Little Bootleg Lake and other adventures

Little Bootleg Lake

For a quick overnighter, Vicki and I didn’t have to drive far: Half an hour drive to the parking spot, and we were ready to hike the 7.5km into Little Bootleg Lake. This is not the official name but it’s just north of Bootleg Mountain (and there’s another lake) so we call it that.

It’s not a very well known trail to the lake but the advantage is that there are never any people around. This time we heard some voices on the other end of the lake but they were far away and as long as nobody can drive or ATV to the area, I’m happy to share with other hikers (we did see them and their dog when we hiked out).

The leaves were starting to turn and provided a colourful backdrop.

For a picture, and during the night, must have been the only times that Ksanka sat still! She had a blast hiking up and around the campsite. At night, she sleeps well and comfy in our tent.

Local Outing

And in-between hikes, there are always berries to find! We are lucky that around town there are many good berry-picking spots. Easy access can be had at the Nordic Centre, with maybe 10-15min of walking the trails.

Heading out with our swim group, we didn’t have any problems finding lots of berries still in August (it was a mix of blueberries and huckleberries). My main use for the berries is for making easy sorbet ice cream (berries, coconut milk and a bit of syrup).

Top of the World Park – Fish Lake and Sparkle Lake

This park had just opened up again after a large fire last year. Vicki and I hiked through lots of burned areas for the 6.6km to Fish Lake.

The lake has an established campground that is first-come first-serve but very cushy with tent platforms (if needed), toilets, a ranger station, separate eating areas and bear boxes. In fact, the toilets have fancy composting mechanisms that make them incredibly clean and eco-friendly. There is even a cabin that can hold 12 people (also first come first serve).

It took us about 80 minutes to hike from the end of the road into the park to Fish Lake. We picked a campsite at the end of the campground to get away from other users and the ubiquitous smoky campfires (I’m not a fan).

However, with some wildfire smoke coming in during the night plus the neighbours stoking their campfire all evening and again early in the morning, the smoke was still too much for my lungs.

I was happy to get ready in the morning to hike to Sparkle Lake. It was “only” 6km out and back but I didn’t quite anticipate the 380m of elevation gain in 3km!

Vicki wasn’t feeling well and headed back to camp so Ksanka and I completed the hike to the lake and enjoyed some great views along the way (less than 2hrs of hiking).

Back at camp, we got ready for the hike out after a lunch snack. The main trail back to the parking lot is very smooth and never steep (plus fully cleared of dead trees) so even in the heat of the day, it was not a strenuous affair.

The trail is even accessible to mountainbikers and we saw a few coming in from the parking lot for a day at Fish Lake.

Even though this was busier than what I’m used to, it was great to see another corner of the mountains around here!

Local Outing

The Round the Mountain trail starts and ends at the Kimberley Alpine Resort. It’s the course for the annual Round The Mountain race which can be done as a hike, run or bike ride. I have ski toured most of the trail in the winter but wanted to see the whole loop in the summer (my plan is to run the race next year).

Four of us (plus best friends Ksanka and Barley) completed the hike and really enjoyed the trail, the views and the variety of the terrain (soft trail, rocky slides, old FS roads, windy singletrack). We covered 20.7km in 5.5 hrs (545m ascent).

I can highly recommend this hike and we are so lucky to have it with access in town! I will definitely ski tour it again this winter …

Pedley Pass

When Vicki suggested I join her and two other friends for a hike of Pedley Pass, I was all in. I had wanted to see this ridge hike for a long time, and despite having the first snow overnight (Oct 5), the day seemed perfect for the adventure.

Everybody loves a ridge walk! After driving to the parking lot (total of about 2 hours from Kimberley; backcountry access roads are notoriously long and rough in the Kootenays!), we started our hike clockwise with the less steep, switchbacked approach first.

Despite the snow and the elevation gain, the cooler temperatures made this climb very enjoyable and easy. I never worked up a sweat or got cold. Just perfect!

After getting to the first viewpoint mainly hiking in forest (maybe an hour into the hike), we started the more exposed ridge walk. It’s such a treat to have unlimited views, no trees, almost no wind and lots of dogs to greet (for Ksanka).

The trail is popular and we had lots of opportunities to chat. At the highpoint, I ran into a group of three (from Creston and Invermere) and would continue to hike with them to the tarn (the others took a longer break and regrouped with Vicki before also heading to the tarn). The tarn is an out-and-back side trail from the main Pedley Pass route.

Everybody was ecstatic and in their best moods, having the privilege of enjoying such a gorgeous outing.

The side trip to the tarn took maybe 40 minutes. It would be a great spot to spend a night and then scramble up the slopes to the mountains around. However, that spot was also the coldest, with the wind blowing down from the passes.

After that side trip and once we were all reunited (we use radios to stay in touch during hikes), we started the descent back to the car. It was steeper than the ascent and still had plenty of snow on it. Some sections were definitely slippery!

Another “attraction” is the bumpy meadow you get to walk through on the way down. I am not sure how these bumps are created, and why only here but they were fun to check out and jump around on.

Back at the car, we saw that the parking lot had filled up, which isn’t a surprise for a popular hike on a sunny Sunday. Overall we hiked 11.60km in 4:20hrs (with an ascent of 770m). A new favourite for sure!

Final Picture

This is a group shot of our local Friday Morning hiking group. Numbers vary each week but it’s a great group of women who are exploring the local trails together! And always a dog party!