Tod Mountain in July – Kamloops Trails
A hike to the summit of Tod Mountain is like a pilgrimage each summer. the lifts open in late June and by mid-July the snow is clear and the meadows are green. Early wildflowers emerge as soon as the snows melt, then a second wave bloom in July. The height of the wildflower bloom is usually about the start of August. We hike a loop on the mountain sometime in July or August. This year we hiked in mid-July. Our route up is almost always the same – 2 (Crystal Bowl) – 5 (Top of the World) – 10 (West Ridge) – 11 (Tod Peak). On the way up Little Headwall, forget-me-nots graced the trailside.
From the top of the Crystal Bowl we followed a double track and then a single track to West Ridge and passed by a wet meadow below a succession of pump hills.
The West Ridge Trail has the best wildflower displays, open meadows, and some of the best views on the mountain.
A few of the earlier blooming flowers were still visible in sheltered spots like these globeflowers.
The end of the West Ridge Trail is at a junction of several trails, including the West Bowl Trail and the Backside Trail. The summit stands due north.
There is a lake and a few ponds and wet areas on the south and east side of the Tod Summit, scenic spots among subalpine meadows.
After a wet spring, the upper parts of the mountain were particularly green. For this day, we did not climb to the summit, nor visit the lake, we wound through the wet meadows and came back by the West Bowl Trail.
We took many wildflower photos, and enjoyed the alpine landscapes.
We took Trail 7 down toward mid-station, but the trail should have been closed because there is a large construction zone at the bottom end and the regular trail signage had been removed. The hikers in front of us and others behind us missed the connection trail to mid-station and followed the roads down through a series of construction areas, then had to figure out a way back up from the top of Challenger. We regretted paying $25 for a lift pass to work our way through dug up areas full of equipment. We have found the trail markings to be missing at other times in the past too. We enjoy hiking Tod Mountain, but Sun Peaks Resort could be more professional in providing trail signage for hikers.
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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