Back to Bush – Kamloops Trails
Two of the prime snowshoeing areas for winter outings are up the Lac le Jeune Road in December and January (for routes over 4000 feet) and up the Lac du Bois Road in February (for routes over 2500 feet). We can also choose to go to fee-based trail systems at Stake Lake, Sun Peaks, or Harper Mountain. We can also go off to explore any unplowed backroad or trail in the forest hills as long as we can drive and park at the strike-off spot. There are hundreds of possibilities and the best choice will often rely on current conditions. One of the best choices for all conditions is the parking area off the Lac le Jeune Road at 1276m (4186 ft), where we can snowshoe the east side through the Dogwood Marshes or the west side on the Bush Lake Routes. Both areas are well-used and get stomped in frequently. On a recent winter day, I chose to do a shorter loop near Bush Lake, my fourth time on the trails this season, completing a different route each time.
contI followed the main track towards the crossroads area then continued northwest around Bush Lake.
I chose to take a gap in the forest, breaking trail, to make my way down to the lakeshore.
The lake itself had deep untracked snow so I ventured onto the lake only a short distance, enjoying the winter sunshine on a mild day.
I looped back following the Bush Lake drainage which flows south into the Dogwood Marshes, then north into Anderson Creek.
Users have tracked a route through aspen groves, a favorite section, back to the Lac le Jeune Road trailhead.
Every winter we head up the Lac le Jeune Road many times over 3 months to snowshoe one of the routes, varying the choice according to current conditions. The best choices are listed here (but there are dozens of other routes in the area). Use the Search Bar to find articles on any of them.
| Dogwood Marshes | Lodgepole Lake | Stake Lake | Ridge Lakes |
| Bush Lake North | Bush Lake South | Hull Hill | Lac le Jeune Trails |
Doug Smith
Doug writes for Kamloops Trails, a not-for-profit (and ad free) website, offering information on trails, waterways, routes, featured spots, viewpoints, and explorations in the outdoors in the Kamloops area (and beyond).
Doug started exploring this area in 1976 and continues to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, he chose to share this information.
The Kamloops Trails website has a massive number of interesting posts and would be of interest to anyone in Kamloops who enjoys the outdoors. Visit the Kamloops Trails website at: http://www.kamloopstrails.ca/
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