In my opinion, this is the finest trail in the province. The trail starts at the south end of the Glacier House National Heritage site and turns west up the hill. The trail is well-designed, switchbacking through the cedar-hemlock old growth forest. After 2 km, it arrives at Marion Lake, a small tarn under cliffs, surrouned by trees, a good … Continue reading…
The Hermit Trail starts at a pull-off on the Trans Canada Highway in Rogers Pass and climbs to a high meadows at the foot of the Hermit Range. When we drive to Glacier, we have often chosen this hike because it is shorter and can be done with a later start. The trail climbs through cedar-hemlock forest steeply. In fact, … Continue reading…
The trail from Pratt Lake to Blackwell Lake is shown on recreational maps and is listed in the Vernon Outdoor Club’s book so it was added to our list of hikes-to-be-done. It is a long drive to the trailhead so we waited for a sunny summer day so we could hike in the forest at a higher altitude, away from … Continue reading…
Raft Mountain stands above Clearwater, a pyramid-shaped peak when seen from the valley. We have hiked this 8000 foot mountain a few times, but this last time, we came to traverse the 5 peaks. To get to the trailhead to Raft Mountain, continue past Clearwater on Highway 5 North for 4 km pst the Visitors Center. Turn left onto … Continue reading…
Most visitors to Mt. Revelstoke National Park drive the 25 km to the top of the mountain, then hike one of the trails in the sub-alpine meadows. This 100 year-old park (in 2014) also has a number of fine trails on the lower part of the mountain. The two most accessible trails are the Soren Sorenson Trail and the Inspiration … Continue reading…
The northern end of the Marble Range has a number of fine hiking opportunities. The best hike is Mt. Bowman, but there are also routes up Pocupine Creek, Lime Ridge, Mad Dog Mountain, Wild Horse Ridge and Mount Kerr. Most of the trailheads are found off the Jesmond Road between Kelly Lake and the Big Bar ferry. After my last … Continue reading…
The Illecillewaet Glacier covered 9.3 square kilometres in 1850. By 1978, it was reduced to 6.8 sq. km. It is still shrinking and most of the loss is in the tongues of ice that stretch from the neve on top down into the valleys. When the railway was completed in 1885, tourists and climbers came to Rogers Pass to see … Continue reading…
The Bonaparte Plateau is not an easy place to explore. The backroads to 5000 feet are long and not well marked. The trailheads are difficult to find. Except for the Skoatl Point trail, most trails are hard to follow, overgrown, covered in fallen trees, and short on views. We head up there every summer to explore in spite of these … Continue reading…
Yak Peak is the rockslab-faced peak directly oerlooking the Coquihalla. It has been a climber's destination for some time, but the climbers also had a down-hike trail and this route has been upgraded to a good trail for hikers too. We parked at the Zopkios Ridge rest stop and hiked back along the highway to find the trailhead. The guidebook … Continue reading…
The Tranquille Slot Canyons have been one of our favorite areas to explore for a few years. We usually go down to the slots each year, but often in different seasons. Summer is a favorite because once the water levels go down and the water temperature goes up, we can traverse the north slot and scramble the south slot. Previous … Continue reading…
Although we have visited the Guardsmen many times, we often take different routes in and out. Details on how to get to the area are already documented on this site (type Guardsmen into the Search box). On this trip, we followed a track and game trail into the vale between Wheeler Mountain and the Mara hills. Eskers from the last … Continue reading…
The Marble Range extends from Spences Bridge to Jesmond. The highest peaks are at the northern end and there are a number of hiking trails from the Jesmond Road up to Mt. Bowman, Mad Dog Mountain, Wild Horse Ridge, Mt. Kerr, Lime Ridge, and Porcupine Ridge. The northern part of the range is characterized by rugged limestone ridges and peaks … Continue reading…
I had heard about a cave near Monck Park on Nicola Lake, but waited for better location information. Recently a geocache was placed inside the cave and I now had coordinates to find it. I took a drive down to check it out. To visit the cave, drive along the road toward Monck Park. As you crest a rocky bluff, … Continue reading…
Hiking from 7000 feet into the Grand Canyon took me through millions of years of geological history, but the route down from Rim to River also brought me through a range of ecological zones and microclimates. Each new vista was matched by arrangements of southwest wildflowers. The cacti and yuccas were also in bloom. In creek beds, seep zones, … Continue reading…
Page, Arizona is the city on the Glen Canyon Reservoir in the northwest part of the state. It is located along the highway for anyone wanting to explore the Grand Canyon, the Grand Staircase-Escalante Canyons, Glen Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs and beyond to Zion or Bryce Canyon. There are numerous recreational opportunities. For the one day that I was in … Continue reading…
The best hiking trails in Grand Canyon National Park go down into the canyon and back up again. All the way to the river and back up is a big challenge, and not advisable on a hot day, so many visitors go part way down and back up, and most stick to the “Main Corridor” trails. The “off-corridor” trails are … Continue reading…
