Majerus Falls Trail

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We have hiked the trail in Wells Gray Provincial Park up the Murtle River to Majerus Falls twice.    There are seven waterfalls on the Murtle River, starting with McDougall Falls near the outlet to Murtle Lake, then a series of waterfalls on the 36 km journey down to the Clearwater River – Meadow Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Majerus Falls, Dawson Falls, the Mushbowl, and finally Helmcken Falls.   McDougall Falls is accessed from the west end of Murtle Lake.    Meadow Falls is rarely hiked to since it means a very long day with lots of deadfall and grown-over tracks.    Horseshoe Falls is about 4 km past Majerus Falls, but that is a 28 km return hike with sections of the trail in poor condition.   The Majerus Falls Trail is 10 km each way.


The trail to the Pyramid (a cone-shaped hill) is usually in good shape (3.5 km to the junction).   As the trail continues upstream, hikers should expect some windfall, some grown-in sections, some rickety bridges and boardwalks, and some muddy sections.    Short side trails lead to Pyramid Lakes and Bull Meadows.    there are two backcountry campsites along the way.    Closer to Majerus Falls, we hike closer to the river.    The river rushes down through steep canyon walls.

Murtle River Trail

Majerus Falls is reached after 10 km of hiking.    It is similar in size to Dawson Falls, but a rock island splits the two halves of the 12m cascade.   There are a couple of good viewpoints near the falls.

The hike is out-and-back, following the Murtle River downstream, back to the Dawson Falls trailhead near the campground.    The 20 km hike makes a long day, most of it in the backcountry.    Anyone choosing to do the hike should consider avoiding mosquito season and bringing bear spray.

The Majerus Falls Trail is a good choice to anyone who wants to hike a backcountry route, following a river.   The falls are impressive, but the rest of the trail is less interesting.     It is a good trail to do once.

Clearwater River Trail

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On a pleasant spring day, I drove north to Clearwater, then up the wells Gray Road for 4.3 km to a trailhead for the Clearwater River Trail.    This had been an informal parking area for the trail to Triple Decker Falls and beyond, but it is now an official trail with BC Rec Sites and Trails.   There is now a good parking area, signage, and evidence of trail maintenance.    The trail descends from the Clearwater River Road down toward the Clearwater River and continues on to Dutch Lake, but for this day I hiked down to Triple Decker Falls, then to the Osprey Lookout, and to Candle Creek Falls, then I hiked back up the hill to the … Continue reading →

Copper Island

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On a sunny and calm May morning we drove east to Shuswap Lake Provincial Park at Scotch Creek.    We parked at the boat launch area and got our kayaks ready for launching into the lake.    The crossing to Copper Island was about 2 km.    We paddled to the east side of the island where there are a few gravel landing spots.    We secured our boats and put on our hiking shoes.    The Copper Island Trail is a loop route of abut 2 km.    About half of the trail is along the top of bluffs with fine views in each direction.   After the hike, we had lunch on the beach, then we loaded up and … Continue reading →

Sugarloaf and the Lundbom Grasslands

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At the start of May, I drove south to Merritt, then down Highway 5A Princeton for 9km to the Lundbom Lake Road.    This gravel road goes through grassland hills to Rec Sites on Marquart Lake and Lundbom Lake.   We  can park near the lake and pick from a number of double tracks and single track trails through the Lundbom Commonage Area.    A number of mountain bike trails usually start off the double tracks, including the one I hiked on this day.    I hiked northwest toward Hamilton Lake, then up a steep double track to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. The top is accessed by a short scramble up a series of ledges.    From the top we … Continue reading →

Stein River Trail

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On a warm day in late April we drive down the TransCanada Highway to Lytton.   We crossed the Fraser River on the reaction ferry and drove up the gravel road to the Stein River Road and entered Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park.  We have hiked this trail many times and in recent times, every spring.    we have also backpacked the trail and run the trail.    We keep returning to enjoy the remote route in the backcountry.   The First Nations people of the area view it as a spiritual area and we also have a bond with the valley.     There are cultural and archeological sites on the route which need to be respected.     The campsites along the route … Continue reading →

Reinecker Creek and Margaret Falls

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On a warm spring day we hiked on three trails off the Sunnybrae to Canoe Point Road along the north side of the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake.  First we stopped at Sunnybrae Provincial Park to hike the Sunnybrae Cliffs Trail. Then we drove 7 km north to Herald Provincial Park to hike first to Margaret Falls, then on a loop route around Reinecker Creek.  We also hiked a side route to a hidden waterfall before crossing the creek and hiking back on the west side.     All three hikes are too short to hike only one of them, but all three trails makes a fuller hiking day. If you want to hike the trail to Margaret Falls, go early … Continue reading →

Kalamalka Lake Hike

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On a warm spring day we drove to Vernon and followed a series of roads to the Cosens Bay Trailhead.    We hiked the Coming Round the Mountain Trail in a clockwise loop, but we also took a series of other trails in a large 11 km loop.    On the western shoulder of the hill we came to a junction.     The main trail wound down to the shoreline of Cosens Bay.    We chose to follow a single track trail over the shoulder which was fine for a while, but it came to the edge of sheer bluffs, then a faint rough track wound its way down the very rocky, steep, and slippery slopes.    In our group, … Continue reading →

Barnes Lake Trails Hike

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In early May we hiked the horse-and-hiker trails in Barnhartvale.    We started at the Gardiner Road entrance off Barnhartvale Road and we hiked a 9.5 km loop route through the grasslands and the open forest on both double track and single track trails.     Trail maps and signs help anyone new to the trails.   We usually choose the outside loop, combining several trails inside the fenced area.    For this day we saw a couple of other hikers and no horseback riders on the trails. The route starts and finishes traversing open grassland sloes, then goes through open ponderosa pine forest then as it climbs through douglas fir forest on glaciated terrain. Much of the area is surrounded by … Continue reading →

Mara Canyon Hike

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In the first few days of April we hike a loop route on Mara Mountain.    From the trailhead on West Ord Road, we hiked on steep trails up Cinnamon Ridge, then we descended to the top of the gully and worked our way down Mara Canyon.     This was a two+ hour hike with lots of slow-to-hike steep or slippery spots, but it was scenic and interesting for the whole distance.     This is a hike I have done every year (at least once) for 50 years and one I hope to continue to hike, alternating the direction each time. We saw a bighorn sheep near the start, red-tailed hawks overhead, and some birds in the forested canyon area.  … Continue reading →

Deep Lake Loop

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On a day in late March, I started by trying to hike to Lyons Lake (northeast of Heffley Creek), but I found the route too muddy,  so I shifted gears and instead drove out to another hike on my list – the Deep Lake Outer Loop.    In February I had hiked trails in the area, on open south-facing slopes up the Community Grasslands Trail and up the hill above the lake (link).   I left the sheltered and muddier routes for a later day.   This day’s hike went up the Deep Lake Outer Loop route and then around the hill on the east side of Deep Lake. The first part of the trail climbed the sagebrush grasslands ridges, and then … Continue reading →