Tag Archives: grasslands

Coal Hill Hike

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On a sunny morning in the second week of November, we hiked up Coal Hill from the highest point in Aberdeen.    A series of double tracks and single tracks wind up the hill.    Many of the double tracks date back to mining operations on the flanks of Coal Hill, then they were used by ranchers.    Mountain bikers use some of the old tracks, but mostly use newer single tracks connecting to Pineview and the Ironmask Hills.    Some of the slopes are grazing lands, so any hiking in the grasslands area is best done after grazing season, going quietly, leaving nothing but ephemeral footprints.   We wound to the top and enjoyed the views in the wind.

On the way down we looped on old tracks around the hill and joined the route we hiked up.    Our hike was 5.7 km with some stops to enjoy the views.   A few image are shared here in a Google Photos album.

 

Lac du Bois Loop Hike

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Near the end of October I drove up the Lac du Bois Road and parked at the northeast end of the lake.   I hiked the track along the north side of the lake.    There were some ducks on the lake, aspens were in fall colors, but otherwise it was very quiet.    The track leads into Hanging Valley, but at the northwest end of the lake, I followed a faint trail (which have hiked before) into an area on the west side of the hills overlooking Lac du Bois.    There are some game trails and cattle trails too, but the best access is a wider track going up a gully toward the top of the ridge.   There are … Continue reading →

Juniper Ridge Park Grasslands Hike

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On a grey day at the end of September I drove up Rose Hill Road to Scott Road, then I hiked along the double track route across the grassland slopes of Rose Hill to the end of the track and back.   In 2025, 570 acres of this land was purchased by the BC Parks Foundation as a nature preserve – link to more information.   At this time the status of the park is that is still in planning stages. After a hot and dry summer, the grass was longer, but no longer green.    Rabbitbrush was just finishing its flowering cycle.    The route goes through a grasslands zone, but there are also some ponderosa pines, some junipers, a few … Continue reading →

Hiking the Lower Rose Trails

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At the end of summer I hiked a loop route on grasslands benchlands near Rose Hill.    This area was once under a glacial lake.    The silts, sands, and clay deposits were laid down over several ice ages.    Then as the ice retreated, gullies were cut by continuous meltwaters creating drainage channels for the melting snow and ice higher in the hills.    the gullies have continued to be eroded by spring melt each year.    Hiking in the Lower Rose area requires going down and back up some of the gullies and trails have developed following some of the easier routes.    Double tracks connected power lines and access for ranchers.    Single tracks were added by … Continue reading →

Napier Lake Ranch Conservation Area

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The Nature Conservancy of Canada, in partnership with Napier Ranch, has established a heritage grasslands conservation area (526 ha) in the rolling hills between Kamloops and Merritt.   Most of the area is open grasslands with pockets of aspens, mostly in gullies    It is still a working ranch area, but for a few months each year, we can drive up the narrow and steep gravel road to the gate.    There are grass tracks heading north and west and if cattle are on the ranges, we should choose to hike in a different direction.    I have been hiking the area for a number of years and I vary the route each time.    There are no established trails, but … Continue reading →

Stump Lake Kayak and Hike

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On a sunny morning in the second week of April, I drove south on Highway 5A past Stump Lake, then took the turn to the signed Peterhope Lake Road, and turned a short ways up onto the 4.5 km gravel road to the Stump Lake Rec Site on the east side of the lake.   There is a campground, a boat launch area, and lots of parking.    Stump Lake is a popular fishing lake and on this morning there were a dozen boats launched from the Rec Site and quite a few from the lake access points on the west side, but it’s a big lake so there is room for everyone. Each time I paddle Stump Lake I try … Continue reading →

Uplands Trails Ramble

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On the first of April I started a 6.25 km hike from the end of McLeod Drive (at the junction of McLeod Rd. and Uplands Rd. in Barnhartvale).    Trails start at the gas pipeline track and they fan out across the sagebrush grassland benchland, through gullies, and up into the hills.    For this day, the hike was a series of single track trails through the grasslands above the gullies, out to viewpoints,  and then back to cross the heads of gullies for more loops.    The final loop went down one of the larger gullies, then back up onto another benchland.    The solo hike took about 1.75 hours.   The hike started through a north-slope open forest … Continue reading →