Author Archives: dsmith

Zoa Peak Hike

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We have hiked up to the top of Zoa Peak almost every year for many years.    It is usually a fall hike, but this time it was an end-of-July day for the 8.2 km out-and-back route.     The forecast was for 39ºC in Kamloops, so we got an early start and we were at the trailhead by 9:15 am.    The first two kilometers is a steady uphill up the gasline track then onto a single track which winds through the forest up to a subalpine ridge. The second half of the hike up to the top has open views, meadows, and forest pockets winding around rocky hills.    To the north July Mountain stands above the other side … Continue reading →

McConnell Hill Hike

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One of the hikes to be done each summer is a route that goes over McConnell Hill.    There are a number of ski trails, snowshoe trails, and even cross-country bike trails that can be combined to go up and over McConnell Hill.   Each year the route is changed.    This year the route started at Stake Lake, then followed cross country trails up to the basalt bluffs area, and onto a single track snowshoe trail up to the top of the hill/mesa. The day was hot and there was no wind on Stake Lake as I hiked by. The snowshoe trail is a bit rough and at one point near the top, it passes under a wooden archway. At … Continue reading →

Eagle Pass Mountain

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Eagle Pass Mountain is located in the Monashee Range, north of the TransCanada Highway, overlooking Eagle Pass between Sicamous and Revelstoke.   Access is by mountain backroads.    The Crazy Creek Forest Service Road angles up the hill and after a few junctions, the final climb up the Eagle Pass Road winds up to a small parking area at the trailhead.    The road is in good shape, but best suited to high clearance vehicles.   We got an early start for the longer drive to the trail. The trail starts by winding up through the forest, then it emerges into an area of sloping meadows, always traversing uphill to the northeast.    The first half is a steady climb, but not … Continue reading →

Dead Coyote – Three Amigos Loop

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There are a number of trails that climb from the Dewdrop Range up the Red Plateau Escarpment to the rim of Red Plateau.    We can combine any two of the trails into a loop route.    Most hikers go up the Dewdrop Trail from the east end of the Dewdrop Range.    The Dead Coyote Trail and the Three Amigos Trail were both developed by mountain bikers as downhill trails from the Red Plateau Traverse route.    The uphill route was from the Tranquille – Criss Creek Road near the Pimple, winding up and around Jag Hill, then continuing west along existing hiking trails west along the plateau.   Alternately, cyclists could bike up the Red Plateau Forest Service Road … Continue reading →

Greenstone Mountain Park Hike

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On a sunny July day I drove up the Greenstone Mountain Road to the summit area to hike trails and routes in Greenstone Mountain Provincial Park.    It is reasonable to drive right to the top, but I prefer to park at a lower spot and do a loop route on tracks and trails.  I have done a hike in this area many times, but I prefer to vary the route each time.    On this day, I started up the main road, then turned off onto a rough single track trail mainly used by dirt bikes.    I used a mapping app (Maps.me) and a GPS-enabled mobile phone to navigate the trails. One part of the single track trail … Continue reading →

Gil’s Trail to Tod Lake

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The chairlift at Sun Peaks starts at 10:00 am and I was first on the chair to hike the upper trails on a sunny July day.    From mid-station I took the Gil’s Trail which winds around through the forest on the east side of the mountain crossing a number of steep downhill runs on the way to the north part of the mountain.  The trail is a single track which gradually gains altitude for 2.4 km. There are some open viewpoints as the trail crosses ski runs.    The views look to the east.    There are two reservoirs (used for snow-making) and one lake (Cahilty Lake) on the forested plateau. Gil’s Trail joins the main trail system at … Continue reading →

Kayaking Map

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An interactive Google Map showing many of the kayaking spots in the Greater Kamloops area (which I have paddled) is provided here.   Locations and images are included and links to posts/articles with more specific information on the spot are provided if a post is published on KamloopsTrails.com or RambleOn.ca.   As new posts and news are added, the map will also be updated. An embedded map is provided here:     The map can also be seen on Google maps at this link – Kayaking in the Kamloops Area   Some of these locations are suitable for all paddlers and some have more difficult access.    Comments are added,  where needed.   The map will continue to be updated each week.   … Continue reading →

Trophy Meadows and Tarns

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At the end of the first week of July, a hike to the Trophy Mountain meadows and tarns was the course for the day.    It takes about 2 hours to get to the end of the Trophy Mountain Road and the trailhead.   It was an early start and I was first on the trail, hiking through the forest for 2 km, then up through the meadows below Little Hill. From the Shepherd’s Hut I followed the ridge up past some small tarns to a rocky crest. Just past the crest the trail passes above Sheila Lake.    The backcountry campground there is located on the south end of the lake and there was no one camping on this day. … Continue reading →

Lac le Jeune Lookout Hike

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On a sunny and mild early July morning we started a hike from the Lac le Jeune Beach area in the campground and hiked the lakeshore trail, out through the gate to the road, then onto the Rossmoore Forest Service Road,  before going up old unnamed tracks up to the viewpoint on Lookout Hill.    there are several routes to the top, including the Vista Trail, a winter route.    For this day we followed unmarked/unsigned tracks up from the south and down the west side of the bluffs. From the top of the bluffs we had wide views to the south and west, including Lac le Jeune and Ridge Mountain. We followed an unsigned single track back down the … Continue reading →

Hamilton Corrals Hike

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For many years we have hiked the grassland hills of the Hamilton Corrals, a Commonage area between Hamilton Mountain and the Quilchena – Pennask Road.    We have hiked in spring, summer, and fall and had not yet put it into the schedule, but serendipity intervened and we hiked the west end of the trails on a pleasant early summer day.   We had planned to hike Mt. Thynne.    We drove south to Brookmere, them turned to climb the mountain There was a sign posted at the bottom of the forest service road that the road was closed because bridges were being replaced.     Since we knew there were several roads that approach the mountain, we drove up anyway and, … Continue reading →