Our group started at the end of High Rim Trail located in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park near Vernon and ended at Damer Lake up on the Aberdeen Plateau. We had planned to stop at Cosens Creek just outside the Provincial Park boundaries to camp and practice some shelter building but since the trail was in such good shape at that point, we decided to continue to Damer Lake to camp for the night.
Update: Thanks to Cabin Forestry company here are the pdf maps for the High Rim Trail – these are the real maps! They are fairly large files so please be patient. Also download the GPS tracks and Google Earth map files here.
High Rim Trail in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park
The total distance to hike from the trail end to Damer Lake Forest Service Site (where you can camp for free) is about 11.5 km. The only problem was extreme trail destruction from just below the repeater tower to Damer Lake. If you take this trail please get GPS points to guide you or a good topo map and compass so you can find your way to Damer as you may have to venture off the trail. The very real danger along this problematic section of the High Rim Trail is the danger of trees actually falling on you. As I was making my way over one blown down tree, I was about to pull my self up over it by grabbing a near by tree but decided not to as the tree that I was about to grab was split and ready to fall with a slight bit of weight!
Damer Lake is not right on the trail but very close to it and makes a very nice place to stop and catch a ride or camp for a night. If one was to hike to the repeater tower from Kalamalka Lake, you could easily follow a service road down to Damer Lake. Damer Lake is also called Round Lake.
DOES ANYBODY KNOW THE ACTUAL DISTANCE FROM SWAN LAKE LOOKOUT ON THE HIGH RIM TRAIL TO THE REPEATER TOWER?
From the Cosens Gate (gate in kalmalka Lake Provincial Park) to the Tower is 13 km going along the High Rim Trail. I will be uploading links to all the maps in five minutes.
LAST MONDAY SEPT 3, 2012 I DROVE OUT COSUSIN’S BAY ROAD TO GO FOR A HIKE UP THE CRASH OF 08 BIKE TRAIL AND CAME OUT ON THE HIGH RIM TRAIL, WHERE FROM TALKING TO A COUPLE OF BIKERS I FOUND OUT THAT THERE WAS A LOOKOUT IF I HEADED TO THE RIGHT UP THE HIGH RIM TRAIL.WHEN I GOT THERE I SAW THAT IT WAS NAMED ‘SWAN LAKE LOOKOUT’ I DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON FOR ANOTHER KILOMETER OR SO BUT WASN’T SURE HOW FAR THE REPEATER TOWER WAS SO I RETURNED DOWN THE HIGH RIM TRAIL TO THE 36 DD BIKE TRAIL AND BACK DOWN TO COUSINS BAY ROAD AND THAN BACK UP IT TO MY CAR. IT WAS A GREAT HIKE WHICH ENDED UP BEING 10.25 KILOMETERS ACCORDING TO MY GPS.BUT NOW I AM ALL WORKED UP WONDERING HOW FAR IT ACTUALLY WAS FROM THE LOOKOUT TO THE REPEATER TOWER BECAUSE IT WAS ONE OF MY MANY GOALS LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR TO DO THAT HIKE AND I FEEL I MISSED A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.I HAVE SEEN THOSE MAPS FROM CABIN FORESTRY BUT UNFORTUNATLEY THEY ONLY SHOW A FEW OF THE KILOMETER MARKERS WHICH ISN’T ENOUGH TO GIVE ME A GOOD IDEA OF THE DISTANCE. I GUESS I WILL JUST HAVE TO GO AGAIN AND FINSIH IT OFF.
The newly posted Google Earth file on the Cabin Forestry page is quite informative however. It presents more than enough detail; everyone should find it easy to understand the overall distances involved.
It was my goal to (ride) from Hydraulic Lake to Chute Lake this summer, but I think that one is slipping away from me as the weather cools…
Andrew D.
http://www.sweetsingletrack.ca