On a smoky day I drove up to the Stake Lake in hopes of getting high enough to have better air quality. Even at 1416m, Lodgepole Lake was smoky so I paddled one loop around the lake then came down to McConnell Lake for some additional mileage. The launch had some fishermen, dog walkers, hikers, runners, and some paddlers, but …Continue reading…
The trail around McConnell Lake is a moderate BC Parks forested loop trail of 3 km. It takes about an hour to hike around the lake, most of it close to the lakeshore. The trail is at 1326m elevation (4350 feet) so the high montane forest is primarily douglas fir and spruce. The trail is a narrow one so it …Continue reading…
In the summer, we plan and schedule hikes to the summits of peaks in the Interior, but the weather doesn’t always cooperate on a schedule so we try to have a Plan B, an alternate local hike. The Stake Lake Trails have many options for a summer hike over the hills. Less interesting than hikes into the alpine zone, …Continue reading…
We have been doing the Bushwhacker Loop on top of McConnell Hill for quite a few years. We used to ski up the Sidewinder Trail then set off on the rough trail on our touring skis, which was always an adventure. We were always setting our own track and there was always deadfall to get over, under, or around. Once …Continue reading…
The Stake Lake system offers 60 km of forested trails for cross country skiers, snowshoers, hikers, and cyclists, but there are also some nice viewpoints for a lunch in any season. We hiked to 4 of them in the fall. Hikers can make up their own route on this trail system. The Lookout Trail is a double track ski trail, …Continue reading…
The Stake Lake system has 60km of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and exploring afer the snows melt. From mid-June through August, we choose different loops each time to vary the outings and to enjoy the different forested areas . The 8.5km loop over McConnell Hill (Sidewinder-Ambush-Rustler) featured many wildflowers. The north side aspect was lined with columbine, violets, and …Continue reading…
A snowshoe trail within the Stake Lake Trails system crosses an interesting geological feature, the basalt bluffs of McConnell Hill. On both the north and west side of the hill, steep bluffs rise from basalt talus slopes to the top of the mesa. Basalt is formed when lava flows quickly close to the surface of the earth. During the cooling …Continue reading…
All of the images need to be redone, which is planned…. We set a target of paddling on 40 lakes in our region, but the number will probably be closer to 60 by the time we finish. The lakes have to be big enough to provide a good workout, be within about a hour and half drive, and be reasonably …Continue reading…
Although we prefer unmarked snowshoe trails, this route has some nice terrain to cross. We can’t recommend Loop A much since the lake is too close to the area used for motorcycle racing in the winter, but we enjoy Loops B,C, and D. Take the time to go off the trail north of C onto the big marsh on a …Continue reading…