Night Skiing at Harper

           The activity of the week is downhill night skiing at Harper Ski Hill located 20 minutes outside of town at Paul Lake. On Friday, my dad and I decided to hit the slopes at Harper for a little fun under the stars. After the 20 minute dive from Kamloops we reached the rustic lodge only to discover that we'd be some of the only ones using the T-bar from 5:00-9-00. The tickets cost around $25 for night which is quite reasonable compared to the cost of other mountains in BC. The downside of night skiing at Harper is that they only offer 3 lit runs down the mountain which makes it become pretty boring fast. If you're looking to ski terrain park, night skiing is a great way to get some more runs in when the other mountains are closed. Harper offers delicious food for the entire night and two toasty fireplaces that'll warm you up in an instant. All in all, night skiing is an interesting to spend the night but don't expect to be offered a variety of ski able terrain. Great views, tasty food, and a lit terrain park/runs all for $25!

Dog Trails at Stake Lake

          With all the sunshine and snow in abundance, my dad, my dog pepper and I checked out the 5 kms of dog trails offered at Stake Lake. The trails were a blast and a great workout. The trails consist of a few steep hills combined with some beautiful sections meandering through the forest of fir , pine and poplar. This is a great activity to do around this time of year because of the pefect skiiing temperatures along with the ability to give you and your pooch a unforgetable workout. Furthermore, it's free to use these trails. The only concerns I'd have for those reading this is to make sure you're comfortable with skiing up and down terrain and to be careful when skiing on over used sections of the trails. If you're an inexperienced skier I would advise to take your time classicing or snowshoeing on the pet friendly trails in the area. All in all, these trails offer a second to none 30 minute workout that'll challenge your furry friend as well as yourself. 

Stake Lake Ski Trails

          The activity of the week in the Kamloops area is cross country skiing at the Stake Lake Trails. Located just 20 minutes outside of Kamloops, Overlander Ski Club offers an amazing 60 km of scenic cross country skiing terrain and 13 km of snowshoeing trails for all skill levels. Growing up in a cross country skiing family, I often come skiing here to use the variety of trails and still finding new exciting ones to this day. On the weekend, a few friends and I did the full Cowpoke loop. The ski consisted of 18 kms of well groomed trails, beautiful scenery and even a few bunny sightings! During the whole trail we only encountered 4 people allowing my friends and I to immerse ourselves in the landscape even more. I would highly recommend this trail if you're an moderate skier that's looking for a scenic, fun, hour and a half workout. If you're a beginner skier, I would encourage you to try skiing Cartwheel around Stake Lake or exploring the vast amount of snowshoe trails the ski club has to offer. If you're furry friend wants to tag along, check out the 5 kms of dog trails. Furthermore, Stake Lake offers another 5 kms of lit cross country trails for night skiing and a terrain park for all ages looking to challenge their abilities. After your ski or walk, warm up with a variety of steaming hot beverages offered in the lodge. With all this fun waiting to be had, why don't you check out Stake Lake this week for an affordable price and a memorable time!  

Tournament Capital Centre

          Tournament Capital Centre is the athletic gem of Kamloops. Through my monthly membership of $45 I have access to multiple basketball courts, workout rooms, aquatic centres, and many other amazing options to stay in shape. From my perspective TCC, offers the most bang for your buck in Kamloops. Furthermore, it is situated right next to Thompson Rivers University which makes it easily accessible to those living in South Kamloops and to the many buses that transfer in that area.  If you're interested in partaking multiple activities each week, TCC is the place for you. For example, TCC is the only place in the interior that offers a public field house with three courts, track and workout stations. On the other hand, there are a few downsides to the Tournament Capital Centre. The first problem is it's busy schedule. Sometimes after school I attempt to play on basketball on the courts at TCC but each time,  to my dismay, I find out that the courts are closed from 4:00-6:00. This is common at TCC as TRU's athletic teams, Kamloops Swim Club as well as the Kamloops Track and Field Club close the field house and pool for private practices. Another downfall with TCC is how busy it can be. If you are looking for a quiet gym to do your workout in, I wouldn't recommend going to this facility. The way I've levitated these problems is to regularly check TCC's schedule and try to go early mornings or late night's. Furthermore, in summer months many people use the outdoor track which cuts down on the amount of people using the indoor facilities. Tournament Capital Centre is a great addition to Kamloops.

                                            

         Why Am I Writing This Blog?

           Growing up 20 minutes outside the amazing city of Kamloops, I have been able to discover many cool activities you can do throughout the region. Over the years, I have learned to love the outdoors and take advantage of the great area around where I live. Some of my favourite activities to do in the region are mountain bike, hike, snowboard, skim board, cross country ski, golf and play team sports at the many fields/facilities in the region. As a result of my many years of living and playing in Kamloops I have gained valuable knowledge of great viewpoints, trails and insider tips for facilities. Whether you're a avid mountain biker looking for a great trail or someone looking for a fun activity to get into shape, this blog is for you!

Here's a great video made by Tourism Kamloops showing some of the awesome things you can do in the area!