With forest fires now an expectation and a risk each summer, we need to consider some options. A modest proposal is provided here. When firefighters work on a forest fire, they create firebreaks to remove the fuel available to a moving forest fire. Firebreaks are built between the body of the fire and areas to be protected. Governments have created …Continue reading…
Although most people refer to the area north of Kamloops as Lac du Bois Park, there are actually three distinct blocks of land, each with different owners. The light green areas are BC Parks lands (Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area). (link) The dark green areas are Nature Conservancy of Canada lands. (link) The grey areas are private lands. Lac …Continue reading…
Following a recent Zoom workshop on using GPS tracks, a series of short articles will follow, this one on recording a track, opening a track, and following a track. You can download and install All Trails on your mobile for free. You can use the free version or upgrade for more features. To Record a Track Open All Trails at …Continue reading…
Most of the posts in January and some of February will be from snowshoe outings our area. Some of these include: Bush Lake South Bush Lake North Dogwood Marshes Lodgepole Lake Ridge Lakes Upper Lac du Bois Grasslands Hanging Valley Chuwels Mountain Hull Hill Opax Mountain and others, to be decided
When I want a short easy hike I sometimes go to the Whiteshield trailhead of Peterson Creek Park. Almost every time I turn onto the Grasslands Loop to enjoy the view and now I have second reason to hike the trail. There is a commemorative bench there to remember our friend Clive Giolma. The view was one of Clive’s favorites. …Continue reading…
Kamloops Trails now has a Facebook Page with daily posts, including images, links, and news. go to the page and like it to follow: Kamloops Trails Page on FB
We hiked the to the summit of Trophy Mountain, but we spotted grouse in the forest and subalpine meadows and a ptarmigan with 5 baby chicks in the alpine cirque below the summit. Some photos are shared here.
It is a shared responsibility to not provide detailed descriptions online for the locations of archaeological sites. The chance of damage, vandalism, and other problems is too great so we collectively have agreed to not share the exact location. Nonetheless, it is known that there is a rock art panel not far from the Highway as it passes Pavilion Lake. …Continue reading…
When we hike up the northeast shoulder of Mount Mara we pass by the Damgaard Homestead, occupied from 1912 – 1919, but now part of Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area. The property was settled under the terms of the Canadian Homesteads Act which promoted settlement of the west from 1872 – 1918. The Damgaards emigrated from Denmark to work …Continue reading…
There are two Hiking Clubs in Kamloops. Both are registered Societies and active clubs with their own websites. Almost all outdoor Clubs in Canada require a waiver to be signed as protection for their hike leaders and the Club itself (any clubs that don’t do this are naive). Both clubs require a waiver to be signed before joining in a …Continue reading…
We hike and snowshoe all winter using our regular hiking boots. This is how we do it. We have good hiking boots – vibram-type soles, leather and goretex, a gusseted tongue, proper bootlaces, and good coverage above the ankles. These are boots we can backpack in, climb up steep slopes, do long days in the alpine, and so on. The …Continue reading…
We were camping on Leo Island on Murtle Lake. In the dark I walked out onto the spit to have a look at the supermoon rising in the east. On my way back, my headlamp shone onto the trees and we heard an unusual call from the trees above. I scanned the trees with my headlamp and climbed up the …Continue reading…
ountain avens is normally only found in the Arctic or at high altitudes and in limestone/karst terrain. It is an prostate spreading evergeen shrub with small, leathery, wrinkled green leaves. The small flowers are white and saucer shaped growing on top of short stems. This one was spotted on top of Porcupine Ridge at the south end of Lime Ridge …Continue reading…
The first wildflower to emerge each year is the sagebrush buttercup. We see it on south-facing slopes are lower elevations on early March. It is a perennial that has fibrous roots. The stems push up through the soil and serrated leaves form at the base. Yellow glossy flowers grace the faded colors of the season. Although buttercups and all of …Continue reading…
In the Interior we come across cushion buckwheat on rocky, open ridges. On the volcanic rocky viewpoints near Lac le Jeune and McConnell Hill, they form clumps/low mats of green leaves. The leafless stems stand above the base in summer and creamy-colored flowers are displayed. As the flowers age, they start to turn pink. This tap-rooted perennial can be seen …Continue reading…
The only natural spiderwort in Canada is found near the southern border of the prairies in sand dune areas but it has become endangered there. We spotted a number of spiderwort plants in the desert canyons of Utah, mostly when traversing sandy washes in canyons. There are 75 kinds of tradescantia and many types have been cultivated into gardens. The …Continue reading…