Welcome to A Crock of Schmidt. Here you will find campground reviews from all my camping adventures over the years. I also share cool attractions and destinations we’ve been to, great hikes we’ve done, and some insights on our hobbies. Once in awhile, I toss in some ramblings on whatever nonsense moves me at the moment. Thanks for coming by and I hope you find something that helps and/or entertains. If you do, kindly tell a friend about this place.
Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park – review
April 26, 2026
Timing, as they say, is everything. While writing this review of Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park that adage regularly crossed my mind. I can’t shake the feeling that my perception of this park would be different had we reversed the order of the camping trip that brought us to it. As it happened, Saskatchewan Landing was
Rings Ruts and Remnants Trail
April 19, 2026
I learned something about myself during a Saskatchewan camping trip last summer. I would not have been a good pioneer. Or explorer. Or guide, hunter, or tracker. Why, you ask? Because I … … got lost on a prairie hike. Now, in my defense the trail is in a partially flooded river valley with ravines
A Winter Visit to Allan Gardens Conservatory
April 12, 2026
Returning home to visit family over Christmas is a lovely tradition, but an exhausting one. So much so, that you sometimes need a side trip in the middle of it as a distraction. That mid-trip distraction, in turn, can further drain the batteries in which case you sometimes need a detour from the side trip
Famous People Players Black Light Theatre
April 5, 2026
I discovered Famous People Players a decade ago whilst hunting for Christmas gifts for family. Dinner and a show was just the kind of experience I sought and by all accounts my gift was a rousing success. Ever since, I’ve been wanting to see this fascinating performance myself. This past Christmas, it finally happened. That
The Hike to Molly Hughes Mine
March 29, 2026
We returned to the Slocan Valley in the summer of 2025, armed with a fresh list of potential abandoned mine and tailings piles to explore. Our first visit two years prior had ended in disappointment when most of the historical mines we attempted to visit proved inaccessible. Rookie mistake. This time we were determined to
Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park Centre Block – review
March 22, 2026
A conjoined provincial park straddling a provincial border strikes me as a wonderful idea. Neighbours cooperating to preserve and enjoy nature, what’s not to love? I reckon there should be at least one between every two bordering provinces across Canada. Alas, there is only one … Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. Straddling the Alberta – Saskatchewan
Old Slocan Highway Trail
March 15, 2026
On our first visit to Slocan, we discovered a creamy secret. Mountain Valley Station, the unassuming local gas station, bottle depot, courier depot, U-Haul depot, and convenience store serves ice cream. And not just any ice cream. They serve the biggest ice cream cones I’ve ever seen in my life. Seriously. They even warned us
Galena Trail: Three Forks to Alamo Siding
March 8, 2026
Driving through the Slocan Valley, it’s hard to comprehend how big the 19th century silver/lead boom was in these parts. This is even more true when strolling around the ghost town of Sandon. And yet Sandon was once the terminus of not one, but two railroads built to remove ore from the nearby mountains. Those
Hiking the K&S Trail in Sandon
March 1, 2026
The Kaslo and Slocan Railway, also known as the K&S Railway, hauled ore, freight, and passengers in various configurations from 1895 to 1914. The 45.4km line connected the lake port village of Kaslo with the silver boomtown of Sandon. Those glory days are long gone, of course. Kaslo no longer operates as an industrial port,
Sandon Ghost Town
February 22, 2026
Silver boom towns just don’t get the love that gold boom towns do. Compare Sandon, B.C. with Barkerville, B.C. as exhibit A for my argument. Both are 19th century boomtowns that became ghost towns. Both are linear, creek-side towns in the foothills of nearby mountain ranges. Only one, however, has been rebuilt and operates as