Montague Harbour Provincial Park is on the western shores of Galiano Island. The park has a campground, a boat harbour, several beaches, and hiking trails. We camped there and hiked the Gray Peninsular Trails We started at the boar launch at Shell Beach and followed the trails along the beaches and through the forest. The route was 2.4 km. Shell … Continue reading…
The Batchelor Range spans the distance from McQueen Creek on the north and the lower Batchelor Hills on the south. There are a series in the range with the highest ones at the north end. The North Batchelor Range is not accessed by hikers very much since the routes are all longer and involve longer climbs with only a few … Continue reading…
When we hike it is easy to look ahead and get lost in talk, but when we hike along quietly, we can take the time to watch for what is all around us in June – blooming wildflowers and the insects that pollinate them. Other insects feed on the leaves and lay their eggs or are predators. We have to … Continue reading…
The Ragged Red Ridge Route is not a designated trail in Lac du Bois Protected Area. The official trail from the Dewdrop Range to the rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment is the 3.75 km (one way) climb to Red Plateau. The Ragged Red Ridge is a parallel route that goes straight up the 410 m (1345 ft.) climb in … Continue reading…
The Park Hill Trails are in the forested area on a hill overlooking Shuswap Lake, west of Canoe. The approach is either from the Park Hill Road in Salmon Arm or Canoe Beach Road There are trailheads are at various points, but many hikers start at the Canoe Beach parking lot and hike up the hill. There are about 10km … Continue reading…
The Gattling Gorge Trail has been an informal trail in Wells Gray Provincial Park for many years, but it is now signed and the trail is a good one, with some caution. the route goes right from the Helmcken Falls viewpoints and continues along the rim, offering fine views for 2 km. When the trail starts to go downhill into … Continue reading…
The first wildflowers to emerge when the snows melt are spotted on south-facing open slopes at lower elevations (The Fist Wildflowers of Spring. Sagebrush buttercups appear first followed by arabis and yellow bells. By the first of April we can spot western spring beauties. The corms are edible and were often harvested by First Nations people. We can usually … Continue reading…
A search of dated photos from hikes in late winter showed some patterns of the first arrivals of wildflowers. Each year is different. In the lower hills, the snows can melt as early as the third week of February or as late as the third week in March. The south-facing lower-elevation, angled (right angles to the height of the sun). … Continue reading…
The hills on the north side of Kamloops Lake across from Savona are one of the first areas to clear of snow because of the slope angle. open hillsides, and their south-facing aspect. All routes into the Savona hills are steep but the open slopes allow for great views. We hiked from the trailhead area for the Savona- Sabiston Creek … Continue reading…
Rabbit Island was formed by the accumulated sediments from the North and South Thompson rivers downstream from the confluence. The east end has more of the heavier gravel deposits and the north side has more of the sands and silts. Over a long period of time the sandbars have built up on the north side to create a shallow channel … Continue reading…
The northern end of Kekaha Kai State Park (formerly Kona Coast State Park) on the Island of Hawai’i has a couple of rough access roads that wind through the young (1809) black lava flows down to an area near the shoreline. The Kua Bay (paved) Road winds past the slopes of Kuili’i, a prominent volcanic cinder cone. There are short … Continue reading…
The south end of Kekaha Kai State Park (formerly Kona Coast State Park) is accessed via a rough road through the lava flows to a parking area near Mahai’ula Bay. On a previous day, we hiked south to Makole’a Point along the lava beds and past black and beaches. On another day we hiked north across the lava flows to … Continue reading…
On the Big Island of Hawai’i are a number of routes along the coastline, crossing lava fields around points and into bays and beaches. One of the best beaches (or the best) is at Hapuna Bay State Park. This is a wide sand beach, a destination for families on holiday. We were there on a hot and windy day and … Continue reading…
On our first time on the Big Island of Hawaii we were stunned by the vast areas of black, ragged lava flows on the whole South Kohala Coast. These were recent lava flows – 1801 and 1859. The area north of the airport is all a’a lava, from the eruptions of 1801 coming down from the volcanic cones and vents … Continue reading…
The Polulu Trail follows the steep cliffs and deeply cut valleys on the northeast end of the Big Island of Hawaii. The trailhead is at the end of the road. We followed Highway 270 north along the Kohala Peninsula and continued as it rounded the northern tip, entering a new wetter ecozone on the windward end of the island. At … Continue reading…
One of the premier resorts and beach areas on the coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i is at Anaehoomalu Bay but almost everyone calls it A Beach. It is a beautiful, protected sandy crescent, perfect for families. Lava flows surround the resort and even the beach access road goes through the rugged black a’a lava flows. It is not … Continue reading…
