We traveled to Murtle Lake before smoky conditions smothered the area and we decided to shorten our time there. On the second day we paddled the west end of the west arm of Murtle Lake. We launched from Birch Beach and paddled past Smoker Island. The wide bay at the mouth of File Creek and Anderson Creek is shallow and …Continue reading…
In mid-September we drove to Blue River, then followed the Murtle Lake Forest Service Road to the end of the road. We loaded our gear into portage packs and into the kayaks and fastened the boats to kayak carts, then portaged 2.5 km to the Murtle Lagoon. At the launch, we reloaded the hatches and paddled west. The original plan …Continue reading…
A few tips on planning for the portage to Murtle Lake. An Overview The portage is 2.5 km. There are small several hills along the gravel path. At the launch area is the registration kiosk, a rack for carts, and rental equipment, but there are no staff there. The launch beach has a dock and a rocky beach (Parks should …Continue reading…
The best hike of our area is to the rim of Trophy Mountain. Starting in 1977, I have done the hike every year since and sometimes I have hiked to the meadows or to one of the peaks more than once (3x in 2019). The plan is to do the Trophy hike for as long as I can. …Continue reading…
I took the water taxi from the campground area at the end of Clearwater Lake to the Rainbow Falls Marine Campsite on Azure Lake and paddled back to the start. In the first day, I paddled my kayak for 15.5 km to Four and a Half Mile Campground in stormy conditions. On the next morning I paddled for 5.7 km …Continue reading…
When we go up Clearwater Lake and then up the river to Azure Lake and then east on Azure, we are going around Azure and Zodiac Mountains. Though they rise above both lakes they are somewhat hidden and inaccessible. From satellite imagery there are open ridges, tarns, snowfields, and rugged peaks to explore. The first known ascent of Zodiac Mountain …Continue reading…
Sylvia and Goodwin Falls are located on the Mahood River, 3.5 km up from the confluence of the Mahood and Clearwater Rivers. Access is by the Clearwater River Road. This is a long drive along a winding bumpy road on the west side of the river starting in Clearwater. Some of the road is not in great …Continue reading…
We backpacked from the Philip Creek trailhead to Fight Lake, then camped overnight, climbing to the top of Battle Mountain on the second day. On the third day I was up for sunrise. The sun was rising in the east, still below Philip Mountain but the glow was on Fight Lake. To the west some rain clouds were approaching …Continue reading…
We backpacked into Fight Lake on Day One, then we did a 16 km return hike to the summit of Battle Mountain and back on Day Two. Battle Mountain is the fourth mountain in a line from Clearwater – Raft Mountain, Trophy Mountain, Table Mountain, then Battle Mountain. Battle Mountain stands at 2369 m (7772 feet) and the shortest hike …Continue reading…
On our last hike to the top of Trophy Mountain, we stopped to take many photos along the way. The alpine wildflowers were out, we spotted ptarmigans, grouse, and marmots, The snow was still melting, the tarns were full, and summer had arrived in the Trophy Range. Some of those photos are compiled here into a short video. …Continue reading…
In early July we hiked to the summit of Trophy Two, a long day on the trail. We covered 19 km and spent 8 hours on the trail. The day was warm and cloudy with some mosquitoes in the forest, but none in the upper meadows, nor on the high ridges. We followed the main trail to the end of …Continue reading…
We padded up Clearwater Lake in Wells Gray Provincial Park to the Diver’s Bluff Marine Campground, then hiked the Eagle’s View Trail. We launched our boats (canoes and kayaks) and headed up the west shore of the lake. With calm conditions we were at our destination in about 75 minutes. From the boat launch at the end …Continue reading…
The Wells Gray Corridor Road ends at Clearwater Lake where there is a campground and a boat launch. Right at the campground is a longer (km) trail over the forested hills above Clearwater Lake. The Chain meadows loop Trail is about 16.5 km. The trail winds to the top of Bluff overlooking the falls, then goes north on a wet …Continue reading…
The skies in Wells Gray were smoky so there were no views, but we chose to hike a longer forest trail anyway. We took our time and focused on the flora, fungi, fauna, light, and geology along the trail instead. A few of our sightings are included here. Fungi were also numerous and are featured at this link.
For 40+ years we have been hiking in the Trophy Range. We have done one of more than one summit in most years and we will continue to return to the Trophies since it has the best hiking in our area.. KamloopsTrails.net has quite a few articles on various trails and routes and a map with links is provided here …Continue reading…