In March the south-facing slopes above Sun Rivers were dry so we hiked up the Water Tower Trail to the plateau above, enjoying the views of Sun Rivers below.
There is a wide bowl between the minor summit of Mt. Paul and the higher summit of Mt. Peter.
Much of the plateau is a grassy meadow with a few pockets of trees in sheltered areas. To the north are the upper slopes of the Dome Hills with Strawberry Hill beyond.
A herd of semi-wild horses lives on the upper plateau year-round. They see lots of hikers so they ignored us.
On the west side there were wide views of the North Thompson River, North Kamloops, the Thompson River, and Kamloops Lake.
There are a series of hills on the plateau so we crested each one of them, going in a counter-clockwise loop. Some snow lingered on north-facing slopes and in gullies.
We enjoyed watching the 5 horses on the plateau. We also spotted a hawk, 2 rams, some chipmunks, and various other birds
It takes about an hour to climb the trail and the views are worth the effort. If you decide to go up above Sun Rivers (it is a well-hiked trail), please practice respectful leave-no-trace hiking.
Some years ago, hikers could go to the Kamloops Indian Band Office and get a permit to hike to the top of Peter and Paul. We would pay a small fee, sign a waiver, and then we would abide by the terms of the permit. We would even carry a garbage bag and help haul out any found trash. We would practice Leave no Trace hiking while enjoying the wonderful views from the mountain.
The trail up from Sun Rivers is now fenced and permits are no longer issued. In theory this area can no longer be hiked which is a great pity. The trail is steep but scenic for the whole route. The summit of Mt. Peter is a 7.2 km (return) hike with an elevation gain of 2165 feet. On the way up there are three rocky hills on the west side of Mt. Paul.
From the top of Mt. Paul is a high grassland plateau going east to Mt. Peter.
To the north are the Dome Hills/Strawberry Hill, recovering from the forest fires of 2003.
The hike up Mt. Peter is steep, but its a good trail. The summit is a windswept, open space, cool in the late fall/early winter season. The views of the City below are unmatched in our area.
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Mt. Paul and the Batchelor Range lie to the west, below the snow zone in mid-December.
The hike to Peter and Paul (with Peter and Paul) is one we would like to do every year. We hope that KIB will restart issuing permits so that any hiker may enjoy this special place, right in the middle of our community.
Mt. Peter and Mt. Paul are both on the Kamloops Indian Reserve and a permit is needed to hike up the mountain, as noted in this sign:
The sign is at the trailhead to the south ridge approach to Mt. Paul. With so much development happening at Sun Rivers, it is hard to find this trail now, but the trail can clearly be seen going up the spur ridge angling northwest. It is a bit of a scramble, steep with loose footing. The views are great all the way up. Near the top of the ridge, a trail angles over to the gully and into the meadows. From below it is hard to see that the area is a one square kilometer plateau between Mt. Peter and Mr. Paul. this is beautiful country and its is not uncommon to see grazing horses, deer, or bears in the rolling meadows. the trail to Mt. Peter is easy to find as it angles over to the south side, then reverses back to the north side up the lower flanks of Mt. Peter. The final section winds up steeply through the trees to the top of Mt. Peter, a total climb of 708m over 3.75km.
The trail from Mt. Paul to Mt. Peter is one of our favorite routes. The problem is that it is no longer possible to get a permit to climb the mountain. In past years, we could go to the Band Office to sign a waiver and receive a permit. Now, the office is no longer issuing permits. Most of us have stopped hiking there and we hope that TIB will open this hike up to the public in the future.
Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter stand over Kamloops as the most visible landmark of the area. We see different sides of the mountains from each direction.
Most people do not have the chance to see the views from on the mountains so a few are shared here. Hove your cursor for a caption or click for a larger view.
There are several single track hikes on snowy benchlands above the river valleys. On a mild winter day we hiked a 7 km route on one of these routes and saw no one, leaving nothing behind but footprints in the snow.
A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view. We will be hiking drier trails soon.
A short video features a few of the moments on this hike.
We hike to the top of our local skyline every year. The trailhead is on the Paul Lake Road at a small pullout. A sign at a person-gate calls this the Paul Creek Trail. There used to be a bridge across Paul Creek, but now we have to find a way across to keep dry feet. This is easier in the fall than in the spring. The trail then goes up the other side to a benchland. The trail up the slopes above follows the power line. A single track goes all the way to the high saddle between the two peaks. From a trail junction in the saddle, bear east to go up the higher peak. The trail angles northeast to the edge of the ridge and then switchbacks to the top. We did this 3.7 km route with 2200 feet elevation gain at the end of October.
 the trailhead |
 Paul Creek |
 the lower peak from the saddle |
 the view to the west |
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 horses reside on the high slopes |
Views from the top are worth the steep hike, but the top is always windy and cool too. Bring an extra jacket and a toque for the top. We have done this hike in every season, but spring and fall are the best times of the year to go up and down.
This would be the premier hike of our area if the access issues could be resolved. When we go, we do so quietly, leaving nothing but our footprints, respecting wildlife and the fragile grasslands ecosystem. We pick up after others and would gladly support any volunteer work to be done. We hope to continue to hike To the Top each year for as long as we can.
our route
In late fall each year, we climb the slopes of Mt. Paul from Sun Rivers and then we continue up the steep route to the top of Mt.Peter and back, a 6.2 km hike. We start at the highest point, just below the water tower then follow a good trail all the way to the top, an elevation gain of 590 m (1936 feet). We pick this time of year since there is no one around for a quiet 2.5 hour summit climb. The first part is steep, following a gully up behind the water tower. We crested the edge of the plateau between Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter, then continued up the well-defined trail across pasture lands to the upper forest.
Near the top of Mt. Peter we had good views southeast up the South Thompson River.
The view directly east is along Paul Ridge toward Harper Mountain.
To the north east was the grasslands of Paul Creek Valley with Mt. Lolo behind.
In the Mt. Paul upper meadows a herd of 4 horses patiently watched few hikers.
It was cold and windy on top of Mt. Peter, so we were happy to return to the plateau where the sun broke through the clouds for the rest of our hike.
In early April the sun rises in the day to a maximum of 47 degrees, with the daytime average in the range of 25 to 45 degrees, relative to flat ground. that means that the sun’s rays are angled, resulting in less heat transfer to the valley floor. But on steeper south-facing slopes, the sun’s rays are direct. Any slope that has a south-facing 45 degree gradient receives 90 degree radiation in the mid-part of the day.
In the Kamloops River Valleys we have steeper south-facing slope gradients on the north side of the South Thompson River and the Thompson River on the slopes up into the Batchelor Hills, on the slopes up Mara Mountain, on the slopes of the Mt. Peter – Mt. Paul Ridge, and on the slopes from the lake up to the Dewdrop Range. Forest cover dampens the effects of direct sun’s rays, but these slopes are open and the vegetation reflects the drying effects of the sun’s rays. These slopes have sagebrush, grasses, cactus, saskatoons, and some early season wildflowers. If we hike these slopes in April, wildflowers, flowering shrubs, pollinators, and birds that feed on the insects appear earlier than in forested areas.
All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and caption.
As we climb the south-facing slopes, we may crest the slope and hike on plateau, hilltop, or bowl areas that receive angled suns rays, resulting in slower snowmelt, longer periods of wet areas/mud, and later development of vegetation. Trees become more abundant and the flora and fauna is consistent with a different ecosystem.
Hiking from the valley up into the hills means moving through transition zones and varied ecosystems.