We traveled to Central Washington in a spring trip to hike routes and trails in the dry eroded hills on the east side of the Coast Ranges. We drove a loop route and camped in State Parks along the route – Osoyoos > Highway 97 South > Highway 17 East > Grand Coulee > Steamboat Rock State Park. We camped at Banks Lake and hiked … Continue reading →
Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area is situated in the open hills on the north side of Kamloops. There are multi-use trails off the Lac du Bois Road close to the City, but access to areas higher in the park is from spots along the main road. The largest lake in the grasslands is Long Lake. It lies in a valley/trench on the … Continue reading →
The south-facing lower slopes of the valley’s hills are ice and mud-free, but if we go in behind these hills, there will be some mud. With this in mind, I hiked up the Tower Classic Trail, turned onto the Naked Pistol Trail, then used the Tower Hill Road to the top. This was a good climb, but all the trails in the grasslands were … Continue reading →
On a mild early March day the route chosen for a hike was the Mara Outer Loop. This is the Mara Trail with an extended route over two hills which overlook the Tranquille River Canyon. The Pruden Pass Road is part of the route, a rough double track that goes up to a pass between Mara Mountain and Wheeler Mountain. If you hike the loop … Continue reading →
On the last day of winter, the weather was mild and there was little wind, so I brought my kayak down to the boat launch at Pioneer Park. The gate was closed so I wheeled my boat down to the shoreline. Ice bordered the river still, but I was able to lift the kayak over the ice to shallow water. The water is … Continue reading →
For many years I have been hiking Rabbit Island in early March from McArthur Island. Sometimes there is some ice to cross and there is a cold water river channel to cross. The narrowest part of the channel is about 11m across and the moving water comes just above the knee. I use a dry suit and boots, then I change on the … Continue reading →
At the end of February the weather warmed quite a bit and the snow and ice cleared off of the lower hills in the valleys. There was no frozen ground, so there was very little mud, except in a few low spots, but they were easy to skirt. The open sagebrush grasslands trails in Valleyview Nature Park were fine for hiking on a partly … Continue reading →
The BC Parks Foundation is leading a fund-raising effort to purchase lands above Juniper Ridge. A donor has provided 50% of the funds needed and a campaign has been launched to crowdfund $1 million for this project. “This area near Juniper Ridge is a breathtaking 517-acre landscape east of Kamloops, home to rare grasslands, centuries-old trees, and vital habitat for species at risk. These grasslands … Continue reading →
At the end of February, winter starts to give way in Kamloops. The temperatures get milder, but the hills are still covered in snow. With milder days, but colder nights, the snow can turn to ice. More exposed slopes melt more quickly, but there is a period of muddy trails. We have to be selective in our choices. Routes in the bottom … Continue reading →
We do most of our snowshoeing in the forested hills to the north and south of Kamloops. there are many good routes within a half hour drive. On occasion, though, we travel farther to do a destination snowshoe. We have snowshoed Iago Peak twice in winter and once in summer, as well as many of the neighboring peaks. Most of the peaks … Continue reading →
