A favourite hike is on north-facing douglas fir forest trails on the southwest side of Kamloops, once the trails are open for recreational use (May 25+).    The Low Iron Trail winds around the steep hills connecting to other trails, but keeps a gradual grade.    It ventures into old mining areas, passing directly above the old Ironmask mine pit, then emerges into the open grasslands.     I followed some mining excavations at the edge of the forest between the Ironmask Mine and the Galaxy Mine and found an old grown-over mine track to follow, linking back to steeper downhill trails to create a 2 hour loop route.

Along the way are some open hilltops with wide views.

Hikers need to be mindful of mountain bikes coming down the steep trails, so it is better to stay on the gradual trails like Triple Lumen and Low Iron, but we must still be alert, especially near intersections.

A few photos are provided here, with captions to help the story of this hiking route.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.