Over the winter I purchased a folding kayak so that I could use a backpack to hike to hard-to-get-to-lakes with a kayak. The first lake for this adventure was Island Lake, a grasslands lake in the middle grasslands of Lac du Bois Protected Area.
With the backpack on, i hiked from the trailhead to the lake on a faint single track and across the grasslands hills to the lakeshore, about 800m.
At the lakeshore I assembled the folding kayak (the Oru Inlet). I paddled around the lakeshore,a 1.2 km route.
The ducks were surprised by my boat, likely the only boat to have ever been on this remote lake. All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
A few moments of the hike and the paddle are captured in this YouTube video:
More backpack and paddle outings are planned for the spring, summer, and fall.
With rain forecast, paddling was sure to be a wet venture. Temperatures were mild so it was fine to kayak a local lake, but it was better to wear a spray skirt, a paddling jacket, gloves, and a hat. This was the first day of paddling on Edith Lake.
There was a light rain for the whole paddle and the winds got worse by the end, but it was good to get out anyway, the second day of 5 paddling in the drizzle. A few moments of kayaking are found on this TikTok video. Click the full screen icon to get a better view.
The forecast was for morning rain so I arrived at Jacko Lake at 7 am and launched my kayak. There were grey skies, but almost no wind.
On a paddle around the lake I enjoyed seeing ducks – coots, mallards, and barrows golden-eyes, but there was also geese, loons, yellow-headed blackbirds, woodpeckers, and loons. Birds were exhibiting nesting behaviors, there was a hatch on the lake, fish were jumping, and spring was evident along the shoreline of this lake in the grasslands. Jacko Lake is one of our best paddling spots.
On a mild but breezy April morning I paddled out into Little Shuswap Lake.
The lake was very low so I used the boat launch on the river just below the bridge. Shallow water meant following the channel markers out into the middle of the lake, but I was able to paddle over on the north side of the lake after a while. I returned the same way I paddled out. In the previous year I could paddle closer to the shoreline.
Some moments from the paddle are found in this YouTube video:
More information on paddling this lake can be found at the On the Lakes page.
Nicola Lake can be a windy spot so I wait for a good forecast before driving 50+ km south from Kamloops. There are a number of boat launches along the shoreline, but the lake was very low, making the launches a bit rocky.
I did a counter-clockwise loop going to the north end of the lake, then around the shoreline to the south.
The cliffs overlooking the lake on the west side have interesting rock formations. There were ducks, geese, killdeer, and loons on the lake. This is a lovely lake to paddle when the conditions are right.
bluffs on the west side
on Nicola
killdeer
loon
looking down Nicola Lake
looking north
lake depths
A few of the kayaking moments are captured in this YouTube video:
Morgan Lake is a small lake in the Six Mile Hills area, west of Pat Lake. We used to call it The Slough, but it was dammed and stocked and now is a popular fishing lake, especially in spring. It is one of the first lakes in the hills to become ice-free. In April Pat Lake, Morgan Lake, and Stump Lake are the busy spots. On a weekday morning I came to the launch area from the Tunkwa Lake Road and launched onto the lake.
I paddled close to the shoreline keeping away from fishermen, going twice around the lake, 4 km in all, then I hiked around the lake. Photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
A short video shows some moments on the lake.
We hiked around the Six Mile Lakes and will paddle Pat Lake too sometime soon (in a new kayak).
In mid-April I returned to Trapp Lake for a second day of paddling, this time with a loop on the north end of the lake. Winds were light and the temperatures were moderate.
Some video footage was taken with a 360 camera and mixed with mp4 video and photographs into a YouTube video:
Trapp Lake is a favorite spring paddling destination. No other boats, good launch access, and interesting scenery. The only drawback is the noise from a series of trucks on the highway (maybe I should bring headphones next time). All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view.
On a calm spring day, Stump Lake called. There were lots of fishermen at the lake and the boat launches were packed so I went to a rocky hand launch spot at the north end of the lake. This is a less interesting area with highway on the west side and homes along the north shore, so I opted for a loop route around the middle-northern half of the lake.
There were lots of ducks and geese on the lake and a few fishing boats, but it is a large lake, so it was a quiet paddle on a fine spring day. All photos by the author. Click and image for a lightbox view and a caption.
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Some moments of paddling on Stump Lake (and a hike there on the same day) are captured in this YouTube video:
Shumway Lake is the home of the Kamloops Canoe and Kayak Club and Kamloops Rowing Club and it has a well-developed facility with high performance and recreational programs for all ages. Since it is a private facility only members can park and launch at the facility. It is possible to haul a boat down the bank and launch into the lake at other spots, but it is difficult and so public paddlers rarely kayak on the lake. It is a great lake to paddle since there are no fishing boats nor power boats (unless there is a scheduled training session or a race).
I parked outside the gate on the south side and hauled my 18 foot kayak down the rocky bank and scrambled in for a paddle up the lake and back. There is some irony here (see the note below)
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On a mid-April day there were no paddlers on the lake, but there was lots of ducks, geese, an eagle, magpies, loons, and grasslands birds to keep me company.
It was difficult to haul the boat back up the bank so I may not be back again this year.
Note – In 1989 I accepted the volunteer position with the 1993 Canada Games Society as the Vice President of Sport. Canoeing and kayaking were 2 of 18 sports and we worked to develop a paddling center in Kamloops. After an early false start, we finally settled on Shumway Lake. Later I moved to the staff position of Manager of Sports and Operations and I was the primary person involved in planning and building the facility (including engineering, course installation, temporary facilities and storage, contracting construction, purchasing equipment, coordination transport of rowing shells, purchasing kayaks and canoes from Poland, budgets, coordinating services, and negotiating with a wide number of agencies and interested parties. We worked with Rowing, Canoeing, and Water Skiing to form a society to oversee the after-Games use of the facility, then helped with the lease of the property. We gave all the boats to the Clubs. After the Games the Clubs occupied the site and built up further permanent facilities and developed programs which are still running today. For the 2011 Western Canada Games, I ended up as General Manager and we helped Canoeing, and Rowing with additional funding to replace the underwater course and additional facilities for the Games. From 1989 to 2012 I spent a lot of time supporting canoeing, kayaking, and rowing in Kamloops, but from the background, then I retired and spent much of my time paddling on my own. I observed the paddlers and rowers from afar and only rarely visit Shumway Lake.
In early April, the ice was off the lower elevation lakes, but windy days limited reasonable padding conditions. On a cool morning with a steady wind out of the south, I drove to Trapp Lake and launched out into the lake and paddled south, into the wind.
The sheltered coves were still blocked in with ice, but the lake was fine for paddling. There were lots of birds – eagles, ducks (mallards and barrows golden eye), osprey, hawks, geese, magpies, a meadowlark, and some smaller birds in the trees. It is a lake that is seldom kayaked, but it has good access off a side road and a paddle around the whole shoreline is 10 km. I usually paddle the lake twice each year. Some video of the paddle is included here:
Information on paddling Trapp Lake and other lakes in the area can be found on the Kamloops Area Paddling Lakes page. (Menu > On the Lakes > Trapp Lake)
In the early days of April, mornings are still cool (-2 to +2) and winds start late morning so the best time to paddle is mid-morning. It was all quiet at the Valleyview Boat Launch, but the river was very low, so the 18 foot kayak had to be hefted down to the rocky shoreline.
A light breeze from the west meant bundling up. A full dry suit and a spray skirt make the paddling comfortable.
There were lots of birds on and around the river – an eagle, swans, geese, ducks, crows, magpies, and seagulls were active below the noisy city. It was a paddle upriver-and-back day, building fitness for the season ahead. The next paddle should be on one of the larger lakes in the valley bottom, but with cool days it will have to be a day with little wind.
One of our best paddling outings is a circuit around Lac le Jeune. Interactive points of interest are embedded in the map below with photos, links, and other information.
In early March we can paddle the rivers or the large lakes in the bottom of the valley. On a sunny morning I paddled downstream from Pioneer Park, under the Red Bridge, under the Train Bridge, through the Confluence of the two rivers, under the Overlander Bridge, and under/around the old Black Bridge before turning around close to Rabbit Island.
On the way back up the Thompson River to the Confluence and past Riverside Park, then upstream on the South Thompson River, the same 3.5 bridges were passed. No one else was on the water, but there were geese, ducks, crows, magpies, and seagulls on the river or the rivershore.
A YouTube video captures some of the paddling moments:
It should be noted that I wear a full dry suit and have all the safety gear and for anyone to go on the river without adequate preparation for cold water risks is not advised.
The first day of kayaking for 2022 was March 2. In 2023, colder weather kept ice on the river and when it started to break up cold winds prohibited comfortable paddling. By March 12, we had signs of spring coming and on March 14 the winds were about 10 km out of the east. Boat launch gates were still locked so getting to the water was more challenging, but can be done at a couple of spots. In this case, there is a new concrete boat launch ramp at Pioneer Park so that was the location for the first paddle of the year.
The launch was easy, wearing a dry suit and neoprene boots for cold-water protection. The paddle upstream was slower with a headwind and a current.
The first few paddles will all be on the river – upstream, downstream, and at other launch spots. All efforts will de dependent on the winds each day.
A short video features some of the moments on the river:
I have paddled over 100 lakes in the area. Some have easy access, some have longer drives, some are accessed by rougher roads, and some have difficult access. When it comes to rough roads and difficult access, the issues are wear and tear on the truck, risks of getting stuck, and difficulty of access to the lake. There are a number of lakes that I have done once or twice, but I am reluctant to repeat the journey. There are a few lakes that I just haven’t done because of road and shoreline access issues. There are a couple of roads that are driveable, but not with an 18 foot kayak on top. So, I can limit the lakes I do, or I can use another solution.
One solution is to hike into lakes with a portable kayak (inflatable or foldable) to paddle the lake. To that end, I have a foldable kayak, the Oru Bay.
In 2023 there are a number of lakes that will be hiked to, then paddled:
Roche Lake Provincial Park – Black Lake, John Frank Lake, Ernest Lake, Bulman Lake, and Frisken Lake
Surrey Lake Area – Frogmoore Lakes, Bob Lake, Helmer Lakes
Monte Hills Area – Pratt Lake, Todd Lake, Blackwell Lake
Lac le Jeune Area – Fred Lake, Ridge Lake
Greenstone Mountain – Chuwhels Lake, Dairy Lakes
Lac du Bois – Long Lake, Griffin Lake, Noble Lake, Clay Lake, …
Knouff Lake – Little Knouff Lake, Orchard Lake
Bonaparte Plateau – Whitewood Lake, Windy Lake, Alder Lake
Neskonlith – Sun Peaks – Amphitheater Lake, Skmana Lake, Dennis Lake
Highway 24 – many small lakes
Pimainus Area – many smaller lakes
Hyas Lake area – some smaller lakes
And others….
All photos taken by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
Long Lake
Frogmoore Lake
Orchard Lake
Chuwhels Lake
Ernest Lake
Fred Lake
Adler Lake
Blackwell Lake
Griffin Lake
Each day will be a hike to the lake, a paddle around the lake (possibly twice) and a hike back out. What could be more fun?
When the weather threatens rain, wind, and afternoon storms, Stake Lake is on of three lakes I paddle for an early morning kayaking workout. This July morning was calm, great for doing loops around the lake.
A short video shares a few moments on the water:
Stake Lake is a go-to destination for paddling, hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing over 12 months.
The ducks were surprised by my boat, likely the only boat to have ever been on this remote lake. All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption. 
I did a counter-clockwise loop going to the north end of the lake, then around the shoreline to the south.
