On a beautiful spring day I started a hike from the Pacific Way Trailhead, and hiked a series of trails up and over the shoulder of Mt. Dufferin in Kenna Cartwright Park. The goal was to hike the North Vista Trail (from the Upper Doug Daws Trail), a scenic and rewarding trail with fine 270º views of the valleys, the hills above them, and distant peaks … Continue reading →
On a calm and sunny early April morning, I drove down Highway 5A South past Shumway Lake and the Roche Lake turn-off. About halfway down Trapp Lake is a short side road to a parking area on the shores of the lake. I did a hand launch into the muddy lake and paddled south down the west shoreline and back on the east shoreline, a … Continue reading →
On a hiking trip to the Rockies in fall, we camped at Lake Louise, then we hiked to the top of Mount Temple on the first day, and then to the summit of Cirque Peak on the second day. The trail starts on the Jasper Banff Highway and winds up through the forest and alpine meadows to Helen Lake (6 km). We have hiked the trail … Continue reading →
At the end of March some of the lower elevation lakes became ice-free. Some of the larger valley-bottom lakes had been clear for a few weeks, but large lakes and strong winds are not a good combination in cool temperatures, so I paddled on the river instead. On a cool (2º ) morning there was a steady breeze our of the east, but I … Continue reading →
We hiked a loop route in the outer Dewdrop Range at the end of March. We drove out the Frederick Road, then parked just before the gravel road starts its descent to the lakeside community of Frederick. Since we have hiked the Frederick Bluffs many times. we try to vary the route each time. There are no trails, except for a few faint … Continue reading →
On a cool, windy, and sunny day in mid-March I decided to hike the Bluebird Trail, scouting a route for the next week. From the first pullout on the Frederick Road in the Dewdrop Range I hiked a single track trail that bears west along the open forest and grasslands slopes, crossing the Battle Bluff Trail at 1.3 km. The trail continues for 3.6 … Continue reading →
On a cool March morning the destination for the day’s hike was Juniper Ridge Conservation Area, a new BC Parks Foundation Project. We have been hiking across this area for decades. There has been a double track called Scott Road which goes east for 3.6 km to locked gate. Just before the that gate, a downhill mountain bike route called the Rio Escondido has been … Continue reading →
On a mid-March day, I chose to hike the Mission Beaches route. there are several trails that go out to the river, but I usually start at the west end, then go along the rivershore heading east. The usual route is to go around (or between) the islands and back for a loop route of about 3.5 km. I went through some sandy … Continue reading →
When I first came to Kamloops in 1976 I hiked this area in the Batchelor Hills and called the area “the Barren Hills”. Coming from the forested Coastal area, the hills seemed dry and barren, but the reality is that the lower hills have very few trees, but they have a rich sagebrush grasslands environment. I have hiked this loop route, or a variation of … Continue reading →
By early March the south-facing slopes above the Thompson River Valley were dry enough for hiking and exploring. I have hiked a series of hills and ridges that rise above the west side of the Tranquille River Valley a number of times. There is an old double track for part of the route, but the rest of the route is off-trail, following the ridgeline … Continue reading →
