The first snowshoe outing of the season usually happens before the snows have built up to a depth actually requiring snowshoes. At 4000 feet+ the snow gets too deep for regular hiking, so first tracks can be set in the forest. The Bush Lake North Loop was the first “snow stomp” of the season. To follow this track, drive up … Continue reading…
In Kamloops we are surrounded by hills that offer an opportunity to snowshoe, but few people know where to go or how to make the best of these areas. Some basics on equipment, strategies, and routes are offered in a series of articles. Snowshoes Today’s snowshoes are light and strong, but there are also a wide range in features. any … Continue reading…
For abut 3 years I have been exploring the area around Bush Lake, linking up sections of trails and routes mainly for snowshoeing in winter. There is a good parking area next to the Lac le Jeune Road and sections of the former cross-country ski trails can be combined with old roads and flagged routes to create loops. There … Continue reading…
The Bush Lake – Timber Lake trails were designed and built for the 1979 (first) BC Winter Games in Kamloops. They became our "home trails" for cross-country skiing. Then the Coquihalla Highway was buillt and it cut right through the middle of the trail system so the Stake Lake Trails were built as a replacement system for cross-country skiing. Sections … Continue reading…
Snow Dome Mountain is the snow-capped massif standing on the Continental Divide in the Columbia Icefield. It stands 11 400 feet and is considered the hydrographic apex of North America with meltwaters flowing to three oceans (the Arctic via Hudson Bay). Ice climbers and mountaineers climb the east face above Dome Glacier, but it can also be skied in a … Continue reading…
Maccarib Pass in Jasper is usually hiked (skied, or snowshoed) as part of a loop route into Tonquin Valley. For years, though, we skied this as a long cross-country ski day from Marmot Basin up toward the Pass and back. In winter, we often skied right on the creekbed for much of the route, gaining as much as 732m over … Continue reading…
We have gone to the top of Sunset Mountain (3800 feet) from the Uplands area quite a few times and it is now part of our winter schedule to go along the track towards Juniper, then turn up the old double track heading south in the gully (Zilch Gulch). The whole route up and back is about 9.5 km and … Continue reading…
Most of the posts on this site are from recent outings, but in mid-winter, I sometimes go back to fill in the gaps reporting on past hikes. Monument 83 is one of these. I ran from the trailhead to the top and back, a total of 32 km. The trailhead starts at the Monument 78/83 parking lot, which is east … Continue reading…
One of our better snowshoeing areas starts at the Melba Lake trailhead. It was described in the article – Melba Lake Area (link). Our return trip was in mid-February on sunny, mild day. We followed the route that passes close to Melba Lake on our way towards Lodgepole Lake. We chose to loop through a cutblock and then worked our … Continue reading…
Many of us have hiked the Asulkan Trail which ends at the Asulkan (ACC) Hut. This is a favorite route and has been described before (Asulkan Trail – Sept. 2013). We have scrambled above the hut several times, but eventually we reach the ice and have to cross the glacier, but we know to go onto the ice only if … Continue reading…
Arrow-leafed balsam root is balsamorhiza sagittata. In spring, the extensive south-facing slopes of this hill are covered in this member of the sunflower family. The hill has no name on maps, so we call it Sagittata Hill. We have hiked, bike, run, skied, and snowshoed on the slopes of the hill many times. We hiked over the top and down … Continue reading…
When the winter snows accumulate, we like to go to the upper end of the grasslands to snowshoe in the area to the south of McQueen Lake. There are some old tracks to follow, but with the layers of snow, these are only a rough guide. We make our own tracks. We park at the kiosk this side of McQueen … Continue reading…
We have hiked, run, biked, cross country skied, and snowshoed this route over many years. A description of the route was provided in a summer hike post (link), but this time we snowshoed the route in mid-January. The route starts at the end of Lac le Jeune Drive. Park on the street and go through the gate at the end … Continue reading…
The Upper Timber Lake area is one of our favorite areas to snowshoe. In winter, there is rarely anyone around, but the backroads are fine for stomping. We have described the route in to the trailhead before (link to a previous article). The Timber Lake FSR is in good shape right now, but there are times when 4WD may be … Continue reading…
One of our favorite hikes is Embleton Mountain. The trails are well-marked, there are nice views on the west side, and the system has many route options. Over the last few years, we have added a winter trek to the top on snowshoes. This is a more demanding route in the snow, but it is a lot easier when someone … Continue reading…
Although it is possible to snowshoe in any higher elevation area in perfect conditions, the reality is that we need good road access, a place to park, a route that can be followed without getting lost, and a stomped in or packed route, if possible. Finding a scenic location is a bonus, but there are not many routes available that … Continue reading…
