The water is cold in March , but with the right gear we can paddle on the rivers as soon as the ice melts. We need to avoid windy days because the cold winds make progress difficult and uncomfortable, but when the conditions are right, paddling is a perfect late winter – early spring activity. We launch from the beach …Continue reading…
In the right conditions paddling on the Thompson Rivers is great in March. On this mid-March day, there was no wind and blue skies. I paddled west from Pioneer Park, going under the Red Bridge, then the Black (CN) Bridge before passing through the Confluence. The river is quite low at this time of year and there are gravel bars …Continue reading…
When we get some warmer temperatures in winter, the snows start to melt and the first places to be free of snow and mud are the shoreline trails and beaches of the rivers. The premier route for a winter walk/beach is along the Rivers Trail to the west beaches between the airport and Tranquille. We park at the end of …Continue reading…
When warmer winter weather wafts across the greater Kamloops area, the snows start to melt and the first areas to clear are the beaches and shorelines of the South Thompson River, the North Thompson River, the downstream Thompson River, and Kamloops Lake. These areas are lower, open, treeless, tend to be windy, and have granular soils. Within week of warming …Continue reading…
Each winter we seem to have a month when more moderate weather melts the snow at lower elevations. The best places to hike when this happens are along the shoreline and beaches of our rivers and Kamloops Lake. The Cooney Bay Road is rough at any time of the year, but it was even more potholed with deep slushy puddles …Continue reading…
In most years the Thompson River floods during freshet filling Tranquille Bay for easy launching and access to the floodlands. In 2019, however, the river has not flooded these lands extensively so launching is more difficult and some of the channels we can normally paddle have low water. On a day in mid-June I launched out of Cooney Bay. There …Continue reading…
In an effort to explore as many hills as I can within 2 hours drive from Kamloops, I ventured down Highway 1 towards Spences Bridge and walked Epsom Provincial Park, toured the Venables Valley, and picked a large open hill to hike up in spring. From the rest stop at the foot of Red Hill, I worked my way north …Continue reading…
When the river rises in spring, the McArthur Island boat launch is an easy launch for access to the Thompson River. Each year I paddle a loop route going upstream to the end of Rabbit Island, downstream around the island, across the river to the McArthur Island Slough, thorugh the slough to the end and back, then back upstream to …Continue reading…
There are a lot of seldom visited provincial parks and Epsom is one of them. Access is off Highway #1, but the track is easy to miss with no signage, a single-lane dirt track on a sharp angle and little evidence of park status. The dirt track angles down a steep slope to a dry benchland. A sign recommends 4×4’s …Continue reading…
When spring approaches the snow is slow to melt in the hills and hikers will have to face snow, ice, or mud for a while, In the meantime, we can hike the lower elevation routes in the river valleys to find dry ground. The Rivers Trail (West) is one of the first to clear. From the parking area at the …Continue reading…
The Rivers Trail (West) is a well-used track for hikers, walkers, dog walkers, and cyclists. It starts at the end of Aviation Way and joins Tranquille Road just past the Cinnamon Ridge Compost Facility. An-out-and back hike on the double … Continue reading →
In late fall and again in late winter when snows cover the hills, we can go for a walk/hike on the wide winter beaches of our rivers. There is a wide sand beach at Mission Flats Nature Park across from the airport. Check the direction of the wind before heading there since the settling ponds of Domtar have strong fumes, …Continue reading…
When it has rained in the last day or when rain is imminent, we sometimes head to the Sage – Panorama – Arnica Trail loop for a moderate 3.5 km hike. The views are rewarding and we can complete the hike in about 1.25 hours. The trailhead starts on Bunker Road behind the recycling bins. Sage Trail to Panorama Trail …Continue reading…
Freshet brings meltwaters from the north and the east to Kamloops and the South Thompson River and the North Thompson Rivers join to bring floodwaters to the area near the head of Kamloops Lake. On the north side the 2km x 1km flatlands become covered in 2-3.5 meters of water to become Tranquille Bay. On the south side of the …Continue reading…
As winter approaches the flow of the river decreases and the beaches on both sides of our rivers expand. When there is already snow in the hills, the lowest areas can be snow-free and can offer nice walks along the river. Mission Flats Nature Park has expansive beaches in late fall and winter and we can do 2.5 to 3.0 …Continue reading…