Author Archives: Kamloops Kayak

Paska Paddle

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Paska Lake is located under the slopes of Chuwhels Mountain, on the high plateau between Lac le Jeune and Logan Lake.      The Paska Lake Road turns off the Meadow Creek Road (to Logan Lake) and climbs through the hills, bearing north.   The Paska Lake Recreation Site is located on the western shore of the lake.    There is a boat launch there and lots of parking.   One day into summer I paddled around the lakeshore on a fine, sunny, and calm day.

 

Kayakers can choose to paddle down a shallow lagoon channel on the southwest corner of the lake.    By mid-summer the water drops and the aquatic vegetation fills in the channel.    On this day I was able to paddle about 2/3 of the way down the channel and back.    This is the outlet for Paska Lake.

The shoreline is marshy for part of the lake and forested on three sides.     There are a number of summer cabins and homes on the northwestern arm.    A paddle around the lake is a bout 4 km.

On this day there was a great blue heron, ducks and ducklings, geese and goslings, loons, shoreline birds, and many fish jumping.    This was a quiet morning of paddling in the high country.

 

More Information – Paska Lake

 

 

 

Kayaking Sullivan Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Sullivan Lake is a fine recreational lake on the Knouff Lake Road.    We can launch a kayak or canoe from the Recreation Site on the west side of the lake.     There is also a hand launch in the community of Knouff Lake.    A paddle around the entire lake is about 5 km, but we can paddle most of the lake, avoiding most of the private homes and marshy shallow bays in just about an hour.     On a pleasant June day I launched into the lake and paddled a clockwise loop.    There was only one other boat on the lake on this weekday morning.

There was an osprey circling overhead.    Loons were keeping an eye on a loon chick while an eagle watched them from a tree nearby.   Ducks and ducklings paddled along the shoreline.    There are 5 islands in the lake; I have landed and explored two of the islands.

The lake can be busy on weekends so a weekday morning is recommended.    The road is good all the way to Knouff Lake.   A grader was working on the road that day.    Beyond Sullivan Lake, the road is bumpy all the way to Badger Lake.    I will be back to paddle that lake soon.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view.

 

 

 

 

 

On Horseshoe Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a grey morning with rain and stormy weather forecast for the afternoon, I chose to paddle Horseshoe Lake.    To get to the Rec Site on the lake drive toward Roche Lake, but turn onto a gravel road that goes to the West Roche Lake Campground.    Turn right (watch for the signs) and follow a good gravel road to the small Rec Site.    There is a boat launch there and adequate parking for day users of the lake.    The lake has two longer arms that are marshy.      The lake was fairly low so the marshy channels were quite shallow, just barely enough for a kayak.   We can usually paddle farther earlier in spring.

On this day there was one small fishing boat and only one trailer in the Rec Site.     I launched and had a quiet paddle on the lake, going around the shoreline twice (a total of 4 km).

There was a great blue heron in the west arm.    Two loons with two chicks sounded the alarm in the south end of the lake.    There were ducks with ducklings, geese with goslings, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, swallows, and American dippers on the lake’s edge.

 

By summer this lake shrinks and the shallow bays become filled with aquatic growth.     It is a nice spot for a spring paddle each year.

 

 

Mornings, on Three Lakes

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

In June each year, I look for reasonable conditions to paddle and I travel to different lakes each time, trying to avoid the busiest times for a quiet paddle.    Loop routes are my first choice, but I try to avoid long stretches of private lakefront cabins/homes where possible.   On a number of lakes they are confined to one side so I paddle the forested side or up the middle of the lake.     Paddling early in the morning  often solves the noise and congestion problems.

On grey day that promised rain, I launched my boat into Isobel Lake from the boat launch in the northeast corner of the lake.   There were no other boats on the lake and only one fisherman on the fishing dock on the north side.

 

In late spring we can paddle into all the bays and around 3 islands.    A complete loop of the lake takes about half an hour.    On this day I went around twice, once in each direction.    A few spits of rain spattered the lake, but I stayed dry under my splash deck and rain jacket.

On a Friday morning I launched my boat into Heffley Lake.     This is a lake that can be very busy (and noisy) on weekends, so an arly start on a weekday a good choice.

The north side of the lake has lakefront homes, so I usually paddle along the south shoreline, going into the bays, then returning down the middle of the lake.    There was one other boat with a trolling line, so the lake was fairly quiet.

One of my favorite paddling spots is Stake Lake.    It can be a busy spot, but in the early morning, there are usually less boats.    There are often lots of walkers, hikers, dog walkers, and bike riders on the trails, but on the whole it is a quiet area in the morning.

Once around the lake takes about 25- 28 minutes, so I usually paddle the lake twice, once in each direction.    On this day, I secured the boat, then went for a hike afterwards, choosing a different route each time.

 

 

Murkwater Paddling

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

In the Thomson – Nicola area there are many lakes and some of them are shallow, muddy, and alkaline, many not suitable for fishing.    We can kayak them, but the best season is spring while the water is clearer, before the lake turns over, and before aquatic plant growth and algae multiplies.    Some lakes turn a muddy-green and have a summer stink (skunkwater).   This often coincides with feeder streams and creek water dwindling and the water becomes stagnant.    The water warms up and naturally occurring nutrients (mostly phosphorous and nitrogen)also build up, feeding blue-green algae growth.   Lakes that are red by streams that go through farm areas can also carry fertilizer.    Any lake next to a highway can also be contaminated with road salts spread in summer and leached down into the lakes.

Trapp Lake is a good paddling lake in spring, but in June it turns a muddy green and by mid-summer is like kale soup.      By that time, the texture of the water, the smell, and the general sense of decay makes these types of lakes poor for paddling.   In early June I paddled the lake, and it was just starting to change, but won’t return until next spring.

No wind left the lake water mirror-like.    This is a scenic lake, but the highway noise detracts from the natural beauty.

I paddled half the lake on this day, about 6 km, taking about 70 minutes.

It is best to paddle Murkwater Lakes in the spring.    Some of the lakes to avoid in summer include Bleeker Lake, Mamit Lake, Napier Lake, Louis Lake, Inks Lake, and any lake that has low water levels from evaporation and dry inflow streams.

 

 

 

 

Stump Lake Recreation Site

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Stump Lake is a fine lake to paddle, but with two caveats.     It is a windy lake so we need to check the wind forecasts in advance.    Second, there has been limited access to the lake to launch a boat.    The lake has risen, flooding some lakeside cabins and the main boat launch area on the west shore.    Since it is a popular fishing lake (kokanee), the one official ramp is always full.     there are three other informal access points, but they are also busy spots.    In the last few years I have used the roughest access point, hauling the kayak down to the rocky shoreline.    There was a Rec Site on the east side of the lake, but the access road was in poor shape and the site was run-down.    I landed my kayak in the little bay and checked it out and was disappointed.    But that has all changed now.    BC Rec Sites and Trails has rebuilt the site.   Access is from the south, at the start of the Peterhope Lake Road.    the road has been graded and re-fenced all the way to the campsite, where there are 16 campsites, a boat launch, washrooms, and parking.

I launched my kayak from the gravel shoreline and paddled south along the shoreline of the lake.

Stump Lake is a large lake so we paddle a loop route over part of the lake, changing the route each time.

Next time I will again choose this launch area and I will paddle north.   Recommended!

More information:

 

 

Walloper Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a grey May morning I drove up the Lac le Jeune Road to the Walloper Lake Recreation Site and launched into the lake for a circuit of the shoreline.     Conditions were calm at the start, but the forecast called for 20 km/h winds to start about 10:30, and after an hour of paddling,  the first gusts arrived (about 10:00), on my way back to the launch.   Overall it was a good paddle on the lake.    There were no other boats on the lake and I spotted loons, ducks, geese, swallows, a hatch of insects, and an osprey.    The high country is still emerging and some of the shrubs haven’t yet leafed out.    I have left the higher elevations lakes for later in May and into June.   This was the first of a number to be paddled in the area, including Stake Lake, McConnell Lake, Lodgepole Lake, Paska Lake, Face Lake, Tunkwa Lake, and Leighton Lake.   Some smaller lakes will probably be paddled to, depending on access.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

 

Neskonlith Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a greyish late May morning I drove out to Neskonlith Lake for a paddle, followed by a nature hike.    Access to the lake is seasonally limited.    We can drive through the gate from May through October.    The road leads to camping sites and a boat launch on the north side of the lake.    When I launched there were no other boats on the lake, nor any vehicles at the launch parking area, but tehre were a few RVs in the designated camping spots along the lake.    All was quiet early in the morning.   Since it is 11 km to paddle the whole lake I usually paddle the west arm or the east arm, completing about half the lake each year.    On this day the lake was calm and quiet.    I paddled west and returned around a small rocky islet.

There were a few pairs of nesting geese on the island and in one sheltered bay.   There were ducks and loons on the lake and swallows and an osprey flying over the lake.   this is a lake I paddle each year, one of about 100 in our area.   A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Mile Paddle and Hike

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a greyish spring day I drove from the TransCanada Highway up the rough Six Mile backroad to Pat Lake.     I kayaked around the lake twice (about one hour of paddling), then secured the boat and hiked up into the hills.    Pat Lake is a popular fishing lakes, especially in the early season since it is one of the first ice-off fishing lakes.    The lake is surrounded by rocky hills in a grasslands zone.      Six Mile Hill stands above the lakes to the north, overlooking Kamloops Lake.    The lake has good access for launching a boat and parking and it is a scenic spot, but it is a smaller lake.

There was a couple of fishing boats on the lake, but I kept out of their way by paddling the shoreline, once in each direction.

There were ducks on the lake, an insect hatch, a killdeer, and many swallows swooping across the lake.   It is a quiet and peaceful spot.

After paddling around the lake twice, I hiked to the top of Six Mile Hill and back in an eclectic loop route.    Another fine day of paddling and hiking…

More information on Pat Lake – link.

 

 

 

Upper Pinantan Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

I paddle Pinantan Lake every year, launching from the end of Cridge Road.      I usually paddle around the lakeshore (4 km) and in some years I paddle and portage up to the upper lake (sometimes called Little Pinantan Lake).    The route starts by paddling along the north shore of the lake to the northeast corner.    From there a marsh channel can be paddled in spring.     There is a beaver dam part way up and this year there was a second barrier too.

Before the dam we can paddle over to a grassy (and muddy) shoreline area, get out, then haul the kayak by hand past the barrier, then relaunch again.    In the marsh it is not easy to get out and get back in again (twice).

I launched back into the upper channel and entered the upper lake, a scenic small lake bordered by bullrushes and cattails.    There were ducks, blackbirds, and marsh wrens .    Grasslands and forested slopes surround the lake.    I paddled once around the lake, then came back down the channel, did the portage, then paddled back into the main lake.

The route to the upper lake is a bit of an adventure and the small lake is a lovely spot.    I hope to return to the main lake to paddle once more, probably in summer.

More information on Pinantan Lake.

 

 

 

Kayaking Venables Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On the May long weekend I drove through Cache Creek and down the Trans Canada Highway towards Spences Bridge.     I then turned onto the (signed) South Venables Valley Road.    It is paved for about half the distance to the valley.   After that it is good gravel.    I continued up the valley until I came to a hand launch spot about halfway up the lake.    Although the forecast had been for light winds, there was a strong breeze out of the south, so when I launched the kayak, I paddled south for a 3.8 km circuit around Venables Lake.   This is an out-of-the-way lake that sees few paddlers or fishermen.

Both ends of the lake have shallow water, but there was enough water in the lake to allow a full paddle of the lake.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

After paddling the lake, I drove north, then turned down the North Venables Road for a loop route.    the south road is better, but the north Road is a slower drive.    After reching the highway I pulled off at Red Hill to find flowering bitterroots, now emerging on the dry rocky hills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edith AM

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

With wind and rain forecast for the day, starting about 9 am, I decided to head out to Edith Lake early.     I was on the water by 7:15 and enjoyed cool, but calm conditions.    At the time of the morning, there were no other boats yet on the lake.     Along the way were loons, geese, ducks (mallards, goldeneyes, and grebes), blackbirds, meadowlarks, swallows, rising fish, and killdeer.     A circuit of the lake, including all the back bays takes under an hour, but if we continuously paddle, it makes a good workout to start the day.

The main part of the lake sees a lot of fishing boats, but boats do not venture to the back bays much.   These are surrounded by grassland hills and are shallow near the end.    As I paddled back to the boat launch, more fishermen were arriving.

Edith is one of my go-to lakes for a shorter paddle so I try to keep a good pace as a workout, but I also enjoy the quiet, rural setting of this close-to-home lake.

 

 

Pass Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a grey and drizzly morning I drove up through the Lac du Bois Grasslands and continued to Pass Lake  at 19km.    I drove down the short access road to the Pass Lake Recreation Site.     There are two boat launches and lots of parking.    I launched into the lake and paddled twice around the shoreline, a 5 km outing.    there were a few fly fishermen on the lake, but it was still a quiet spot.    There were loons, including a nesting one on the shoreline, an eagle, ducks, geese, red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, a painted turtle, and a fresh hatch on the lake

 

The lake was calm for the first third, then wind and rain passed through the area, and it calmed down for the final part of the second loop on the lake.

This lake is a good lake to paddle in the spring, one I will continue to kayak for the years to come.    More information – Pass Lake

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Noise Paddle

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

When we go out to paddle, we are hoping for a quiet outing.    Some lakes are noisy spots.     The more homes on a lake, the more likely we will encounter noise, particularly power machinery.    Some of the noise comes with power boats.    Some comes with loud people, unnecessarily.     One of the spots we are cautious of is Paul Lake.     Because the lake is surrounded by steep slopes, the acoustics amplify noise across across the lake.     The best way to avoid the noise pollution problem is to go early in the morning, or a weekday morning, or off season.    We usually paddle the lake three times each year so we purposely plan for the best times.  On a sunny morning with no wind, I launched my boat early and paddled the east end of the lake, a 5 km route.

 

By a beaver lodge there was a bear and an eagle on watch.    There may have been beaver kits in the lodge.   I have spotted a beaver swimming in the lake in past years.   At the east end of the lake, there were western painted turtles sunning on wet logs.     Loons were diving and there were ducks all over.     Blackbirds and marsh wrens were heard and seen in shallow, marshy bays.

There was one fishermen with a wharf boat who thought he should bring a music device and play his music while fishing.     I could hear it right across the lake.    When we left he turned on his noisy engine and slowly crossed the lake, filling the whole valley with jarring decibels of pollution.   Most of the paddle along the south shore was quiet, with only the calls of birds.

 

A few more boats were arriving as I paddled back across the lake.    I was done before the din.

I will return for one more paddle of Paul Lake, probably in the fall when quiet is restored to this potentially-tranquil spot.

 

Peterhope Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a mild May morning I drove south on Highway 5A south past Stump Lake, then turned up the Peterhope Lake Road bearing east.    The road is paved for about 6.5 km then a gravel road arrives at the lake.     A BC Rec Site is just off the road with two boat launches.    I launched at the first one and parked, then launched into the lake for a circuit around the shoreline, including a route up a back channel to a small hidden lake.    The paddle takes about 75 minutes with steady paddling.    The winds were light at the start, but on the way back stronger gusts came out of the north.

There were a few people fishing on the lake, but it is a large enough lake for everyone.     There were ducks, loons, geese and goslings, a bald eagle, an osprey, marsh wrens, blackbirds, and swallows on the lake or by the shore.    A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view   .

 

 

More Information:

 

 

 

Bleeker Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a mild spring day in early May I drove gravel roads to the Roche Lake area, then turned onto the Bleeker Lake Forest Service Road to the BC Rec Site on the north side of the lake.      On a Sunday morning the Rec Site was full and there were three other informal sites nearby also being used, but when I launched the kayak, there were no other boats on the lake.      A paddle around the shoreline is about 4.5 km and it took me one hour of steady paddling.

Bleeker lake has shallow areas on either end of the lake, but it can all be paddled in spring.   With intermittent inflow, the lake drops significantly in summer, partly from evaporation and partly from draw-down (a dammed lake).    Large sections of the lake become choked with aquatic vegetation in summer.   The lake has also had recent winter kill, but there is an aeration system in the lake to support the fishery.    On this day there were many ducks on the lake, a loon, and a bald eagle watching for a lunch meal.

This is a lake I paddle each spring, but I do not return for a second day of paddling in summer or fall.    I will be back in May of 2025 (but I may go past Bleeker to brave the rough road into Hosli Lake).

A few images from the day’s paddling are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view.

 

 

More Information – Bleeker Lake