Category Archives: On the Lakes

Paddling Lac le Jeune West

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On a grey and drizzly long weekend summer morning I arrived early to paddle the west end of Lac le Jeune.    From the campground I paddled west to the end of the lake, then went through the watery tunnel under the road to the smaller lake.

After paddling around the western lake the route was back through the tunnel and along the south shore, a 5 km route.

The smaller lake is marshier and there is a channel to explore.    A loon chick and some ducklings were dabbling near the rushes and reeds, blackbirds patrolled the margins, and predators flew overhead, but all was quiet otherwise.    This is a must-do each summer.

More information – Lac le Jeune

 

Paddling Lac du Bois

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On July 1st it was a beautiful sunny day and I knew all of our lakes would be very busy with motorboats, fishermen, and paddlers so I opted for less busy spot early in the morning.   To paddle the lake I had to haul the kayak over the fence, then get it down to the lakeshore.    It is awkward to launch a longer boat anywhere on the shoreline since it is so marshy, but with some maneuvering, I launched and paddled the lakeshore.

The lake was quiet, but there were a number of ducks with ducklings, muskrats, birds, and western painted turtles.

cont

Western painted turtles were numerous and to get closer to them we have to soundlessly glide in (no paddling.  Click an image for a larger view and a caption.

[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”15″ gal_title=”Lac du Bois”]

More Information on Lac du Bois.

Paddling Lodgepole Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Lodgepole Lake is small so its a good choice when it is windy, smoky, or rainy.   Whenever I go to paddle there, I go early to avoid competing for space on the lake, but also when it is quiet and peaceful.   Once around the shore is 1.3 km so I usually do 2 or 3 laps.

When I arrived at the lake it was raining, but I launched anyway and it cleared after one lap:

 

More information on Lodgepole Lake (page).

Steelhead Park Launch

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

There are 3 or 4 launch spots in the Savona area to paddle the west end of Kamloops Lake.   During freshet some are not practical since the shoreline gets flooded and debris, including logs, fills the launch areas.    The public boat launch in Savona Park was closed and logs enclosed the area so the best launch was off the beach at Steelhead Provincial Park.

On this rainy morning the route was north past where the lake drains into the Thompson River, then north up the shoreline.   On a windy day an out-and-back route might be best, but with little wind it was an easy 1.4 km crossing of the lake.

The loop was completed by paddling down the lake to Steelhead Park, a 7 km paddle around the west end of Kamloops lake:

An Early Paddle on Edith Lake

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On the second day of summer the winds were forecast to be strong by 10:00 am so I was on a nearby lake by 8:30.    Edith Lake is a good choice in the wind because half of the lake is sheltered by hills.


By the end of the paddle, winds were stronger, but the effort to get in an early workout was successful.

Some short video clips captured the lake before the winds picked up.

Over time there will be a page for each lake we frequent.   Edith Lake is done and a link is provided:

Pass Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On the last day of spring Pass Lake made a good destination paddle.   The distance around the lake is about 2.5 km so two loops is a good choice when conditions are right.

The road into the Rec Site was a bit rough, but both boat launches were in good shape.

On this weekday morning there were no other boats on the lake.    Blackbirds, a loon, ducks with ducklings, and some shoreline birds were active on the lake.

Pass Lake is one more good choice to paddle, one of about 100 area lakes to explore.

More Information – Pass Lake

 

Paddling Lac le Jeune

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Lac le Jeune is one of the best paddling lakes in the area.    Access is good – paddlers can launch from the beach, and the lake has a lot of capacity for fishermen and paddlers.   Although there is a dedicated boat launch, I usually launch from the beach area instead, going east or west in a loop route.

On this spring day I paddled the east end of the lake, a 5.5 km circuit.

I will be back to paddle the west end of the lake, including the waterway tunnel each way.

More Information on this lake – Lac le Jeune

Badger Lake in June

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

The road from Knouff Lake to Badger Lake was wet, bumpy, and muddy in early June, but the slow drive is worth the effort to paddle one of our favorite lakes.   Because it is out-of-the-way on a potholed road there are only a few diehard fishermen at the lake, and on an early mid-week morning, the lake was very quiet.


A paddle around the lakeshore is about 8.3 km.    The highlight is the marshy back bay on the west side.

A short video offers a sense of the peaceful nature of paddling a backcountry lake on a fine day.

 

The highlight for the day was encountering a turkey vulture in an aspen tree on the edges of the marshes.

Badger Lake is one of our annual destinations, one we will return to paddle for years to come.

More Information – Badger Lake

 

Paddling Walloper Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a calm morning in June I launched my kayak at the Walloper Rec Site and paddled around Walloper Lake.A loop around the shoreline is 4.8 km.

There were ducks and a loon on the lake, a blue heron in the shallows, and this nesting loon in a small bay.

It was a peaceful paddle (the traffic on the highway is the only drawback for this lake).   Little wind made this a lovely day on the lake:

 

 

Spring Paddling on McConnell Lake

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On a grey spring day I paddled around McConnell Lake twice.   There were no other boats on the lake, but there was a bald eagle, a loon, some ducks, and fish jumping for insects.

Some of the moments at the lake are captured on video:

McConnell Lake Provincial Park is a lovely spot to kayak, hike, or snowshoe, one we return to a few times each year.

 

  • McConnell Lake is 20 km south of Kamloops on the Lac le Jeune Road.
  • There is a hand launch at the parking area.
  • A loop around the lake is 2.5 km.
  • Link to McConnell Lake Provincial Park.

On McQueen Lake

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McQueen Lake is not paddled very often, mostly because of poor access.    To get to a reasonable launch spot requires hauling the boat to the shoreline where there is a break in the bullrushes.   Once on the lake, though, it is a very nice 2.7 km paddle around the marshy shoreline.


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

All of the lakes of the area would be busy on a Sunday morning, but on McQueen Lake, there was one person only, along with the loons, ducks, geese, blackbirds, marsh wrens, painted turtles, and a muskrat.

Paddling the Pinantan Lakes

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a calm end-of-May morning, I launched my kayak in Pinantan Lake.

The goal was to paddle up the marsh channel toward the upper lake.   I had hauled my boat over the beaver dam in the past to get onto the smaller lake, but on another occasion (in summer), it was too difficult.   My thinking was that it would be easier in spring when the lakes and channels were full of water.

I got out of the boat, wading in the channel, and then hauled the boat over the barrier and got back into the kayak.    At that point I noticed a possible way to portage around the dam.

I did the portage on the way back and it was much easier.    It is on the east side of the channel in a small side bay.   The weather was calm for the paddle back around the main lake.   Later in the day a thunder shower burst into the area so I was pleased to have gotten out early before the storm.

 

Paddling Neskonlith Lake

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On a mid-May morning I launched my kayak into Neskonlith Lake in calm conditions.

I paddled around the east end of the lake and up the shoreline, then back around the rocky island to the launch area.

On the previous year I had paddled the other end of the lake.   A paddle around the whole lake is 11.6 km.   By the end of this day’s paddle some light rain was falling and there were some winds.    Most of the video clips were taken before the rains:

It was very quiet on the lake on the last day of the long weekend.   This is another favorite lake for an annual paddle.

More Information – On Neskonlith Lake

Paddling Louis Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Louis Lake lies in the valley between Mount Fleet and the Paul Lake Ridge (I call it Louis Ridge).   The western end of the lake is shallow and as the lake levels fall and the reeds, rushes, and aquatic plants grow in summer, it becomes impassible for a canoe or kayak.    But in the spring we can paddle the whole lake.   There is a hand launch area on the northeast end of the lake across from the Paul Lake Transfer Station.   Two loops around the lake is 8 km.

It would be rare to see another boat on the lake, but there is a stream of vehicles going by on the Paul – Pinantan Road.   On this day there many ducks on the lake and one pair of loons.

All of the lakes are now open for paddling so there will be a different lake for each paddling day until later in the fall.

 

On Isobel Lake

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In mid-May there was wind every day, but on this mid-week day, the wind ranged from calm to gusty so I picked a smaller lake to paddle.


I paddled twice around Isobel Lake, once in each direction, a total of 5 km.

When I started there was no one else on the lake.   A few campers were set up at the east end of the lake and there was a school class at one of the docks doing pond studies.    Otherwise, it was quiet with only the sound of blackbirds, ducks, frogs, and the wind.


The lake becomes weedy in summer so spring is a good time to paddle there, before the crowds, and when all is quiet.   Some video clips follow:

 

 

Paddling Barnes Lake (Ashcroft)

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On a calm spring morning I traveled west to paddle Barnes Lake near Ashcroft.

From Ashcroft, the road to Logan Lake climbs the hill.   At about 8 km, the Barnes Lake Road goes past Willard Lake and along the shoreline of Barnes Lake.   There are 3 camping areas each with a boat launch spot.

The paddle around the lakeshore is about 4 km.    After a quiet paddle around the lake, I hiked into the hills and along the ridge that stands above Ashcroft.

Barnes Lake is a peaceful and scenic spot to visit, one I will be sure to return to.