Sun Peaks ~ Louis Creek ~ Kamloops, BC

The recent months leave very little opportunity to do much socializing due to the 2020 pandemic but we have so many country roads that welcome us to enjoy the beautiful calming sights that are there to enjoy and a great way to spend some time.  Kamloops is known to be a semi-arid climate and our sagebrush and cactus are true examples of that but once we climb some of these hills we see it differently. 

                                                            Little Heffley Lake

We followed the Yellowhead Highway north to Heffley Creek and turned up towards Sun Peaks.  The hills and valleys are so green with plenty of trees in this part of the drive.  We pass Little Heffley Lake that quietly sits roadside with some visitors enjoying this hot sunny summer day here.

                                                                      Sun Peaks

Sun Peaks is home to the ski resort that resides on Tod Mountain, which is all we called it when we were skiing so many years ago.  The small resort of that time was purchased in 1992 and has grown to become the village that it now is. 

                                                       Sundance chair at Sun Peaks

The parking lot was surprisingly full but then I realized the chair lift is open and one could enjoy a ride up there whether to do some hiking or just some sightseeing. That would be a great opportunity for taking photos but with Maggie along for this ride, we couldn’t be doing that today.  We’ll put that on the list for another day, as long as I can convince myself I can do it. 

                                                 Heffley Louis Creek Road

We drove up to Sun Peaks with the intention of following an old route to Chase from there, but it turns out that road is no longer available so the plans change.  There is no shortage of country roads in this area so we find another.

                                                            A babbling brook

We’ve lived in Kamloops for most of our lives and have covered a lot of these country roads whether for skiing, snowmobiling, fishing or just sightseeing but there are still some we’ve not seen, at least not during the last 60 years!  We cross a few creeks or  brooks, on this road that enter into Louis Creek that then flows into the North Thompson River.

                                                                   A tiny church

This tiny little church was a surprise to see and a definite must to get photos of, we turned around and went back for this.  This was a Sunday afternoon and no services happening but it doesn’t look like there had been any visitors in quite awhile.  For some reason I felt I shouldn’t go peek in windows so I enjoyed the view from the roadside.  One of the few photos of the day that wasn’t a drive by one!

                                                                     Old barns

I’m always drawn to old barns and livestock so this was another “stop and pull over” photo opp.  Most barns we see are old ones, and not often in good shape. That could be a dangerous building so I doubt there is much use for them anymore but glad they’re still standing to remind us of days gone by.  The smaller building may have been a home.

                                                                The talking cow

As I approached the fence I noticed a single gal going down to the creek for a drink.  She noticed me, too, so I think she was putting on a show.  Once she had her drink, she walked into the water in the shade of the tree and called out a couple of times.  We had a very short conversation before she headed out of the creek, I don’t think she could hear me properly. lol

                                                                   Bales of hay

Scattered over many fields at this time of year are bundles of hay.  We used to see them much smaller and rectangle shaped and still might on occasion but we now see many huge ‘marshmallow’ bales out there.  Some are wrapped in clear like these loaded on the truck and shows you just how big these bales really are.

                                                                Louis Creek

Louis Creek is the main creek that weaves its’ way down to the North Thompson River, and a good source of water for many, I’m sure.  It also has a community named after it that is north of Kamloops on the Yellowhead Highway, where we arrived to after travelling through this pretty valley.   

We hope you enjoyed some of our beautiful Kamloops scenery today and will join us again when we take another ‘Sunday drive’.

Sun Peaks ~ Ski Days ~ Kamloops, BC

Our grandson, Millan had been skiing with his dad, our son Brook and taken an incredible photo that got me excited to see more.

I haven’t put on a pair of skiis for so many years that the thought of doing it was scary so that wasn't going to happen.  I asked Millan if he would like to make a ‘ski team’ with me at home and he take more ski photos that I could use on a blog.  He thought it was a great idea, too, so here are the results!  All photos by Millan Webster.

Amazing view from Gil's Hike

This is the first photo taken on one of their earlier ski days of the season.  This was the view when they took the Gil’s Hike.  This was a very beautiful view taken by a 13 year old with his phone!  I was impressed! The project then began!

Elevation Chair

The Elevation Chair is seen from the black Cariboo Run.  The colors green, blue and black are used to explain the difficulty of the run, and green is the easiest of them, blue for a bit more experienced, black is difficult but there are double black, even more difficult.

Homesteader Run

Tod Mountain is the highest peak of three at 2155 metres (7070’) that are the Sun Peaks Alpine Resort.  Sundance Mountain and Mt. Morrisey are the other two that have been added for more skiing trails over the years and are all part of the Shuswap Highlands.

OSV Tree Trail

Tod Montain was named after John Tod, a fur trader in charge of Fort Kamloops in 1841.  This became a local ski area for Kamloops with the Burfield Lodge and Burfield chair opening in 1961.

Green Rambler Trail

Tod Mountain was purchased by a large company in 1992.  It was renamed in 1993 and has seen much growth and become internationally known since.

Green 5 Mile Run

Sun Peaks now has 12 lifts that can handle 12,000 riders per hour.  The longest lift is the Burfield Lift that has survived all these years, being a 23 minute ride.  There are 135 runs and 40 km of cross country trails. 

View from Bentos Lodge

Our skiing days are long behind us now but I do remember enjoying our beautiful Sun Peaks scenery on days with powder white snow and blue skies with our kids.  Our younger generations are now enjoying the same, our 7 year old grandson had his first lesson and loved it!  Another one for the ‘ski team’!  It is wonderful to be able to see their photos to bring back those memories of skiing days!

Shuswap Lodge 

Thanks to Millan, our wonderful 13 year old grandson who is also now my ‘ski team’ and ‘blogging partner’ and who contributed these great photos.

Sun Peaks has so much more to offer.  Visit it soon! 

Sun Peaks Resort ~ Canada's Alpine Village ~ Kamloops, BC

Winter means snow, snow means skiing and that means Sun Peaks to many avid skiers.  We have one of the greatest ski resorts right out Kamloops' back door.  We visit Sun Peaks at different times of the year as there is always something to enjoy with year round activities, (click here to see Sun Peaks other seasons) but it has been awhile since we were there during the winter months. 

Rolling hills and valleys on Heffley Louis Creek Road

 The Kamloops sky is blue with sunshine making today a perfect day for a drive up to Sun Peaks. The views on the way up offer some great photo opportunities but I am anxious to get to Sun Peaks while the sun is still shining and getting the best chance of some great photos. 

Sun Peaks ski hill on a cloudy day, Kamloops, BC

 The low lying clouds up ahead were moving in and as we drove into the village of Sun Peaks, there was no sun to be seen but there was fresh snow on the hill, which is a good thing, too. The clouds in Sun Peaks will never discourage true skiers, there is a full parking lot so that meant that skiers had come up for this mid week day early in the season to begin their ski season.    

Snow boards and skis wait for the next run

There had been a time when we spent most Sundays here, pre Sun Peaks Resort, when it was Mt. Tod with the Burfield Lodge and a couple of ski lifts. Although we are no longer skiers, we have some great family memories.  Skiing is a sport that can be enjoyed by all ages and the snowboards also seem to be very popular not only with the young. 

Alpine Trail Map of Sun Peaks

Sun Peaks Resort has grown over the past several years, and looking at the map of the ski hills, shows a zillion more routes to ski than there used to be.  There are 124 trails including 13 glade areas, which are the ones not regularly patrolled, so never ski those alone.  Most of those trails are above the clouds today, now that would make some great photos!  Fresh new snow and sunshine while looking down on the clouds!

Ski-in to the village at Sun Peaks, Kamloops, BC

 There are all kinds of reasons to stay at Sun Peaks for more than just a day of skiing.  There are hotels, hostels, B&B’s, inns, lodges, condo and town homes, too for overnight visits.  Many of them are ski-in and ski-out which sounds like the best way to go. There are restaurants and nightclubs, too, as well as many events to enjoy all through the seasons.

Lunch at Mesa's Grill in Sun Peaks

 The day wouldn’t be right if we didn’t spend some time sitting and watching the kids enjoy the bunny hill and others skiing out of the clouds to the bottom of the hill.  The best way to do that was while we enjoyed some lunch at Mesa’s Grill, great service and food, too.  There are a total of 11 lifts including 5 quad chairs on the 3 mountains of Sun Peaks including the Sundance Express seen from our viewpoint in the village.  Mt. Tod is the tallest peak sitting above the clouds today with an elevation of 2152 m (7060’).  There  are plans for opening up more runs on Mt. Tod and Mt. Morrisey, elevation 1675m (5495’), coming soon.

Alpine Village at Sun Peaks, Kamloops, BC

The village is quiet today but stores are open for business, and they offer great services and merchandise, be sure to visit them while you’re visiting the alpine village at Sun Peaks Resort. There is also an outdoor skating facility, tube park, a sports centre with a heated outdoor pool and the Sundance Kids Center for child minding.  Sun Peaks is a great place to visit for every member of the family, even if you’re not a skier. 

Platter and Carpet Lift at Sun Peaks

The enthusiastic young group on the ‘bunny hill’ is having a great time and use a conveyor belt to get back up the hill.  That is something I’d not seen before, but it has been awhile since I’d been on a bunny hill and a lot has changed since then.  Wish they had them when I was struggling to stay upright holding onto that t-bar!  Not all ski memories are good ones. (:  

Mandatory for winter driving

 We turned off the Yellowhead Highway at Heffley Creek to follow Tod Mountain Rd. and it was right at this junction that we were stopped in a road block on our way to Sun Peaks.   The time had come for the winter tires or chains to be put on the cars and trucks, and there was no passing this location unless that had been done.  The roads may look good to this point but winter conditions have arrived in the mountains and care must be taken.

We had a great visit to Sun Peaks in spite of the lack of sunshine and know you will, too.  Winter has arrived so let the fun begin. To learn more, visit the Sun Peaks website.

Just another reason why we love Kamloops.  

Summer in Sun Peaks ~ Kamloops, BC ~ Canada

We know that Sun Peaks is an award winning ski destination resort with all the benefits that these accolades bring with it, right in our own back yard, but do we know what it has to offer during the summer months?  Let's take a look at summer in Sun Peaks Resort.

Summer view of the ski hill at Sun Peaks Resort

The summer season begins slowly with the flowers blooming and the resort comes to life again after the quiet time following the winter wonderland for downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross country skiing and other wonderful celebrations there.  This is a perfect time for many to just view the sights and enjoy the quiet of this mountain gem. 

Village of Sun Peaks Resort, Kamloops, BC

We wandered the streets finding very few people at this time but some restaurants and shops were open for our dining or shopping interests.  The tour buses, a big part of the tourism traffic for the summer will bring visitors up to enjoy Sun Peaks, too. 

The deer graze at the bottom of the ski hill at Sun Peaks

 The Sunburst chair lift will open  June 29^th until Sept.3^rd for hiking and biking or just enjoying the alpine wildflowers on Tod Mountain.  The Alpine Blossom Festival is happening August 4^th and 5^th and there will be lots of fun stuff for the kids to do on climbing walls, bouncy castle, kid’s zone, with lots of entertainers and performers for the young right up to the not-so-young and all those in between.

Tod Mountain is the view from the village of Sun Peaks Resort

 The Summer Kick-off weekend has entertainment and activities for all ages,  and those that are 19 years and older can participate in the Mountain of Beer and Chile Cook-off.  Check the calendar here to see all the activities planned. 

The village from the Sum Peaks Golf Course

 The biggest news for the summer events has to be that Kevin Costner and Modern West will be performing a free concert in the Sun Peaks Village on July 7, 2012.  This concert is just part of the celebrations planned for the 5^th Annual Wine and Culture Festival. To learn more about the free concert or the packages offered at Sun Peaks during this weekend, click here and check it all out.  You could be rubbing elbows with Kevin Costner!

The Sun Peaks Golf Course

Sun Peaks Resort also offers an 18 hole golf course on the mountain.  The course opened June 1 so is in full swing (: no pun intended) for the summer.  There are plenty of activities for everyone on the mountain and they hold a Farmer’s Market every Sunday 9:30am to 1:30pm from July 1st to Sept. 9^th. 

Sun Peaks celebrates 50 years at Tod Mountain

 The season 2011-2012 was a big celebration for Sun Peaks Resort. Tod Mountain offered their first ride up the Burfield 50 years ago in 1961 and grew slowly adding other ski runs on Sundance and Morrisey over the years.  It became Sun Peaks in 1992 and has continued to grow and develop. 

Take some time this summer to enjoy what we have close to home at the Sun Peaks Resort and you may be surprised to learn that not only is it a world class ski hill but a wonderful summer retreat, as well. 

There is just no place like home.