Leo Island is in the West Arm of Murtle Lake. We have camped there several times. It is a marine campsite accessed by canoe or kayak only. We drove to Blue River, then up into the mountains (23 km) to the trailhead for Murtle Lake. It is a 2.5 km portage to the lagoon launch. From there it is a 14 km paddle to the island.
The island has a sandy spit with views east and west down the arm of the lake. When the sun sets the lake lights up with color.
A few photos were taken at different times on different nights. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
last light on Leo Is.
the sun had set to the werst
out the west arm
the layered red sky
looking east to Fairyslipper Island
the view to the east
Leo Island from above on Central Mountain
These images were from one trip to Murtle Lake and we have made several over the years. We plan to return next year.
In the fall, I returned to Jacko Lake to paddle around the shoreline twice (8km).
The shallow bays are filled with aquatic vegetation, but it doesn’t take much surface water to glide over the masses below the surface.
This lake was busy with fishermen, but by staying close to the shoreline, I stayed out of their way.
On this website, I am developing a page of information on each lake in our area. There will be over 100 pages when done, by mid-winter. One of the first to be ready is a page on Jacko Lake. Click the link below for more information:
On the first day of fall, I drove up to Lac le Jeune in the morning and paddled the east end of the lake. There was no wind at the start and the lake water had a blue-silver glaze.
There was 3 still fishing boats with quiet electric motors on the lake, but no other paddlers and almost no ducks or geese. Loons were fishing in the middle part of the lake.
I followed the shoreline, veering around fallen trees, and seeing more ready to fall over the winter.
The marshlands on the northeast side of the lake provided some color as the reeds, rushes, and sedges lose their greens and show yellows, oranges, and a bit of reds.
I don’t choose to paddle Lac le Jeune in the summer when there are too many boats on the lake and shoreline activity includes a lot of noise. In the fall, the lake becomes quieter, especially on a cool mid-week morning.
The sun was shining through clouds and dark clouds to the east was contrasted with sunnier conditions to the west. The wind picked up near the end of this paddle, the 77th day of kayaking this year.
Lac le Jeune is one of the best paddling lakes of our area. This was my third time on the lake this year and I plan to paddle the west end and the smaller lake one more time before the weather becomes cold.
On a calm September day, I hauled my kayak down to the river near Cooney Bay. I use some wheels which attach to the back end of the boat and pull it down the pathway, lifting the boat over some logs. At this time of year the shoreline of the river is muddy so paddling boots are a good choice. It is only a short paddle from the launch beach to the lake.
I rounded the point at Cooney Bay and looked back at the morning sun, shining through scattered clouds.
I try to avoid paddling Kamloops Lake in the wind, but on this day, only a light breeze came across the lake from the southwest. I paddled around a rock bluff, then past a shingle beach.
Battle Bluff rises 324 m (1063 ft.) from the lake to the top.
contI paddled around the base of the bluff, noting the high water mark on the rock.
It is about 1 km under the cliffs to get to the west end of Battle Bluff. There are no landing spots. With some wind, the waves rebound off the rock, providing choppy conditions.
At the west end of Battle Bluff, the shoreline is series of sloped under the Fredrick Bluffs. Across the lake, the rocky hills are continuous to the benchland near Tobiano. The hill between Cherry Bluffs and Tobiano is called Roper Hill.
Battle Bluff, Dewdrop Ridge and all of the rocky slopes on the north side of the lake are built up on a series of lava flows. On the east side of Battle Bluff, basalt columns rise above the shoreline, an older lava flow than the rocky hills above.
In Cooney Bay, pelicans were feeding by the mouth of Tranquille River. The flock was settled on a sandbar up the river, but small numbers of pelicans flew down to feed where the river met the lake.
Kamloops Lake is a favorite place to paddle, but the road in is potholed, the haul to the river is hard work, and winds on the lake can be difficult. Still, I try to get onto the lake when I can. In this particular day, I paddled about 8 km in fine conditions.
Clearwater Lake is one of my favorite lakes to paddle and so I paddle some part of it every year. Over the years, we have paddled the entire lake quite a few times and we have stayed in every marine campground on both shores. Last year I paddled Azure and Clearwater Lakes. With the heat, smoke, and difficult conditions this year, I did not get to the lakeshore until September. We camped at Falls Creek and launched our boats in the early afternoon.
Normally we would want to paddle the lake in the morning when the winds are usually light, but there was little wind at the start so we took a chance and paddled up the lake. Both shores are forested and sometimes steep. We followed the east side up the lake with the goal of getting into the main part of the lake where there are views toward the northern mountains.
The winds whipped up blowing from the northwest making progress difficult. After paddling into a headwind for half an hour, we turned around and returned down the shoreline.
From the boat launch to the widening of Clearwater Lake just past Diver’s Bluff is about 7 km. We did not get that far on this day, but that will be the goal for the next time. The lake narrows at the south end, continuing to Osprey Falls, but we landed at the boat launch this time, completing about 9 km of paddling.
We will be back to paddle and camp on Clearwater Lake for as long as we can.
Near the first day of fall, Hyas Lake was the planned paddle. It is 13 km up into the hills from Pinantan at 1237 m (4060 ft). The boat launch is at the Hyas Lake Recreation Site, at the end of the Hyas Lake Forest Service Road. There are 5 small campsites there, adjacent to the Hyas Lake Fishing Camp.
On a calm morning, I paddled around the shoreline of the lake, a 4.3 km paddle.
To the north Shaw Hill at 5200 feet rises above lake. We have hiked to the top, coming up backroads from the Heffley Lake area. There were many potholes in the roads, but it is accessible to most vehicles, but in shoulder season, it may be best to have a 4x 4.
Hyas Lake is a beautiful clear lake with marl shoals and a forested shoreline, a fine spot to paddle in the off-season.
We have also walked/hiked the backroads in the area and hope to connect a loop route after some more exploration.
On a grey, cool, windy, and rainy morning I headed out for my 73rd day of paddling in 2021. I launched at Edith Lake and paddled around the shoreline of the lake for 2 loops.
Even the ducks were sheltering in the cool and wet conditions, but with a spray skirt, gloves, and a waterproof paddling jacket I kept up a steady pace for 75 minutes.
The winds picked up and the temperature dropped, a good motivation for steady paddling along the lakeshore.
Although Edith is a popular fishing lake, there was only one boat on the water when I started and none when I left.
After a summer of paddling in warm conditions, it’s time to break out the cool weather gear until the end of the paddling season.
I have paddled most of the local lakes, but there are a couple I still want to do, including Red Lake, Saul Lake, Hyas Lake, and some others, all by the end of the season.
On a grey morning with a chance of rain, I drove west and then up into the hills to paddle Pat (Six Mile) Lake. The lake was quiet and there was almost no wind.
Lake levels had dropped since I was there in the spring. Water buttercup had filled in the shallows in some of the bays.
A paddle around the lake is 1.8 km so I paddled around twice, once in each direction.
Six Mile (Pat) Lake is a good choice for a shorter paddle in the off (fishing) season.
We hike the hills above Six Mile Lake too, enjoying the rugged and scenic terrain of the area.
On a sunny and breezy morning in September I paddled out of the boat launch in Neskonlith Lake Provincial Park.
A steady wind out of the southwest was part oif the paddling experience, but it was not a problem. Along the way there was a log with western painted turtles, and osprey overhead, and geese in the lee of the small island. I paddled west, then looped back. A paddle around the lake takes about 2 hours.
Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
Neskonlith Lake 029
Neskonlith Lake 015
Neskonlith Lake 006
Neskonlith Lake 023r
Neskonlith Lake 022
Neskonlith Lake
Neskonlith Lake is one of our best paddling destinations. It is accessed on gravel roads from Chase.
I had paddled Lac du Bois before, enjoying the quiet lake with all of its ducks, muskrats, painted turtles, and pond life. The lake is within the Lac du Bois Grasslands Conservancy and new fences and gates now block vehicle access (a good thing) so getting a boat down to the lakeshore is more difficult. I lifted the kayak over the rail fence, then hauled it down to the lakeshore.
A more difficult launch means less people on the lake, but that also makes the lake quieter and preserves its natural state.
On this greyish morning, there were lots of ducks and a muskrat. I spotted the beaver lodge on the north shore. A few birds flitted by in the trees.
A paddle around the lake is 3.4 km, taking under an hour.
Paddling on the lake takes more work, but when the conditions are right, it is a fine place to spend some quiet time in the Nature Conservancy.
On a day with marginal weather forecast I drove down through Merritt then up to Lundbom Lake. By the time I arrived at the launch area the winds were up and the paddle became a bit of an adventure.
A paddle around the lake is 3.3km. With the wind at my back, I reached the far end of the lake in 15 minutes.
The way back around the lake took twice as long, but I just treat wind challenges as an opportunity for an endurance and strength workout.
Grey skies were the order of the day and some rain may have fallen later in the day.
I have hiked the Lundbom Commonage extensively, but this was the first time paddling the lake. I explored the campgrounds too and I could see this will be fine place to spend a few days.
When we paddle about 80 days each year, some days are light and easy, with exploration, photography, and some floating. Other days are more ambitious, paddling longer distances, exploring shorelines, but keeping a steady pace (long-slow distance). And, on other days, we paddle more quickly doing loops around a favorite lake like Jacko Lake, Edith Lake, or Stake Lake. On a sunny day, I drove to Stake Lake for two quick loops around the lake, ramping up the intensity, and shortening the total paddling time.
I paddled twice around the shoreline of the lake, once in each direction.
When I am focused on paddling intensity, I carry a point-and-shoot camera, but try to keep the photography to a lower priority. Rather than photos, here is a Google Earth Fly-Over of Stake Lake.
I will be back to Stake Lake again for more paddling, cycling, hiking, and snowshoeing.
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 loons, 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. On the day we drove in there was one dedicated fisherman (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.
Near the end of summer, I drove north on Highway 5, then up the Orchard Lake Forest Service Road to the Badger Lake Forest Service Road. The Badger Lake boat launch is a separate side road to the lakeside with lots of room for parking and launching. I paddled around the lake in a counter-clockwise loop.
All of the lake is great for paddling, but the best part of the lake is the back channels on the west side. A bay turns to a shallow channel, which leads to a small lake.
The narrow shallow channel is about 0.5 km long. It was probably originally marsh, but when Badger Lake was dammed, the water rose sufficiently to create a passage that can be paddled.
Bulrushes and cattails flanked both the channel and the back lake. I paddled the loop in and back.
A partly-hidden exit channel led out to the main part of the lake.
I finished the loop around the lake, taking about 1.5 hours. Badger Lake is another favorite, one we will continue to paddle every year.
A few photos were taken at different times on different nights. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
The shallow bays are filled with aquatic vegetation, but it doesn’t take much surface water to glide over the masses below the surface.
