On a sunny but smoky late summer day I drove up through the Lac du Bois Grasslands to the Nature Conservation Area in the upper grasslands and douglas fir forests south of McQueen Lake. I hiked an old grasslands track, then took a grown-in single track around Clay Lake, then looped back through the forested slopes and grasslands. Clay Lake had low water levels from … Continue reading →
On a spring hiking trip into Central Washington, we hiked a dozen routes in “Washington desert lands.” We camped on Wapunum Lake (one of the many lakes/reservoirs on the Columbia River). We hiked two routes nearby – Gingko Petrified Forest State Park and Whiskey Dick Wildlife Area. Both areas are open hills with no trees. We saw cactus and lizards, and plants … Continue reading →
We have twice hiked into Tsintsunko Lake. It is located in a remote area of the Bonaparte Plateau. The driving route requires some navigation – Westyde Road > Jamieson Creek Road to Whitewood Lake (27 km) > Beaverhut/Cabin FSR (12.5 km) > Branch Road. There are some rough trails/routes in to the lake. On our first trip, we took the signed trail from … Continue reading →
On a sunny weekday morning I headed out early to paddle Lodgepole Lake and then hike around the Lake Trail. From the Lac le Jeune Road, I followed the Chuwhels Mountain Road up to the Lodgepole Lake Rec Site. The campground was mostly full but I arrived early and so there was no one on the lake and it was quiet in the camping … Continue reading →
McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center offers an overnight camp for School District classes throughout the school year and outdoor education day trips on selected weekdays. Hikers are asked not to access the Overnight Center (security, safety, and privacy), but they can hike the trails on the south and east side during days when students are not on site. On a summer day after school was … Continue reading →
At the end of June I returned to Stake Lake to do three loops, two on the lake and one on the trails. I got an early start since it was the long July 1st weekend. I launched my kayak at 7:15 am and paddled twice around the lake, once in each direction. There were other boats on the water, quietly fishing. Two … Continue reading →
On a spring day I hiked the Outer Inks Trails to Dam Lake, then followed a series of tracks to the Spade Lakes, and then back on different trails. The trailhead is on a dirt road accessed by turning off the Coquihalla Highway at the Inks Lake Interchange. Most of these “trails” are double tracks used by ranchers, loggers, and backcountry recreationalists, including dirt bikes and … Continue reading →
In a past spring we traveled to Central Washington to hike the desert lands over a two week period. We did a circle route, camping at State Parks and doing a new hike each day. We went through Grand Coulee then stayed at Steamboat Rock and in the next two days, we did two hikes venturing out from this lovely campground. We drove to … Continue reading →
On a mid-June day I drove west toward Savona, then turned up the Six Mile Lake (Pat Lake) Road to go to the lakeshore. This route was the old road from Kamloops to Savona going around the southern end of Six Mile Hill and down to the Tunkwa Lake Road. When the Trans Canada Highway was improved, a route was cut through the Six … Continue reading →
On a hot day I got an early start to hike through the Vista Hills from the pipeline track. Rather than follow signed (official) trails, I went onto a faint single track over to the fenceline. From there I was off-trail, working my way up the slopes on the western edge of Kenna Cartwright Park. I went to the top of the hill … Continue reading →
