Author Archives: Kamloops Kayak

Central Mountain Trail (Murtle Lake)

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To get to Murtle Lake, we have to drive to Blue River, then drive up into the mountains for 23 km.   At the trailhead we have to load the kayaks onto carts and portage for 2.5 km.   At the boat launch on Murtle Lagoon, we then paddle for 12 to 14 km to camp at a marine campsite.    On this trip to Murtle Lake, we camped on Leo Island.    On this particular trip, I did a solo paddle and hike to Central Mountain.    I paddled 1.5 km to the trailhead at a sign on the shoreline.    There wasn’t much of a landing so I hauled my kayak up the rocky shoreline, then put on my hiking boots.  

The forested trail was steep and grown-over in some sections.    It is not hiked much so the trail is indistinct so some navigation was required.   

The hike to the top of the mountain is 7.5 km.   Near the top I passed through a subalpine meadow with views down the West Arm of Murtle Lake.   Bears frequent the area so I made noise on the way up.   The open meadows on top are part of a caribou migration route, but I didn’t spot any.  

The alpine area was open with meadows and rock outcrops, and wide views.  

From the southern edge of the summit. I could see down to Leo Island below, our marine campsite.  

From the summit, I chose to continue east to the edge of the slope break to see if I could see down to the lake.  

From a viewpoint the North Arm of Murtle Lake was below, with the Wavy Range above, on the east side.  

I continued farther north and came to a viewpoint of the north end of the North Arm of Murtle Lake. The Murtle River drains into the lake from the Cariboo Mountains in Northern Wells Gray Park. 

This turned out to be a long day of hiking.    The return hike is 15 km, but I added more distance by traversing across the top of the mountain east, then north.  

The hike is really only for experienced backcountry hikers who can navigate and be self-sufficient.    It is not a hike I will do again, but I am happy to have done it this day.   A Google EArth Fly-Over is shared here for an overview of Central Mountain. 

Back on Jacko Lake

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In the fall, I returned to Jacko Lake to paddle around the shoreline twice (8km).

The shallow bays are filled with aquatic vegetation, but it doesn’t take much surface water to glide over the masses below the surface.

This lake was busy with fishermen, but by staying close to the shoreline, I stayed out of their way.

On this website, I am developing a page of information on each lake in our area.    There will be over 100 pages when done, by mid-winter.    One of the first to be ready is a page on Jacko Lake.   Click the link below for more information:

 

 

Le Jeune Equinox

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On the first day of fall, I drove up to Lac le Jeune in the morning and paddled the east end of the lake.    There was no wind at the start and the lake water had a blue-silver glaze.

There was 3 still fishing boats with quiet electric motors on the lake, but no other paddlers and almost no ducks or geese.    Loons were fishing in the middle part of the lake.

I followed the shoreline, veering around fallen trees, and seeing more ready to fall over the winter.

The marshlands on the northeast side of the lake provided some color as the reeds, rushes, and sedges lose their greens and show yellows, oranges, and a bit of reds.

I don’t choose to paddle Lac le Jeune in the summer when there are too many boats on the lake and shoreline activity includes a lot of noise.   In the fall, the lake becomes quieter, especially on a cool mid-week morning.

The sun was shining through clouds and dark clouds to the east was contrasted with sunnier conditions to the west.    The wind picked up near the end of this paddle, the 77th day of kayaking this year.

Lac le Jeune is one of the best paddling lakes of our area.    This was my third time on the lake this year and I plan to paddle the west end and the smaller lake one more time before the weather becomes cold.

 

To Battle Bluff

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On a calm September day, I hauled my kayak down to the river near Cooney Bay.    I use some wheels which attach to the back end of the boat and pull it down the pathway, lifting the boat over some logs.   At this time of year the shoreline of the river is muddy so paddling boots are a good choice.    It is only a short paddle from the launch beach to the lake.

I rounded the point at Cooney Bay and looked back at the morning sun, shining through scattered clouds.

I try to avoid paddling Kamloops Lake in the wind, but on this day, only a light breeze came across the lake from the southwest.   I paddled around a rock bluff, then past a shingle beach.

Battle Bluff rises 324 m (1063 ft.) from the lake to the top.

contI paddled around the base of the bluff, noting the high water mark on the rock.

It is about 1 km under the cliffs to get to the west end of Battle Bluff.  There are no landing spots.    With some wind, the waves rebound off the rock, providing choppy conditions.

At the west end of Battle Bluff, the shoreline is series of sloped under the Fredrick Bluffs.   Across the lake, the rocky hills are continuous to the benchland near Tobiano.   The hill between Cherry Bluffs and Tobiano is called Roper Hill.

Battle Bluff, Dewdrop Ridge and all of the rocky slopes on the north side of the lake are built up on a series of lava flows.    On the east side of Battle Bluff, basalt columns rise above the shoreline, an older lava flow than the rocky hills above.

In Cooney Bay, pelicans were feeding by the mouth of Tranquille River.   The flock was settled on a sandbar up the river, but small numbers of pelicans flew down to feed where the river met the lake.

Kamloops Lake is a favorite place to paddle, but the road in is potholed, the haul to the river is hard work, and winds on the lake can be difficult.    Still, I try to get onto the lake when I can.   In this particular day, I paddled about 8 km in fine conditions.

On Clearwater Lake

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Clearwater Lake is one of my favorite lakes to paddle and so I paddle some part of it every year.    Over the years, we have paddled the entire lake quite a few times and we have stayed in every marine campground on both shores.    Last year I paddled Azure and Clearwater Lakes.   With the heat, smoke, and difficult conditions this year, I did not get to the lakeshore until September.    We camped at Falls Creek and launched our boats in the early afternoon.

Normally we would want to paddle the lake in the morning when the winds are usually light, but there was little wind at the start so we took a chance and paddled up the lake.   Both shores are forested and sometimes steep.   We followed the east side up the lake with the goal of getting into the main part of the lake where there are views toward the northern mountains.

The winds whipped up blowing from the northwest making progress difficult.   After paddling into a headwind for half an hour, we turned around and returned down the shoreline.

From the boat launch to the widening of Clearwater Lake just past Diver’s Bluff is about 7 km.    We did not get that far on this day, but that will be the goal for the next time.  The lake narrows at the south end, continuing to Osprey Falls, but we landed at the boat launch this time, completing about 9 km of paddling.

We will be back to paddle and camp on Clearwater Lake for as long as we can.

 

 

On Hyas Lake

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Near the first day of fall, Hyas Lake was the planned paddle.    It is 13 km up into the hills from Pinantan at 1237 m (4060 ft).     The boat launch is at the Hyas Lake Recreation Site, at the end of the Hyas Lake Forest Service Road.  There are 5 small campsites there, adjacent to the Hyas Lake Fishing Camp.

On a calm morning, I paddled around the shoreline of the lake, a 4.3 km paddle.

To the north Shaw Hill at 5200 feet rises above lake.    We have hiked to the top, coming up backroads from the Heffley Lake area.   There were many potholes in the roads, but it is accessible to most vehicles, but in shoulder season, it may be best to have a 4x 4.

Hyas Lake is a beautiful clear lake with marl shoals and a forested shoreline, a fine spot to paddle in the off-season.

We have also walked/hiked the backroads in the area and hope to connect a loop route after some more exploration.

Edith in the Rain

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On a grey, cool, windy, and rainy morning I headed out for my 73rd day of paddling in 2021.    I launched at Edith Lake and paddled around the shoreline of the lake for 2 loops.

Even the ducks were sheltering in the cool and wet conditions, but with a spray skirt, gloves, and a waterproof paddling jacket I kept up a steady pace for 75 minutes.

The winds picked up and the temperature dropped, a good motivation for steady paddling along the lakeshore.

Although Edith is a popular fishing lake, there was only one boat on the water when I started and none when I left.

After a summer of paddling in warm conditions, it’s time to break out the cool weather gear until the end of the paddling season.

I have paddled most of the local lakes, but there are a couple I still want to do, including Red Lake, Saul Lake, Hyas Lake, and some others, all by the end of the season.

 

 

 

 

Six Mile Lake Loops

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On a grey morning with a chance of rain, I drove west and then up into the hills to paddle Pat (Six Mile) Lake.      The lake was quiet and there was almost no wind.

Lake levels had dropped since I was there in the spring.    Water buttercup had filled in the shallows in some of the bays.

A paddle around the lake is 1.8 km so I paddled around twice, once in each direction.

Six Mile (Pat) Lake is a good choice for a shorter paddle in the off (fishing) season.

We hike the hills above Six Mile Lake too, enjoying the rugged and scenic terrain of the area.

On Niskonlith Lake

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On a sunny and breezy morning in September I paddled out of the boat launch in Neskonlith Lake Provincial Park.

A steady wind out of the southwest was part oif the paddling experience, but it was not a problem.    Along the way there was a log with western painted turtles, and osprey overhead, and geese in the lee of the small island.    I paddled west, then looped back.   A paddle around the lake takes about 2 hours.

Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

Neskonlith Lake is one of our best paddling destinations.   It is accessed on gravel roads from Chase.

On Lac du Bois

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I had paddled Lac du Bois before, enjoying the quiet lake with all of its ducks, muskrats, painted turtles, and pond life.   The lake is within the Lac du Bois Grasslands Conservancy and new fences and gates now block vehicle access (a good thing) so getting a boat down to the lakeshore is more difficult.    I lifted the kayak over the rail fence, then hauled it down to the lakeshore.

A more difficult launch means less people on the lake, but that also makes the lake quieter and preserves its natural state.

On this greyish morning, there were lots of ducks and a muskrat.    I spotted the beaver lodge on the north shore.   A few birds flitted by in the trees.

A paddle around the lake is 3.4 km, taking under an hour.

Paddling on the lake takes more work, but when the conditions are right, it is a fine place to spend some quiet time in the Nature Conservancy.

 

 

 

On Lundbom Lake

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On a day with marginal weather forecast I drove down through Merritt then up to Lundbom Lake.   By the time I arrived at the launch area the winds were up and the paddle became a bit of an adventure.

A paddle around the lake is 3.3km.    With the wind at my back, I reached the far end of the lake in 15 minutes.

The way back around the lake took twice as long, but I just treat wind challenges as an opportunity for an endurance and strength  workout.

Grey skies were the order of the day and some rain may have fallen later in the day.

I have hiked the Lundbom Commonage extensively, but this was the first time paddling the lake.    I explored the campgrounds too and I could see this will be fine place to spend a few days.

One Hour on Stake Lake

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When we paddle about 80 days each year, some days are light and easy, with exploration, photography, and some floating.    Other days are more ambitious, paddling longer distances, exploring shorelines, but keeping a steady pace (long-slow distance).    And, on other days, we paddle more quickly doing loops around a favorite lake like Jacko Lake, Edith Lake, or Stake Lake.  On a sunny day, I drove to Stake Lake for two quick loops around the lake, ramping up the intensity, and shortening the total paddling time.

I paddled twice around the shoreline of the lake, once in each direction.

When I am focused on paddling intensity, I carry a point-and-shoot camera, but try to keep the photography to a lower priority.     Rather than photos, here is a Google Earth Fly-Over of Stake Lake.

I will be back to Stake Lake again for more paddling, cycling, hiking, and snowshoeing.

On Dardanelles Lake

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Dardanelles Lake lies in a basin in the plateau country south of Roche Lake and east of Stump Lake.   The main route is on the Dardanelles Forest Service Road which starts at the north end of Stump Lake.   It is a 21 km backroad, gradually climbing to 1260m.   The last short section is a rough road (high clearance) to the Dardanelles Lake Recreation Site.

There is a good hand launch at the edge of the lake.

The lake was quiet except for a trio of loons, busy fishing for lunch.   There is a small forested island in the lake.

There has been a fair amount of logging in the area, but the shoreline of the lake is mostly forested.

A young loon kept a low profile in the water as the parents fished nearby.

 

The long road in goes through several ecozones, starting in the grasslands and working up through the upper grasslands- aspen groves to the montane forest.

This is a long route in but if you choose to paddle Dardanelles Lake you may be the only one in the area.   On the day we drove in there was one dedicated fisherman (on a weekday).   He had a camper at the lake’s edge and said he just drove slowly over the rough sections.   It would certainly be a quiet spot overnight.

More information:

On Badger Lake

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Near the end of summer, I drove north on Highway 5, then up the Orchard Lake Forest Service Road to the Badger Lake Forest Service Road.    The Badger Lake boat launch is a separate side road to the lakeside with lots of room for parking and launching.  I paddled around the lake in a counter-clockwise loop.

All of the lake is great for paddling, but the best part of the lake is the back channels on the west side.   A bay turns to a shallow channel, which leads to a small lake.

The narrow shallow channel is about 0.5 km long.    It was probably originally marsh, but when Badger Lake was dammed, the water rose sufficiently to create a passage that can be paddled.

Bulrushes and cattails flanked both the channel and the back lake.   I paddled the loop in and back.

A partly-hidden exit channel led out to the main part of the lake.

I finished the loop around the lake, taking about 1.5 hours.  Badger Lake is another favorite, one we will continue to paddle every year.

 

 

On Campbell Lake

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In late summer each year I drive the backroads to get to Campbell Lake Rec Site to paddle the lake and, at the same time, spot and photograph pelicans and sandhill cranes.    I timed it right and saw both, along with eagles, an osprey, loons, many ducks, deer, and shoreline birds.   Campbell Lake is a pretty spot, with low hills surrounding the lake.

Paddling the whole lake shoreline is about 8 km, but some of the bays are very shallow in late summer so paddlers may need to adjust their shoreline routes.

There were about 10 pelicans standing on rocks or in shallow rocky bays on the south side of the lake.  To get good photos, we have to drift in, then use a good telephoto lens.

The  shallower bays were sometimes choked with aquatic vegetation, but getting closer to the sandhill cranes and pelicans means paddling through those bays, scraping the rudder in the mud.

About 20 sandhill cranes flew into the lake and landed on the shoreline at the end of a large muddy bay.

After spending some time watching the pelicans and cranes I paddled all the way around the lake, another great day of paddling in the hills.

 

 

On Community Lake

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Community Lake is on Community Mountain at 4500 feet.    Drive toward Knouff Lake, but turn off at the signed Community Lake FSR.   There is a Rec site at about the 6 km mark up the gravel road.     There is a good boat launch and lots of parking at the Rec Site.

The access road was in good shape.   On a cool morning there was no one else on the lake, but there were a few people camping at the Rec Site.

No wind on the lake and some darker clouds overhead provided some refelctions in the glassy water.

There are 5-6 islands in the lake and some shallow bays to explore.

Tod Mountain rises above the trees to the east 9 km away.

A paddle around the lake takes about an hour.   When I go to the lake, sometimes I fo around the lake twice, once in each direction.

Community Lake is one of my favorites, one I do every summer or fall.