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As the fall weather provides cooler conditions we often return to home base – the river, Edith Lake, Stake Lake, and Jacko Lake. Most lakes are paddled once or twice in a year, but Jacko is a favorite so I paddle there 6- 8 times each year. On a grey fall day, I launched my kayak and paddled around the lake.
There was a lot of construction going on on the newly-rerouted Trans Mountain Pipeline just to the north of the lake, but otherwise there were some fishermen, some ducks and eagles, and one kayak on the lake.
The lake is a scenic spot in every season, but there was some fall colour too. The surrounding grasslands had very little rainfall so the hills were a shade of amber.
In the summer, the shallow bays become choked with aquatic growth, but there is more open water once the water temperatures cool down.
Eagles were doing swoops over the lake and coots were diving, but they worked in pairs taking turns to eventually catch their prey. I watched the same thing happen at Mamit Lake the next day.
The final days of paddling will mostly be on nearby lakes and on the South Thompson River. The paddling year will have started mid March and will end some time in November.
In the fall Stake Lake is a “go-to” spot since the lake is one of the best paddling spots, it is relatively quiet, and we can do a paddle and hike on the trails. On an October day, there was little wind and fall color was in patches around the lake.
I paddled twice around the lake (60 minutes), then went for a short hike. A few images from the paddle are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
Depending on conditions we may be able to paddle into early November this year (about 80 days of paddling in 2023).
Watch for a video on this hike on the YouTube Ramble On channel.
On a mid-October sunny day I drove the backroads to Red Lake and paddled the lake in breezy conditions. Because the lake had suffered some winterkill, there were only a couple of boats on the lake.
This is a scenic lake and though there are burned forest sections, the area is usually quiet and mostly unspoiled. I paddled most of the the lakeshore in about 1.5 hours. A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
I hope to be back to paddle Red Lake again in 2024.
On a fall day I drove to Logan Lake to paddle the lake, then I hiked one of the trails. There is a good launch spot at the campground on the east end of the lake.
I paddled twice around the lake (3.6 km), then secured the boat to go for a hike. A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view.
This is a nice spot for a combination paddle-and-hike and is a recommended outing.
On a cool, grey day with a smattering of rain I drove down to Monck Park and launched the kayak onto Nicola Lake.
Nicola Lake can be a windy spot and some cool winds were blowing down the lake so I stayed on the shoreline of the lake, enjoying the quiet paddle in spite of the conditions.
Nicola Lake is a big lake so I launch out of three spots (north south, and middle-west) and do different loops each time. For 2023 this was my second time on the lake, day 67 of paddling. After paddling I secured the boat, then hiked the trails.
A few moments from the paddle will soon be on the Ramble On YouTube Channel.
When there are winds forecast I try to get an earlier start because the winds get stronger by late morning. I also chose a smaller sheltered lake and one of the best for this kind of day is McConnell Lake. I launched early, the only boat on the lake that morning.
I paddled twice around the lake, once in each direction. The wind was consistent at 10 – 15 km/hour.
Near the end of the second lap, the winds died down for a short time, but were back just after I finished the paddle.
After paddling I secured the boat, then went for a hike on the trail, exploring the forest before returning back to town.
A few moments from the paddle on the lake are shared here in a short YouTube video on the Ramble On Channel.
On a cool, sunny late September morning I chose Edith Lake for an hour of paddling. When I got there I found out that the World Fly Fishing Championships were scheduled for that day. Eight women’s teams would be on the lake so I paddled out right away.
The back bays were quiet with no fishing boats, a perfect day for kayaking.
The competitors were clustered around the area out from the boat launch. Fishing was slow, but the organizers were hovering nearby to count and measure the fish caught. I gave the cluster of boats a wide berth as I completed a single loop of the lakeshore.
Edith Lake is one of my “go-to lakes.” It is closest to home, the paddling is always good (except at the busiest times, which I avoid), and it is a scenic spot for an hour or two of paddling.
Watch for a short YouTube video on the Ramble On Channel.
While the Ross Moore Fire was active, we avoided go to Lac le Jeune, partly because of smoky conditions, but we just wanted to stay out of the way too. By fall the smoke had dissipated so we went to Lac le Jeune Provincial Park and launched from the beach.
On a mild day, the winds were light and we paddled around the shoreline.
A few moments from the morning of paddling are captured in this YouTube video:
When we paddle on Paul Lake, we can pass close to the sheer slopes of Gibraltar Rock. On a June day, I paddled a loop route on the middle part of the lake.
Some video moments of the paddle are captured here:
This day in June was the third day of paddling on Paul Lake for 2023 and the 26th day of kayaking in the year. On to other lakes for the rest of the year…
Near the Fall Equinox on a cool morning, I arrived at Jacko Lake to find it very busy. The World Fly Fishing Championships was scheduled for September 24 to 30, but teams from around the world were arriving and practice rounds were on local lakes, including Jacko Lake. When I arrived the French team and the Italian team were ready to launch. I quickly unloaded and launched onto the lake, sticking to the shoreline, avoiding fishermen.
Winds were light at the start, but gusts started, blowing down the lake from the northwest. Remnants of the rainy/stormy weather of the night before hung on over the hills.
The lake’s body of water was low and the bays had lots of aquatic growth, making the loop around the lake a bit shorter. Jacko is ascenic lake so any loop is a rewarding one.
I left the fly fishermen to some hours on the lake and got out of the cold wind. Jacko is a favorite lake, always worth my time, but I will avoid the crowds and the wind on upcoming outings.
More information on Jacko Lake at this link.
Although the Stake Lake Rec Site is officially “closed” because of the Ross Moore Lake wildfire, the gate to the parking area is open and lots of people are fishing or paddling the lake, and hiking, walking and biking the inner trails. On a cloudy but mild September day I launched my kayak into the lake and paddled around the shoreline.
There was a breeze on the lake, but not enough to deter me from a great day of paddling on the lake. I paddled around twice, once in each direction. That takes about an hour.
After paddling, I secured the boat on the roof rack, then hiked around the lake, mostly using single tracks where available.
After a period of extended drought the forest is still very dry. A few shrubs and perennials were still green if they were near water.
This is a favorite, three times around Stake Lake. We will do this again in the fall.
Some moments of the three loops are shared here in a short YouTube video:
On a sunny September morning I launched my kayak onto McGillivray Lake and paddled the shoreline.
The best boat launch is at the McGillivray Lake Outpost. From the Village of Sun Peaks, take Sun Peaks Road to the gravel McGillivary Forest Service Road. Continue for 6 km to the signed turn to the lake. A paddle around the lake is about 4.5 km. There are several shallow bays and 3 islands to explore.
On this day there was no one on the lake. I spotted an osprey, and eagle. a loon, and several ducks, but otherwise all was quiet. A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
More information – McGillivray Lake
On a sunny September morning I launched my kayak into Isobel Lake and paddled around the lakeshore.
A complete loop of the lake is about 2.3 km so twice around is the usual routine, once in each direction. Since the trails are right there too, it is a good spot for a paddle and hike outing.
Some images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
The lake was fairly quiet, but there were some RVs in the campground and one other boat on the lake on a weekday morning.
More information – Isobel Lake
@dsmith941 On Isobel Lake
On a sunny September day I arrived early at Leighton Lake. I launched the kayak from the campground boat launch in calm conditions.
There were lots of ducks on the lake and a few fishermen, but it was quiet, peaceful, and scenic.
Once around the lake was 3.4 km. On this day I secured the boat, then also hiked the Leighton Lake Trail, a 7 km signed route through the Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park grasslands, a recommended route.
This is a great choice for a late summer or early fall paddle.
Sometimes there are pelicans on Campbell Lake in late summer or the start of fall. We can never tell until we get there. The lake was hit with winterkill, so the campground was empty and with so few fish in the lake, the pelicans may have gone elsewhere. I did spot two of them on Scuitto Lake on the way in. I launched my kayak on a grey, windy, slightly smoky day and paddled the lake.
Much of the lake has shallow bays full of aquatic growth so we usually paddle around the lake in an oval shape.
There were lots of ducks on the lake, but no larger birds and no fishermen. It was a quiet paddle, mostly exercise and outdoor recreation; Day 57 of paddling this year.
I did a short video on last year’s paddle on the lake, provided here: