From the Tri-Cities Now online newspaper…
Monthly Archives: March 2015
Mt. Gardner
I had to go to Bowen Island today, so I said, why not do a hike too ! It was 14 degrees C and cloudy at the start. Deep in the forest it got down to around 10, but that’s it. It was very comfortable all day. Some mosquitoes were bothering me, but no bites – so that’s good ! I had the fortune of having the car today, so we started right at the trail head. If you hike from the ferry, there is an extra 3 km and 175 m elevation gain. From the trail head, we started up the gravel road and then veered slightly left into the forest. We re-emerged onto the gravel road 1.3 km later and continued up the road for another 1.3 km. We entered the forest again and continued our climb to the summit. The trail is very peaceful, with the sounds of birds and small streams. Just before the approach to the summit, there are ropes for assistance, as it’s a pretty steep section – they help, especially going down. When we got to the top, we stopped for a break on one of two helicopter landing pads up there. There are a number of telecommunications antennae and repeaters up there. Unfortunately, there was zero visibility at the summit, so no good photos from the top ! We saw only two other people today.
The stats:
Distance: 8 km (return)
Low point: 126 m
High point: 713 m
Elevation gain: 587 m
Trailhead: 49° 23’ 26” by 123° 21’ 48” (Google Map)
Here is the route…
Here is the best view of today from 550 m…
Here are some trail photos…
No view from summit…
Antennae at top…
Ropes near summit…
★★★★★★★★★★★
Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means, having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.
Bring your smartphone, fully charged and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring back-up battery packs for extra piece of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device; I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.
For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule to which hikers follow; it is called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed.
To learn more about LNT, please check out this BLOG by a certified LNT Trainer.
★★★★★★★★★★★
Hoodoos in Kamloops
Mara Canyon at Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area (Cinnamon Ridge Trail)
It was another amazing day for a hike in BC ! Starting at 9:30 at the trailhead (350 m) on Tranquille Road in Northwest Kamloops, it was overcast and 10 Deg C with a chilly wind. As I proceeded up the west ridge of Mara Canyon, the terrain got steep fast and finding good footholds was challenging; however, the group of 9 California Big Horn Sheep staring at me had no problem with the terrain. I made it up to the first viewpoint (600 m) in 70 minutes. The trail is not marked well at all and I am thankful for the gpx track emailed to me the night before by local hiker. After the first peak, I continued across a large hoodoo and northwards along the west ridge. There is little green up there, but there are plenty of cacti, Sagebrush and some Ponderosa Pine. Continuing along the ridge, there are many precarious traverses across slopes with small gravel over bedrock – It was very slippery. A large amount of time I was on all fours, just like the sheep ! I made it to the base of Mara bluff (785 m) at 11:30 and from here the descent into the canyon began. Again, there were many loose rock sections to traverse on the way down. I passed a old rusty car and the backbone of possibly one of the California Big Horn Sheep. Once in the dry creekbed, there were more trees – further down, there was some water in the creek. The views looking up from the bottom of the canyon were equally impressive as the views from the ridge. I finally made it back to the trailhead at 1:15 pm, after climbing through two train cars in a very long line of a stationary train. At the end of the hike, skies were blue and the temp was 18 Deg C.
The stats:
Distance: 4.5 km (return)
Low point: 350 m
High point: 757 m
Elevation gain: 407 m
Trailhead: 50° 43’ 6.7” by 120° 28’ 33.4” (Google Map)
Here is the route…
Here’s the route from Google Earth:
Parks sign…
First viewpoint…
Mara Canyon creekbed…
View on way down…
View through Hoodoo…
Hoodoos from Mara Canyon creekbed…
Looking north up Mara Canyon…
Hoodoo…
California Bighorn Sheep…
★★★★★★★★★★★
Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means, having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.
Bring your smartphone, fully charged and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring back-up battery packs for extra piece of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device; I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.
For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule to which hikers follow; it is called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed.
To learn more about LNT, please check out this BLOG by a certified LNT Trainer.
★★★★★★★★★★★
East Bastion Trail and White Rock Viewpoint
A gorgeous day for a hike up Eagle Mountain. It really felt like summer today ! We started off at the end of Hickory Drive (325 m) in Port Moody at 9 am and made our way up through the mountain biking trails. We reached Cypress Lake (800 m) 1.5 hours after starting and we met two other guys heading to the same location, but taking a different route. After a short stop at Cypress Lake, we headed to the West Rampart viewpoint via the east loop of the East Bastion Trail. We made it to the West Rampart viewpoint (880 m) at 11:30 and we met the two guys we met at Cypress Lake – It turns out they are the architects of the East Bastion Trail ! Anyways, after a 10 or 15 minute break, we headed off to the White Rock viewpoint (950 m), where we arrived at 12:30. After 20 or so minutes basking in the beautiful sun (and listening to the woodpeckers), we made our way back onto the trail and began the descent. We finally made it back to the starting point just after 3 pm. The only snow we saw was a dusting in a shaded area off the side of a logging road.
Check out this POST for some more info on this hike
Today’s Stats:
Distance: 14.6 km (return)
Low point: 324 m
High point: 977 m
Elevation gain: 653 m
Cumulative Elevation gain: 860 m
Trailhead: 49° 18’ 25” by 122° 49’ 58” (Google Map)
The route:
Here’s the amazing view of Coquitlam Lake at the West Rampart viewpoint…
Our stop at the West Rampart viewpoint…
Cypress Lake today…
★★★★★★★★★★★
Before heading out on your hike, make sure you are well prepared. This means, having the TEN ESSENTIALS. It is also important to leave a trip plan (route details and estimated return time) with someone you trust.
Bring your smartphone, fully charged and put it in airplane mode while hiking. I always bring back-up battery packs for extra piece of mind. It is highly recommended that you bring a GPS device; I use my smartphone with a GPS app (Backcountry Navigator). The GPS will work in airplane mode. Learn how to use it before your hike.
For anyone new to hiking, there is a rule to which hikers follow; it is called “Leave No Trace” or LNT. The concept is generally to pack out what you pack in and respect nature, so all future visitors can enjoy what you have enjoyed.
To learn more about LNT, please check out this BLOG by a certified LNT Trainer.