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.
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
Fort Walsh National Historic Site
February 15, 2026
Canadian history has a knack for occurring in the middle of nowhere. This is particularly true of New World colonial history which is, to be fair, not all that surprising. In some cases, however, like the Fort Walsh National Historic Site, that history remains in the middle of nowhere. Okay, that’s a little hyperbolic and
Battle Creek Trail
February 8, 2026
Visiting Fort Walsh National Historic Site is as much a trip into the middle of nowhere as it is into the past. You’ll find yourself wanting a little something more than just viewing the interpretive centre and fort reconstruction to make a day trip worth your while. Well, I’m happy to tell you that hiking
Bear Creek Provincial Park – review
February 1, 2026
I don’t feel I needed a refresher on the state of my memory. It ain’t what it used to be and that’s been evident for a few years now. Much like my body. But Bear Creek Provincial Park provided a cutting reminder of just how unreliable some of my memories have become. I first camped
Paul Lake Provincial Park – review
January 25, 2026
When entering Kamloops, you’d be hard pressed to believe a place like Paul Lake Provincial Park exists nearby. This is true in all directions, and in many BC interior towns, for that matter. The valleys, despite the water bodies often within, are quite brown. As in dry, rocky, and relatively treeless. Yet, smack dab in
Emory Creek Provincial Park – review
January 18, 2026
If you provided me with only the location of Emory Creek Provincial Park and asked me to guess at its makeup, I’d say something like this. It must be a big park, sprawling up into the mountains on either side of the Fraser River, with lots of trails leading to exceptional viewpoints. There would have
Skihist Provincial Park – review
January 10, 2026
The inevitability of change is something we accept, if begrudgingly. Its occurrence in real time is often unsettling and frustrating. But when we encounter evidence of it in the past it’s hard not to lose ourselves in wonder of what once was. That’s where I found myself during our one-night stay at Skihist Provincial Park.
Gold Panner Campground – review
December 14, 2025
My annual search for camping destinations is both exhilarating and exhausting. There is the thrill of unearthing new, intriguing places to add to our itinerary balanced with the recognition that there are fewer such places to find with each passing year. Occasionally, I’ll find a unicorn. A perfect match of location and activity. Gold Panner
Sceptre Campground – review
December 7, 2025
In last week’s post, I wrote about our detour to the Great Sand Hills during a camping trip through southwest Saskatchewan. Facilitating this detour required an overnight stay in an area of the province that’s not exactly brimming with accommodation options. Campgrounds are limited to small, community/club run operations in equally small, rural towns. While
The Great Sand Hills of Saskatchewan
November 30, 2025
If you spend a lot of time researching interesting destinations for camping trips, you’re bound to stumble upon a curiosity that gets lodged in the back of your mind seemingly forever. A place that, on its own, doesn’t quite justify a stand-alone trip, but if you’re passing through the neighbourhood is worth checking out. For