With a forest fire in progress it was smoky in the valleys so I drove south to the 4000 ft. level at McConnell Lake where there was less smoke. It was a hot day so I got an early start.
There was a muskrat on the lake and two loons with two chicks.
I paddled around the lake twice, once in each direction, a total of 5.3 km.
McConnell Lake can be a busy spot so an early start is recommended.
On a hot day at the end of June, I drove up to Lodgepole Lake and launched from the Rec Site. Lodgepole Lake is a small, mostly shallow lake in the high country above Stake Lake at 1408 m (4620 ft).
I paddled around the lake twice and then hiked around the lake, finishing before 10 in the morning.
I only paddle this small lake when it is very hot, very windy, or very smoky, but it is a nice paddle nonetheless.
The trail around the lake is a nice one and on this day there were a number of wildflowers to enjoy.
Access – Turn onto the Chuwhels Mountain Road/Lodgepole Lake Road across from Stake Lake. Continue up the good gravel road for 2.5 km to the Lodgepole Lake Recreation Site.
On a hot summer morning, I drove to Lac le Jeune and launched from the beach area. I paddled west to the end of the lake.
A bridge separates the smaller lake, Lac le Jeune West from the main lake. Lac le Jeune drains into the smaller lake, then into Meadow Creek.
In some years it we can barely get under the bridge, but the water was low in the channel and it was an easy passage.
I paddled around the marshy smaller lake.
There were loons, ducks, and blackbirds active, even on a hot day.
There are some marsh channels surrounded by cattails or bullrushes to explore then a loop route around the lake.
I continued up the shoreline, back under the bridge, then around the south shoreline of the lake for a 5.6 km morning paddle.
Access:
Drive south on the Lac le Jeune Road to Lac le Jeune Provincial Park. Park at the beach and launch/land there.
On a hot summer day, I got an early start to go through Sun Peaks on my way to McGillivray Lake. There was only a light breeze and I paddled along the shoreline in a clockwise loop.
There are 3 islands in the lake and the shoreline is either treed or marshy.
The shoreline is about 5.7 km around, taking about 80 minutes.
Yellow water lilies were in bloom in shallow bays.
McGillivray Lake is a favorite paddling destination, one I do in summer every year.
Face Lake is at the end of the Paska Lake Road. A backroad does continue around the lake, but it is very rough. I have driven it twice, but never again. There is a Rec Site on the northeast corner of the lake that can be used to launch a boat, but when there is a better choice at Mile High Resort, and that will be my choice this year and in the future. A small guest fee is required to drop a boat off, park in the designated area, then launch from their beach. On a hot June day, I launched into the bay at the south end of the lake and paddled the shoreline counter-clockwise.
At the north end of the lake, Greenstone Mountain stands above the hills, 6.8 km away.
The shoreline is forested all the way around the lake. The lake lies at 1460m (4790 ft).
An eagle watched over the lakeshore at the northeast end of the lake.
Above the east side of the lake Chuwhels Mountain rises 425 m above the lake and 3 km away.
In the northwest corner loons had two chicks which were now swimming with their parents.
I paddled for about 1.5 hours, covering about 6 km in a leisurely summer paddle in the high country.
I always check the wind forecasts the day before kayaking. In this case, the forecast called for strong winds by 10:00 am, so I left before 7:00 am and picked a lake close by. All was calm at the boat launch on Edith Lake.
I opted for one loop around the shoreline, a 3.7 km paddle, and the conditions were excellent for the hour.
I enjoy the back channel in behind the hill. Fishing boats rarely venture there and I can paddle into all of the side channels in the valley between grasslands hills.
I had expected some wind, but I picked the right time and place to paddle on my 35th day of paddling for 2021.
My rating for this paddle – [usr 4.0 size=20]
On a sunny June morning I drove south on Highway 5A, then turned onto the Douglas Lake Road, then up the Lauder Road to Glimpse Lake. I launched my kayak from a good hand launch at the west end of the lake.
Glimpse Lake allows only electric motors so even though there were a few fishing boats, it was quiet on the lake. There are a number of shallow marshy areas to explore on the way around the lake.
There were a few ducks and geese on the lake, including some families.
I kayaked all the way around the lake, a 6 km paddle.
Glimpse Lake is one of the best lakes in our area to paddle, one I try to return to each year.
On a windy morning I drove the rough road into the Jacko Lake boat launch area and paddled twice around the lake. This can be a busy spot so I got an early start and paddled the shoreline, dealing with the winds as they gusted. Jacko Lake has a few side channels to explore, so on the first loop, I paddled the whole shoreline where I could.
Jacko Lake is one of my favorite lakes. It has open views and is usually a quiet spot in the hills. Peterson Creek runs into and out of the lake so it was full of clear water in June.
I spotted many yellow-headed blackbirds, a great blue heron, eagles, ducks, geese and goslings, spotted sandpipers, wrens, crows, and some grassland songbirds.
On the west shore is an old shaped snag, always asking me for another photo.
Two loops amounted to 7.2 km of paddling in about 1 hour and 50 minutes. I usually paddle Jacko 3 – 4 times every year so I will return at the end of summer for another morning of kayaking.
On a grey morning I got an early start to get to the boat launch on Roche Lake before the winds came up. I paddled the lakeshore, a 2 hour, 9.2 km outing.
There were some goslings following the geese around the shallow bays on the lake.
The lake was calm, but there were many fishermen all over the lake. It is best to avoid weekends and prime time on Roche Lake.
In a shallow bay away from all of the fishermen, a loon had her baby on her back. The chick will be swimming soon.
I paddle Roche Lake very year, picking a good time to avoid too much traffic on the water.
On a cool morning I launched my kayak from the boat launch at the Scuitto Lake Recreation Site. There was a light breeze from the northwest.
In protected bays, the water was calm with clouds reflected in the lakewater.
There are always lots of birds on both Scuitto Lake and on nearby Campbell Lake. On this day I spotted ducks and ducklings, geese and goslings, a great blue heron, an osprey, spotted sandpipers, blackbirds, loons, swallows, wrens, and more.
On the west end of the lake, Mt. Vicars stood above the lake, a hike I have done a few times.
Scuitto Lake is one of my favorite paddling spots, one I do every year. I will be back to paddle Campbell Lake in late summer.
More Information:
Tunkwa Lake is one of my favorite paddling lakes in the Kamloops area. The lake has open views, lot of birds, and many small bays to explore. On the other hand, it can be very busy on weekends and in summer, and it can be too open on windy days. I usually pick a weekday morning and paddle around the shoreline, which takes about 2 hours.
On this mild June day, mixed skies made for silver light and reflected clouds on the lake.
While paddling I spotted two muskrats, many geese and ducks, goslings and ducklings, a spotted sandpiper, yellow-headed blackbirds, a great blue heron, sparrows, swallows, a robin, and an osprey. A few images are shared here. Click any image for a larger view.
There were a number of fishermen on the lake, but I stuck to the shoreline, keeping out of their way, but also paddling away from ducks in the bays, where possible.
This was a mostly calm day, a paddle through silver light, worth the drive to the high country.
More Information:
Stake Lake is one of my favorite lakes. It has good access and lots of parking. There are rarely any fishermen or other paddlers on the lake. The water is crystal clear. But it is only 2.3 km around so I usually do 2 or 3 loops. On other days I will paddle a loop, secure the boat, then go for a hike.
On a cool and breezy May morning I launched my boat for a paddle with no one else in sight.
The wind was gusting out of the south and it was forecast to become much windier in the afternoon. I found it quite manageable, but it did hail twice.
While paddling I spotted loons geese (with goslings), ducks, and a woodpecker.
I completed two laps around lake in about an hour before the stronger winds came in. Of all the lakes I paddle, I return to Stake Lake the most so I will be back in late spring again.
On a grey, drizzly May morning I drove up toward Logan Lake, then turned onto the Paska Lake Road. Just after the 8 km mark, I turned into the Paska Lake Recreation site. All was quiet as I launched into the lake.
In spring there is a long channel hidden from the lake which can be paddled down and back. It is the drainage for the lake, but has a lagoon-like quality. In summer it is full of lily pads, but in spring it floods the shoreline where ducks and geese were nesting.
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The channel is about 1 km long (one way) for an out-and-back exploration, adding 2 km to the paddle around the lake. From there I went around the south end of the lake and then back up the east side.
There are some shallow bays all along the east side of the lake, under the slopes of Chuwhels Mountain.
Rain clouds were all around and the showers started just after I had loaded the boat and started back.
There were no other people or boats on the lake. I spotted an owl, a great blue heron, killdeer, loons, a muskrat, a woodpecker, and many ducks while paddling the 5km circuit at an elevation of 1451 m (4760 ft).
This can be a busy spot on weekends in the summer, but it is a perfect destination for a late spring paddle.
A new video is now available on YouTube:
Click the YouTube link for more KamloopsTrails or KamloopsKayak videos.
On a cool May morning I drove to Walloper Lake and launched at the Rec Site.
There was a steady breeze on the lake, but there were bays and coves to tuck in to to avoid the winds.
A paddle around the lake takes about an hour, but wetlands called for some exploration while following the shoreline.
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At the west corner of the lake is a marsh where I have previous spotted nesting loons.
Walloper Lake is a favorite paddling spot, but it is even better when it is not a busy afternoon or weekend. For most of the outing there was only the kayak and the birds on the lake.
More information – Walloper Lake
I drove through Logan Lake then turned down Highway 97C to get to Mamit Lake.
On a sunny day with no wind, I launched onto the lake and paddled the north and middle part of the lake, exploring the bays, for about 7 km of kayaking. I had done the whole lake before so I was content with the north end for this day. I will kayak the south end next time. I prefer to paddle the lake in spring when spring runoff fills the shallow lake. In summer, the water is drawn down and algae forms over the lake.
I explored an old homestead on the western shore.
The lake has a scenic setting with grasslands and rounded hills surrounding the lake.
The lake was calm for about 1.5 hours of paddling.
I spotted bank swallows, ducks and geese, an immature eagle, an ospry nest, least sandpipers, and loons on the lake. Another fine day of paddling in the high country.
There is a good launch area on the east side of the lake. It is not a popular fishing or boating lake so it is not crowded, even on a sunny weekend day.
