Tag Archives: hiking

Eagle Pass Mountain

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

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

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

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 →

Gil’s Trail to Tod Lake

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

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 →

Trophy Meadows and Tarns

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

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 →

Tod Mountain Summit

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

Most of the snow had cleared off the trails on Tod Mountain by the third week of June.    The chairlift had opened in the middle of June and hikers had been exploring the trails above mid-station for a couple of weeks.   I was first on the chair on a mid-week morning and started my hike up the hill early.    I was not sure about trail conditions so I thought that I would continue to climb as far as was reasonable for the early season.   As it turned out, the first snow was below the summit at the junction between the Westridge Trail and the upper end of the West Bowl Trail.    The dale below the peak was … Continue reading →

Reinecker Creek Trails

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

We drove out to Shuswap Lake and continued onto the Sunnybrae – Canoe Point Road out to Herald Provincial Park.    From the parking lot we hiked into Margaret Falls and back out to the start area, then hiked a loop route up the east side to a side trail above the falls, and then continued up Reinecker Creek to cross a bridge and return back down the east side.   This was a two hour hike, taking our time to enjoy the views and the spring wildflowers. The trail up to Margaret Falls is a flat route going up the gorge to the base of the falls. Margaret Falls falls 90 feet in tiers down into the creek. From the … Continue reading →

Stake Lake Thrice

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

On a warm June morning I drove to Stake Lake to paddle and hike.   I got onto the water early and paddled twice around the lake, once in each direction.    Then I loaded and secured the boat, put on some hiking shoes and followed trails around the lake for a third time.   This has become a favorite outing in the last few years, one I will do again, but the hiking route is varied each time.    On other days I have paddled a nearby lake (Lodgepole Lake, McConnell Lake, or Walloper), then I made the short drive to Stake Lake for the hike. When I arrived at the lake there were two fishing boats on the lake, but … Continue reading →

Up the Red Plateau Escarpment

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

On a hot (34 degrees C) end-of-May day, we drove into the Dewdrop Range and parked at the Dewdrop Trailhead area.    We got an early start and hiked steadily up the steep trail, climbing a series of ridges on the Red Plateau Escarpment.     There are a number of viewpoints and possible end points along the way, but for this day, we continued along the rim, traversing west to the top of the Ragged Red Ridge, our lunch and turn-around point.   We enjoyed the open views and explored the lava flow formations a bit, then we headed back down, retracing our steps, hiking back the way we came up. The climb from the Dewdrop Range up to the rim … Continue reading →

Mara Northeast Route

Kamloops Trails Posted on by  

Each year we hike to the top of Mara Hill/Mountain choosing one of three different routes.   Our favorite route is from the northeast, at the fenceline in Pruden Pass.    We drive up the Lac du Bois Road, then turn left onto the Pruden Pass Road.   We follow the bumpy route to the gate and park there (the former site of the Wheeler Mountain School).    The sign on the fence says “No Trespassing,” but it really refers to the private property 600 m farther on.    The lands to the west (for 600m ) are BC Parks lands so we can hike them, although there is no visible trail.   We angled off to the southwest, picking up an occasional … Continue reading →