Every year a paddle across Kamloops Lake to Painted Bluffs is planned, but I vary the hike in the hills. To avoid the strong winds that can blow down Kamloops Lake in summer, I watch the weather forecast carefully. This year the launch point was in Savona and a double loop was chosen, one on the lake, and one in the hills.
The 2 km crossing of Kamloops Lake is best done in calm conditions in a seaworthy kayak. The south-facing barren hills across the lake rise above the north shore of the lake.
Passing Copper creek, the edge of Painted Bluffs Provincial Park comes into view.
By July there is a good beach landing spot in the bay past the train tunnel.
From the beach, there is no trail up the shoreline and over the tracks. There is some poison ivy above the waterline, but also a number of wildflowers there and above in the hills.
primrose
white clematis
blazing star
poison ivy
The shapes, colors, and alien landscapes of Painted Bluffs comes into view right after crossing the tracks.
The park area is surrounded by rocky grass-covered hills overlooking Kamloops Lake. A loop through the bluffs and then up to the tops of the hills was part scramble and part hike. The view east extends past Six Mile Point and Peregrine Bluffs.
Last year I launched from Tobiano, following the shoreline west from Peregrine Bluffs.
It is about 13.5 km to paddle from the east end of Savona to Painted Bluffs and back. The lake was calm on the return paddle, about 1.25 hours each way.
This is an annual event within the summer schedule, one of the best paddling routes of our area.
If we drive up the Wells Gray corridor, the road ends at the boat launch on Clearwater Lake, From that point on, it is boat access only. Clearwater Lake stretches for 22km northward and along the way are 8 marine campsites. Beyond the end of the lake the Clearwater River drains Hobson and Azure Lakes. One option is to take the water taxi to the end of Azure Lake and paddle all the way back, a total of about 50km. We have paddled the lake many times but this time we chose to launch and paddle up the east side of the lake to enjoy the quiet beaches of Clearwater Lake.
On a 3 day forecast of stormy weather we paddled up the lake and found campsites mostly empty. Bar View is a prime campsite with a sandy point and beach about 8.5km up the lake.
We also paddled up to Ivor Creek (canoes and kayaks only) and Huckleberry campsites (both have fine beaches too) and back (10 km return) before the weather came in.
Rain fell to the south and north in waves. We had our tarps ready and enjoyed watching the progress of the storms from our campsite.
Late in the afternoon, the sun started to shine through the waning rainclouds.
Some blue skies first showed themselves in the west.
In the evening, the alpenglow on Mt. Huntley was an unexpected and welcome sight.
By the third day, the weather had cleared and we enjoyed a calm paddle back to the boat launch, sorry to leave the beautiful beaches of Clearwater Lake.
We returned to paddle all of Mahood Lake and spent 3 days paddling, hiking, and camping in this quiet corner of Wells Gray Park. We launched our kayaks from the west end of the lake at the Provincial Park Campground. We had hoped to paddle down to Travertine Campsite on the north shore of the lake, but it was not easy to find on a windy day (we were more focused on keeping our boats afloat), so we paddled on to the end of the lake, a 21.5 km route.
We picked the Mahood River North campsite and we were delighted with the user-maintained site/facilities. It had a pit toilet, a metal (bear-proof) food cache, some user-made tables, a tarp-rigged cooking shelter, a firepit, and a number of tent pads. The pebble beach sloped down to the lake, and it is west-facing so the rounded rocks warmed up in the afternoon sun each day.
Each evening, we looked west down the lake to watch the sun set.
Behind the campsite were lava cliffs overlooking a cedar-hemlock forest.
The Mahood River is adjacent to the campsite. The river runs east for 6 km, down to meet the Clearwater River, descending in a series of rapids, chutes, and waterfalls. A fisherman’s trail runs down the north side to pools in the canyon and a Parks trail runs down the south side of the river from the Mahood River South campsite (only accessible by boat) to Sylvia-Goodwin Falls and beyond to the confluence of the two rivers (a separate article on this site).
The end of the lake is a very quiet spot, more than 20km from any roads/vehicles. We saw a few power boats on the lake for a half day of fishing, but no one else camped on the lake. Along the 21+ km route we noted 4 beaches on the north side that could be used for landings/camps if the weather dictated a shortened paddle own the lake. On the way back, we found Travertine campsite (a hand-made sign called it Candle Creek) and landed there to check it out for a future stay.
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This is a fairly long paddle for kayaks or canoes and because it is a big lake, care for wind and storm conditions is important (see Mahood Lake). Launching in the morning is a good idea and paddlers can expect to take about 5-6 hours to reach the end of the lake. Afternoon weather seemed to come in from the west, blowing down the lake. We used longer ocean-going (seaworthy) kayaks with lots of storage space for camping gear.
Mahood Lake is a fine location for paddle camping and the beach/campsite at the end of the lake is a perfect wilderness retreat, especially to watch evening sunsets.
Notes:
Boat launch – N51 52.997 W120 31.418
Travertine campsite – N51 56.043 W120 21.061 (13.6km down the lake)
Mahood River North campsite – N51 55.957 W120 14.782
Mahood River South campsite – N51 55.697 W120 14.999
On a recent paddling trip from Clearwater to Kamloops, we explored islands in the middle of the North Thompson River and camped on them during a 3 day journey. At the end of the first day of paddling we landed on the final island of Chu Chua Cottonwood Provincial Park.
BC Parks describes the park as follows:
“An area of large, undisturbed, floodplain islands in the North Thompson River. The typical large floodplain area is in a natural, undisturbed condition.”
We landed on the gravel beach and camped up in low sand dunes on the edge of the green space – grass, willows, and ossier dogwood surround cottonwood forests. To go right to the interior of each island means pushing through tall undisturbed growth. We saw many deer and bird tracks, but no human or cow influence was spotted. This is a rarely visited set of islands.
In high water, there is a chain of separate islands, then when the river recedes, small channels separate them and by mid-summer, some go dry.
Muddy shoals and gravel bars appear in the river, making navigation difficult for anything but canoes, kayaks, and possibly river jetboats.
The river was peaceful, but Highway 5 is not far away on one side and the CN tracks are on the other side.
We landed on a number of other islands on our downriver paddle. We camped on two of these and enjoyed explored the rarely visited isles of the North Thompson River.
The North Thompson and South Thompson Rivers provide many days of paddling each year. Downriver paddles are easier so we try to go at least 20km and arrange for a vehicle at each end. We started at the Valleyview Boat Launch. This is a busy spot on weekends with many floaters entering the water to drift down to Pioneer or Riverside Park. Be sure to park on River Road, not in the boat launch area (or you may be ticketed). An early start is recommended to get on the river before the invasive power boats. The first section passes some secluded Valleyview beaches and the Indian Reserve en route to the Yellowhead Bridge.
On our way downriver, we paddled past four and a half bridges.
We went down the north side of Rabbit Island and had a brief break at Mission Flats beaches before heading downstream. A channel around an island is part of the navigation route to the lake.
As we approached Tranquille and the Kamloops Lake, the river widens.
On the last section of shoreline near Tranquille, some river otters were curious about the paddlers.
The paddle from Valleyview to Cooney Bay takes 3 to 3.5 hours and is safe, easy paddling for all canoes and kayaks. More sections of the rivers are planned up to the end of the paddling season (November).
We have enjoyed paddling Pinantan Lake, but we really like paddling up a narrow channel to the hidden upper lake.
The entrance to the lagoon channel is at the east end of the lake. It can be paddled in a canoe or kayak, but there is a dam-like blockage partway through that requires getting out of the boat and pulling it over the obstacle.
It is easy paddling on the other side and we emerged into the upper lake, an extra one kilometer shoreline loop.
There is no road access to the upper lake and it surrounded by swamp and meadows, a peaceful spot that is inaccessible to most other people. We saw only loons and ducks on the lake on this last paddle.
Launching from the community park, we did the shoreline of both lakes, a 6km morning paddle. The main body of Pinantan allows only electric motors so it is less busy and much less noisy than other area lakes.
This is a favorite, one we will return to do every year.
Paddling our rivers is a matter of picking the right launch and landing spots, the right date and time, and the right weather.
We launched our boats at the end of Harrington Road next to the Golf Course in Westsyde. This spot is a good spot from March through October. We could have chosen to launch off the end of Dairy Road too and may do that next year. Landing spots need a bit of beach to land on, then good access for a vehicle to load the boat. We chose McArthur Island which has enough water at the boat launch area from May through August.
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Any paddling on the rivers requires careful consideration of power boats. They are frequent on weekends, but if we get an early start, we can finish the paddle before the motorized mania starts. The North Thompson River gets less traffic so we want to get past Overlander Beach before lunch, or earlier.
We picked a sunny day, but wind is the issue, not clouds or rain. With no wind, we can paddle downstream at 7 to 9 km/hour.
The route from Westsyde to McArthur Island is about 14km, two hours of paddling downstream, one we will do again every year for as long as we can.
In the back valleys between Shuswap Lake and Adams Lake are a chain of lakes. Hummamilt Lake is the largest and a superb lake for paddling. To get to Hummamilt Lake, follow the North Shuswap Road past Anglemont on the way to Seymour Arm. Pass Albas Provincial Park and turn up the Celista Creek Forest Service Road. At 9.7 km, watch for a small Forest Service Site and a hand launch.
The launch area is in a small bay near the outlet and passes through a zone water lilies.
Hummalmilt is a long narrow lake. There are some small islands and 3 narrow channels on the way to the end of the lake.
Both sides of the lake have steep forested slopes. The entire paddle up one shore to the end and back on the other shore is 25km, a long paddle, but a scenic one. When I was there on a weekday, there were no other boats and no campers at the two Rec sites.
On the way back, the winds rose and the paddling was harder, but the snowy ragged Anstey Range peaks were right ahead coming down the lake. Loons, ospreys, ducks, and dragonflies were the only other occupants of this remote lake.
A loop route is possible and had been planned, but I blew a radial tire and without a spare, I was reluctant to continue on to Stukemapten, Mowich, and Adams Lake, coming down Holdings Road to Agate Bay. That will be another trip, with a stop ot paddle Mowich Lake. Hummamilt Lake is worth the long drive though, especially on a nice day with no one around.
The South Thompson River from Chase to Kamloops provides excellent downriver paddling. We can divide the river route into 3 sections (based on accessible launch/landing sites) – Chase to Pritchard, Pritchard to Lafarge, and Lafarge to downtown Kamloops. We paddled from Lafarge to Pioneer Park in mid-June.
The paddling is all easy and the only issue is avoiding a lot of powerboats. By getting an early start, we were able to avoid most of the motorized traffic. Most boat owners are considerate and slow down when passing canoes and kayaks (but not all). The silt cliffs rise above the shores of the river.
There are many riverfront homes in Dallas and Valleyview. Behind them, Sunrise Mountain stands among the wispy clouds over the south shore of the river.
Mt. Peter and Paul stand over the north side of the river as we approach downtown Kamloops.
The river section is 20km from the launch area next to the Lafarge Bridge to the boat launch at Pioneer Park. We are very lucky to have two rivers running downstream to the “meeting of the waters,” making fine downriver paddling for us from March to November.
It was raining on the West Chilcotin Plateau. While traveling east on Highway 20 there was a break in the weather right at Nimpo Lake, so I found a boat launch and paddled out into the quiet lake. There was no wind and no other boats on this larger lake.
It is too big a lake to go all the way around (27km) so I chose a loop through the middle, going around 3 islands. Birds kept me company along the shoreline and loons were on the hunt on the lake.
The Coast Range was in sight 30 km to the west, and the Itcha Ilgachuz Range could be seen 40km to the north, but the terrain of the area is mostly trees on a rolling plateau at 3700 feet.
Nimpo Lake is the Floatplane Capital of B.C. but no planes took off or landed until after I was finished paddling. It is a destination fishing area and there are a number of resort accommodations on the lake, though all were quiet on a weekday in June. I scouted out some more lakes for exploration in a kayak – Charlotte Lake, Tatla Lake, Punzi Lake, Tatlayoko Lake, and a lot of smaller lakes too, all earmarked for future trips.
The drive to Bella Coola and back has long been a call-to-explore and a week was set aside into the calendar for the tour. It is 740 km each way so I got an early start on a Monday morning. The road is paved all the way to Anaheim Lake so I proceeded along the route, stopping for gas as needed. The gravel section started just before Tweedsmuir Provincial Park and there were no vehicles along the upper section of the park. The weather was fine and I stopped at some trailheads in the park to scout out future hikes. Wide views were impressive at the top of Heckman Pass and I proceeded carefully down the Big Hill. I was happy the road was dry and I wasn’t pulling a trailer on this daunting 16 km section of road.
The Bella Coolla Valley was impressive with steep-sided mountains all around, glaciers and snowfields above, and waterfalls and creeks entering the valley into the Atnarko and Bella Coola Rivers. All of the campgrounds in Tweedsmuir were still closed and there were no vehicles at all in the upper valley. This is a coastal cedar-hemlock wet coastal zone forest with fast-flowing streams and dense green forest.
In the middle part of the valley, Hagensborg is a small community with Norwegian immigrant history. There were some services, regional parks, and a nice ambience to the area. Coming into Bella Coola was a bit surprising. The community is in a beautiful setting, but seemed a bit run-down. I drove past the town out to the Government dock where the ferry used to land, then beyond to a small regional park for a view out the North Bentick Arm.
I drove through the town and looked for a gas station. The one gas station was closed and though I wanted to stay in Bella Coola, I had to drive back up the valley where I ended up paying $3.84 a litre! A big disincentive to staying in town. I decided to looked for a camping spot near the western edge of Tweedsmuir Park. I spotted this this old homestead along the way.
I had noted some possible camping spots on the western side of Tweedsmuir Park and I settled on a spot by Burnt Bridge Creek, very near the end of the Alexander Mackenzie Heritage Trail.
The weather was mostly clear on day one. The moon was shining over the Coast Range in the middle of the night..
An early morning start and choices to make – paddle in the Bentick Arm or on a lake up in the Chilcotin? The weather was changing and I didn’t want to drive the Big Hill in the rain, so I made the decision to head east. The Big Hill is very steep, unpaved, and has drop-offs at the shoulder all the way to the valley floor 4000 feet below. I carefully drove the 16km section to the top at Heckman Pass. At the top is a viewpoint back across the Coast Range above the Bella Coola Valley.
The upper part of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park has high (5000 feet) wet meadows and small lakes.
The plan for the day was to hike the first part of the Rainbow Range Trail in the morning.
Just before the trailhead, I spotted two silver-backed grizzly bears stumping along the meadows not far from where I had planned to hike. There were no other vehicles around and I was hiking alone. So, I drove on.
It started to rain west of Anaheim Lake. I chose to drive east to attempt to outrun the weather. At Nimpo Lake, the weather cleared a bit so I found a boat launch and paddled for 2 hours on this peaceful lake.
At the end of this pleasant paddle, the weather started to deteriorate. The plan was to turn down to Tatloyoko Lake to hike, paddle, and camp for a day or two. When I reached the turn-off, the rains had resumed, but more heavily now so rather than tent in the rain, I continued east. The weather really came in after that.
My plan to paddle Charlotte Lake, Tatla Lake, and Tatloyoko Lake and to hike around Tatloyoko was rained out. I continued east. At Riske Creek I turned down toward Farwell Canyon. The roads were muddy by this time and I passed quite a few loaded logging trucks. I stopped at the Sheep Junction Park trailhead and went for a walk along the track, but the rain discouraged any further exploration. This will be a return bike/hike.
Farwell Canyon was in a grey weather zone, but it was nice to see the hoodoos above the Chilco River.
In the end, I drove all the way home. The planned 5 day trip to Bella Coola and the Chilcotin took only 2 days. It rained for the next day and a half after that. The road trip was quick, but it was fun to see all the villages, Reserves, ranches, rivers, lakes, and mountains along the way. This became a “scouting trip” for a return (summer) trip to hike and paddle sometime in the future.
In spring we paddle downriver, enjoying the green corridors of our valleys in our kayaks and canoes. We choose to go before the noise and wakes of powerboats take over the rivers.
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We paddled from the public beach at Chase on Little Shuswap Lake to the Lafarge Bridge, a total of 40.5km.
Wile the rivers are in flood, the water moves more quickly and we were able to average about 7.5km/hour. On the North Thompson, we have been able to do about 9km/hour. There is little swirling water on the South Thompson, but the current does run faster on one side, then the other as the river winds its way west.
Banana Island Provincial Park makes a good stop for a break. Even at high water, there is a small beach on the north side of the island.
About halfway along the route is the Pritchard Bridge. There is a good landing spot on the northwest side of the bridge.
The next 20km downstream is steady paddling all the way to the Lafarge Bridge. There is a good landing beach on the northeast side. For most paddlers, half of this route will be a good choice. Pick a nice day with little wind in May, the first half of June, or September to avoid power boat traffic and noise.
Other good (and easy) downriver sections are Lafarge to Pioneer Park, Pioneer Park to Cooney Bay, and Harrington Road in Westsyde to McArthur Island, all scheduled for this year.
There is a chain of lakes in the upper Deadman’s Valley and Snohoosh Lake is the largest of them. It is a long, narrow, and winding lake bordering the Deadmans-Vidette Road. From the Trans Canada Highway, we have to drive 38 km to the south end of the lake. The backroad continues to wind around the shoreline of the lake for another 4.4km. At the north end of the lake is a Recreation site with a hand launch in a small bay.
The paddle down one shoreline to the end and back to the launch is 8.5km. At the south end of the lake is the outlet to Deadman’s River where the water pours over a small dam.
There are only a couple of cabins on the roadside of the lake; the rest of the lake has willow, red ossier dogwood, wild roses, alder, and birch next to the water and pine-fir forest above rising up the slopes on both sides. In two hours on the lake, no vehicles could be heard and there were no other boats on the lake. Loons, ducks, American dippers, and swallows were spotted on the lake. Small schools of fish swam below the kayak in great numbers. This is a peaceful spot.
Other lakes we can paddle (or fish) in this quiet back valley are Deadman’s Lake and Vidette Lake. There are Forest Service Rec sites at all 3 lakes.
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When the North and South Thompson Rivers rise from the spring melt, the boat launch at McArthur Island can be used to access the Thompson River.
During freshet, the volume of watyer increases and the current is stronger. Once we enter the river, we look for slower water to progress upstream. The north side shoreline can be followed towards Overlander Bridge, a good workout. We enter the main flow and go across the river to come down the channel on the south side of Rabbit Island. The current is slowest next to the island.
At the west end of Rabbit Island, we turn the corner to come back up the shoreline. The current is slower right next to the island, although the water is quite shallow. We enjoy paddling right around the island. When the river is very high, some of the interior channels of the island fill with water and we can explore them (article).
The Rabbit Island Circuit is about 6km. We could do an extra lap around the island or go downstream farther and could easily extend the paddle to 10km. The upstream sections add a good strength and endurance workout.
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One of the best paddling destinations we try to do every year is Clearwater Lake. The boat launch is at the very end of the Wells Gray Corridor Road. Beyond the launch is 22km of wilderness lake with treed shorelines and snow-capped mountains rising above. Along the shoreline are a few wilderness marine campsites. We have enjoyed going to the far end of Azure Lake and paddling back 45km over several days. For a day trip, though, we head up the lake past the curving eastern shoreline below Easter Bluffs.
Once we have gone up the lake a few kilometers, the views start to open up. We can see Mt. Huntley at the end of the lake. Azure Lake lies beneath the mountain and to the northeast. It drains into Clearwater Lake by a short section of the Clearwater River.
If the winds cooperate, we go up the lake and then cross to the other side to Divers Bluff. This is the deepest part of the lake. Campers at the marine campsite there sometimes dive off the bluffs into the lake on a warm summer day. There is a 1.5km trail to the top of the bluffs too. We landed on the beach for lunch. The bay there is sheltered from the winds coming down the lake.
We returned down the lake back along the western shoreline. Thunder heads started to form over Chain Meadows and the Easter Bluffs in the boat launch area.
Paddling Clearwater Lake is best done in a seaworthy kayak or canoe. Winds often come up in the afternoon and it can be more challenging. We stay close to the shoreline when the winds come down the lake.
On this day we had tailwinds helping us back to the launch, but a thundershower burst over the last leg, bringing hail and rain.
Several articles on Azure Lake too; type Azure into the Search Bar
The route up the shoreline to Divers Bluff and back is about 13km, taking about 3 hours. There are two beaches at campsites along the route and we spotted two other small beaches for potential landing spots too. Small waterfalls and streams enter the lake from both sides. We paddled this loop in May when there were no power boats on the lake. The only sounds were the calls of birds and a few rumblings of thunder. We will be back for an extended paddle on Clearwater Lake.
One of our best paddling lakes is Lac le Jeune. The ice comes off in the spring and we can paddle there in April, but at 4200 feet, we usually go to the lower lakes and the river first. Later in the season it is a busy place as boaters and fishermen fill the lake. Early in the season it is a quieter destination for a 9.5 km paddle.
We enjoy paddling both lakes, going through the water tunnel under the road. The smaller lake to the west has extensive marshes. Yellow and red-winged blackbirds and marsh wrens filled the reeds and bullrushes with sound. A hatch must have also been in progress because fish were jumping all over the west lake.
South shoreline
yellow-winged blackbird
marsh wren
the water tunnel
When the winds pick up, we usually avoid the larger lakes, but Lac le Jeune is higher on the Interior Plateau so the winds are not the gusting cross-valley east-west winds found at lower altitudes. We followed the shoreline, ducking into the lee of bays when we could. For local paddling Lac le Jeune, Paul Lake, and Heffley Lake are our three best choices for the spring (for many return outings).
Passing Copper creek, the edge of Painted Bluffs Provincial Park comes into view.
By July there is a good beach landing spot in the bay past the train tunnel.
From the beach, there is no trail up the shoreline and over the tracks. There is some poison ivy above the waterline, but also a number of wildflowers there and above in the hills.
The park area is surrounded by rocky grass-covered hills overlooking Kamloops Lake. A loop through the bluffs and then up to the tops of the hills was part scramble and part hike. The view east extends past Six Mile Point and Peregrine Bluffs.
Last year I launched from Tobiano, following the shoreline west from Peregrine Bluffs.
It is about 13.5 km to paddle from the east end of Savona to Painted Bluffs and back. The lake was calm on the return paddle, about 1.25 hours each way.
This is an annual event within the summer schedule, one of the best paddling routes of our area.
