We have backcountry skied various sections of the Wapta Traverse, high elevation glacier routes in the Canadian Rockies. We have started from Peyto Lake, from Bow Lake, and from the Yoho Valley and skied over routes in all kinds of conditions, usually in late winter. On one of these days, we skied in near-whiteout conditions from Balfour Hut to Bow Hut, passing under the vertical slopes of Nicholas Peak. We found our way to the hut and then out, after various adventures, all longer stories.
Most paddlers stop kayaking as the weather cools down, but I have been kayaking into November each year. The sun sits low in the sky as I paddle on the rivers going east in the morning. I go upstream then back down, keeping the outing to about an hour. In this year, the favorite launch spot at Pioneer Park will be closed because of the Red Bridge Fire. Perhaps I can continue on local lakes? I could haul my boat down to the water over the bank too, but I will have to decide if its worth it.
Saturna Island is located on the southern end of the Gulf Islands, close to the US border. To get there, we need to take two ferries. We stayed on the island and hiked the trails and shoreline. A favorite hike was along the ridges of Mt. Warburton Pike. From the western side of the island we had fine views over Plumper Sound and across to the Pender Islands. Saturna has a resident population of only 350, so any visit there in the off-season will be a quiet one. We enjoyed all of the hikes on Saturna.
Murtle Lake is the largest non-motorized lake in North America. To get there, we drive to Blue River, then drive on backroads to Murtle Lake. From the parking lot, we have to portage our boat 2.5 km to the launch. From there we paddle to one of the marine campsites on the lake. There are some hikes from the lakeshore. The best one is from the Strait Creek Campground. It climbs into the alpine zone in the Wavy Range. This shot is of an alpine tarn just below Wavy Crest Peak. This was a 15 km out-and-back hike into a remote mountain range. The tarn would make a great location for a basecamp for three days of hiking the Wavy Range.
We have hiked, run, backcountry skied, and backpacked the Yoho Valley. Our favorite trail is the Whaleback Trail which runs from the top of Twin Falls to the Yoho Valley. This bridge crosses the creek that spills over the cliffs to form Twin Falls. Across the valley is Mt. Balfour, another peak we have explored on the Wapta Traverse. All of the trails in Yoho National Park are A+ hiking destinations.
We have kayaked on Johnson Lake. It is accessed by the Johnson Lake FSR, a road that climbs into the hills from the Barriere to Adams Lake Road. The lake has marl shoals with clear blue water in a setting surrounded by hills. It has become too popular so if you go, pick a weekday morning.
We have hiked the Stein river Trail from the east a few times. From Lytton, we have taken the Reaction Ferry to the west side, then drove north to the access road to the park. We have backpacked in twice and we have day-hiked in and out several times. Our most recent hike was in the spring of 2024. We hiked to the pictographs wall and back, a km hike.
The trail follows the river, then climbs over the hillside at the Devil’s Staircase, then back down to the river again. There are a number of excellent places to camp, to have lunch, or just to dally by the river. A special place, one we will return to hike again.
There are many remote lakes on the Bonaparte Plateau. Tsintsunko Lake can be reached on foot from backroads. One day we hiked from the Jolly Lake trailhead to Jolly Lake and then beyond to Tsintsunko Lake. Old fishing cabins were found on the shoreline, accessed by a rough ATV track. We hiked back on the track and backroads.
On another day some years later, we hauled our kayaks in to the lake on carts on a different rough track to paddle and fish the lake. Since then a forest fire has burnt much of the forest in the plateau. Nevertheless, another visit is planned, this time with a folding kayak. Watch KamloopsTrails.ca or kamloopskayak.com for a story later in 2024.
We have hiked in to Majerus Falls twice. It is a longer hike, start on the Pyramid Mountain Trail in Wells Gray Park, but continuing on up the Murtle River to the falls. The trail is not well-trod and is a bit overgrown. It can be done as a backpack. There are two primitive campsites by the trail. Beyond the falls is a faint trail to another falls and then the trail disappears upstream. Anyone wanting to hike all the way to Murtle Lake would be bushwhacking. This was a good hike to do once or twice and Majerus Falls is an impressive spot, but its a long hike in rugged and remote country so picking the right day and the right season is recommended.
We hiked a few trails and routes in Smithers, including a steep hike and scramble up Glacier Gulch. Hudson Bay Mountain stands above Smithers. The southeast side has a road up to ski runs and cross country trails. Above that is a good hike to the summit of the mountain. From the top I could see down into Glacier Gulch, a north-facing cirque which hosts a small glacier, surrounded by steep ridges. Snow lingered here into summer. A rugged and challenging area to explore any higher than this point.
The hike to the top of Hudson Bay Mountain on a different day was outstanding. This hike was interesting and good to do once.