Morice Land and Resource Management Plan
Hiking Trails Overview
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- Opportunity Analysis
- Vehicle Camping Combined with Short Walks and Water Activities
- Chain Lake Canoeing
- Hiking – all day and overnights
Hiking TrailsOverviewOutdoor recreation, including walking, boating, fishing, camping and hunting, is very popular amongst local residents and visitors. The Morice LRMP area is very sparsely populated and is primarily crown land. Forestry campgrounds, walking trails, and popular canoeing routes already exist. The area is a prime location for late spring, summer and early fall flat water canoeing, camping, fishing and walking. Summer trails with good winter access may also serve the interests of backcountry skiers and snowmobilers. The key question is: Are there commercial hiking (backcountry winter use) and canoeing potentials in the area? Part-day hikes are usually easy walking trails where youth (under 12 years of age) and those not accustom to long hilly walks are challenged but not physically or emotionally tested. They are great additions for already planned holidays or visits in the region. They are easy to find (mapped) with signs for directions and are easy to access (distance and road quality) by 2 wheel drive cars. All-day hikes are much longer, more challenging physically and usually require an end point (e.g. a summit, ridge or cabin with access to great views) or a designated loop. These day-trip routes are usually popular amongst locals regionally (up to 1.5 hours away) and to visitors planning a visit to or through the region. They require a moderate level of fitness and some outdoor experience. Access to trail head by 2 wheel drive vehicle is best as it increases the number of parties that can access the trailhead. The most popular all-day walks in the high country occur above tree line, or along major coastlines. Overnight hikes require locations where either a base camp can set (usually near water with a great view) and then day hikes taken from or where travel from one ridge to another is relatively easy or where a multi-day hike provides access to mountain peaks or ridges. As the length of the trip and the difficulty increases then the less trail development is required. Opportunity AnalysisThe Morice LRMP area geographically is filled with many large and small lakes. The area in the northern half is generally rolling treed high hills and valleys. The area in the south continues the pattern ending at Ootsa Lake with more open areas on south facing slopes. The area to the west moves from rolling high hills to step mountains. The western portion of the area boarders the Telkwa Range and the Cascade Mountains (part of the Coastal Mountain Range). Within the western toe of this area there are numerous small lakes connected by rivers, or creeks. Watersheds are close together making moving from one lake and river system to another relatively easy. In the most westerly parts of the Morice, access is by air and water only. There are three very distinct opportunities in the South Western part of the Morice area. These three are wilderness vehicle camping combined with short walks and water activities, chain-lake canoeing, and high elevation hiking. Given their distinct markets each has been reviewed independently. Vehicle Camping Combined with Short Walks and Water ActivitiesThe many small lakes, good access on forestry haul roads, the established network of Forestry campsites, the quality freshwater fishing, short part-day hikes and remote quiet feeling maintained by the limited use each of the areas creates opportunities for vehicle based camping. There are many areas that provide quality sites for camping and boating in relatively protected small lakes. These include Owen Lake, Poplar Lake, Nadina Lake, Morice Lake (a larger body of water) and Lamprey Lake to name just a few. An opportunity exists to market and promote these areas for low cost low risk camping and area for holidays, all within easy striking distance of Houston and Highway 16. Short, easy, one or two hour walking trails connected to these campsites enhances the amenities associated with the camp sites. The Houston Community Forest provides trails in this category. Chain Lake CanoeingThere already exists one good chain lake system – Nanika-Kidprice Canoe Route – where four lakes are linked together with 3 short portages. This area is very novice friendly, has good camping spots on all four lakes with vehicle access only at the head of the chain. The opportunity exists to extend this popular chain by building an additional trail from Kidprice Lake to Nanika Lake. Depending on water levels (time of the year) the trail might need to be up to 6 km in length to join the two lakes. This chain of lakes can be used for day trips or multi-day trips. Kidprice Lake is connected to Morice Lake via Nanika River. The falls at the exist of Kidprice prevent direct canoe exit from Kidprice but with a short trail around the falls to area approximately 1 km below the falls would provide canoe access to Morice lake and then eventually a pull out at Morice Lake Forestry Campsite. There are a few log jams along the river that would require short (up to 400m) portage trails around them. A similar opportunity exists in the Twinkle/Needle Lakes area. Here the accesses between the lakes would either be on foot in the creeks or on short portages around the creeks depending on water levels and time of the year. These are small lakes where day trips and multi-day trips can be designed with easy portages in between the lakes. The Twinkle Lake forestry campsite is an obvious staging point. Hiking – all day and overnightsAt this point walking trails exist in a number places in the region. There are excellent view points in places like Nadina Mountain (2124 meters – almost 7000 feet), the Telkwa Mountain meadows, Owen Hill, and Mt. Sweeney. Access to the more remote high country is confined to air or power boat. The southwest area, with its limited access, does back into the rugged Cascade Mountains with peaks nearing 9000 feet, e.g. Mt. Dubose. The key limitation or asset in the future will be the limited access. Download 1.06 Mb. Share with your friends:
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