Despite the continued onslaught of rain in the lower mainland, our visit to see family in Kamloops over the weekend was a great one. We hiked up to an area in the hills above Kamloops, called Kenna Cartwright–an 800 hectare park on Mount Dufferin overlooking the valley, Thompson River, and the city below–with about 40 kilometers of trails. The day was warm, though punctuated by cold winds. The trails were variable, with good elevation. Most trails were moderately rocky, and some were easy. The most dangerous part was that in shaded areas the trails still had snow, some of it icy. It was such a strange mix of snow, wind, cold, and warm sunshine. We were constantly removing and putting on jackets!
I really like this semi-arid part of the world. Sagebrush, mountains, chaparral, lodgepole pines, western white pine, and the beginnings of tiny star and other flowers peeking through the snow dot the hills. The only downside was that the area is being developed for housing, and I’m not sure how much will enter into the mountains.
I spent time hiking and running, where it was safe to run without slipping. We had nice talks with family who went with us.
