‘A nice day for a drive’ usually conjures up blue sky and sunshine but today was not one of those days. We had clouds and the weather forecast included rain but maybe we could have enough luck to avoid the rain yet see some beautiful countryside so away we went.
Robbins Range Road
We followed the Barnhartvale Rd until we came to the Robbins Range Rd then followed that up through the hills. There was no traffic to speak of but there are farm and ranch homes scattered across the range. The public gravel road meanders through ranchland and you will see signs posted where there is private property.
The curious cow of Robbins Range
We didn’t see very many but we saw more cattle than people on our drive thru Robbins Range then onto Campbell Range. The cattle all wear ear tags that are the identification necessary to track down their personal information like heritage, health data and anything else needed to know about them. A big colored plastic tag takes away the rustic cattle look I will admit, (and by the pose that hides hers, this cow seems to agree), but I know this is necessary. It appears to be applied just like having their ears pierced and I would think this is less painful than branding. I didn’t see any brands but may not have been close enough to see that.
Robbins Range ~ Kamloops, BC
It has been many years since we had driven the Robbins Range Road, so long that it all looked new to me. I wish I had listened to those stories of years gone by but I do know that my dad lived here with his family as a very young boy and his father worked in the mill up there. I wasn’t able to find the mill location but I did enjoy the scenery, it is beautiful up on that range.
Pioneer homestead of Robbins Range
There were some spectacular sights and then there were some old decrepit ones, buildings in ruins and that makes me wonder. What is the story here, who was the family that lived here long ago…... maybe it was my dad and his family?
Aspen poplar lined Campbell Range Rd
There are roadside groves of aspen poplar trees throughout the ranges but this tree lined road was a great looking invitation to see what is around that corner. These trees are named from the trembling or fluttering of the leaves but are a very hardy tree who is the first to leaf out in the spring and the last to lose leaves in the fall. The active ingredient in aspirin occurs in the inner bark of the aspen trees.
Trucks that travelled country roads
Very few trucks were left behind but these ones were and make quite a sight. There was a painted sign on the door of one but I was not able to read it. Maybe it said the name of a ranch or perhaps it was a delivery truck? or a company truck from a mill? We will likely never know but it is fun to wonder.
Descend to Barnhartvale ~ Kamloops, BC
As we followed the hill back down to Barnhartvale, we were looking at a view of the mountains in the distance and the valleys that make up this beautiful area that we live in. Barnhartvale was renamed in 1909 but previous to that was called Campbell Creek, which was the name of one of the earliest pioneers in this area, who no doubt was taken by the breathtaking views that we now enjoy.
Harvesting the crops
We did not see sunshine but that did not detract from the beautiful valleys, hills and fields. Most of the history written of these hills speak about cattle and we saw signs of that to still be here today. The fields that grow crops are being harvested at this time of year but by the time we got to this point, we had rain and there was no harvesting being done at the moment.
Campbell Creek Road ~ Kamloops, BC
We spent the afternoon touring Robbins Range, Campbell Range and then followed Campbell Creek Rd which weaves through more valleys, passing several homes on the final part of the road before reaching the old Merritt Hwy #5A. We passed a few lakes during our drive, some of which are a good size and offer good fishing but today was a day of enjoying the scenery that took us back in time.
We need not drive far before we are out of the city and enjoying the beautiful vistas in the hills surrounding Kamloops. You may want to check the map before you leave but the roads we followed are easy to find and you will see road signs at each crossing that will avoid taking a wrong turn. (place your cursor on the map below and you are able to move it to follow the roads).
We are so lucky to have all of this in Kamloops, there is just no place like home !
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