Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area is a large park with many access points and many possible routes. Driving Directions The main trailheads are off both sides of the Lac du Bois Road. From anywhere in Kamloops cross either bridge to get to the North Shore. From the Overlander Bridge stay on Fortune Drive, then turn right onto 8th Street. …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…
When spring approaches the snow is slow to melt in the hills and hikers will have to face snow, ice, or mud for a while, In the meantime, we can hike the lower elevation routes in the river valleys to find dry ground. The Rivers Trail (West) is one of the first to clear. From the parking area at the …Continue reading…
In late winter when the snow still lingered in the hills, we stomped across the ice and through the snow to explore the three hills that make up Batchelor Hill in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area. The trailhead we chose is the “Upper Barren Hills trailhead”, off a short side road just past Batchelor Hill itself. The double …Continue reading…
The Rivers Trail (West) is a well-used track for hikers, walkers, dog walkers, and cyclists. It starts at the end of Aviation Way and joins Tranquille Road just past the Cinnamon Ridge Compost Facility. An-out-and back hike on the double … Continue reading →
In the late fall or late winter shoulder season, the trails winding through the rocky hills overlooking the Thompson River will be less icy or snowy than the higher trails of Kenna Cartwright Park. the parking area is off Bunker Road just in behind the recycling area. The trailhead is the start of the Sage Trail and a good loop …Continue reading…
Every 2 days in January and February a new post will be published. Ready to go are: Mission Flat Beach Northgate Peaks in Zion Dufferin Ridge Chinle Trail in Zion Dewdrop Ridge East Zion Slickrock Sage Bluffs Moonscape Trail Thompson River Ramble Ironmask West Gorge Rim Rush Lake Loop Mara Trail on the Snow Snag Hills Sunset on the Ice …Continue reading…
The south side of Kamloops Lake is all rocky hills with steep vertical slopes down to the lake. Only the Tobiano benchland has relatively easy access. The rest of the slopes have limited access. Private property, grazing fences, and very few roads can be found along all of the south side of the lake from Kamloops to Savona, with a …Continue reading…
When freshet brings the North Thompson and South Thompson Rivers to a high water point , the area at the head of Kamloops Lake floods. The flat floodplains near Tranquille get covered in several feet of floodwaters. In addition, Cooney Bay floods, the beach disappears, and the shoreline recedes. We paddled out of Tranquille Bay then followed the river downstream …Continue reading…
Freshet brings meltwaters from the north and the east to Kamloops and the South Thompson River and the North Thompson Rivers join to bring floodwaters to the area near the head of Kamloops Lake. On the north side the 2km x 1km flatlands become covered in 2-3.5 meters of water to become Tranquille Bay. On the south side of the …Continue reading…
The trail to the top of Battle Bluff is a popular hike in 3 seasons in the Kamloops area. It has one of the best viewpoints at the end of a moderate route. On an early May day, though, we explored the shoulder of Battle Bluff and found it quite rewarding. Although we struck out across the hills, hikers could …Continue reading…
We hike the Barren Hills every spring once the trails dry out. The trailhead is off a short side road just past Batchelor Hill. Mountain bikers call this area Batchelor Hills which is an accurate name, but since both sides of the Lac du Bois Road are the Batchelor Range and the Batchelor Hills, we call the small area north …Continue reading…
The first wildflowers to emerge when the snows melt are spotted on south-facing open slopes at lower elevations (The Fist Wildflowers of Spring. Sagebrush buttercups appear first followed by arabis and yellow bells. By the first of April we can spot western spring beauties. The corms are edible and were often harvested by First Nations people. We can usually …Continue reading…
By the end of summer, the McArthur Island boat launch has its gate closed and the lagoon begins to dry out. In the first week of September, there was just enough water to paddle out of the channel in a kayak. A week later it would have been a muddy portage. I exited to the river and aimed the boat …Continue reading…
During freshet, the river runs faster so any downriver route is a quicker paddle. The route downriver from Pioneer Park to Tranquille Bay is 11.65 km and takes about 2 hours. From the flooded boat launch at Pioneer Park, the kayak enters the current and I paddled under the Red Bridge then the CN Bridge. There was not much clearance …Continue reading…