Mud Lake Loop - Kamloops Trails

Mud Lake Loop – Kamloops Trails

Doug Smith  December 26, 2021 at 9:00 am

Before the snows get too deep, backroads make good hiking corridors.    Once the snow is over 20 cm, snowshoes may be a better option.   At about 10 cm hiking was easy with or without traction devices.    On a sunny, mild day the hiking route was up the Mud Lake Road from McQueen Lake.  

There was one set of footprints into Mud Lake.    The lake is about 500m x 200m and sits at the foot of the east slopes of Opax Mountain. 

There are some old tracks that run north or northeast from the end of Mud Lake.    Most of these dead-end in the forest and then it is either out-and-back or bear off through the forest, finding your own route.   

The northeast track wound around a large marsh, surrounded by douglas fir forest.  

After about 1 km the track ended in a small landing.    Using a GPS, McQueen Lake was only 320m east down the hill, winding through open spots, veering around windfall.   At Lac du Bois Road the north end of McQueen Lake was partly frozen in the sun and shade.  

This kind of backroads exploration is well-suited to November and the first half of December.    When the snow becomes deeper we can find other unplowed backroads at lower elevations.  

This is a different kind of hiking.    Anyone who does this has to be able to navigate, to adapt to bushwhacking when needed, to be well-prepared and well-equipped for backcountry winter hiking.  

 

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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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