The 500th article was published to this site.   At the same time, about 920 000 separate visits were logged.   Then the database was inadvertently wrecked and the site went down for two days.   I wasn't sure it could be recovered, but I got some technical help and once I could get into the backend, I have been doing some additional repairs.

The kamloopstrails.net site was started as my first website and it evolved over time.   The only way to find articles is to Search using the Search Bar above.   The main feature is the current post, but it is not easy to find information if you are looking for a specific route.   I have been thinking about reorganizing the site, but I have chosen to add another site instead and provide links between the two.   See www.kamloopstrails.com for a preview.  

Shuswap Trail Alliance has had 7 years of success in promoting, planning, developing, and maintaining trails (link).   We have often remarked that this kind of initiative should also be seen in the Kamloops area.   The first steps toward this goal were started this week.   A group met to start the first steps.   The initial group included the City of Kamloops, Kamloops Indian Band, BC Parks, Recreation Sites and Trails B.C., Tourism Kamloops, Venture Kamloops, Kamloops Outdoors Club, Kamloops Hiking Club, and Kamloops Naturalists Club.

After much discussion, two steps were agreed to.

• Formation of a new Society with the founding members coming from the first group.
• Agreement to host a General Meeting in the Spring

A committee was struck to begin the incorporation process, to develop an invitation list for the general meeting, to start some core planning, and to begin discussion of goals and foundation statements for the Society.   A consensus approach has been adopted and draft documents are already being circulated.

Preliminary statements of purpose shed some light on the direction to be taken:

1. To promote, support, upgrade, and build self-propelled*/non-motorized trails within the Kamloops Thompson area.  * Self-propelled includes walking, hiking, mountain biking, canoe and kayak,  skiing, snowshoeing and equestrian travel.
2. To build an alliance of partner stakeholders committed to sustainable development of trail and waterway routes in the Kamloops Thompson area.
3. To model and promote ecological integrity and environmental stewardship as a guiding principle throughout the system.

A key concept in the alliance is to consult all stakeholder parties, including motorized recreational users, landowners, lease holders, agencies, and partners.    This is an idea whose time is overdue.   If you want to get involved, please contact one of the partner groups, or the owner of this website.

If you don't set goals and targets for your efforts, you won't set aside the time and effort to explore new areas.    A new area takes time to research, time to prepare, time to travel to and from, and will probably take longer than planned if you are exploring new territory.   For some areas, there is no information, so you have to commit to exploration in spite of many unanswered questions.    For other areas, conditions will limit your efforts – snow, rain, heat, cold, bugs, mud, road access, forest fires, deadfall, vehicle problems.   For these you have to match up the trip to the conditions, and cancelations could be the result.  A "Plan B" will be needed.    So many people are fair-weather hikers.    Should we brave the elements and just persevere?  

We make a plan and pick dates, then the conditions don't cooperate.   Since we need to get out, we have learned to have a backup plan.    Except in the coldest or wettest conditions, there can always be a Plan B.    In the Kamloops area, we don't lose many days.    If we are planning to go to the alpine, though, decent weather is needed, so hillside hikes or bikes, or a paddle are in our "alternates list."   When the winds howl, we put away our paddles, and find the forest.   When the bugs swarm the high country, we paddle on open water or hike on open ridges.    On a hot day, a mountain bike on a backroad is a good choice.  On an overcast day, a paddle around the shoreline of smaller lake is a good choice.    Since geocaches can be in any location, a caching journey can provide interesting outdoor experiences.    With so many alternatives, should we just stick to Plan B routes?

To explore new areas, to challenge ourselves, to widen our knowledge of our environment, and to be a part of the natural history of our world, we need to set out goals and plan for trips, journeys, tracks, and trails.   We can make our own private lists, or we can share them.   We can personally commit to our list or we can invite others to join us.   We can show leadership, or we can follow others.   We can keep our experiences private, we can share them, or we can celebrate them.  

It is impossible to do them all.   There are just too many trails, routes, ridges, backroads, rivers, meadows, scrambles, lakes, coastlines, caves, hills, and tracks.   And, of course many trails need to be visited many times.   Wells Gray, the Dewdrop Ranges, Lac du Bois Grasslands, Lac le Jeune, Rogers Pass, the Trans Canada Trail, Garibaldi Lake, the Great Divide, Cathedral Lake, and many more areas have to be experienced many times.   We can't imagine a year when we don't hike to Trophy Meadows or paddle the North Thompson River.   

So, each year we set goals and try to do as many as possible.   In the end, some carry over to a new year and we finish half of our list, but others get added.   Over many years, the total list of tracks and trails is a long one.   Many of them now are reflected in posts on this website, but there are also many that haven't reached publication yet.  

So, for 2011, our resolution is to hit as many of our goals as possible:

• There are a few hikes that hikers travel to from all over the world.   We will complete one of these this year – The Kalalau Trail along the NaPali coast on Kauai.   There are also world-class hikes in Kokee State Park and Waimea Canyon State Park.    We have done some of them already, but we will be looking to do the Kukui Trail, the Awa'awaphui Trail, the Alakai Swamp-Pihea Trail, the Waimea Canyon Trail, and the Jungle hike under Mt. Waiaiele.   
• We have paddled the North Thompson River many times and have even camped on islands on an overnight trip.   We think that a trip from Clearwater to Kamloops with one or two nights on the river will be in our 2011 plans.
• We have also paddled the west arm of Murtle Lake, but we have not yet paddled the north arm.    This trip is high on our list.    A fall trip on Clearwater and Azure Lakes is an alternate (both would be better).   
• We have biked or walked many sections of the Trans Canada Trail, but we want to add more sections.    The section from Hope to Chilliwack is in our sights.
• Exploring new areas that have almost no information is always on our list, but sometimes it is a success, and sometimes just doesn't work out.   We keep a few on our list.    The ridge extension on Red Plateau from the end of the Dewdrop Trail to the end of Hardie Hill is on our list.   We can see that it can be followed on logging roads, but we are looking for hiking and biking alternatives along the rim of the ridge too.  
• New rivers to paddle are on our list.   We are looking at other sections of the Shuswap River, the Eagle River, and the Fraser River (north).    Rivers can be safe or hazardous, depending on the time of the year.   The North and South Thompson Rivers are safe year round, but at high flood, attention must be paid to logjams, sweepers, sideslides, and rapids.    When rivers become Class 3, we have to make sure we are ready, well-equipped, and with the right group.   
• Mountains to hike in 2011 include the ridges up to Dunn Peak, Trophy 3, Table Mountain, Needle Peak, Stoyama Mountain. Thar Peak,  Queest Mountain, Pukeashun Mountain, Tsuius Mountain, Mt. Bowman, Mt. Kerr, ….
• Areas to explore and populate with geocaches include the Roche Lake area, Wells Gray trails, the Masters Subalpine Walk, Tranquille Canyon, and any mountain top that requires a hike or scramble to get to the top.  
• We still haven't yet explored the right place for the Petrified Forest in the Monte Hills or the natural arch in the Dewdrop.   There are numerous lakes to explore and photos to take.   
• The Rockies call to us every year and many are in our return list – Cauldron Lake, Bow Hut, Floe Lake, Skoki, Egypt Lake, Maccarib Pass, Upper Fish Lakes, Carthew Summit, …..Too many too far apart….
• The sea calls to us and our ocean-going kayaks will see at least one journey on the waves.
• Our bikes have many backroads to explore.   We also want to do at least one section of the Kettle Valley route each year.
• And, we are open to invitations to join others who can share their favorite places with us.

In reflection, it appears we will need to retire to meet our goals for 2011.         Plan B is to do as many as possible and finish the list in 2012!