Napier Ranch Conservancy At the End of the Year
As temperatures dropped and days became shorter, I hiked up the access road to the Napier Ranch Conservancy. It was the day before the snows fell so the route was dry/frozen. At the entrance to the Conservation Area is a sign and a gate. It was quiet and there were no livestock on the slopes.
A double track can be hiked from the trailhead to the old Napier Ranch homestead.
The old homestead still stands on the hillside
From the living space views look out east across the meadows and across the valley to the East Trapp Lake Road slopes.
The slope rises steeply above the homestead on the west side and there is some Crown land that can be hiked above.
On this quiet fall day I was there to enjoy the grassland bench and leave not even footprints.
I spotted some raptors circling above and then some mule deers in the gullies, but otherwise I hiked quietly, enjoying the views and the unspoiled grassland slopes.
It took a while to hike over the slope break for a view up the Trapp Lake Valley.
My route looped back past the old homestead.
The sun shone through clouds creating a silver light over the old corrals and fences at the trailhead.
Walking or hiking on Nature Conservancy on Canada lands requires low impact, environmentally conscious use. If you choose to go there, please be respectful, allowing nature to reclaim the lands.
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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