Sunrise Mountain Hike

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On a sunny mid-October day I hiked up and over Sunrise Mountain.   From the trailhead at the end of Ronde Lane in Barnhartvale, the single track trail starts to climb up the north ridge of the mountain, then continues south climbing steeply for 2 km to the open mountaintop.   I continued down the south side of the hill to a gully, then I followed an old double track to the north end of GMS Hill and went up the ridge to the open hilltop, overlooking Barnhartvale.    On the way back I went farther west to avoid the rocky southeast slope of Sunrise. 

From the top of both Sunrise and GMS Hill there are open views of all four directions.   

Barnhartvale was below on the east side.     To the north is the South Thompson River with Harper Ranch lying below Harper Mountain.     To the northeast the view follows the South Thompson River Valley toward Martin Mountain above Pritchard.    Directly south are forested hills above the Campbell Creek Valley.     To the west is Sunset Mountain (Sunrise’s twin) and Rose Hill.   From some viewpoints we could see all the way to parts of Kamloops, 8 km west by northwest.   The eastern side of Sunrise Mountain drops off to Barnharvale, almost 1000 m below.   

Sunrise Mountain is not a long hike, but it is very steep.    It is arduous going up and going back down requires some caution.    With the hike over to GMS Hill and some exploration I was 4 hours on the trail.     Shared here are some photos in a slideshow, taken along the way.    For captions, click on any photo to go the Google Photos slideshow.

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Frederick Bluffs Hike

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On a mild day in mid-October we hiked a route in the Dewdrop Range.    We drove along the Frederick Road to a parking area (at N 50 45.165 W 120 36.578).    From there an old trail bears south up through a gully into the hills.   It was once a double track that went to a pond in a dale, but fallen trees, erosion, and disuse have rendered it to a hard-to-spot track.    We veered off to the west going over three hills, winding to avoid bluffs and rocky slopes.   At the far west end we stopped at a viewpoint looking over the outer Dewdrop Range, the route down to the small collection of cabins at Frederick (between … Continue reading →

Mt. Baldy Hike

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The forested trail to Mt. Baldy was burned in the 2023 forest fire season and was closed until recently.     Over the last few years, Shuswap Trails and volunteer organizations have cleared danger trees, replaced footbridges, and rerouted trails past eroded areas.  After the fire, the burned forest started to regenerate and annual plants made some areas overgrown, but those areas were cleaned up for our hike in early October.   The route was an 8 km hike taking about 3 hours (inc. lunch).    the trail winds up through mixed forests, across some small creeks, through a cedar forest, then an aspen grove, up to an open forest ridge.     Baldy is not really a mountain.    It is a … Continue reading →

Gus Johnson Trail

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On a cool day at the end of September, we hiked around Lac le Jeune.    We started at the campground beach and hiked clockwise along the shoreline trail, along the Lac le Jeune East Road to the Rossmoore Forest Service Road, then we turned onto the signed Around the Lake Trail, which then becomes the Gus Johnson Trail.  Gus was a local resident who helped to clear the trail and maintain it in winter.    The route is mostly a double track around the east and south side of the lake.    We went off on a single track side loop trail to the lakeshore and then up to a residential area, following Lookout Road to Lac le Jeune … Continue reading →

Abbott Ridge

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The best hikes in Glacier National Park start in Rogers Pass, with the trailheads at Illecillewaet Campground providing access to a number of outstanding hiking trails.     One of those trails goes up Abbott Ridge to an alpine meadow and then to a rocky ridge with 360° views.    The trail is a good one, climbing through the forest on switchbacks for 3 km to Marion Lake.   A little farther along the trail is a junction with choices for a shorter and steeper route or a longer and not as steep route.    We usually go up the steeper way and may take the longer route back.    The trail emerges into the subalpine zone and the views are abundant, … Continue reading →

Paddle Battle

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We can launch a boat for kayaking in Kamloops Lake at Tobiano and Savona, but we can also hand launch a kayak or canoe at the end of the road to Cooney Bay.    From the parking lot to the muddy shoreline of the river is only about 150 m, but we have to get past high water logs that partly block the trail.    Hauling a 16 foot kayak and gear solo down to the river (and back) is not easy, but it can be done.   The launch is on a muddy bank and much of the river there is shallow with large muddy sandbars.    To get to Cooney Bay, the route/course requires finding the middle channel around … Continue reading →

Kayaking Eagle River

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On a summer day we drove east on the Trans Canada Highway through to Sicamous where we left one vehicle.    Three of us then went up the highway to Malakwa.   The launch spot was next to the Malakwa Suspension Bridge (originally built in 1915).    We paddled downstream to Shuswap Lake, a paddle of 33 kms, then paddled around to Sicamous (another 2.5 km).  The river meanders for most of the way downstream, doubling the linear distance.    We encountered a number of hazards in the first part of the journey.    It was a route for experienced paddlers only.   The second half of the route had slower water, but that also meant slower progress downriver.    All seemed … Continue reading →

Bluenose Mountain

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In the first week of September the target for a new route to hike was Bluenose Mountain.     It is located to the east of Vernon by backroads near Lavington.    The trailhead is up the Bluenose Road and there is a signed parking lot and trailhead.    A good trail switchbacks up the first steep rocky hill, then traversed over to climb a second hill.    A separate trail can be hiked through the forest back to the start for a 5.5 – 6 km loop route.    The first climb was steep, but manageable with switchbacks.     A side trail climbs on top of the hill.    Open views to the south, west, and northwest from rocky ledges … Continue reading →

Joss Mountain

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Joss Mountain is in the Monashee Mountains,  accessed by backroads from Highway One near Eagle Pass.    Drive on Highway 1 then turn onto the Three Valley – Mabel FSR and then onto a mountain road, 16 km of high clearance to 4WD access to the West Approach.   A post marks the trailhead .   This is a steep trail, but mostly easy to follow.    It goes through a subalpine zone, before emerging into the rocky alpine traverse to the top of the mountain.    There is no trail in the open area, but hikers should take the easiest route to the highest point.    There is a Dominion Forest Lookout built in 1921 on top of a cliff at … Continue reading →

Wilcox Pass Hike

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Wilcox Pass is a trail which starts near the Athabasca Icefield area on the Icefields Parkway between Jasper and Banff.   The trailhead is a the campground 2.4 km southeast.      The trail climbs through a subalpine zone up to alpine meadows (at 2337 m or 7667 ft).   It continues through an open pass between Mount Wilcox and Nigel Peak.    As we climbed we had superb views of Mt. Athabasca (3491 m or 11 453 ft.) and Snow Dome (3520m or 11 550 ft.).     Mt. Athabasca is an all-day climb up the glaciers which we did some years ago.    Snow Dome is the hydrological apex of North America with drainage going to three different oceans.     I … Continue reading →