Synopsis: A forest hike along the east bank of the Blaeberry River. Limited views, but the wildflowers can be glorious in late spring.
Access: From the junction of Highway 95 and Highway 1, drive west on the Trans Canada Highway for 11.6 km to Moberly Branch Road. Go up the hill 1.9 km to a T, and turn left on Golden Donald Upper Road. After 0.9 km, bear right on to Oberg Johnson Road, and follow it 1.9 km to the end, where it forms a T. Turn left on Moberly School Road and follow it for 0.5 km until it curves to the right and becomes Blaeberry Road. Follow Blaeberry Road for 6.5 km, until you see a sign on the right that says M Road. In 0.2 km, there will be a bridge crossing the river on your left. DO NOT take the bridge, but continue straight for 300 metres until you reach a rustic campground (known locally as the OB campground.) Park here.
NOTE: Unless you want to do this trail both ways, you will need to spot a car at the second Blaeberry River bridge, which is located at 10.6 km on the M Road. Drive to 10.6 km, cross the bridge, and park off the road on the right, near the skid trail that leads into a small cutblock. Be aware that the M Road is heavily used by industrial traffic.
Trailhead: Walk further along the logging road to the north for 100 metres until you reach a yellow sign announcing the road is deactivated. The trail leaves the road to the left and drops down to the river. NOTE: if the trail is flooded at this point, continue along the road for another 300 metres until you reach a driveway on the left that leads to the river. Go to the edge of the river and pick up the trail here.
Trail: For the first couple kms, the trail skirts the edge of the river, and during the spring freshet you might have to seek higher ground in spots. Shortly after passing under a cable car crossing the river (used to check flow rates), the trail turns abruptly to the right and heads inland. Then, it turns left and climbs a hill. At this point, you are out of hearing range of the river. Eventually, the trail forms a T with an old skid road. Turn left and head back down the the river. You actually cross the flood plain for a while here, and when you get to the other end of the flood plain, the trail just disappears. If the water is low, head around the corner and you will find it again. If the water is high, climb the small bank on your right and bushwhack for about 50 metres.
When you enter the next cutblock, head right up the old road, and curve right when the road does. Halfway up the hill, you will see red and blue flagging leading off into the bush. Follow the indicated trail, and you will find yourself on the edge of the hill above the river. (Actually, this cutblock is riddled with trails, but this is the one in the best shape.) Eventually, you will emerge from the forest at Thompson Falls, which can be viewed about 20 metres to your left.
Follow the logging road that goes along the river, rather than the one that heads up the hill. When you get to the old bridge site, across from the former recreation area, the road heads to the right. Follow it up to the main road, turn left, and follow the logging road until it starts to bend to the right. Keep a sharp eye out, and you will see the trail leading down to the left. It is a bit hard to follow in this stretch, but persevere.
The trail alternates between the flood plain and the forest above it. The flood plain section can be tricky to follow, but if you keep your eye out for small log bridges, you'll be fine.
Once you finally climb back up into the forest, it's because the Blaeberry gets very interesting in this section. It is quite constrained by rocks and flows pretty fast. Be aware there is some major windfall in this section.
Just before you meet up with the M Road again, you emerge into a small cutblock. Follow the road out to the Blaeberry River bridge, where your car will be if you spotted one there. Otherwise, you'll need to turn around and walk back.
If you do this trail from north to south, finding the trail at the end of the first cutblock is a little difficult. Just head for the back right hand corner of the cutblock and look for red and blue flagging tape.
Cautions: