As spring approaches, the lower south-facing slopes clear of snow first, but the hills above with no tree cover follow shortly afterward. Within two weeks after we can hike on the lower Barren Hills, the upper Barren Hills can also be hiked but hikers will face a bit of snow and mud on the north side of hills or in … Continue reading…
Swakane Canyon is north of Wenatchee just off Highway 97 (Alt.) on the west side of the Columbia River. Drive north for 8.7 km, then turn left on the Swakane Road. Follow this rougher dirt road for 5 km and park where an old double track road climbs uphill, bearing east. The entire hike is on a double track … Continue reading…
Emar Lakes Park was created in 1996 as a wilderness area of small lakes, potholes, and wet areas in a forested area off Highway 24. The lakes are used by fishermen, but there is also a lake chain loop with portages for canoeists and kayakers. Access is from Janice Lake Recreation Site or from Willowgrouse Recreation Site. The trails/portages are … Continue reading…
In this transition period, we can make some good choices for hiking and some more challenging routes too. Generally speaking, the first trails to melt also get mud first. Second, any trail that is on a side slope will drain faster. Third, any trail that has a south-facing slope will dry faster. Fourth, forested trails are slower to clear. Fifth, … Continue reading…
The hike on Whiskey Dick Mountain in central Washington follows old double tracks to the top of open ridges. There are no trees in this desert hills environment in the Whisky Dick Wildlife Area. The trailhead is off a short (signed) dirt road north at Mile Marker 18 off the Old Vantage Highway (Highway 14). A larger readerboard by the … Continue reading…
The Batchelor Range is a chain of rocky hills overlooking the North Thompson River from the Deep Lake area to the edge of the City in the Batchelor Hills. The south end of the Range is accessible from the Lac du Bois Road, but the north end is harder to get to. We can drive on rough backroads to get … Continue reading…
One of the largest petrified forests in the world can be explored in the desert lands of Central Washington. Lava flows caused mineralization of buried forests of gingko, fir, spruce, elm, and walnut. Bits of petrified wood dot the hills. There is an interpretive trail, but we chose a faint double track into the backcountry of Gingko Petrified Forest State … Continue reading…
The first hills to clear of snow are the lower Batchelor Hills. The south-facing slopes are sometimes called the Barren Hills but recently the mountain biking community has established new single track trails with new signage and new names. We hiked these trails on the dirt in February. From the cycling community’s map, we followed the Lazy Boy Trail … Continue reading…
The Ancient Lake Trail goes up to the head of a large coulee that drains down to the Columbia River. Basalt cliffs ring the chain of pothole lakes. Steams and irrigation run-off from fields above fill and replenish the lakes in this dry, grasslands basin. The trail starts on the northwest side of the coulee and follows a fairly level … Continue reading…
Access to Dogwood Marshes snowshoeing area is from the Bush Lake parking area off the Lac le Jeune Road. There are a number of routes through the marshes and up into the hills above for any day of exploration in the winter. It is easier ti follow “stomped-in” tracks than it is to break a new trail, especially when the … Continue reading…
The upper end of the Lac du Bois Grasslands offers access for open forest and grassland slope snowshoeing in winter. There is a large parking area next to a forestry kiosk right before the McQueen Lake fence. It is best to park there and walk back to the edge of the forest 200 m south since the Lac du Bois … Continue reading…
In February after recent snowfalls we put on our snowshoes and tramped over the hill and then down to the Tranquiile River. From Pine Park we continued upstream to the dam. In a number of spots the ice had collapsed into the river but we could walk on the snow on the riverbanks up to the narrows. The Mara Hills … Continue reading…
The double tracks on the northwest side of Hull Hill provide interesting snowshoe routes in winter. The tracks become snowed in and motorized traffic ceases (except for an occasional snowmobile). We usually drive for 400m down the Goose Lake Road to the side road. If the road is unplowed, snowshoers can park at the top and walk down. For 4WD … Continue reading…
A favorite winter snowshoe route is the snowed-in double track up the east side of Opax Mountain. We follow the gravel road to the BC Forest Service kiosk near the Mud Lake Demonstration Forest then continue east, climbing for 3 km onto a forested plateau. The best views are to the south so we continued along the double track to … Continue reading…
Moose Valley is located 22 km west of 100 Mile House, accessed by the Gustafson Lake Road. The Moose Valley Access Road turns off and follows the chain of lakes to a campsite on Marks Lake. The road does continue onto the end of Maitland Lake, but it is a rougher section. Paddlers can start at either lake and work … Continue reading…
The chain of lakes from Davis Lake to Flat Lake would best be done in the spring while there is still lots of water in the channels between the lakes and before the mosquitoes hatch. The start is on Davis Lake, 20 km southwest of 100 Mile House. The chain is usually done in one to three day trips. All … Continue reading…
