Robert Galbraith’s (J.K. Rowling) fifth book in the Cormoran Strike series is a a 927 page detective story about a 40 year old cold case concerning a missing doctor. It is intricately plotted and full of well-developed characters – investigators, suspects, and witnesses. The author takes great care to keep the dialogue fresh, characters believable, and plot development without resorting … Continue reading →
On a mild June morning we hiked from Dallas into the Dallas – Barnhartvale Nature Park, then over to the Blackwell Horse and Hiker Trails for a 6 km loop route. We started up the Hoodoo Trail toward the dump, then followed trails that traversed the open forest and grassland slopes. There were signs of the start of a dry, … Continue reading →
Sandy (Tree) Island Provincial Park is located about 1 km north of Denman Island. It is a marine park, most often accessed by boat, but at low tide it is possible to hike over to the island. The route is to drive to the north end of the island on The Point Road and to hike the signed trail to … Continue reading →
I hiked the dry south-facing western slopes of Kenna Cartwright Park and stopped to observe and record what I saw along the way, now captured in this YouTube video:
Continue reading →Stake Lake is a favorite location for snowshoeing, paddling, hiking, biking, and running. During the warmer months, a combination outing is a great choice. On a recent spring day I paddled around the lake twice, once in each direction, then hiked around the lake. On another day in the following I week I paddled a nearby lake, then ran the … Continue reading →
Island Lake lies in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area and can be reached by hiking for about 800m on and off trail to the lakeshore. Any effort to paddle the lake will require carrying a boat over the grassland hills. It has probably never had a boat on it. On an early May morning, … Continue reading →
There are many short, interesting hikes in the Kamloops area. On days where conditions or personal reserves don’t permit a longer hike, we sometimes choose one of the shorter ones we have done in past explorations. From the Uplands Drive Trailhead (the junction of McLeod Drive and Uplands in Barnhartvale), we hiked west along the double track, then turned uphill … Continue reading →
The Secret of Chimneys was published in 1925. It was one of Agatha Christie’s first novels and compared to her other earlier books at that time – The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and the earliest Poirot books, it doesn’t compare, nor does it age well. She wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. … Continue reading →
In mid-April we drove onto the Quilchena Plateau and hiked the Hamilton Corrals Commonage track. At 4000 feet there was still lots of snow and the ponds were still frozen over. We hiked out and back on the track, enjoying the quiet hills and ponds. We usually hike this route in June and we hope to be back when the … Continue reading →
Career of Evil is the third book in the Cormoran Strike series by Robert Galbraith, the pen-name for JK Rowling. We read the first two books and enjoyed them so we will continue to work our way through the series. This book was the best yet with some clever and skillful storytelling to keep us interested and intrigued. … Continue reading →
On a pleasant day in mid-April I drove 40 km south to Stump Lake. The three boat launches on the east side were busy and so I opted for a steep, rocky luanch on the northwest corner of the lake. I paddled a loop route on the lake and then secured the boat. On a whim I decided to climb … Continue reading →
The ridges and gullies between Rose Hill and Peterson Creek have a number of trails that can be combined into an eclectic route. On a spring day, I hiked up an old track and followed some double and single tracks, a loop route which ended by hiking down the Peterson Creek Gully. All photos by the author. Click and image … Continue reading →
Guanaco and Vicuna Peaks in the Coquihalla Summit backcountry and are accessed by an overgrown rough track which goes up the Coldwater River to its source. Once at the trailhead, it is a good trail to the ridge between Guanaco and Vicuna. The route up Guanaco is a faint trail that winds around the back and up. The route to … Continue reading →
A seldom-visited spot in the Kamloops area is Dewdrop Arch. It is located in the cliffs of the Red Plateau Escarpment and access is on a faint trail to the ridge above it or by scrambling to the foot of the arch gully. Access points require navigation and all routes are steep. Dewdrop Arch Through the Arch Climbing through … Continue reading →
The Garden of the Trolls is an area of interesting boulders and outcrops at the foot of Jag Hill, just above the Dewdrop Range. Most of the southern face of Jag Hill has ragged ridges, spires, lava pockets, and cliffs and at the foot are chunks of rock with irregular shapes. The name Garden of the trolls was taken from … Continue reading →
On the first day of spring I hiked across a sagebrush grasslands bench route and enjoyed the sights and sounds, including: several bluebirds meadowlarks (singing) a hawk a woodpecker bighorn sheep wild horses emerging growth on saskatoons, bunchgrass, and pussytoes scats of bear, deer, coyote, and rodents Mild temperatures, sunshine, and dry conditions made this hike a celebration of … Continue reading →
