Community Lake is located in the hills to the east of Knouff Lake. It is accessed from the Knouff Lake Road, then the Community Lake Road to the Rec Site. I first paddled the lake then went for a hike into the hills above the lake on a hot summer day. Most of the old roads on top of … Continue reading →
Standing in the Shadows is the final book (the 28th) of the Inspector Banks series, written in 2023. All of the books are police procedurals, mostly centered in East Vale in the Yorkshire Dales. The author has been writing and publishing solid crime stories for 35 years. A TV show featured some of the books over 5 seasons. Inspector Alan … Continue reading →
Videos can sometimes enhance stories of hiking. On a recent hike in the McQueen Lake area, some video footage was taken and compiled into a video, combing hiking, nature walks, and comments, now shared here. Nature hikes are done at a slower pace, taking the time to go off-trail to observe, photograph, and appreciate whatever interests us. We hiked on … Continue reading →
Boon Island – A True Story of Mutiny, Shipwreck, and Cannibalism is a retelling of a famous survival story in American history. In 1710 the Nottingham Gallery wrecked on a very small barren island just off the New England Coast in winter. Most of the crew scrambled to shore, but the treeless rocky islet had no trees and no shelter … Continue reading →
On Denman Island, there are a series of connected green areas surrounding Denman Island Provincial Park, including Denman Island Protected Area, Central Park, Settlement Lands, Inner Island Nature Reserve, Pickles Road Conservation Area, and Winter Wren Wood. Trails wind through the forest, passing marshes and wet areas, over small hills, through dales. We can combine some of them for a … Continue reading →
The Hunter is the second book in the Cal Hooper series, set in Ardnakalty, a rural community on the side of a mountain on the west coast of Ireland. Cal is a retired American detective who wants to live a peaceful and quiet life, but finds himself caught up in the secrets and hidden crimes, the fodder for local talk, … Continue reading →
The Lindsay Dickson Nature Reserve is an area of 134 acres of old-growth douglas fir forest and mixed forests on Denman Island. It is owned by the Denman Conservation Association with support from the Province of British Columbia. There are two official trailheads and several other informal trails. On an April day I hiked from the East Road onto the … Continue reading →
Gerald’s Game is a suspense/terror novel, written in 1992. It is set to coincide with a full solar eclipse in Maine in that year He wrote 2 books (Dolores Claiborne is the other) and the two books are connected by the eclipse and similar themes (abuse). This book will challenge the reader at several levels. It is similar to … Continue reading →
Boyle Point Provincial Park lies at the southeast end of Denman Island, between Baynes Sound and Georgia Strait. Forest trails wind through the park, providing some good hikes. On an April morning we hiked out to the south end of the park where we had views looking south toward the southern Gulf Islands. Right below the sea cliffs is an … Continue reading →
Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves is Book 7 of the Shetland series, featuring Jimmy Perez. All of the books in the series are atmospheric, reflecting the northern setting in the Shetland Islands. These are procedural crime stories, slow-moving plots with a methodical unravelling of the who, what, where, and how. The characters are well-drawn and have complex lives and have … Continue reading →
When it rains in Kamloops, we need to think about avoiding muddy trails. Over the years we have learned that the trails of Peterson Creek Park rarely get muddy. The sand and gravel base drains well. So, after a day of rain the choice for a hike was the East Rim Trail. The route starts on the Mariposa Trail and … Continue reading →
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 … Continue reading →
On a grey day in April, I chose to hike/scramble/explore a route from Repulse Point on Denman Island (end of Lacon Road) along the shoreline, then a route up the steep cliffs to the Boyle Point Trails. I had hoped for a trail, but ended up with an off-trail route until I came into the Provincial Park. I found a … Continue reading →
The Running Grave is an investigation/detective crime novel, the 7th book in the C.B. Strike series by Robert Galbraith (JK Rowling). This has been a very good series with strong characters and varied plots. All of the books feature Cormoran Strike, an amputee war veteran now turned detective and his new-to-investigation partner, Robin Ellacott. Strike’s agency is asked to find … Continue reading →
While staying on Denman Island near Repulse Point, the weather was a bit wet so I made up my own hike, a loop route down Lacon Road (no traffic), out to a beach area, then along the rocky beaches and shoreline around Repulse Point for a loop route. The first part of the hike was past mixed forests and wooded … Continue reading →
Dolores Claiborne is an unusual novel, even by Stephen King standards. There are no chapters and there is no dialogue – just a long tale told by the narrator/protagonist. The whole book is a transcript of a police interview of Dolores, who is suspected of killing her employer. She tells her story in a single, long sitting. Dolores is a … Continue reading →
