While we were visiting Smithers for a wedding, we hiked some trails in the area. My favorite was Hudson Bay Mountain. It is a skiing area in winter, accessed by a 20 km gravel road. Smithers lies at an elevation of about 500 m. The ski Village is at about 1426m. The summit of Hudson Bay Mountain is 2590m. A trail … Continue reading →
The Interior hills went through a warming trend mid-winter and the valley bottom and lower hills dried out, then some cold temperatures came in and the ground froze. In winter we often can’t hike the Mara Trail without encountering some ice and mud, but in late January the trails were dry and hard for a winter hike. We hiked the Outer Loop of the Mara … Continue reading →
When the weather warmed up, the snow in the valley began to melt and in the hills the snow was wet, slushy, or became a mud-snow mix. Snowshoeing at higher elevations would not have been much better, except in north-aspect higher elevations, but even those spots would be prone to snow “clumping” underfoot. The valley bottom is the best choice in such conditions, hiking/walking … Continue reading →
While the weather was below zero, there a number of fine days for snowshoeing. In that time period, I was on the Bush Lake Trails (3x), the Dogwood Marshes Trails (3x), Lodgepole Lake, Anderson Creek/Hull Hill, and Stake Lake and more outings were planned, but warm weather required adjusting the activities. Better than al the other snowshoe trails, the Bush Lake and Dogwood Marshes Trails … Continue reading →
On a grey and cold January day we parked at Lac du Bois, then followed a stomped-in track west around Lac du Bois. We wore hiking boots with spikes attached. The trail was in good shape to the upper end of Hanging Valley, then it was irregular and more difficult on the ankles, so we went along the treeline where there was less snow. … Continue reading →
We camped at Jasper and hiked a number of trails in the park. One of the hikes we chose was Verdant Pass. The trailhead is at the parking lot next to Cavell Lake to the northeast of the mountain. We hiked past the end of Cavell Lake and continued southwest above the Astoria River. After passing the slopes of Mount Sorrow, we could … Continue reading →
Getting out on the trails almost every day all winter can be challenging, but a variety of activity choices like snowshoeing, spike hiking, and valley-bottom walks/hikes allows some flexibility with changing weather and conditions. When the roads are clear enough to get into the high country hills south and north of Kamloops, snowshoeing is the preferred winter activity. Off the Lac le Jeune Road, … Continue reading →
We camped at Waterton by the lakeside and hiked trails each day in Waterton National Park. One of the hikes we did was Crypt Lake. To get to the trailhead, we had to book a ride on the ferry. The ferry service leaves from the Marina and it takes 15 – 20 minutes to land at the trailhead on the far side of … Continue reading →
In the New Year there was lots of snow in both the Bush Lake, Stake Lake, Lac le Jeune, Lodgepole Lake and Dogwood Marshes areas. On a cool day, the Bush Lake North area was the area to see if tracks had been set and if logging in the area had removed some trails. From the parking lot across the Lac le Jeune Road, I … Continue reading →
On a cool morning I snowshoed a route in the Lodgepole Lake area. It had been warm the day before then it went below zero overnight (-9 at the trailhead), so the snow was crunchy and hard, but okay for snowshoeing on stomped-in tracks. Since I know the trails quite well I went out with no particular route in mind, choosing a trail at … Continue reading →
