Batchelor Ridge Ramble
On a sunny and cool day near the end of winter we hiked from the parking area by the entrance to Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area and hiked on steep tracks up and over a series of hills to … Continue reading →
Tag Archives: Batchelor Hills
Batchelor Hills – Orangecap Loop
On a sunny mid-December morning the Batchelor Hills called for an 8 km hike. We have hiked some of these routes for decades, but now there are a number of additional single track trails too, with new names, and some … Continue reading →
Brock Beacon Route
As winter progressed we had some milder days and over a few weeks, the snow and ice on south-facing lower slopes melted and ran off downhill. The lower slopes of the Batchelor Hills are often the first to be clear … Continue reading →
The First Wildflowers of Spring
Please visit A Wildflower Journal (link) for an updated version of this post. A search of dated photos from hikes in late winter showed some patterns of the first arrivals of wildflowers. Each year is different. In the lower … Continue reading →
Westyde Bench Route
The Westsyde Bench route extends from the Batchelor Hills subdivision to Deep Lake. A good single track starts right at the parking area by the cattleguard (at the south side) and winds around a ridge, then bends north passing by … Continue reading →
Batchelor Gold Mine
In 1899, a claim was staked on Batchelor Hill by two brothers from Paris, France, but by 1901 the claim was owned by Owen Batchelor. He worked the hilltop for many years. Vertical and horizontal shafts were dug and gold … Continue reading →