When the North Thompson and the South Thompson Rivers rise, the Thompson River expands and the estuary at the head of Kamloops Lake widens into a floodlands. We can launch a canoe or kayak from the BC Parks Lac du Bois Wildlife Management Area parking area. .This launch spot is suitable for canoes and kayaks only during freshet. We paddle …Continue reading…
A quick summary of conditions on local trails. If you have additional updates, please comment. Lower Trails all clear and dry Mara Canyon has some muddy spots, some new erosion, and some new fallen trees the Raven Trail on the Salmon Arm waterfront has some construction the east end of the Rivers Trail by the airport is still under construction …Continue reading…
As spring approaches, the lower south-facing slopes clear of snow first, but the hills above with no tree cover follow shortly afterward. Within two weeks after we can hike on the lower Barren Hills, the upper Barren Hills can also be hiked but hikers will face a bit of snow and mud on the north side of hills or in …Continue reading…
We return to many of the same hikes, paddles, bike routes, and snowshoe routes each year, though we do change the season for the outing, the direction of travel, the starting point, the duration, and the group to offer some variety. Some of these are always worth doing again (like Mara Canyon, the Dewdrop Trail, Skoatl Point, Painted Bluffs, the …Continue reading…
By the beginning of February we often see snow start to disappear in the bottom of the Thompson River Valley. The lowest elevations and the most exposed south-facing areas are the first to clear and the expanded beaches along the river offer hikers an opportunity to walk on the sand. There are a number of shorter walks along the winter …Continue reading…
The source of the Tranquille River are the meltwaters of the southern end of the Silwohiakun Plateau. A dozen streams flow down the slopes below Porcupine Ridge (6000 feet) and end up In Tranquille Lake. The river really starts at the lake, but the log starts at the longest stream that flows into the lake. Km 0.0 – Porcupine Meadows …Continue reading…
The Maha’ulepu Trail starts at Shipwreck Beach in Poipu on Kauai. The trail climbs to the top of the seabluffs looking over Keoneloa Bay. The bluffs are mostly lithified sand dunes – calcite cementation of wind-blown carbonate and other materials. Trails run along the top of the bluffs but the most interesting routes go up and down on rock shelves …Continue reading…
The Jag Hill Jaunt is a moderate hike to a wonderful viewpoint on the rim of the Red Plateau Escarpment. All of the hikes from the Dewdrop Range to the hilltops on Red Plateau are harder hikes with lots of elevation gain, but there are a few routes from the Red Plateau Forest Service Road that are more moderate and …Continue reading…
We paddle into the Floodlands in freshet each year. The meltwaters from the North and South Thompson Rivers expand to fill the riverbanks and raise the rivers considerably in May and June. We enjoy launching from a small parking area near Tranquille once the river rises enough to clar the grazing fences. The area is part of the BC Parks …Continue reading…
Able Tasman National Park extends along the coastline of the South Island of New Zealand from Marahau to Golden Bay. Most people hike, paddle, or boat from the south end and the north end gets far fewer people for two main reasons. For those driving to the trailheads, the road to the north goes over Takaka Hill, a climb of …Continue reading…
The South Thompson River flows past the City of Kamloops on its way to join the ocean at the Coast and we know that the river’s waters come from Shuswap Lake (through Little River and Little Shuswap Lake), but the entire watershed area of Shuswap Lake covers 1,552,558 hectares (5993 square miles) of the province. Generally speaking the river is …Continue reading…
There are a few hikes we do every year at the same time of the year. We see the same things, but it is like a warm homecoming to hike a trail we know and love, especially in spring when the hills have dried out. [map style=”width: auto; height:400px; margin:20px 0px 20px 0px; border: 1px solid black;” maptype=”OSM Cycle” z=”13″ …Continue reading…
From the west side of Tranquille Creek an old double track winds up through the hills. After 0.8 km, the track veers left, but a series of ridges climbs north following the line of the canyon to the final viewpoint on a steep hill sometimes called “the Pimple,” but we prefer to call Tranquille Viewpoint. On the lower double track, …Continue reading…
Lava flows covered the north side of Kamloops Lake forming Red Plateau and the Dewdrop Range. The basalt lava flow on the Dewdrop Range was a sill, a tabular sheet intrusion in/on sedimentary layers. In places where the basalt cooled on a slope gradient, columns formed and with thousands of years of erosion, the columns stand as cliffs over talus …Continue reading…
Abel Tasman National Park lies at the north end of the South Island of New Zealand. It is not a large park, but it follows the coastline for 60 kilometers. The Abel Tasman Track brings hikers from all over the world to hike and camp along the golden beaches, granite headlands, and lush forests of the Park. We were originally …Continue reading…