Category Archives: Kayaking

Kayaking Scuitto Lake

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Scuitto Lake is in the running for one of our top 5 paddling lakes in the Kamloops area.     The Scuitto Lake Recreation Site is reached by driving out through Barnhartvale and onto the Robbins Range Road, then onto the Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road.    There are three launching spots in the Rec Site area.

When Scuitto Lake was dammed, the lake rose and flooded the shoreline and there are still a number of tree stumps and rocks along the shoreline, as well as 3 islands, and some marshy bays.    It is a fun lake to explore and we often see various birds and waterfowl on the lake.   A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and caption.

CFJC TV has a featured content video on kayaking Scuitto Lake Out and About – Kayak at Scuitto Lake.  

Kayaking Pat Lake

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Pat Lake is a small lake in the Six Mile Hills.    It is reached from a bumpy road going off the uphill side of the TranCanada Highway just west of Tobiano.   It is a popular fishing lake and it is a busy spot in spring, but by mid-summer it is quiet at the lake.

The road to and under the lake was once the Kamloops to Savona Road.    We launch right into the submerged roadbed.

I paddled around the lake twice, once in each direction.

There were loons and ducks on the lake and raptors searching for a meal.    This is a scenic and peaceful spot, one we return to paddle every year.

Kayaking Glimpse Lake

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On a summer day that had smoky conditions in Kamloops, I used firesmoke.ca to look for smoke-free areas and I found that areas south were clearer.    To get to Glimpse Lake, we first drive to Nicola Lake, then turn and drive towards Douglas Lake.    At the power station, we turn left onto Lauder Road and follow it to the lake.    The easiest boat launch is the first one on the north side of the lake.

It started with a light breeze down the lake, but the winds picked up as clouds blew in from the southwest.    Returning was harder work.

Glimpse Lake is a quiet spot mid-week.    There are a number of marshy bays to explore.    On the lake were loons, a great blue heron, an osprey, geese, and some ducks.    One other boat was spotted as I paddled around the shoreline in 75 minutes.

More information – Glimpse Lake

 

Kayaking Peterhope Lake

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On a hot summer morning there was smoke in town, but the smoke forecast maps showed clear skies towards Merritt so I drove down Highway 5A past Stump Lake and then up to Peterhope Lake.

A paddle around the whole lakeshore took about 90 minutes, including the lagoon channel and hidden lake off the southwest corner of the lake.   A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

Note that the bladderwort in flower is a carniverous plant, trapping insects in bladders for later consumption.

Peterhope Lake is a favorite, one we paddle every year.    A great spot to visit.

John Frank Lake

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John Frank Lake is one of several hard-to-get-to lakes in Roche Lake Provincial Park.    Access to Black Lake, Frisken Lake, Bulman Lake, Ernest Lake, John Frank Lake, and Bog Lake is by rough roads.    In spring there are giant mudholes.    In summer, the roads have big rocks, but we can drive them if we have high clearance (trucks or jeeps, not SUVs), good tires, and if we have the patience to drive very slowly.   Most of the lakes in the area suffered winterkill so there are no fishermen out (except on Black Lake and Horseshoe Lake).    On a hot summer morning, I drove the rough road to John Frank Lake.    There is a small backcountry Rec site on the lake and a hand launch.    Most of the shoreline of the lake is marshy.

I paddled around the lakeshore (3 km).    I spotted lots of ducks, but also loons, an eagle, and a river otter.   Some photos are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

A few moments of the outing are captured in this YouTube video:

This was a lake I really enjoyed, so I hope to get back, braving the rough backroads.   Frisken Lake, though, is upcoming first.

 

Kayaking Surrey Lake

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It was smoky in Kamloops but I used the excellent website firesmoke.ca to see the smoke condition in the area and it showed clear skies to the south, especially at higher elevations, so I picked Surrey Lake, one of my favorite lakes to paddle.    The roads were in good shape.    I turned right at the entrance to Wildlings Resort and followed the double track south along the lakeside.    There are two hand launch spots off that backroad.

It takes about 65 – 70 minutes to paddle the whole lake including the two shallow, marshy arms.


There was no one else on the lake on a Friday morning.    There were ducks and ducklings, an osprey, a bald eagle, many songbirds, dragonflies, and an assortment of pond creatures in the shallows.   Skies were relatively clear and it was warm, but not yet hot in the Surrey Summit area.   A few moments of the paddle are captured in this short video:

 

 

Pack and Paddle: Chuwhels Lake

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Chuwhels Lake is in a remote spot between Greenstone Mountain and Chuwhels Mountain.    It is accessed by driving up the Greenstone Mountain Road for 15.5 km then turning onto the Chuwhels Road.   A 1 km track (unsigned) bears east to Chuwhels Lake.

I put my folding kayak into a pack and hiked in to the lake.    The track is driveable, but a bit rough.    It is a dammed lake and the lake was down, mostly from evaporation.    I assembled the kayak then paddled around the lake, then hiked back out.

Some images from the pack and paddle are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

Some of the moments of hiking and kayaking are found in this YouTube video:

 

Hyas Lake Kayaking

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Hyas Lake is located in the remote hills north of Pinantan Lake.    The Hyas Lake Forest Service Road climbs to the bumpy track in to the Hyas Lake Recreation Site.  When I arrived, there was one other boat on the lake.

A paddle around the lake takes about 75 minutes.    Hyas is one of my favorites, but I also choose a weekday in summer to avoid other boats and campers.

A few moments of paddling the lake are found in this YouTube video:

More information – Hyas Lake

Pack and Paddle: Pemberton Lake

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Pemberton Lake is located in the hills to the north of Pinantan Lake.    It is a small lake with a primitive Rec Site and a rough 1 km road, accessed from the Hyas Lake Forest Service Road.

I put my folding kayak into a pack and hiked in to the lake.

The launch area is muddy, although there are some firmer spots to the east.    I paddled around the lake, repacked the kayak, then hiked back out.

There were fish in the lake and there was an osprey in residence and loons on the lake.  There was no one else on the track, nor on the lake.

A few moments of the pack and paddle are found in this YouTube video:

 

Kayaking Bleeker Lake

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We kayak Bleeker Lake every year.    In the last few years it has suffered some winterkill and with dry conditions, it was drawn down for irrigation so the lake has far fewer fishermen, but it is still a fine lake to kayak in spring or early summer.

Aquatic vegetation grows and fills in the bays at either end, but we can still paddle down channels until later in the summer.    It is a dammed lake so there are a number of stumps and logs along the shoreline, making it a fine spot for waterfowl.   A paddle of the whole lake takes about 75 minutes.

A few moments from my kayaking outing on Bleeker Lake here are captured in a YouTube video:

 

Knouff Lake

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Sullivan Lake is sometimes referred to Knouff Lake.    The community of Knouff Lake is on the southern shore and a short way north is Little Knouff Lake.    In terms of geography, it is referred to as Sullivan Lake.    We usually get to it by driving up the Sun Peaks Road, then the Knouff Lake Road.    We usually return by the Knouff – Vinsula Road.   There is small Rec Site on the west side of the lake and a boat launch a bit farther north.   There are a number of homes on the southern end of the lake and a large resort on the north end.

When I paddle Sullivan Lake, I usually avoid the area by the homes and the resort.    There are some marshy areas to explore and 5 islands.    It takes about 1.25 hours to go around the lake in a kayak.

This is a lake I paddle every year.   A few moments from this year’s paddle are captured in this YouTube video:

More information on Sullivan Lake.

 

Roche Lake West

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Roche Lake is normally a popular fishing lake, but winter conditions resulted in winterkill in Roche Lake.   As a trophy lake, there are usually lots of campers in both campsites and many boats on the lake.    On a mild June morning I drove to the west campground on Roche Lake and launched the kayak for a paddle of the south end of the lake.

There was one boat on the water, but the fishermen reported no bites and left.     For the rest of the paddle, there was no one in sight.    A loop route to the south end of the lake and back on the eastern shoreline takes about 75 minutes.

This was a quiet and enjoyable paddle.    I will return to paddle the other end of the lake in the summer.   A few moments from the paddle are found in this YouTube video:

More information on paddling Roche Lake can be found in the On the Lakes page (link).

 

Horseshoe Lake

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Horseshoe Lake is a quiet forested lake in Roche Lake Provinicial Park.    There is a good road to the campsite and boat launch.    Both of the arms of the lake are marshy and are fun to paddle in spring or early summer.

A paddle around the lake (including the two marshy arms) is about 2.75 km so I usually go around twice.

On the summer solstice I paddled the lake.    It was busy with fishermen, but I stayed next to the shoreline out of the way.    There were lots of ducks, ducklings, and a family of loons.

A few moments are captured in this short YouTube video:

 

 

Heffley Lake in the Rain

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On a June day I drove up to Heffley Lake for a paddle even though the forecast was not promising.    There was no one on the lake.    It was only a light sprinkle at the start.

After a few minutes the weather moved in and I was paddling in the rain.

I hung in for an hour of paddling.   A few moments of the kayaking on Heffley are captured in this short video:

When the weather is marginal – wind, rain, or cold conditions – it is always hard to know what to do.    This one turned out okay.

 

Kayaking Lodgepole Lake

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Lodgepole Lake is a small lake on the Chuwhels Mountain Road.    there is a BC Rec Site along one shore.    It is a popular spot for camping and fishing.   It is really too small a lake for a good workout, but its a pleasant spot to go around the lake two or three times.

This is a good spot for a quiet paddle followed by a short hike around the lake.

 

Kayaking Badger Lake

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One of our favorite lakes that we paddle every year is Badger Lake.

Badger Lake is at the end of the maintained roads in the hills north of Knouff Lake.    Two roads can be taken, and we usually go up one and return by the other one for a loop route.  More information can be found on the Badger Lake page on this website – Badger Lake.

Badger Lake is almost always a quiet spot and it is even quieter in the back channel.     On this day, the noise of the blackbirds were the only sounds to be heard.    A few moments of the paddle are found in this YouTube video: