Painted Bluffs
It’s well known that the route along the Trans Canada Highway (Hwy 1) from Kamloops to Savona is an incredibly scenic drive. One particular spot that catches the attention of many lies directly across the lake from the highway. The Painted Bluffs are a spectacular surprise that emerge from the landscape leading up from the lake shore. Here the traditional landscape of brown earth dotted with clumps of dark green erupts into an improbable wash of colour and textures that are completely unlike anything around them.
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park
In response to recommendations put forth in the Kamloops Land and Resources Management Plan for protecting this area of geological significance, Painted Bluffs Provincial Park was established in 1996. The park covers approximately 100 hectares on the north side of Kamloops Lake just 34 km west of Kamloops. Although access, primarily by boat, can be challenging, there are several excellent vantage points across the lake where they can be seen.
Geological Significance
When you look at the Painted Bluffs from a distance it’s easy to see that the small area where they occur is very different in appearance from the surrounding landscape. The intense colours that mark the slopes and gullies come from deposits of copper and cinnabar (mercuric sulphide).
The formation is known as a batholithic intrusion. A batholith is a large (usually over 100 km square) single section of rock that has formed from magma that has cooled in the crust of the earth. An intrusion is a section of a batholith that has pushed up to the surface and cooled.
An alluvial fan, or a deposit of sediment in the shape of a fan that can usually be found where a stream leaves a steep canyon and arrives on a flat area, can be seen near the lake shore. These are frequently found in arid or semi-arid landscapes. A fluvial fan, which is also present in the area, forms from debris deposited by water moving downstream.
In 1896, in the Annual Report: New series (Geological Survey of Canada)., Volume 7 submitted by George Dawson, then director of the Geological Survey of Canada, the area was described as having suffered a “remarkable amount of decomposition” (p. 166). This decomposition was caused by chemical, steam, and thermal forces below the surface. “Green, yellow and red colours prevail in the sloping and clay-like banks of rotten rock, amongst which rounded masses, and irregular layers in the undecomposed trap still exist.” Many of the minerals in the area such as olivine, a greenish mineral sometimes known as peridot, had decomposed and transformed into other forms. The olivine in the area has been changed to serpentine, its metamorphic equivalent that is described to resemble the skin of a snake.
Dawson also noted an old mine shaft which can still be found today. In the report he described that not much had been done to the site as the results for usable copper were poor and levels of silver and gold were negligible. While the copper found in the area (hence the name Copper Creek to the west of the bluffs) would not have been useful from a mining perspective, it was an important source of copper for local First Nations people.
Nature and History
Aside from the stunning geology of the area, the Painted Bluffs are also home some interesting plants and animals. Look to the ridges and you may see a herd of California big horn sheep. If you hike in the area you might also see bright yellow flowers, blazing stars (Mentzelia laevicaulis) as well as sage and blue bunch wheatgrass.
The area surrounding the bluffs has a rich and long human history as well. The area has been home to first nations people for thousands of years. In more recent history, the old Hudson’s Bay Brigade Trail crosses the northeast corner of the park.
The Big Picture
With many pull out areas on the south side of Kamloops Lake that offer excellent views of the painted bluffs, it’s worth it to just stop and take a moment to appreciate them and what they represent. The earth is ever changing, complicated and awe inspiring.
Bibliography and Sources
Geological Survey of Canada, Annual Report: New series (Geological Survey of Canada)., Volume 7, Geological Survey of Canada, 1896, Google Book Search. Web. 2 July. 2017.
“Geology and Earth Science Terms and Definitions” (no date), in Geoscience News and Information, Retrieved July 2, 2017 from http://geology.com/geology-dictionary.shtml
“Mentzelia laevicaulis” (June 9, 2009), in UBC Botanical Garden, retrieved July 2, 2017 from http://botanyphoto.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/2009/06/mentzelia_laevicaulis/
“Painted Bluffs Provincial Park” (no date), in British Columbia Government: BC Parks, retrieved July 2, 2017 from http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/painted/
“Painting the Bluffs” (January 18, 2011), in Kamloops Trails, retrieved July 2, 2017 from http://www.kamloopstrails.net/painting-the-bluffs/
“Serpentinization” (1999), in A Dictionary of Earth Sciences, Retrieved July 2, 2017 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/science/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/serpentinization
“Thompson River District: Management Direction Statement” (October, 1999), in British Columbia Government: BC Parks: Planning, retrieved July 2, 2017 from http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/planning/mgmtplns/painted/painted.pdf?v=1498089600049
Access
The CNR train tracks cut through the park close to the lake. Visitors should note it is illegal to cross tracks unless it is at a designated track crossing. Coming in from above means crossing private property. For this reason the cache has been placed across the lake with a view of the Painted Bluffs.
Detailed access information:
On the Westbound side of the Trans Canada(Hwy 1), there's a large rest stop, complete with washrooms and picnic tables, as well as some great views. From the "V" gate(TH), follow the left(West) trail that heads up towards a climbing area. Part way along you'll see a secondary trail on the left(West) side of the trail(RP), which leads to the cache.