Down Draught to Isobel Lake on the Snow

Down Draught to Isobel Lake on the Snow

Doug Smith  December 14, 2020 at 9:00 am

In mid-November we hiked from the McQueen Lake area to Isobel Lake, then around the lake, and back on the same trail, a 5.5 km hike on the snow.   My usual route for this hike was along the former Forestry Capital Trail (now called Beers-a-Waiting by mountain bikers) but with recent snowfall there was not much parking for a group of hikers so we went farther along the Isobel Lake Road to a spot with several parking spaces for the Grasslands Community Trail.   We followed the Down Draught Trail which had no tracks on it, but it was a well-established trail that we could follow all the way to the junction with the main trail to the west end of Isobel Lake.

The trails around Isobel Lake were covered in snow but easy to hike.   We stopped at the shelter for tea and enjoyed the lakeside views.

There are a number of viewpoints, benches, and fishing spots on the shores of the lake thanks to BC Rec Sites and Trails, the Kamloops Thompson Trails Alliance, and various supporters.   the lakeshore is marshy and mostly unspoiled.

We hike with grandchildren in the summer and we snowshoe the trails in winter.   In spring we paddle the lake to watch the waterfowl and new growth.

We hiked the route on a mild day and stopped at all the viewpoints on the lake loop.

In November the ice is thin and where there is no snow cover, the sky is reflected back on the thin ice crust.

We completed the hike then returned the way we came, along the Down Draught Trail to the Isobel Lake Road near Griffin Lake.

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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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