Tag Archives: Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area

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 a number of open viewpoints on top of a series of hilltops with views to the north and east.

From the highest viewpoint, we can see Lac du Bois below, the upper grasslands and Clapperton Ridge beyond. and the snowy peaks of the Tod Mountain area in the distance (see the slideshow for a telephoto shot).

From the hilltops to the Wheeler Mountain Road, there are no trails and a fence to get past.    I hiked to the old road then continued west to Wheeler Pond.    I went offroad to explore an abandoned homestead pasture, then returned onto the road down to the upper grasslands track, turning north past the pond and back to Lac du Bois, a 7 km route on trails, off-trail, and on old tracks.

There was lots of fall color, some wildlife, some windfall to get past, and a hunter stalking whitetails, but it is a route I would happily do again, but I have a variation on the route for the next exploratory outing.

Some photos with captions are provided here in a Google Photos album.    They are embedded as a slideshow into this post, but you can click the link to see the album which will include captions and more information.
 

 

North Batchelor Range Hike

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The north end of the Batchelor Range can be reached from the Deep Lake area by hiking the Grasslands Community Trail in the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area, then going cross-country up the ridge from the north end.   From the trailhead for the Deep Lake Trail to the top of the ridge is a climb of about 581 m (1900 ft).   There are series of hilltops in the Batchelor Range, so we can go up and down several before looping back.    The loop route back for us was off-trail and steep.   The total distance was over 12 km. There is little shade on this route so it is a better hike for late spring or alternately, in early … Continue reading →

Mara Northeast Route

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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 →

Outer Dewdrop Range Hike

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Conditions in the lower valley have dried out and those routes can now be hiked, but many of the hills surrounding the valley are still muddy or icy.    The exceptions are the Batchelor Range and the Dewdrop Range.    Those areas are south-facing and open to accelerated drying from the sun, warm conditions, and warmer winds.    The Dewdrop Range is a benchland with rocky bluffs overlooking Kamloops Lake, and the steep rocky Red Plateau Escarpment above.   Much of the Dewdrop Range is open sagebrush grassland with open pine trees in protected areas.   A few gullies and north slopes have more trees, but on the whole it is open enough to be fine for hiking by mid-March (later for … Continue reading →

Battle Bluff Hike

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On a cool day in the second week of March, the Battle Bluff Trail was the hike for the day.    The trailhead (N50 44.791 W120 33.921) is signed and the trail heads south, crossing the flats before going up a shallow gully.    The trail then winds up through open forest between low hills before emerging into the grasslands that slope down toward Kamloops Lake.   At 1.1 km, the trail starts the descent to the foot of Battle Bluff, and then crosses a flat grassy area before winding up the bluff. As hikers go up the ridge, the view to the north is of sets of basalt columns on Dewdrop Ridge. There are several possible routes up the rugged … Continue reading →

Deep Lake Loop

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The trails to the Deep Lake area in the east side of Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area dried out after the first week of March and provided good hiking routes into the grasslands.    From the trailhead on Ida Road, I hiked the signed Deep Lake Loop Trail.     The first kilometer is uphill through open forest and on sloping ridges to the grassland bench above. A single track trail wound through grasslands to the junction with the Grasslands Community Trail (which is 13 km one way to McQueen Lake). This area is open sagebrush grasslands. The trail continued to Deep Lake, which was still partly frozen.   A single track continues on around and past Deep Lake, connecting to … Continue reading →