Ross Moore Lake lies to the east of Lac le Jeune. It is visited as a fishing destination in the summer or by snowmobilers or cross country skiers in the winter. Although there are backroads that can take you there, they can be very rough or can be subject to blowdown. They are also confusing with unsigned junctions. The best … Continue reading…
Special Note – Frolek Cattle Company does not appreciate anyone writing about access to their lands so I have edited this post accordingly. This post serves to warn hikers and bikers that they are concerned and I am advising readers to act responsibly. And, now that I know this, the content of this post has been edited and I will … Continue reading…
My friend Russ Walton introduced us to this hike. Park at the top of Ida Lane at the black gate and proceed toward Deep Lake. As you start to veer left around the hill in front of you, you will see a single track bearing right around the hill. Follow this track between the fenceline and the hills as it … Continue reading…
When you drive out to Tranquille, you look up to the northwest and the last hill of Red Plateau towers over the area. It would be a long climb up, but there is a much easier route to this wonderful viewpoint. Pass Tranquille onto the Red Lake Road. Continue the climb past the switchback to the Dewdrop Range and continue … Continue reading…
Along the river or in the forest, we heard many songs and calls from birds. Over time, we learn to recognize them: Song Sparrow: Song Sparrow (click to hear the song) Blue Jay Blue Jay Blue Heron: 04-Great Blue Heron
Continue reading...This is a very remote spot in the NW corner of Wells Gray Provincial Park. There are two ways to get to the site and both involve a long drive on backroads. The Flourmills get very few visitors and most of them come in from 1oo Mile House via the Canim Lake Road, then the Spanish Lake FSR (Road # 7000) … Continue reading…
When we are hiking along the trails, we often hear (before we see) people with bear bells ringing. We are always interested in who wears bear bells. We never use them. We have run into bears on many occasions and continue to go “un-belled.” When are bears a threat? When do we need to take precautions? Bears generally avoid people, … Continue reading…
The Skull Mountain Trail system is really a horseback trail network, but the trails can be hiked or biked also. It is accessed off the Westsyde Road, which connects Barriere to the Kamloops on the west side of the North Thompson River. More detail is found in this brochure: FishTrapCreektrails.
Continue reading...The Orchard Lake Trail system is primarily used for horseback riding, but it is well suited to hiking and mountain biking too. Trails are in an area of open forests and meadows. To access the trail system turn off Highway 5 in the McLure area onto the Orchard Lake Road (N51 02.248, W120 13.379). This is about 3 km south … Continue reading…
Scott Road runs from Rose Hill Road to a junction of fences to the southeast of Juniper (3km one way). This is a very enjoyable walk or mountain bike as an out and back route. For a better workout, hikers or bikers can start down in Juniper and do a loop. One end of the loop is at the end … Continue reading…
This loop is well-suited to a shoulder season hike. We often use this route in early March since most of the area is south-facing and has no trees. Snow may linger under the north slope, but hikers can veer north around snow pockets. There are many miles of double tracks in this area and so more posts on routes will … Continue reading…
The Bastion area fills the whole space between two arms of the Shuswap. White Lake sits in a bowl at the western end. All of the area to the east is heavily wooded with cedar at lower elevations and spruce/fir at higher elevations. Bastion Mountain rises above the shores of Sunnybrae, but it is really just the west end of … Continue reading…
You are out for a hike and hear a bird song or call and you say to yourself, which bird is that? Here are some well-known ones: Common loon: Common Loon (mp3) Red-Tailed Hawk: Red-tailed Hawk (mp3) Ruffed Grouse: Ruffed Grouse (mp3) Northern Flicker: 42-Northern Flicker (mp3)
Continue reading...If you are overly concerned about bears, ticks, and poison ivy, then you may never get out. You will probably encounter them if you choose to hike the trails. Poison ivy is in our area and the best way to deal with it is to avoid it, and to do this you have to recognize it. Although we have seen … Continue reading…
Opax Mountain lies northwest of Lac du Bois. It is a sprawling, forested hill with volcanic bluffs on various flanks, wet areas on the upper plateau, grass slopes on the west ridges overlooking Tranquille Canyon, logged areas, and a few viewpoints. There are loop opportunities, but they are not all that easy to follow. For a first visit, use an … Continue reading…
Chuwhels Mountain is a rounded ridge-shaped peak that sits between the Lac le Jeune Road and Greenstone Mountain. It can be accessed from every side, but the approaches from the south, west and north all require 4WD or snowmobile. The east side has good road access. From the Lac le Jeune Road, the Chuwhels Mountain FSR starts directly across from … Continue reading…