In May, all of the higher elevation backpacking routes are still covered in snow, but Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park can be hiked and backpacked early. In past years we have run through Wildhorse Canyon from East Kelowna to Naramata, and we have also backpacked a two night loop route over the mountain. In one year a solo backpack started at a trailhead off Lakeshore … Continue reading →
We camped at Waterton Lakes National Park and day-hiked several trails, including Crypt Lake, Lineham Ridge, Bertha Lake, and sections of the Great Divide Trail. We hiked up to Mt. Lineham via Lineham Ridge in good weather. The trail starts off the Akamina Parkway. The Rowe Creek Trail is also a leg of the Great Divide Trail (GDT). It winds up the … Continue reading →
On a September day, we camped at Lake Louise before doing an ascent of Mount Temple. We got to Moraine Lake very early and we started up the Sentinel Pass Trail in the dark. We were in the meadows at first light, then continued up to Sentinel Pass. After a short break, we wound up the steep scree slopes up a ridge. … Continue reading →
I hiked to Sentinel Pass for the first time in 1968. As a teenager I was very impressed, whetting my appetite for more. Since that time, we have hiked and run into the pass, up and back, run and hiked as a loop route (going out through Paradise Valley), and once on the way to the summit of Mount Temple. Its been a few years … Continue reading →
On a cold and windy February day I decided to do a shorter hike. A route I sometimes hike in winter starts at the Red Hill trailhead, and in most years I hike a longer loop around two of the larger ponds and a series of hills. On this day the biting wind discouraged a longer hike, so the route was a simple loop … Continue reading →
In mid-February it snowed overnight, but on the day of the hike, it was a sunny and cool morning. The goal was to hike around Edith Lake. I followed a trail around the north side of the lake. During cattle grazing season these gates are closed to keep cattle in and people out. On this day, I was breaking trail right around to … Continue reading →
The Kettle Valley Railway was built between 1910 and 1915. By 1916 trains were hauling freight, connecting the Kootenays with the CPR at Hope, with a number of side branches to mines and other communities. A number of challenges were met by Chief Engineer Andrew McCullough to keep the railway grade reasonable through mountainous terrain. The railway lines were closed in 1961, and now … Continue reading →
In the middle of February, most of the trails in Dallas – Barnhartvale were free of mud and ice and suitable for hiking. For this outing, I started at the lower trailhead, just off Dallas Drive, and hiked up the Pussywillow Trail to the benchland. I then went through a gate to continue southeast on the Blackwell Trails. I tried to avoid … Continue reading →
