Monck Park Trails
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Continue reading →Category Archives: Explorations
Wheeler Mountain Hike
We hiked Wheeler Mountain this fall. A YouTube video of some of the moments of the hike is shared here: More videos can be seen on the Ramble On Channel on YouTube.
Continue reading →Summer Explorations – Big Pine Loop
When summer arrives we have some hikes we do each year, enjoying the wildflowers, pollinators, and explosion of new growth on the south-facing hillsides of Mount Dufferin. At the start of summer, the grasses are still green, sagebrush and rabbit brush is showing new growth and the first wildflowers give way to the dryland varieties like shaggy fleabane, phacelia, thistles, … Continue reading →
Nymph Falls Trails
While we were in Courtney we hiked the trails in Nymph Falls Nature Park. There are lots of trails on both sides of the Puntledge River. We hiked down to the foot of Nymph Falls, then turned and went upstream. The river is dammed between the falls and Comox Lake. We hiked upstream past wetlands. The west coast forest has … Continue reading →
Hiking the Giant Firs Trail
Hiking the Giant Firs Trail from Doug Smith on Vimeo. A Stake Lake trail…
Continue reading →Denman Park Trails
We stayed on Denman Island and hiked trails on Denman, Sandy, and Hornby Islands. In the central part of the island are a number of adjoining parks, including Denman Island Provincial Park, Central Park, and a Conservancy. We started a loop route on Pickles Road and hiked forested trails, with several marshy spots, an open ridge, and some multi-purpose trails. … Continue reading →
Some Red Plateau Points of Interest
We hiked from the Red Plateau Forest Service Road over to Castle Butte on the Escarprment overlooking the Dewdrop Range. Along the way we spotted some interesting features, a few of which are shared here. This large volcannic boulder stands at the trail’s edge. Since it is on top of the plateau nowhere near a hill and it is not … Continue reading →
A McQueen Lake Hike
On a summer weekend we took the grandkids for a hike on the McQueen Lake Trails. We started at the southwest corner and worked our way past Clay Lake and Griffin Lake, looping back past McQueen Lake. We steered away from the Day Center and stuck to the trails. There was no one else on the trails. Our route was … Continue reading →
Pack and Paddle: Fred Lake
Fred Lake is a small lake in the forested area between Lac le Jeune and Ross Moore Lake. We can drive backroads to an area above the lake, but the last kilometer is on a narrow, rough road. Fishermen mostly access it by quad or by walking in. On a warm summer day, I put my folding kayak on my … Continue reading →
Pack and Paddle: Black Lake
Black Lake is located in Roche Lake Provincial Park. It is reached by a 1km rough road. I have hiked that road many times, but i have been reluctant to drive it, but I also wanted to paddle the lake, On a warm summer morning, I put on my kayak pack (a backpack with a folding kayak), and carried my … Continue reading →
Dallas – Barnhartvale – Blackwell Trails Nature Hike
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 Island Hike
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 →
Sunset Nature Hike
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 Thrice
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 →
On Island Lake
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 →
Views from the Uplands Hills
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 →