Author Archives: Kamloops Kayak

Hosli Lake

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The goal is to paddle all the lakes in our area (except the smallest ones) and eventually we will have done the shoreline of over 100 lakes.   Hosli Lake has been on the list for a while, but it is a little harder to get to.    The route is to drive to Roche Lake, but turn onto the Bleeker Lake Forest Service Road.   Continue past the Rec Site and follow the road mileage markers, ignoring side roads.   After Bleeker Lake, the road winds up into the hills and at about 4.5 km, watch for a (flagged) rough side road, bearing west.   This final section (0.7 km) is a high clearance road and would be 4WD in spring.

 

 

There are user-maintained campsites along the north shore of the lake, also offering good access to launch a boat.

 

 

A loop around the lake is about 2.5 km.   There is lots of interesting shoreline areas to explore….

 

 

The best part of paddling Hosli Lake is that it is remote, so it will be unlikely that we would run into anyone else.   The lake was quiet except for the ospreys, ducks, and loons.

 

 

The road carries on toward Campbell and Scuitto Lakes.   We haven’t driven that 4 km section, but if it is reasonable, paddlers or explorers could do a loop route.   Either way, Hosli Lake is a fine destination for a short paddle.

 

 

More information:

  • turn to Hosli Lake – N50 31.780 W120 07.987
  • there is another side road that runs to the south end of Hosli Lake but we don’t know how rough it is
  • Bleeker Lake article

 

 

McGillivray Lake Paddle

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McGillivray Lake is a high country lake on the Cahilty Plateau 6 km from Sun Peaks Village. The McGilllivray Lake Forest Service Road connects Sun Peaks Road to McGillivray Lake and the gravel road continues on down to Neskonlith Lake and Shuswap Road.     To paddle the lake, follow the gravel road and turn in to the McGillivray Lake Outpost where there is a boat launch.    The lake is surrounded by montane forest at 1385m (4544 feet) elevation.

 

 

On a smoky summer day, the webcams at Sun Peak showed reasonably clear skies so we launched our boats for a paddle under blue skies.   Much of the lake has a shallow shoreline with lilies and smartweed.

 

 

The outlet for MGillivray Lake is McGillivray Creek which flows into Little McGillivray Lake, then down to Sun Peaks Village.   The channel is shallow and marshy and the McGillivray Lake Recreation Site is right on the shore of the lake by the channel.

 

 

There are 3 wooded islands in the lake, making for more interesting paddling.

 

 

If we paddle all the small bays of the lake around the shoreline, the distance is 6 km.   At the final approach back to the boat launch, Tod Mountain forms the backdrop, somewhat blurry in a summer of smoky conditions.

We loaded our boats then drove into nearby Morrisey Lake for another 2.5 km paddle.   McGillivray Lake can be a busy spot on a weekend in summer, but it is a fine destination for weekday or shoulder season paddling.

More Information:

  • McGillivray Lake Road Points of Interest (link removed for security reasons)
  • Morrisey Lake

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 looms, 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.   The day we drove in there was one dedicated fisherman there 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.

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Morrisey Lake

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Morrisey Lake is a shallow high country lake on the Cahilty Plateau, not far from McGillivray Lake.   It is accessed from the McGillivray Lake Forest Service Road, 6 km past Sun Peaks.  Aat an unsigned side road just north of McGillivray Lake, turn east and follow the dirt road for 1 km.   Watch for the BC Recreation Site sign.   There are 3 camping spots and a dirt ramp for launching boats.

A paddle around the shoreline is 2.5 km.   Much of the lake is shallow and there is a small island in the middle.  A bald eagle was perched on top of a snag on the island.   Loons were fishing

Both McGillivray Lake and Morrisey Lake have shallows where smartweed, burr reed, and water lilies are in bloom in late summer.   .

This is a lake that has few visitors, but it makes a nice paddling retreat in the summer heat.   In a summer of smoke, the lake at 1392m (4567 ft.) was relatively clear.   On this day, we paddled 6 km on McGillivray then 2.5 km on Morrisey, a good day in a kayak.

 

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Our Paddling Corridor

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From Kamloops we have many lakes and rivers that we can pick for a day of paddling. Since wind is always an issue for paddlers, we are best to check the weather forecast before selecting a destination.   With the summer of 2017, we also had smoky days to think about and higher lakes tended to have less smoke than lakes and rivers closer to the valleys.   When weather, air quality, or wind may be an issue, we can just head up the Paddling Corridor and stop any one of the 16 lakes in less than an hour’s drive.   Some of the choices are not as easy to get to or may be more difficult in shoulder season, but the main lakes are reliable for most of the paddling season.   In the Google map below, click on the icons to see the location, an article, and a photo.   The map can be enlarged, panned, and shared.

 

Notes:

  • There are some access issues for Face Lake, Dominic Lake, Frogmoore Lake, and Sussex Lake.   A good high-clearance vehicle is helpful.   Paddlers can also choose to pay a launch fee at the lodges on Face Lake and Dominic Lake to avoid a rougher road.   Check the articles for more information.
  • In summer, Mamit Lake and Inks Lake become algae-filled, making them less pleasant to paddle.
  • All of the remaining lakes are fine choices for a day of paddling.

 

 

McGillivray Lake Road Points of Interest

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From Sun Peaks Village to McGillivray Lake is a 6 km route on a gravel road.   Along the way and nearby are snowmobile access points, backroads for mountain biking, lakes for paddling, and trails for hiking, cross country skiing and snowshoeing.   The Google Map below has information, photos, and links on these recreational opportunities.   The map has zoom controls, pan capacity, sharing functions, full screen view, and embedded photos.

 

 

The route is a good gravel road.    It is possible to continue south to the Amphitheatre Lake turn and complete a loop route back to Whitecroft on the Eileen Lake Road.   The road also descends from the Cahilty Plateau down to Neskonlith Lake (closed in winter).

 

a bald eagle at Morrisey Lake

 

We will return to paddle, snowshoe, cross country ski, and hike the McGillivray Lake area.

 

Lodgepole Lake

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Lodgepole Lake lies in a basin on the eastern slopes of Chuwhels Mountain.   We can access it by turning off the Lac le Jeune Road at Stake Lake and proceeding up the Chuwhels Mountain Road for 2.7 km.   The small  Rec Site at the east end of the lake is for day use only, perfect for launching a canoe or kayak.   At the west end of the lake is the Lodgepole Lac Recreation Site.with 9 camping spots, also suitable for launching a canoe or kayak.  Lodgepole Lake is a smaller lake (38 ha) at 1424m elevation (4672 ft) and a paddle around the shoreline is only 1.2 km.

 

 

The east end of the lake is shallow, but fine for launching a kayak

 

 

In a summer of smoky conditions, we drove to Chuwhels Mountain to get above some of the smoke.

 

 

At this altitude, lodgepole pines stand tall and straight on the shores of the lake.   It is an area where we go to snowshoe in winter since the road is plowed to the Rec Site and the altitude provides enough snow for snowshoeing.   A volunteer has been setting and marking trails for years.   In summer it is a spot for fishermen, and for campers to explore the tracks on Chuwhels Mountain.

 

 

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Sullivan Lake

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Many people refer to this lake as Knouff Lake, but the maps name it Sullivan Lake.   Locals in the community at the south end,  the Resort at the north end, and fishermen mostly call this Knouff Lake.   Nevertheless, I launched from the Sullivan Lake West (Knouff) Recreation Site and paddled around the shoreline of the lake, a total of 5 km.

The lake sits in a natural basin between Mount Knouff to the west and Community Mountain to the east.   To the north is a smaller, shallow lake called Knouff Lake on the map, but locals sometimes call it Little Knouff.   I paddled on the smaller lake on a SUP in 2016, a 2.4 km loop.   Farther to the north (6.7 km) is Badger Lake, another fine destitation for paddling.

There were ducks and loons on the lake, but also a number of fishermen, most coming from the busy resort.

There are a number of shallow bays to explore in the northeast corner of the lake as well as 4 islands to paddle around and between.

We try to paddle this lake every year since it is one of the best in our area.

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Inks Lake

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Inks Lake lies in a basin just off the Lac le Jeune Road in the grasslands southeast of Sugarloaf Hill and west of Jacko Lake.   Because it is shallow, there is no fishing in the lake and in mid-summer algae expands throughout the lake.   It sees little recreational use, except for winter pond hockey and an occasional lakeside camper.   There is easy access for a hand-launched kayak, canoe, or paddleboard from the shoreline on the south side of the lake.

There are two back channels that can be paddled in spring and early summer.   These dry up in late summer in some years, leaving 3 separate smaller lakes.   If we follow the shoreline all the way around the lake, it is 2.6 km.   On this paddling day, I went around twice, reversing the direction after the first circuit for a 5.2 km route.

The Inks Lake basin collects the meltwaters from the southern slopes of Sugarloaf Hill and the western side of the Ironmask Hills.   There is no visible inlet or outlet stream, so the water becomes stagnant in the summer heat.

Even though the water was green with algae growth, there were lots of duck families, snipes, killdeer, herons, blackbirds, western painted turtles, damselflies, dragonflies, especially in the narrower back bays, out of sight from the roads.

 

 

Inks Lake is not really a destination lake; it would probably be a nicer paddle in spring since it would be one of the first lakes to be ice-free.   Because of all the wildlife activity though, it was an interesting and rewarding exploration,  even in summer.

To get to Inks Lake, take the Lac le Jeune Road.   Just after going through the underpass for the Ajax Mine Road, turn right and follow the dirt road to park at the lake’s edge.

 

 

Edith Lake on a SuP

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Edith Lake is a popular fishing lake so it is better for paddlers to launch at non-prime fishing times to stay out of the way.   We went out with our stand-up paddleboard and paddled away from fishing boats, sticking close to the shoreline.

Grassland hills rise above the lake on each side.

The back arms of the lake are sheltered and shallow, fine for a paddle, but not good for fishing.

Edith Lake sits in a natural basin between Edith Hill and the Grandview Hill and is filled with meltwaters from the surrounding hills.  There is a small outlet stream (Humphrey Creek) that flows south into Peterson Creek at high water.   A small BC Rec site is now established on the western shores, adjacent to the Edith Lake Road.

From the hills above the lake, the view over the lake  stretches over the grasslands to Edith Hill just one kilometer to the west.

The paddle around the shoreline of Edith Lake is only 3.6 km, just right for a leisurely SuP outing on a spring day.

Tobiano to Six Mile Point on Kamloops Lake

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There are only 3 reasonable access points to Kamloops Lake – Cooney Bay, Savona, and Tobiano Boat Launch (Brubaker Marina).   For paddlers this divides the lake into 3 sections and since this is a big lake (30 km from end to end), each works well for 3 days of paddling each year.   To access the middle part of Kamloops Lake, turn into Tobiano and follow the signs down to the Marina.   Since this is a private business, paddlers should expect to pay a parking/launch fee, similar to what we would have at a fishing resort elsewhere.   We were pleased withe the service and found the beach to be a good place to launch a kayak.

Kamloops Lake can be a windy spot and small kayaks should be very cautious about conditions in the middle of the lake.   We have paddled all of the lake in various conditions and we know that our ocean kayaks (18 feet long) can handle a day on Kamloops Lake, but on this day, conditions were calm and beautiful.

We chose to paddle from Tobiano to Six Mile Point, an 11 km out-and-back route along the shoreline.   We passed the silt cliffs and hoodoos west of Tobiano on our way to the Six Mile Bluffs.

 

It was a grey morning, but the lake was calm, providing clear reflections in the lake waters.

The view to the east toward the head of the lake 15 km away was dominated by clouds reflected into the lake.

On the way to Six Mile Point, a number points of interest could be spotted from the lake..

quarried stone blocks on the CP Line

Painted Bluffs Park across the lake

the Balancing Rock from below

silt cliffs above beaches

 

This was the one clear day during the forest fires of July in 2017 when the winds from the east cleared the air.   By the next day the pall had returned to the lake.   We hope to return to paddle from Tobiano to Cherry Bluffs and back one day, then from Savona to Painted Bluffs and back on another day.

 

 

Jacko Lake on a SuP

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One of the first two lakes to clear of ice in late winter is Jacko Lake.   It can be a busy place in early spring with a lot of eager fishermen, so it is best to find other places to paddle.    But, because it is at a lower elevation and shallow, it is not a great summer fishing lake but it is a good time to paddle.   Jacko is a scenic lake with a number of shallow arms, all worth exploring.   On a hot summer day, I put a paddleboard on the water and followed the shoreline around the 4.7 km perimeter of the lake.

The turn to Jacko Lake is on the Lac le Jeune Road right next to Inks Lake.   The access road parallels the Afton-Ajax Mine Road for 1.8 km.   A good parking/launch area is located on the north side of the lake.   The lake is surrounded by grasslands hills and a few douglas fir forested patches.

The access road to the mine passes along the north side of the lake.

There were ducks, loons, dragonflies, damselflies, killdeer, swallows, magpies, a caddis fly hatch, leeches, and small fish feeding on the surface.

There was no one around and Jacko Lake was peaceful and quiet on a hot summer day,  with clear blue skies.  Paddling the lake on a SuP is slower (for me) than with the ocean kayak, but perfect for a smaller lake in mid-summer.

 

 

Stake Lake Paddle

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Stake Lake has clear water, an easy launch, and open scenery, so it is a nice paddle from May through October.   When the weather gets hot, the lake is at 1321m (4333 feet) so it is cooler than the bottom of the valley in Kamloops.   A paddle around the shoreline is just 2.5 km so we usually do 2-3 loops, reversing the direction with each loop completion.

There were loons, lakeshore birds, dragonflies, damsel flies, and some ducks along the way.

 

To paddle Stake Lake, follow the Lac le Jeune Road south for 23 km and turn in to the signed parking area at the north end of the lake.   Stake Lake is a 4-season recreational area with cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, paddling, fishing, mountain biking, and trail running.   We spend many days in the area throughout the year.

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Horsefly Lake

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From 150 Mile House in the Cariboo, the town of Horsefly is a 45 minute drive east and access to Horsefly Lake is another 14 km farther east.   Horsefly Lake Provincial Park is on the north side of the lake and it is a great spot to camp and paddle.   We launched our kayaks and paddled all the shoreline at the west end of the lake for 3 days.   Since the entire lakeshore is 100km around, we have only begun our exploration of the lake.

From the Park we paddled down to Birch Bay and the Horsefly River and back and along both sides of the lake east all the way through the narrows to Hansen Island.   The paddling was so good on the lake that we repeated some routes twice.

From across the lake we could see the snow-capped ridges of the Cariboo Mountains above Quesnel Lake.

Through the narrows, the lake bends easr to the Quesnel Highlands.

From a viewpoint in the Park we could see down to Birch Bay and Horsefly Landing at the west end of the lake.

On one of the days, the wind came up and we got to work a lot harder in whitecap conditions, but for the most part, the water was calm and the water was not cold.  The quiet whispers of last-light alpenglow on the hills before dark reminded us that another great day of paddling awaited.

It would be possible to kayak-camp this lake once the lake levels dropped enough to expose some beaches.   This would best be done from mid-August to the end of September.   Otherwise we will be driving backroads to launch spots down the lake.  Both Prairie Creek Rec Site and Suey View Rec Site look promising for a return trip to Horsefly Lake.

 

Walloper Lake Paddle

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Walloper Lake is located near the junction of the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy. 5S) and the Meadow Creek Road,  4 km west of Lac le Jeune.   The easiest access is in Walloper Lake Provincial Park (created in 1987) where there is dirt road and a boat launch area.   The lake is 43 hectares in size and has a maximum depth of 8m.    At 1311m elevation (4300 feet), the lakeshore is surrounded by wet, montane spruce forest and marshlands.   The source of the lake waters comes is Walloper Creek (from Lodgepole Lake) and Melba Creek (from the upper slopes of Chuwhels Mountain).     There is a dam at the south end of the lake that controls the reservoir, emptying into Meadow Creek (on its way to Logan Lake).   BC environment has installed and maintains an aerator in the lake.   The lake has a managed fishery with rainbow trout and is a popular destination for family fishing.

We launched and paddled close to the shoreline, going in and out of the bays and wetlands, a total of 5km

 

We spotted an eagle, an osprey, a great blue heron, American dippers, marsh wrens, a huge number of tadpoles, small jumping fish, redwing blackbirds, many dragonflies and damselflies, mayflies, and a loon with two chicks.   Even though its was a long weekend in summer, Walloper Lake was quiet for a morning paddle.   We will return to paddle this high country lake each summer.

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