The Kettle Valley Railway was built between 1910 and 1915. By 1916 trains were hauling freight, connecting the Kootenays with the CPR at Hope, with a number of side branches to mines and other communities. A number of challenges were met by Chief Engineer Andrew McCullough to keep the railway grade reasonable through mountainous terrain. The railway lines were closed in 1961, and now … Continue reading →
In the middle of February, most of the trails in Dallas – Barnhartvale were free of mud and ice and suitable for hiking. For this outing, I started at the lower trailhead, just off Dallas Drive, and hiked up the Pussywillow Trail to the benchland. I then went through a gate to continue southeast on the Blackwell Trails. I tried to avoid … Continue reading →
The weather at end of January and early February was mild enough to allow dedicated paddlers to get out for some kayaking on our area rivers. It is still too cool to venture out on a windy day, but if the temperatures are above 4º C and the winds are light, we can launch a kayak at the Pioneer Park boat launch and go up … Continue reading →
We have been to Mahood Lake a few times, driving Highway 24 west from Little Fort, then on backroads to Canim Lake, and then down to the campsite on the east side of Mahood Lake. We have base-camped there to hike trails, and on other occasions, we have paddled across the lake to camp at the far end. From the Provincial Park Campground are a number … Continue reading →
Mild and dry conditions provided for better hiking access in the lower Batchelor Hills in late January. From the quarry road parking area (one kilometer past the cattleguard, on the left side), the trail heads west, winding around a rounded hill and into a wide basin between Beacon Hill and Batchelor Hill. There was some mud, but in most cases I could just go around the … Continue reading →
We have hiked all of the trails in Revelstoke National Park over the years. The hike that we have done more times than the others ones is the Eva Lake Trail, then up to the top of Jade Pass overlooking the Jade Lakes. The trail is called the Jade Lakes Trail, but that refers to going up to the pass, then down to Upper Jade … Continue reading →
On clouded-in cool day in the valley in winter, I drove up the Lac Road to the sunshine at the Dogwood Marshes parking lot. With repeated melt-freeze cycle days I chose to wear microspikes on my hiking boots to hike the hardened trails of the snowshoe area. I stayed on top and never broke through on stomped-in trails. The route was one I had … Continue reading →
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 →
