I snowshoed a route through the upper grasslands of the Lac du Bois Conservation Area up to a series of viewpoints on the southwest side of Clapperton Ridge a few days ago in sunny conditions. Then, I took a group up the same route after a snowfall in greyer conditions. The same route was a bit harder with two snowfalls filling in the tracks. … Continue reading →
When conditions are marginal or time is short, it is nice to have some “go-to” trails for a shorter hike. These trails start just off McGill Road > Bunker Road, just past the recycling bins. There is lots of parking for this area on the northeast end of Kenna Cartwright Park. Many route combinations are possible. The trails can be hiked in either direction. … Continue reading →
On a sunny and cool February day we snowshoed on the Stake Lake Trails. We followed a track along the east side of the lake, then continued on a stomped-in track for a 5.4 km loop route on the Basalt Bluffs and Marsh Trails. There was no wind and it was actually warmer at 1320 m (4330 ft.) at Stake Lake than it was in … Continue reading →
When the temperature stays cold for weeks, all of Peterson Creek Gorge freezes over. Water may run under the ice and may even flow openly in open areas, but in the narrow canyon by Bridalveil Falls, the entire route to the falls is ice, with some rocky areas to scramble across, but any progress to the falls will have to include hiking on the ice. … Continue reading →
Hihium Lake is a fishing destination. Most fishermen go past Loon Lake, then on logging roads to the Hihium Lake Fishing Resort. Paddlers could bring their canoes or kayaks there, but it is a longer drive (Cache Creek > Loon Lake > backroads), a there will be a small launch fee. For Kamloops paddlers, we can instead take a shorter backcountry route to Hihium … Continue reading →
On a cool morning I drove a short way up the Chuwhels Mountain Road (on the way to Lodgepole Lake), but parked at the start of the Walloper Forest Service Road and followed Branch One (a double track) as it headed south through cutblocks and around forested hills. I was able to follow a snowmobile track for about a kilometer, but then I broke trail. I … Continue reading →
On a cold and sunny day in February, there was no wind in the forested hills near Dogwood Marshes and Bush Lake. We went as a group, with a plan to keep moving, snowshoeing on stomped-in tracks in the Bush Lake South area. We stomped for 5 km, following tracks we had done other times. While we were there, we saw no one else, … Continue reading →
As the winter cold extends over the week, we see fewer and fewer hikers, bike riders, and dog walkers on the trails. When I arrived at the usually busy Kenna Cartwright Park trailhead area, there were no vehicles in the lots. I hiked a loop route on the trails (Ponderosa > Big Pine > Tower), and did not see anyone until I was coming … Continue reading →
The temperature on this day was -15º C and the wind was blowing at 20 km (for a wind chill of -22 to -24º C), but I bundled up, then went out for a hike in the hills, keeping the total time on the trails to about an hour. I wore my microspikes and kept a brisk pace along a series of stomped-in trails. … Continue reading →
On an August day I drove east toward Chase and just after the Neskonlith IR, I turned south onto the Harper Lake Forest Service Road. The road becomes rougher, then at about 6 km from the highway, there is a small Rec Site, with seven primitive campsites and a small boat launch. The plan was to kayak the lake twice (6 km), once in each … Continue reading →
