Category Archives: On the Lakes

Hyas and Surrey Lakes

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

When the heat and the smoke settled over the Interior, I used firesmoke.ca and Environment Canada forecasts to determine which direction to drive to find a paddling lake.    On one of those days, the northeast looked better so I headed up from Pinantan Lake to Hyas Lake (at 1237 m or 4058 feet).    Hyas Lake Forest Service Road was in good shape, though there were bumpy spots near the end.    There is a small BC Recreation Site on the south end of the lake with a hand launch area.   The site was empty so I launched into the lake.

There was some smoke in the area, but there was also some stormier weather coming in.    I paddled around the lake (4.3 km).

There was some rumbling to the south, but it was hard to spot because of the smoke.

On the next day the best direction to travel was southwest, so I drove up toward Logan Lake, then onto and up the Surrey Lake Forest Service Road.    Just before the resort, a rougher road goes west around the shore of the lake on its way to Sussex Lake.    There is a hand launch spot just off the road there.The air was cleaner and the lake was quiet for a paddle around the shoreline (5 km).

For the rest of the summer, I will plan a day of paddling wherever the smoke is less, getting an early start, and avoiding peak use.     There are still some more lakes on the paddling list for this year as I approach 50 days of kayaking.

 

 

 

Rossmoore Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

We look forward to kayaking Rossmoore Lake each year.     It is always a long and bumpy backroad route in to the lake and back out, but it is a remote and quiet spot in summer.    In 2023 the Rossmoore Fire was started near the lake by a lightning strike.     The fire burned for a couple of months, scorching over 17000 hectares.    By October, it was no longer a fire of note.     Winter snows blanketed the area and there has been no known outbreak.   Work on the TransMountain Pipeline nearby helped to keep the roads open and fallen trees cleared so the route to the lake was as usual.    I drove out the Long Lake Road and continued on to Ross Moore Lake.     There is a BC Rec Site at the lake with 4 camping spots and a hand launch area.    The access road down to the launch is requires high clearance.    On the day I went to the lake, there were 3 other fishermen on the lake, all with 4WD trucks and and rooftop racks.

When I launched the kayak, there was a light breeze on the lake.

There were many blackened trees around the lake.    The hillside up to the Ridge Lakes had multiple shades of black, brown, and green.    Much of the forest within view was burned.

While on the lake there were loons and ducks and some birds along the shorelines, but there was less habitat for small mammals and birds in the area.    The resilient lodgepole pine will fill in the areas over the next decades, after a number of post-fire succession of plant growth, part of the cycle for this area.

I returned by the McConnell Forest Service Road, better road, and the shortest route to the Rossmoore area.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

 

 

 

McConnell, Stake, and Lac le Jeune

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

When the summer weather turns hot, I try to kayak 2-3 times each week, rotating to a different lake each time.     If conditions are marginal I may return to do a lake more than once.    I also opt for paddle-hike days and some lakes are better for the combination, although I am trying new routes at more lakes.    Recently I hiked near Community Lake, Face Lake, Hyas Lake, Surrey Lake, and Paska Lake.     Some of the established paddle-hike locations are McConnell Lake, Stake Lake, and Lac le Jeune.

I arrived at McConnell Lake early since it can be a busy spot.     I was first on the lake, paddling twice around the shoreline, once in each direction.

A  light wind was welcome on a warm day.    There were loons and ducks on the lake, and an eagle watching from a treetop.

On a hot day I paddled twice around Stake Lake, once in each direction, then secured the boat and hiked trails before the temperature got too hot.

There was no wind and this was a quick paddle around the lake.    Loons had a chick and raised a ruckus as I paddled the shoreline.

On a very hot day, I arrived early at the Lac le June Provincial Park Campground beach area and launched into the lake.   A paddle of the east end of the lake took about an hour.    I hiked the shoreline trail afterwards, keeping the distance relatively short as the weather became hot enough

I have more paddle – hike days planned – Logan Lake, Leighton Lake, Surrey Lake, and others.     Longer days of paddling will happen once the weather cools a bit.    Watch for me on the lakes….

 

McGillivray Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

During the heat wave the daily plan was to get into higher terrain early in the morning for a paddle or a hike.    On one of those days I drove through Sun Peaks and up the Forest Service Road to McGillivray Lake.   With the early arrival and launch, I was the only one on the lake.   I paddle around the shoreline of the lake, enjoying the sunny day, the wildflowers on the shoreline, the birds by the lake, and the peaceful outing on a calm day.

The whole shoreline is forested and some areas are marshy.    There were ospreys and loons on the lake.    Fish were jumping, and birds were active along the forest – shore interface.

Kayaking around the shoreline is about 5 km, which takes about 70 – 75 minutes of steady paddling,    The ski runs of Sun Peaks were visible from the water while paddling north back to the start.

Near the end of the paddle and on the way back more people were arriving to paddle or SUP on the lake.    This is a great summer destination for a day on the water.

More Information:

Harper Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

When the weather turned hot, all kayaking was planned for early mornings.    In addition, higher lakes were a little cooler.   Lastly, the goal was to paddle for 60 – 75 minutes,   With this in mind, I drove east toward Chase, then turned off the Trans Canada Highway just past the Niskonlith Reserve onto the Harper Lake Forest Service Road.     This is a narrow road that climbs through the hills.    It is gravelled and graded for the first part, but it is bumpy and a bit rough(high clearance) for most of the way to the lake.   The Harper Lake Rec Site is 5.5 km from the Highway.    There is a small dock there and a launch spot.

This is a quiet spot in the hills.    It takes about an hour to paddle the shoreline.    There were loons, blackbirds, killdeer, a muskrat, and a beaver lodge on the lake.    Yellow water lilies, marsh cinquefoil, and smartweed were in flower along the shallows

A few moments from a previous paddle on the lake are shared here.    We will be back to paddle the lake again next summer.

 

 

 

Community Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

When the weather warms up in summer, we go to the higher elevation lakes.   We get an early start and paddle for 60 – 75 minutes.     the ratio of loading/unloading and driving time to actual paddling time is 2.5 – 3 to 1, but the locations are usually worth the extra effort.     On a sunny and hot summer morning I drove up the Heffley – Louis Creek Road, then turned onto the Knouff Lake Road.    Before Sullivan Lake at about 9km, watch for a sign for the Community Lake Road.    This is a good gravel road that climbs into the hills, bearing east for 5.5 km.

On a Friday the Community Lake Rec Site was full, but an early morning start meant easy access to the launch and parking area.

It takes about an hour to paddle around the lake.     There are a few small islands and a number or shallow bays to explore.

Community Lake is dammed at the south end.    Community Creek spills down a gully and joins Edwards Creek.    It continues south all the way down to Heffley Creek.

After paddling the lake I hiked around the south and east side of the lake on old backroads.      There is a maze of quiet tracks on top of the mountain to explore.

 

On Horseshoe Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a grey morning with rain and stormy weather forecast for the afternoon, I chose to paddle Horseshoe Lake.    To get to the Rec Site on the lake drive toward Roche Lake, but turn onto a gravel road that goes to the West Roche Lake Campground.    Turn right (watch for the signs) and follow a good gravel road to the small Rec Site.    There is a boat launch there and adequate parking for day users of the lake.    The lake has two longer arms that are marshy.      The lake was fairly low so the marshy channels were quite shallow, just barely enough for a kayak.   We can usually paddle farther earlier in spring.

On this day there was one small fishing boat and only one trailer in the Rec Site.     I launched and had a quiet paddle on the lake, going around the shoreline twice (a total of 4 km).

There was a great blue heron in the west arm.    Two loons with two chicks sounded the alarm in the south end of the lake.    There were ducks with ducklings, geese with goslings, killdeer, red-winged blackbirds, marsh wrens, swallows, and American dippers on the lake’s edge.

 

By summer this lake shrinks and the shallow bays become filled with aquatic growth.     It is a nice spot for a spring paddle each year.

 

 

Mornings, on Three Lakes

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

In June each year, I look for reasonable conditions to paddle and I travel to different lakes each time, trying to avoid the busiest times for a quiet paddle.    Loop routes are my first choice, but I try to avoid long stretches of private lakefront cabins/homes where possible.   On a number of lakes they are confined to one side so I paddle the forested side or up the middle of the lake.     Paddling early in the morning  often solves the noise and congestion problems.

On grey day that promised rain, I launched my boat into Isobel Lake from the boat launch in the northeast corner of the lake.   There were no other boats on the lake and only one fisherman on the fishing dock on the north side.

 

In late spring we can paddle into all the bays and around 3 islands.    A complete loop of the lake takes about half an hour.    On this day I went around twice, once in each direction.    A few spits of rain spattered the lake, but I stayed dry under my splash deck and rain jacket.

On a Friday morning I launched my boat into Heffley Lake.     This is a lake that can be very busy (and noisy) on weekends, so an arly start on a weekday a good choice.

The north side of the lake has lakefront homes, so I usually paddle along the south shoreline, going into the bays, then returning down the middle of the lake.    There was one other boat with a trolling line, so the lake was fairly quiet.

One of my favorite paddling spots is Stake Lake.    It can be a busy spot, but in the early morning, there are usually less boats.    There are often lots of walkers, hikers, dog walkers, and bike riders on the trails, but on the whole it is a quiet area in the morning.

Once around the lake takes about 25- 28 minutes, so I usually paddle the lake twice, once in each direction.    On this day, I secured the boat, then went for a hike afterwards, choosing a different route each time.

 

 

Murkwater Paddling

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

In the Thomson – Nicola area there are many lakes and some of them are shallow, muddy, and alkaline, many not suitable for fishing.    We can kayak them, but the best season is spring while the water is clearer, before the lake turns over, and before aquatic plant growth and algae multiplies.    Some lakes turn a muddy-green and have a summer stink (skunkwater).   This often coincides with feeder streams and creek water dwindling and the water becomes stagnant.    The water warms up and naturally occurring nutrients (mostly phosphorous and nitrogen)also build up, feeding blue-green algae growth.   Lakes that are red by streams that go through farm areas can also carry fertilizer.    Any lake next to a highway can also be contaminated with road salts spread in summer and leached down into the lakes.

Trapp Lake is a good paddling lake in spring, but in June it turns a muddy green and by mid-summer is like kale soup.      By that time, the texture of the water, the smell, and the general sense of decay makes these types of lakes poor for paddling.   In early June I paddled the lake, and it was just starting to change, but won’t return until next spring.

No wind left the lake water mirror-like.    This is a scenic lake, but the highway noise detracts from the natural beauty.

I paddled half the lake on this day, about 6 km, taking about 70 minutes.

It is best to paddle Murkwater Lakes in the spring.    Some of the lakes to avoid in summer include Bleeker Lake, Mamit Lake, Napier Lake, Louis Lake, Inks Lake, and any lake that has low water levels from evaporation and dry inflow streams.

 

 

 

 

Stump Lake Recreation Site

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Stump Lake is a fine lake to paddle, but with two caveats.     It is a windy lake so we need to check the wind forecasts in advance.    Second, there has been limited access to the lake to launch a boat.    The lake has risen, flooding some lakeside cabins and the main boat launch area on the west shore.    Since it is a popular fishing lake (kokanee), the one official ramp is always full.     there are three other informal access points, but they are also busy spots.    In the last few years I have used the roughest access point, hauling the kayak down to the rocky shoreline.    There was a Rec Site on the east side of the lake, but the access road was in poor shape and the site was run-down.    I landed my kayak in the little bay and checked it out and was disappointed.    But that has all changed now.    BC Rec Sites and Trails has rebuilt the site.   Access is from the south, at the start of the Peterhope Lake Road.    the road has been graded and re-fenced all the way to the campsite, where there are 16 campsites, a boat launch, washrooms, and parking.

I launched my kayak from the gravel shoreline and paddled south along the shoreline of the lake.

Stump Lake is a large lake so we paddle a loop route over part of the lake, changing the route each time.

Next time I will again choose this launch area and I will paddle north.   Recommended!

More information:

 

 

Walloper Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a grey May morning I drove up the Lac le Jeune Road to the Walloper Lake Recreation Site and launched into the lake for a circuit of the shoreline.     Conditions were calm at the start, but the forecast called for 20 km/h winds to start about 10:30, and after an hour of paddling,  the first gusts arrived (about 10:00), on my way back to the launch.   Overall it was a good paddle on the lake.    There were no other boats on the lake and I spotted loons, ducks, geese, swallows, a hatch of insects, and an osprey.    The high country is still emerging and some of the shrubs haven’t yet leafed out.    I have left the higher elevations lakes for later in May and into June.   This was the first of a number to be paddled in the area, including Stake Lake, McConnell Lake, Lodgepole Lake, Paska Lake, Face Lake, Tunkwa Lake, and Leighton Lake.   Some smaller lakes will probably be paddled to, depending on access.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

 

Neskonlith Lake Kayaking

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a greyish late May morning I drove out to Neskonlith Lake for a paddle, followed by a nature hike.    Access to the lake is seasonally limited.    We can drive through the gate from May through October.    The road leads to camping sites and a boat launch on the north side of the lake.    When I launched there were no other boats on the lake, nor any vehicles at the launch parking area, but tehre were a few RVs in the designated camping spots along the lake.    All was quiet early in the morning.   Since it is 11 km to paddle the whole lake I usually paddle the west arm or the east arm, completing about half the lake each year.    On this day the lake was calm and quiet.    I paddled west and returned around a small rocky islet.

There were a few pairs of nesting geese on the island and in one sheltered bay.   There were ducks and loons on the lake and swallows and an osprey flying over the lake.   this is a lake I paddle each year, one of about 100 in our area.   A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Six Mile Paddle and Hike

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a greyish spring day I drove from the TransCanada Highway up the rough Six Mile backroad to Pat Lake.     I kayaked around the lake twice (about one hour of paddling), then secured the boat and hiked up into the hills.    Pat Lake is a popular fishing lakes, especially in the early season since it is one of the first ice-off fishing lakes.    The lake is surrounded by rocky hills in a grasslands zone.      Six Mile Hill stands above the lakes to the north, overlooking Kamloops Lake.    The lake has good access for launching a boat and parking and it is a scenic spot, but it is a smaller lake.

There was a couple of fishing boats on the lake, but I kept out of their way by paddling the shoreline, once in each direction.

There were ducks on the lake, an insect hatch, a killdeer, and many swallows swooping across the lake.   It is a quiet and peaceful spot.

After paddling around the lake twice, I hiked to the top of Six Mile Hill and back in an eclectic loop route.    Another fine day of paddling and hiking…

More information on Pat Lake – link.

 

 

 

Upper Pinantan Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

I paddle Pinantan Lake every year, launching from the end of Cridge Road.      I usually paddle around the lakeshore (4 km) and in some years I paddle and portage up to the upper lake (sometimes called Little Pinantan Lake).    The route starts by paddling along the north shore of the lake to the northeast corner.    From there a marsh channel can be paddled in spring.     There is a beaver dam part way up and this year there was a second barrier too.

Before the dam we can paddle over to a grassy (and muddy) shoreline area, get out, then haul the kayak by hand past the barrier, then relaunch again.    In the marsh it is not easy to get out and get back in again (twice).

I launched back into the upper channel and entered the upper lake, a scenic small lake bordered by bullrushes and cattails.    There were ducks, blackbirds, and marsh wrens .    Grasslands and forested slopes surround the lake.    I paddled once around the lake, then came back down the channel, did the portage, then paddled back into the main lake.

The route to the upper lake is a bit of an adventure and the small lake is a lovely spot.    I hope to return to the main lake to paddle once more, probably in summer.

More information on Pinantan Lake.

 

 

 

Kayaking Venables Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On the May long weekend I drove through Cache Creek and down the Trans Canada Highway towards Spences Bridge.     I then turned onto the (signed) South Venables Valley Road.    It is paved for about half the distance to the valley.   After that it is good gravel.    I continued up the valley until I came to a hand launch spot about halfway up the lake.    Although the forecast had been for light winds, there was a strong breeze out of the south, so when I launched the kayak, I paddled south for a 3.8 km circuit around Venables Lake.   This is an out-of-the-way lake that sees few paddlers or fishermen.

Both ends of the lake have shallow water, but there was enough water in the lake to allow a full paddle of the lake.

A few images are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

 

 

After paddling the lake, I drove north, then turned down the North Venables Road for a loop route.    the south road is better, but the north Road is a slower drive.    After reching the highway I pulled off at Red Hill to find flowering bitterroots, now emerging on the dry rocky hills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edith AM

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

With wind and rain forecast for the day, starting about 9 am, I decided to head out to Edith Lake early.     I was on the water by 7:15 and enjoyed cool, but calm conditions.    At the time of the morning, there were no other boats yet on the lake.     Along the way were loons, geese, ducks (mallards, goldeneyes, and grebes), blackbirds, meadowlarks, swallows, rising fish, and killdeer.     A circuit of the lake, including all the back bays takes under an hour, but if we continuously paddle, it makes a good workout to start the day.

The main part of the lake sees a lot of fishing boats, but boats do not venture to the back bays much.   These are surrounded by grassland hills and are shallow near the end.    As I paddled back to the boat launch, more fishermen were arriving.

Edith is one of my go-to lakes for a shorter paddle so I try to keep a good pace as a workout, but I also enjoy the quiet, rural setting of this close-to-home lake.