The Murtle River Trail follows the south bank of the Murtle River upstream to the Majerus Farm and beyond to Pyramid Bay. It is also part of a bigger loop that includes the cross-country ski loppet trail from Helmcken Falls Lodge, over McLeod Hill, down to the river, past Majerus Farm and then south to Blackwater Creek. For winter visitors, … Continue reading…
All of New Zealand lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Taupo Volcanic Zone extends from the Bay of Plenty (White Island) down to the Mt. Ruapehu in Tongariro National Park. We traveled all down this corridor (it is 350km long by 50km wide) on walks and hikes. It is still an active area with recent eruptions near Mt. … Continue reading…
Sometimes when we travel we find beautiful places quite by accident. We arrived in New Zealand tired from the long journey, but we still managed to drive over to Rotorua (a city of 58 000 on the North Island). It was raining when we arrived so we went to our booked holiday park for a rest, to shop for supplies, … Continue reading…
New Zealand has embraced hiking and backpacking fully, to our great delight. The Department of Conservation (DOC) has developed and maintained many tracks on Crown land and in National Parks. There are a few tracks that cross private lands too. A total of 950 huts service these tracks and there is a whole tourist industry that supports visitors who … Continue reading…
In the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, we can follow the Park road north 6.6 miles from the Visitor’s Center to the end of the road. There are 3 hiking trails off this road in the Needles North area – the Slickrock Foot Trail, Pothole Point, and the Confluence Overlook. The Slickrock Foot Trail is a 2.4 mile … Continue reading…
Kodachrome Basin State Park lies about an hour east of Bryce Canyon a few miles out of Cannonville off Highway 12 in Utah. We came from Grand Staircase – Escalante and spent the day in the park. The paved road goes through the Ranger (fee) Station up to a campground. Along the way are parking areas and trailheads. We hiked … Continue reading…
The best backpack and hike of 2015 was the 4 day hike down Upper Salt Creek Canyon in Canyonlands National Park. The route starts in a remote spot outside the park at Cathedral Butte. The 17 mile backroad to the trailhead is a good one. The parking area is signed and the hike starts at 7000 feet, but drops quickly … Continue reading…
Natural Bridges National Monument is in Cedar Mesa country in Southeastern Utah. The park sits at 6500 feet and is cut by two deep canyons. Three massive stone bridges span the canyons. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” gpx=”https://kamloopstrails.net/wp-content/uploads/Natural Bridges.gpx” elevation=”no”] The road into the park passes the Visitors Center then a nice campground, … Continue reading…
Once you find yourself at the right elevation on the Colorado Plateau, every direction is an outdoor playground. While hiking in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, I spent a few nights hiking and camping. The National Park Campground was always full so I found camping spots outside the park. The Lockhart Basin Road is only a few miles … Continue reading…
Caligata Lake Provincial Park is a remote area in the upper Spahats Creek Valley. The lake lies in a small cirque basin at the foot of one of the outlier peaks of Raft Mountain. To get to this park, drive up the Trophy Mountain Road for 4.2 km then stay right and follow the Spahats Creek Road for another 9.3km. … Continue reading…
A year after hiking this trail system in Canyonlands National Park, I returned to hike it again, this time in the opposite direction. In the Needles District of Canyonlands, we can combine a series of trails to make our own loop. I arrived early in the afternoon so I chose to do an 11 mile loop combining Lost Canyon, Big … Continue reading…
Trigon Mountain is a remote peak in the Cariboo Range. It is rarely climbed and it is a big challenge to get to a place where we can spot it. It lies on the edge of the Premiers Range, glaciated peaks north of Wells Gray Park The taller peaks of the Premier Range include Mount Sir Wilfred Laurier (3516 … Continue reading…
The Peekaboo Trail starts at Squaw Flats Trailhead in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park and works its way over to Peekaboo Camp. An out-and-back hike is 10 miles, well worth a day of hiking in the area. This (along with Upper Salt Creek) was my favorite trail of 2016. The trail follows the same route as the Lost … Continue reading…
Trails lead from Num-ti-Jah Lodge Road on Bow Lake in Banff National Park around the lake and up to Bow Glacier Falls. Follow the trail around the lake for 1.6 km, then continue to follow the stream toward the falls. An indistinct trail goes up to the base of the falls. On the same route, a trail bears south … Continue reading…
Many slot canyons and narrows in Utah are hard to get to and some involved scrambling, but Willis Creek Narrows is an easy drive and an easy hike. I came to it from Kodachrome Basin. Between Kodachrome and Cannonville watch for a turn-off to the Skutumpah Road. This is a good dirt road (except after a rainfall) and the drive … Continue reading…
The Nehalliston Plateau has many lakes, hikes, and backroads to explore. The Eakin Creek Road connects Highway 24 with the upper plateau lakes including the Emar Lakes, Eakin Creek Floodplain Protected Area, the Hudson’s Bay Trail of 1843, and Eakin Creek Canyon Provincial Park. The road can be driven from either end. For this article, the route starts at the … Continue reading…
