin a few times and we returned to do a loop route in April this year. Access is off a side road that climbs south into the hills west of Walhachin. There are several possible routes on double tracks, single tracks, and off-trail in the area. We chose one that followed a … Continue reading…
We have hiked to the top of Lions Head (link) several times, linking a series of rocky hills above the South Thompson River Valley. A few old double tracks and a few newer single tracks wind around and over the hills., some in the forest, and some in open meadows. On this spring day, we drover higher up the rough … Continue reading…
With a Reserve on the east end, private ranch lands on the south side, and some private homes on the west end, there is limited access to the hills around Neskonlith Lake (except with permission), but the McGillivray Forest Service Road climbs into the hills on the northwest side and a rough road winds along the north side of the … Continue reading…
I paddled out of Cooney Bay in April and instead of heading out into the bay and then farther out to Kamloops Lake, I chose to paddle upstream into the shallow river channels and explore the delta sand islands. At low water, the river divides into 3 channels near the mouth before entering Kamloops Lake. The main channel is about … Continue reading…
A friend (Susanne) had visited the Six Mile Hill area lakes at the end of March and she had posted a photo of Turtle Lake which had turned pink, so I ventured up there to go for a hike, investigate the lakes, and take a few photos. Overnight it had snowed and there was a strong cold wind, so I … Continue reading…
We hiked the Sonoran Desert canyons and ridges, all below the treeline. Tall saguaros, various types of cacti, and prickly shrubs covered the hills and the only trees we encountered were in riparian zones in stream valleys. One day we drove up the road to Mt. Lemmon, an alpine village destination for a summer get-away and a ski hill in … Continue reading…
The hills and mountains to the east of Tuscon are home to Saguoro National Park Wilderness and Tuscon Mountains Park. We started the Kings Canyon Trail inside the National Park, but continued up the canyon, bearing northeast, climbing about 488 m over 9.5 km. Desert scrub brush and wildflowers were framed by saguaros, cholla, and ocotillos. This was spring, … Continue reading…
When the south-facing hills start to dry out, we look for scenic routes through the hills. On this mid-March day we hiked up the Pruden Pass Road from the Mara Trail(head), then took side routes out to the Guardsmen Overlook, Panorama Point, and Moby Dick before returning to the double track back to the parking area. We climbed up the … Continue reading…
In southern Arizona we traveled southeast from Tuscon to take the tour of Kartchner Caverns, booking an early morning tour. We were underground in the Rotunda Room and the Throne Room for about an hour, enjoying every minute of the tour. Cameras were not allowed on the tour, so a stock photo is shared to get a sense of the … Continue reading…
The road up to Surrey Lake starts at a turn off the Logan Lake Road and climbs through the hills for 9km. The snow-covered frost service road is kept open by the Surrey Lake Resort. Just before the entrance into the resort area there is another Forest Service Road that goes around the lake and continues on to the … Continue reading…
The Cache Creek Hills extend from the Back Valley Road, just each of Cache Creek, to the Battle Creek FSR close to Juniper Beach Provincial Park. A series of open hills rise 2500 feet above the TransCanada Highway. There are no established trails in the hills, but there are some tracks from The Back Valley Road, the Battle Creek FSR, … Continue reading…
There have been 5 Ice Ages spanning the last 2000 million years. In that span there were many geological events too, with folding, faulting, and volcanic activity changing the landscape. A number of volcanic events shaped the hills around Kamloops Lake, but the glaciers of the ice age also shaped the land. During the last Ice Age which started 2.5 … Continue reading…
Three mountains run south to north from the Thompson River Valley: Mount Mara, Mount Wheeler, and Opax Mountain. There are trails/routes to the top of all three, detailed on this website. In November we returned to hike the route up the north side of Mount Wheeler, an 11.7 km return route We started at Lac du Bois, then followed a … Continue reading…
