Estekwalan is located above the village of Falkland between Kamloops and Vernon. It is accessed by backroads from Falkland or Westwold. On this September morning we drove in from Westwold (Station Road > Station Bay FSR > Rob Roy FSR) on dry gravel roads. All trails up and down Estekwalan are steep and difficult. Once on top of the mountain, …Continue reading…
Rugged, steep, and interesting, an adventure every time we hike Estekwalan Mountain. In July we drove from Falkland up the Rob Roy FSR which turned out to be quite rough after a season of rain. We have done this hike quite a few times so we knew what to expect – steep terrain with some light scrambling. The hike up …Continue reading…
The hike on Estekwalan Mountain is one of the best in the Interior of BC. It is steep up and down and has great views for much of the hike. To get to the trailhead, drive to Falkland and turn onto Wetaskawin Road. Pass the dump and start climbing this narrow high clearance road (Rob Roy FSR) for 8 km …Continue reading…
We returned to hike Estekwalan Mountain in October, 2016. The loop trail is steep one, but the terrain is one of the most interesting in the Interior. The trail follows the rim of an amphitheater of cliffs with rewarding views of rugged terrain. To get to the trailhead, turn onto Wetaskiwin Road (the Dump Road) at the west end …Continue reading…
One of the best hiking routes of our area can be found on Estekwalan Mountain, but the trail also has its challenges: the road up from Falkland is rough and steep (but 4WD is not required) don't go if it is wet (both the road and trail will be slippery) the trail to the top is quite steep there are …Continue reading…
We hiked Estekwalan Mountain a year after our first time on the mountain. The first trip last year was in late fall on the snow (link to previous post). This September trip had hot and dry conditions. The road up is still a bit rough, but most vehicles will be fine, unless conditions are wet. We followed the trail to …Continue reading…
This hike has been in our sights for a number of years. All references to the hike stated to not attempt it in wet conditions so it was bypassed in marginal conditions. In our latest attempt, conditions were cold (-4) at the start and there was snow over most of the route, but the road in was fine, though we …Continue reading…
The following trails have their own pages, each a basic hiking guide. (This page will be populated with a long list of trails, links, and maps over the period of time, but there are articles on all of these, to be found with the Search bar. More links to be added over time). Kamloops Trails: Barnes Lake Trails Batchelor Hills …Continue reading…
A number of hikes have been planned and scheduled, all to fit probable conditions for each area: March – April Savona to Sabiston Trail Battle Bluff – Dewdrop Ridge Frederick Bluffs Rabbit Island Long Lake Mara Canyon and Summit Painted Bluffs Six Mile Hills Neskonlith Meadows and more May – June Canyon Creeks Mt. Wheeler Traverse Red Plateau Escarpment …Continue reading…
We are often asked about the “best” hiking trails of our area and we are happy to recommend trails, but there are a few factors to consider: ease of finding the parking area, the trailhead, and if there are trail signs difficulty of the trail – fitness requirements and experience needed on harder terrain seasonal appropriateness risks – including footing, …Continue reading…
Every year we look back and wish we had done more of the places on our long list. This year we snowshoed in the winter, we started paddling on the river early and had an early start to the hiking season too, on the trails 3 days a week from February to December. We paddled 64 days from Feb. 29 …Continue reading…
The Cantilever Range is a part of the Lilloet Ranges on the western side of the Freser River. None of the peaks are easy access. Hikers go up the Stein River but the peaks are too far below the treed valley to be visible We do see them from the tops of hills and mountains in our area, though. From …Continue reading…
Tuktakamin Mountain stands at 5816 feet above the village of Falkland, Highway 97 goes around the base of the mountain on 2 sides and there are numerous communications towers on top. It is possible to drive to the top, but there is also a good loop trail that follows one ridge to the summit and another ridge down. The trailhead …Continue reading…
In the Interior we come across cushion buckwheat on rocky, open ridges. On the volcanic rocky viewpoints near Lac le Jeune and McConnell Hill, they form clumps/low mats of green leaves. The leafless stems stand above the base in summer and creamy-colored flowers are displayed. As the flowers age, they start to turn pink. This tap-rooted perennial can be seen …Continue reading…
These two perennial flowers are both from the sunflower family. They are both a bright orange color and have a somewhat similar shape. <span style=”text-decoration: underline;”>Agoseris</span> <ul> <li>this is a taprooted plant with burnt-orange colored flowers</li> <li>the stalks are leafless and have a milky fluid in them</li> <li>it can be found from mid to alpine locations</li> <li>orange agoseris has a …Continue reading…