The trail to Sylvia and Goodwin Falls starts at the end of the Clearwater River Road. Take the left turn into Clearwater and follow the road over the river bridge heading west onto Camp 2 Road. Turn onto the unsigned gravel road which angles sharply to the right. This is the Clearwater River Road and it runs for 38 km … Continue reading…
This long (46-49km) bike ride is a very nice one, but pre-scouting of the area and permission to cross a private ranch is required. Nevertheless, parts of it can be biked on backroads, exploring routes in the upper valleys of the area. Trip log: We left a vehicle near Spences Creek, the end point, then drove north to the Hat … Continue reading…
Mt. Huntley stands above three lakes – Clearwater Lake, Hobson Lake, and Azure Lake. The trailhead is on Azure Lake at Four and a Half Mile Campground. The trail is actually the Huntley Col Trail, established by Hugh Neave and friends and documented in Roland Neave’s book, Exploring Wells Gray Park. The only access to the trailhead is by water. … Continue reading…
From the top of Mount Revelstoke the Jade Lakes Trail winds through sub-alpine forests, meadows and rock slopes to a junction. To the right is a short trail to Miller Lake, up the hill is the steep route to Jade Pass, but the route to the left goes over to Eva Lake. The hike to Eva Lake is moderate, 7.1km … Continue reading…
Joss Mountain is a fine hike in the Monashees. It features alpine meadows, open ridges, and impressive scenery. Driving Directions (for the west approach): Drive east toward Revelstoke, but at Three Valley Gap (lake), turn right onto the Wap Forest Service Road. Follow the good gravel road for 6.0km and turn onto the Wap Spur Road #5 Follow this backroad … Continue reading…
Drive up to the top of Mount Revelstoke on the Meadows in the Sky Parkway, then take the trail over the hill above, and then choose the Jades Lakes Trail. Follow the trail as it winds through meadows, forest, slide zones, and wet areas. At the trail junction, go steeply up to Jade Pass and have lunch. This will be … Continue reading…
A year after hiking Guanaco Peak in the Coquihalla, we returned to do it again. This time we chose to mountain bike the 5.5km km on the overgrown backroad to the trailhead (and back). Last year’s article has detailed directions on the route – Guanaco Peak (link). Log: The road into the Zum Recreation Site is a bit … Continue reading…
The Marble Range offers some of most interesting, rugged, and remote hiking in our area. Two trails lead all the rest – Mt. Bowman and Wild Horse Ridge. To find the trailhead, drive to Clinton and take the Kelly Lake turnoff. Just before Kelly Lake, turn right onto the Jesmond Road and follow the good gravel road for about km. … Continue reading…
The Oyster River Nature Trails follow the Oyster River down to the estuary, then continue along the seaside to Salmon Point and back, a 6km walk with fine views. Take Highway 19A north from Courtenay and at the Oyster River Bridge, turn onto Regent Road. Park near the pub and follow the trail into the forest. Continue down the riverside … Continue reading…
One of the best hiking routes of our area can be found on Estekwalan Mountain, but the trail also has its challenges: the road up from Falkland is rough and steep (but 4WD is not required) don't go if it is wet (both the road and trail will be slippery) the trail to the top is quite steep there are … Continue reading…
As the snows clear off the upper slopes of our mountains, perennials, annuals, and flowering shrubs make a brief appearance in a short growing season. First to be noticed are the alpine buttercups, anemones, and avalanche lilies. If we hike the Trophy Mountains in early July, we also see spring beauties, chickweed, hellebore, false solomon's seal, draba, moss campion, … Continue reading…
The road to the Trophy Mountains clears up by the end of May, but the hike to the meadows is not worthwhile until later in June. As the snow melts, the first wildflowers emerge. By early July, the trails can be hiked right up to Plateau of the Tarns. South-facing slopes also clear early and hikers can go to the … Continue reading…
When the chairlift opens at Sun Peaks Resort, we hike from mid-station at the top of the Sunburst Express to the summit of Tod Mountain. This is a steady uphill to Top of the World, then an up and down venture to the final hill that is the peak of Tod Mountain. The return hike is about 9km. Early in … Continue reading…
Our friends Steve and Darcy took us on a drive and mountain bike ride from Ashcroft to Spences Bridge. We took turns with one driving and two riding, switching every 5-10km along the 35 km route (I rode about half, happy to drive, take pictures, and explore). The route starts at the junction of the the Highland Valley Road (to … Continue reading…
The abandoned Village of Pokeist stands on the bench above the Thompson River halfway between Ashcroft and Spences Bridge. At one time, the village had about 800 people, but the smallpox epidemics decimated the population. Apart from a few trailers, relics, and a residence or two, a small wooden church (St. Aidan’s) still stands there and is visible from the … Continue reading…
The Marble Range has a number of first-class hikes that are not well-known. They are accessed off the Jesmond Road, a two hour+ drive from Kamloops. We return to hike there in June-September each year, but we often choose an earlier date because the snow clears earlier there than in other ranges, even at the 7000 foot elevation. Our favorite … Continue reading…
