Apologies for the second email and version 2 of the newsletter.  This will be easier to read! signed, a newbie poster

It is officially Fall as we enter October.  It has been beautiful weather to enjoy the trails!…and the hikes have highlighted the change in the seasons with the autumn colours in our views.

A heartfelt thank you to our leaders! We had some varied events as there was an overnight stay to enjoy the hikes in the Glacier National Park and then six of us were able to take advantage of a lottery win of a night at the Elizabeth Parker Hut to enjoy Yoho National Park for 24 hours.  There were hikes at McConnell Hill, the wanderers were in Kenna Cartwright Park, two hikes in the Coquihalla Recreation Area – Flatiron and Zoa Peak, and hikes in Abbey Hill area and the Shuswap area.  We are so blessed in British Columbia to enjoy some spectacular views!

Remember to check out our public Facebook page (Kamloops Hiking Club) and Instagram page (Kamloops_Hiking_Club) and our private Facebook group (Kamloops Hiking Club – members only) for the details (we do try to post distance and elevation information), pictures and views of the club hikes and backpacking trips.  Please remember to check out the Kamloops Hiking Club website where the hikes/events are listed with as much detail as possible.  There are weekday and weekend hikes listed.  If you have questions, feel free to use the comments section or contact the hike leader directly.

NOTICE: The Mt. Baldy and Scotch Creek-Hlina trails are officially open again after the 2023 Bush Creek East Wildfire.  Please note: Mt. Baldy has a heightened debris-flow risk, review the map and info at the trailhead and follow all the posted notices.  As always, please stay on the designated routes and use extra caution in wildfire-affected areas.

The humble whistle! (a paraphrased article from an SAR group)

There is a tiny piece of safety equipment hanging from many hiking backpacks that people rarely think about…a whistle! If your backpack does not have one built directly into the sternum-strap buckle, it is an essential that is easy to add.  It is inexpensive, weighs almost nothing, doesn’t require batteries or cell service (a recommended whistle is the Fox 40 Classic)

When you are the person lost or needing help, a good whistle is more powerful than the human voice – louder and less effort to produce the sound.  Need help – blow 3 times = HELP.  Pause, Listen, Repeat.

Have you been hiking and heard a single whistle, and you stop and listen.  It could be wildlife.  A single whistle-like sound isn’t the known distress signal….three deliberate blasts are.

Three blasts. Pause. Listen. Repeat…make yourself heard.

Stay safe and hope to see you on the trails!