In June each year, we can launch our boats from the Tranquille Wildlife Management area and paddle out into the flooded lands at the head of Kamloops Lake. We have a 10km circuit that we can do, but each time a different channel is taken. At the peak of the freshet, all the channels are connected, but as the water recedes, many of them are dead ends, requiring some back-paddling. The area is full of birds. This year we have spotted bald eagles, golden eagles, great blue herons, ducks, geese, marsh wrens, yellow-headed blackbirds, and a number of smaller birds. The cottonwoods, willows, and dogwoods stand in deep water for a few weeks, but still seem to thrive. Groups of trees/shrubs look like floating islands in the bays.
Past the last of these “islets” is the river, slow-moving as it runs into the lake. The crossing is 1km to the far shore. The channel mouth starts to the left of the gully ahead. This image was probably taken in May before the area was fully flooded.
Any series of channels can be taken, but we usually paddle the one closest to the far shore and return back through the middle. Views extend down the lake past Battle Bluff and up the river toward Mt. Paul. Mount Mara overlooks Tranquille Bay and the rocky hills along the south shore rise steeply above the floodlands.
This is one of the yearly great wonders of the region and just a few of us venture out in our kayaks to experience the sights of this wet wilderness each June.
When spring comes, the ice melts off the lakes and we can start to paddle some of the larger lakes of the area. In May, Paul Lake has a few people fishing, but is quite quiet otherwise. The water is still cold, but fish start to jump, pairs of ducks dabble near the shoreline, loons dive for fish, birds swoop for insects, and the chorus of frogs at the east end marsh foretells warmer weather.
We can launch our boat at either the campground or at the west end of the lake and the whole circuit of Paul Lake is 12 km, a good workout in a scenic spot.
Gibraltar Rock is the prominent landmark along the lake, creating a narrows, with the orange-colored cliffs looming overhead. With each return to the lake, we change directions and shorelines. To do the whole lake is a good paddle, especially in windy conditions.
The east end of the lake has homes along the north side and steep forest on the south side. The far east end is shallow with a marsh extending into the trees. On the west arm, there are homes on the south side and a trail below Louis Ridge on the north side. We can choose to paddle the whole length of the lake by the forest by crossing the lake by the park forming a figure eight pattern.
By May, we can still paddle the river, but we can also paddle Paul Lake, Neskonlith Lake, Lac le Jeune, Little Shuswap Lake, Stump Lake, Kamloops Lake, and some of the smaller ones (we go around twice) on windier days.
Kamloops’ two rivers provide fine early season paddling. The South Thompson flows more slowly, has fewer shallows/sandbars, and has less hazards. Progress up or down is good, except when the power boats arrive. The North Thompson has far less traffic and a little more caution is needed, and it is hard work to paddle upstream.
Most river paddling outings follow this pattern of hard work upstream, followed by an easy return journey. On this grey and windy day, the route was from Pioneer Park downstream to the confluence, then upstream on the North Thompson. The Red Bridge stands at the west end of Pioneer Park. It was first built in 1887, then rebuilt in 1912, then in 1936. It is a wooden truss bridge, now an unusual situation for an active urban route. The top rails are red, but we paddle under the dark pylons and timbers.
The Black Bridge is on a spur line of the CNR. On the northwest pylon is a long-standing beaver lodge. On one sunny spring day my kayak silently glided down and surprised two beavers sunning themselves on the pile of debris. Past the bridge, we come to Indian Point. When the river is higher we can take a tight turn through the swirling water to the North Thompson. In April, the gravel bars extend half-way to Riverside Park, so we paddle past all the geese, ducks, seagulls and turn sharp right into the faster flowing waters. Both shores of the North Thompson have water-covered sandbars which kayaks can clear, but the water runs more quickly over the shallows, so we stay in the main channel, working hard upstream. Sand dunes line the river on the east side in several places.
From the confluence to above the Halston Bridge is 4 km. The east side has many signs of wildlife. Swallows nest in the bank, bears and eagles can be seen at the point where Paul Creek flows into the river, and we can see where beavers have a slide down the sand-clay banks.
The North Thompson narrows at the Halston Bridge and the CN Trail Bridge and the river speeds up this this narrow corridor. We have to be careful to stay away from the pylons and bases.
The return paddle back down the river is much easier, then we turn upriver for the final leg back to Pioneer Park. This is not an easy route, an 11.6 km paddle, a workout for the early season, building an endurance base for the season.
In Kamloops, we can paddle on our rivers in 9 of the 12 months of the year. With a cool spring, the first day of paddling on the river this year was the last day of March. From Pioneer Park, the upstream paddle is easier when the flow rates are down. With a reduced current, we can progress east on the South Thompson River more quickly, but it is still a good workout, especially early in the season as we build our paddling endurance levels. The Valleyview Boat Launch is about 5.75 km. The paddlewheeler Wanda Sue is berthed just east of that, a good place to turn around.
Many geese and some ducks were in pairs or small groups on the shoreline. One great blue heron probed the shallows of the river off Shuswap Road. The best part of paddling at this time of the year is the complete absence of power boats. Although the river goes right through the middle of town, most sections are quiet, especially on a weekday morning. There were 3 other kayaks on the river and one rower too.
We paddle on the river in the early season before the noisy power boats overwhelm the river. They seem oblivious to the intrusiveness of the noise, the wake, and their speed in such a narrow space. When they arrive on the river, we move to the upland lakes.
White pelicans have been spotted in the Tranquille Wildlife Protected area and in Cooney Bay over the past 3 years. These large birds migrate to the BC Interior over the spring-summer, then return to the southern U.S. for winter. A full grown pelican can stand 5 feet high and have a wingspan of up to 9 feet, the second largest bird in North America.
They usually work together in small flocks, to drive fish toward waiting bills, consuming about 2 kg of fish each day. They breed in March-April and nest a month later. They nest in colonies and the chicks leave the nest after about 4 weeks. The pelicans we see in our area are non-breeding birds. They are here to feed on the fish coming up the Thompson River. A popular spot is right where the river empties into Kamloops Lake. In 2013, they could be seen from
In the fall, they can be spotted on migration routes from the Cariboo, on their way south. A flock of 10 spent a few days in Campbell Lake at the end September.
A few shots taken by me from the shore and from kayak are also shared here.
On Campbell Lake at the end of September
Cooney Bay in September
On Kamloops Lake
In the flooded Tranquille Wildlife Management area
Downriver paddling is one of the best outdoor experiences, but paddling in a shallow river with the salmon migrating upstream to spawn is a special experience. During the last big sockeye run, we paddled down the Shuswap River from the Skookumchuck to Enderby.
The river runs faster at the upper end and slowly at the lower end over a 35 km journey. For the whole distance, there was a steady stream of red sockeye moving upstream, with an occasional large blackish spring salmon. Fish jumped out of the water, surprising us each time. In shallower sections, we had to be careful to avoid striking the salmon with our kayak paddles. Eagles perched on tree limbs. Seagulls, crows, eagles, and a number of small mammals scavenged dead fish on the shore. The normally quiet river was abuzz with life.
We had timed the paddle to the peak of the salmon run and are looking forward to the next peak years.
Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park is a scenic place to visit, to hike, or to head down the lake in a boat. It is also a prime spot to paddle. Information for paddlers follows.
Launch Spot
Drive past the Maligne Lodge and continue across the Maligne River bridge over to the public boat launch. Location – N52 48.550 W117 38.596
Picnic Spots
There a number of designated picnic spots/landings along the lake. Most of these have a beach to land on and picnic tables. See this link for locations.
Power Boats
Powerful tour boats go down the lake to a point just outside of Spirit Island. They put up a big wake so paddlers are advised to paddle close to the shore on either side. Fishermen have to use electric motors so the lake is fairly quiet for most of the time. The Park Ranger also has a power boat, but we didn’t see the Ranger in the 4 days we were there.
Samson Narrows
The lake narrows off at 13km down the lake. The tour boats are supposed to slow down, but paddlers are still advised to time their passage through the narrows well. Location – N52 39.105 W117 30.888
Fisherman’s Cove Campsite
This marine campsite has 8 tent pads, 8 roomy food caches, an outhouse, and picnic tables/firepits in a common area near the beach. It sits on the east shore in a protected bay. Maximum stay is 2 nights and a permit is required (go to the Parks Service in Jasper first). We like the view from the shoreline. Location – N52 39.141 W117 30.210
Spirit Cove
The tour boats go down the lake just past Spirit Island so that tourists can see and photograph Coronet Glacier, then they turn back and land at a dock in the cove. There are washrooms and some trails at the cove. This is where the photos of Spirit Island are usually taken. We landed at the beach in the cove to have lunch and enjoy the view. Location – N52 38.635 W117 29.538
Coronet Creek Campsite
At the far end of the lake, about 23km down the lake if you follow the shoreline (recommended). It sits around the east side of the Coronet Creek outwash. There are 8 tent pads, 8 roomy food bins, picnic tables, firepits, and an outhouse. Bring you own toilet paper. The beach faces east over to the outlet from the Monkhead River. There is a good protected beach for landings and launches. The Coronet Creek/Coronet Glacier trail starts at the campground. The maximum length of a stay at this site is 2 days and a permit is needed. Location – N52 35.755 W117 25.930
Wildlife
Deer roamed through the campsites. We saw fresh bear scats up the Coronet Creek Trail. There were ospreys and loons on the lake.
Weather
Winds often come up in the afternoon, so paddling along the shoreline in the morning is recommended. The water is cold so caution needs to be taken when paddling down the lake and back. We watched a number of novices heading down the middle of the lake in rental canoes, unprepared for the boat wash and strong winds. With some good luck, you will have sunny weather and light winds.
We have been planning to paddle the larger lakes off the Highway 24 corridor and we chose a late summer day to spend the day on Bridge Lake. The lake is fairly big to paddle the entire shoreline in a day (23 km), so we chose to paddle around the groups of islands on the southern half of the lake, a total of about 17 km on a windy day.
We started at the boat launch at Bridge Lake Provincial Park and paddled north past some smaller islands to the leeward shores of Long Island. We enjoyed exploring the shoreline of the islands, working our way west. We particularly liked the small chain of islands and the shallow waters between them at the west end of the lake.
On this day, we also explored the Bridge Lake Ice Caves. We will return to paddle Lac des Roches, Deka Lake, Sheridan Lake, Sulphurous Lake, Crystal Lake, and more, all part of our 60 lakes project.
Coordinates:
turn off onto the Cottonwood Bay Road, then north onto the Bridge Lake Park Road
In a long-term quest to paddle all of the area’s lakes, I picked the Frogmoore Lakes for an afternoon of exploration. This chain of 4 lakes sit at the same elevation as the Surrey Summit, the high point on the Coquihalla Highway. To get to the lake, drive toward Logan Lake and watch for the turn-off on the left onto the Surrey Lake Road. Follow this good gravel up through the hills and under the Coquihalla Highway. The signed junction into Surrey Lake is soon passed and, about 2.75 km ahead, watch for a side road going east. The road into the first two smaller lakes is good, but gets rougher before the third lake.
Paddlers wanting to get into the fourth (east) lake can put a boat into the water at the start of the third lake and paddle across to the east side, then portage the boat over the bank to the channel going east, or they can try to drive to the end of the third lake, but this is definitely a 4WD road. Between the 3rd and 4th lakes is a narrow, shallow channel, but is fine for a kayak or canoe.
Paddle down the channel toward the final lake. It narrows off and it was blocked by logs and debris at one point, so I got out to clear the passage before entering East Frogmoore Lake. Since there is not good road access into this lake, it has a wilderness feel and was very quiet. Lily pads filled the bays and a moose was grazing on the east shore.
Since the lake has been dammed to increase its size and lengthen its season, large bleached stumps stand near the shoreline in several areas.
Loons and osprey dived for fish and dragonflies hovered over the lily pads.
The shoreline of the lake and the channel makes about 5 km of paddling, but there is much to see and explore. Maybe we should keep this one a secret?
These are popular fishing lakes so if you want to paddle around the shoreline, pick a weekday or go there in shoulder season. Both have interesting shorelines to explore.
Jacko Lake
Paddle this lake before the new Ajax Mine opens. After that, it will be a disaster zone. Drive toward Lac le Jeune and just past Inks Lake, turn east on a gravel road. Follow the road to a grassy parking area and a good area to launch. The distance around the shoreline is 3.5km (if you go into all the small bays). Grasslands border the lake. On a windy day, the lake is down in a bowl so you will get some protection, but there are only a few trees so just stay close to the shoreline.
Roche Lake
Roche Lake lies at a higher elevation (3762 feet) than the grassland lakes below so is mostly surrounded by uplands forests. On a hot day, this is a good choice, but it also gets a lot of summer use since there are two BC Parks campsites, one on each side of the lake, a resort, and private cabins. We prefer to paddle Roche in the shoulder season. The distance around the shoreline is about 8.8 km.
These lakes are the domain of fishermen so give a wide berth to their boats and lines. Pick times that are less busy and respect the quiet of the lake.
I made a list of 40 local lakes to paddle and have chosen to do the shoreline of all of them. Monte Lake is accessed off a short side road on the way to Vernon, off highway 97 south. Right before the lake, turn right onto a gravel road and there are two launch spots on the north side of the lake.
The route around the lake is 7 km, a decent paddle in a kayak. Along the east side is the highway and the noise is always there from every part of the lake. There is also considerable debris under the water and along the shoreline on the east side. On the other side is the railway track, a spur line connecting the CPR with the Okanagan, now rarely used. As I paddled this shore, I was disappointed to see how much railway debris was in the water and along the shoreline – ties, poles, steel plates, bolts, and maintenance cast-offs. Clearly little care for the environmental damage to the riparian zone and the lake itself was shown. There are still piles of creosoted ties next to the line, a fire hazard to the area, and damaging to the lake through run-off and leaching. Railway companies need to be more responsible for the environmental damage they do to our waterways.
The Kelowna-Pacific Railway is currently in receivership and it is unclear if the line will be active again in the future. The Kamloops Heritage Railway is not using the line in 2013. Maybe it is time to pull out the rails and clean up the line and make this into a multi-use trail, available to recreationalists, linking into the Trans Canada Trail to our south?
Monte Lake is a good place for a paddle as a workout, but it is not a peaceful location.
We have enjoyed the Six Mile area for quite a few years, orienteering, running, and hiking through the hills. In the middle of the area are 3 smaller lakes. The road starts just past the Tobiano turn-off. This gravel road is the old Trans Canada Highway which used to go up through the hills over to the Tunwka Road and down to Savona. When the Six Mile bypass was cut through the bluff, the old road was still there and today we can see paved sections, but most of the asphalt is breaking up. Then, Ducks Unlimited dammed and raised the level of Pat Lake and the Slough and sections of the road are now under water so rough side roads were created by users.
Much (most) of the land is owned by the Haywood Farmer families of Indian Gardens Ranch who have been generous in allowing anglers (and others) to continue to use the area for non-motorized recreation.
The Indian Gardens Ranch was one of the properties built up by Johnny Wilson, the “Cattle King” who also had properties near Walhachin, Six Mile Point, Westwold, Cache Creek, and Copper Creek. He married a Lillooet Indian girl who subsequently died and by about 1885 he married a girl from the Indian Gardens Ranch and had 3 children.
Wilson became a rich and influential man in his life and was well respected. He died in 1904 in a buggy accident and the Indian property was divided among his family. All the Savona properties were taken over by his wife Nancy and their children. According to Peggy Haywood Farmer, an Argentinean family named Hemstock bought the Indian Gardens Ranch from the Wilson’s daughter and George Haywood Farmer bought the land from the Hemstocks.
George Haywood Farmer was born in 1915 in New Westminster and moved with his family to the Interior of B.C. In 1932, they moved to the present location of the Indian Gardens Ranch, south of Savona. By 1935, he was a full time rancher and cowboy. Conditions were often hard in the early days. George and a partner at one time moved 50 head of cattle from Taylor Lake to Savona in -45 degree F temperatures. George married Peggy Higginson in 1942 and they raised six children together over the next 60 years. George was a leader in the ranching community, serving on the BC Cattlemen’s Association, 4H, and the Savona Community Association until his death in 2003 and has since been inducted into the BC Cowboy Hall of Fame. Peggy has been involved with the community in Savona, the Girl Guides (she has her 55 year pin and a lifetime membership), Sunday School, and the Savona Elementary School PTA.
Peggy recalled some of their years at Indian Gardens.
“We were snowed in every year by November. We had to get all of our supplies in by the fall. When I had my first baby, I had to travel by sledge down to Savona and take the train to Kamloops a month early just to make sure. George did manage to get the car through the snow the day was she was born and was there with me.
In the summer, we moved the whole family up to the summer range near Guichon Creek (3 miles west of Tunkwa Lake). We took the children, chickens, cows, ducks, horses, and cattle and whatever we needed to the high country. The travelling was hard, but our life was good. Later on, this did make it easier to backpack with the kids on camping trips.
We have been good caretakers of the land. We have preserved water. We reintroduced beavers back to the Tunkwa-Leighton Lakes area after trappers cleared them out. We planted clover in the high country for forage. We established water holes wherever we could. We have tried to get along with all the groups who have an interest in the area. We have set up and allowed access to Balancing Rock and Six Mile Lake and have worked with Ducks Unlimited. Our family continues to work the land and we have been good neighbors.” (written by the another for another publication)
We call the easternmost pond “Turtle Lake” because western painted turtles could be seen sunning themselves on logs on a sunny day. On this last visit to the pond, the pond levels had been increased and no logs were in sight, but a number of dabbling ducks were enjoying the still waters.
Pat Lake (Six Mile) is only a 2 km paddle around the shoreline so I did it twice, changing direction after the first loop. The lake is surrounded by grasslands and has some marshy shallows. The water was clear and small fish could be seen in the pond weeds. This is a quiet spot for an afternoon paddling retreat.
“Launch quietly without a splash, turn the paddle and dip and cycle the stroke with rhythm, soundlessly cutting the rippled flatwater, close to the shoreline, observing, not intruding. Glide toward wildlife, camera ready, expectant, but never intrusive. See the pond reeds, aquatic plants, insects, and small fish, only known by silence and wonder. Allow yourself to become part of the marine ecology, just a small wave on the surface of the lake.” (das)
Pavilion Lake sits in Marble Canyon between Cache Creek and Lillooet. It is at the southern end of the Marble Range which runs north to Jesmond. It is in a karst formation of grey limestone, steep and ragged. The crystal blue waters of Pavilion Lake lie at the foot of the cliffs.
Not only are the waters of the lake crystal clear, they are also the home of freshwater microbialites, not found elsewhere except in very harsh environments. Microbialites are carbonate structures that form in water with the help of microorganisms. They are coral-like in their appearance. Go to the Pavilion Lake Research Project site for a fuller explanation (link).
We paddled out from the end of a small lane in the residential area. We paddled west to the marshy end of the lake and went down a narrow channel into the swamp, enjoying flowering aquatic plants, dragonflies, and marsh birds.
Back in the main lake, we then paddled downwind on this long, narrow lake.
A small offshore island made a good lunch spot. The shoreline between the road and the island is also the plunge/entry spot for divers who want to explore the microbialites below. We watched divers as they swam out to the deep water, their bubbles showing their route.
We continued down to the end of the lake and back where the cliffs of the Marble Range tower over the northeast shore.
On a warm sunny day, the azure skies, warm winds and blue-green water are a magical combination. We finished with a swim, cooling off after a 13 km paddle.
If you have stayed at Mile High Lodge, you may have been on Face Lake, but if not, it is hard to get to. Drive up the Paska Lake Road and not far past, the road ends at the Mile High Lodge. You could park at the lodge and launch your boat, paying a modest fee, but if you want to find your own spot, you have to drive to the Face Lake Recreation Site on the northwest corner of the lake.
Right at the gate to the lodge, turn left onto a road that has a Dead-End sign at the start. A short ways up, look for another weather-beaten Face Lake sign that is easy to miss. This 2.2 km road is rough and is only suited to high-clearance vehicles. It eventually comes down to the Rec Site where there are 2 camping spots and a hand launch.
With two arms at the north end, the lake offers more shoreline to explore, although some of it is in shallow water, fine for kayaks. The launch is off a grassy bank in a quiet bay.
A small islet lies at the entrance to the west arm. It has a trail and a small informal campsite.
Shallow areas had lily pads and smart weed in bloom. Caddis flies and water boatmen were in hatch and fish were jumping. Dragonflies combed the surface. Chuwhels Mountain stands over the eastern side of the lake. All was quiet. This is a pleasant 6 km paddle. When the valley heats up in the summer, the 4800 foot high plateau lake is cooler and the fish continue to feed.
Enter the water gently. Paddle easily, drifting often to observe the creatures of the lake and the hum of life, surrounded by the silent green forests.
The run down the North Thompson River from McLure to Kamloops is about 36 km. We launched from the McLure Ferry on the west side in our ocean-going kayaks.
In high water, the river runs faster and all the island channels open up. We immediately chose the channel behind a larger island and we continued to take these types of channels all the way down the river. The river was running quickly, and we were in no hurry, but we still averaged 9.6 km/hour, about twice as fast as steady paddling on flat water.
The North Thompson has many gravel and sand shoals which are a danger to power boats, but pose no hazard to shallow-draught kayaks. There was some swirling water and some spots of fast-running water, but the route down the North Thompson is a pleasant route, best suited to longer boats and experienced paddlers, but relatively easy for most of the route.
The one challenging area is the Heffley Rapids. Just below the Jamieson Creek outlet, the river moves quickly and crosses rocky ground resulting in sections of rapids over a one kilometer distance. The first rapid is usually the biggest one and it is best to pick a good route through standing waves, intersecting side channels, and bumpy sections. It is possible to be flipped over (I was a few years ago), so care and precision is needed. It is usually a lot of fun and more exciting than the long sections of slow water, but the Heffley Rapids are not for inexperienced paddlers. Even having done this a few times, we usually stop at a small beach above the rapids and then we walk the shoreline to scout out a good route.
In fast water, the route from the McLure Ferry to Harrington Road in Westsyde took only 4 hours. There is a lot of slow-moving water from Heffley to Westsyde, but there is nowhere to land so the last section is a leisurely paddle to the landing. We find the river to be quiet, scenic, and interesting. The North Thompson has back eddies, channels, islands, swirling water, a few rapids a lot of hidden beaches, and more opportunities for wildlife sightings. The river is navigable in a kayak from above Clearwater all the way to Kamloops, but it is rare to see a paddler on the river. Our next trip will be a long route from Clearwater all the way to Kamloops, with an overnight stay on islands in the middle of the river along the way.
We try to visit Painted Bluffs every year. It can be done by driving the Sabiston Creek Road and then down to Copper Creek, but this can be a long drive and off-trail awkward route. Our preference is to paddle over from Savona, a 6.5 km route (each way) with a 1.5 km lake crossing.
There is a beach below the park suitable for landing a boat. Be careful of poison ivy in the area behind the logs. Follow the dry creek drainage into the foot of the hills, then pick your own route to explore the multi-hued cliffs, stained with copper, cinnabar, and iron. Each time we explore the area, we pick a different route. The combination of perspectives and light conditions makes each visit a new experience.
From the east side, we found new views down to the lake.
Each perspective brings new detail.
One of the few places the blazing-star can be seen is at Painted Bluffs in June and July. It was in bloom on barren sandy hillsides.
After lunch on the beach, the winds had picked up. This is always a risk in paddling Kamloops Lake. Crossing Kamloops Lake is best done in ocean-kayaks (16’+). We angled off into the wind, a 2.5 km challenging crossing, but once across, we followed the shoreline west with the wind at our backs.
Images of Painted Bluffs stay with us for the months to follow.
