Morgan Lake is a small lake in the Six Mile Hills area, west of Pat Lake. We used to call it The Slough, but it was dammed and stocked and now is a popular fishing lake, especially in spring. It is one of the first lakes in the hills to become ice-free. In April Pat Lake, Morgan Lake, and Stump Lake are the busy spots. On a weekday morning I came to the launch area from the Tunkwa Lake Road and launched onto the lake.
I paddled close to the shoreline keeping away from fishermen, going twice around the lake, 4 km in all, then I hiked around the lake. Photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
A short video shows some moments on the lake.
We hiked around the Six Mile Lakes and will paddle Pat Lake too sometime soon (in a new kayak).
In mid-April I returned to Trapp Lake for a second day of paddling, this time with a loop on the north end of the lake. Winds were light and the temperatures were moderate.
Some video footage was taken with a 360 camera and mixed with mp4 video and photographs into a YouTube video:
Trapp Lake is a favorite spring paddling destination. No other boats, good launch access, and interesting scenery. The only drawback is the noise from a series of trucks on the highway (maybe I should bring headphones next time). All photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view.
On a calm spring day, Stump Lake called. There were lots of fishermen at the lake and the boat launches were packed so I went to a rocky hand launch spot at the north end of the lake. This is a less interesting area with highway on the west side and homes along the north shore, so I opted for a loop route around the middle-northern half of the lake.
There were lots of ducks and geese on the lake and a few fishing boats, but it is a large lake, so it was a quiet paddle on a fine spring day. All photos by the author. Click and image for a lightbox view and a caption.
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Some moments of paddling on Stump Lake (and a hike there on the same day) are captured in this YouTube video:
Shumway Lake is the home of the Kamloops Canoe and Kayak Club and Kamloops Rowing Club and it has a well-developed facility with high performance and recreational programs for all ages. Since it is a private facility only members can park and launch at the facility. It is possible to haul a boat down the bank and launch into the lake at other spots, but it is difficult and so public paddlers rarely kayak on the lake. It is a great lake to paddle since there are no fishing boats nor power boats (unless there is a scheduled training session or a race).
I parked outside the gate on the south side and hauled my 18 foot kayak down the rocky bank and scrambled in for a paddle up the lake and back. There is some irony here (see the note below)
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On a mid-April day there were no paddlers on the lake, but there was lots of ducks, geese, an eagle, magpies, loons, and grasslands birds to keep me company.
It was difficult to haul the boat back up the bank so I may not be back again this year.
Note – In 1989 I accepted the volunteer position with the 1993 Canada Games Society as the Vice President of Sport. Canoeing and kayaking were 2 of 18 sports and we worked to develop a paddling center in Kamloops. After an early false start, we finally settled on Shumway Lake. Later I moved to the staff position of Manager of Sports and Operations and I was the primary person involved in planning and building the facility (including engineering, course installation, temporary facilities and storage, contracting construction, purchasing equipment, coordination transport of rowing shells, purchasing kayaks and canoes from Poland, budgets, coordinating services, and negotiating with a wide number of agencies and interested parties. We worked with Rowing, Canoeing, and Water Skiing to form a society to oversee the after-Games use of the facility, then helped with the lease of the property. We gave all the boats to the Clubs. After the Games the Clubs occupied the site and built up further permanent facilities and developed programs which are still running today. For the 2011 Western Canada Games, I ended up as General Manager and we helped Canoeing, and Rowing with additional funding to replace the underwater course and additional facilities for the Games. From 1989 to 2012 I spent a lot of time supporting canoeing, kayaking, and rowing in Kamloops, but from the background, then I retired and spent much of my time paddling on my own. I observed the paddlers and rowers from afar and only rarely visit Shumway Lake.
In early April, the ice was off the lower elevation lakes, but windy days limited reasonable padding conditions. On a cool morning with a steady wind out of the south, I drove to Trapp Lake and launched out into the lake and paddled south, into the wind.
The sheltered coves were still blocked in with ice, but the lake was fine for paddling. There were lots of birds – eagles, ducks (mallards and barrows golden eye), osprey, hawks, geese, magpies, a meadowlark, and some smaller birds in the trees. It is a lake that is seldom kayaked, but it has good access off a side road and a paddle around the whole shoreline is 10 km. I usually paddle the lake twice each year. Some video of the paddle is included here:
Information on paddling Trapp Lake and other lakes in the area can be found on the Kamloops Area Paddling Lakes page. (Menu > On the Lakes > Trapp Lake)
One of our best paddling outings is a circuit around Lac le Jeune. Interactive points of interest are embedded in the map below with photos, links, and other information.
When the weather threatens rain, wind, and afternoon storms, Stake Lake is on of three lakes I paddle for an early morning kayaking workout. This July morning was calm, great for doing loops around the lake.
A short video shares a few moments on the water:
Stake Lake is a go-to destination for paddling, hiking, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing over 12 months.
As the paddling season wound down, some of the lakes and rivers were paddled for a final time (or two). Jacko Lake (along with Edith and Stake Lakes) is a “go to” spot for paddling each year, and for good reason. Access is good (but a bumpy road), there is lots of room to launch and park, the lake is surrounded by grasslands, there are always lots of birds by the lake, it is close to town, and the lake has a number of shallow bays, suitable for paddling but too shallow for fishermen. A paddle around the lake is 4.4 km, taking about 52 -55 minutes (per loop).
By summer the lake has become more shallow (evaporation and draw down) and aquatic vegetation fills the shallow bays so the paddling loop is farther from the shoreline.
There are some shallow arms/bays to explore that are usually occupied by ducks and muskrats,
On a calm and sunny day, Jacko Lake is a perfect place for a rhythmic quiet paddle in the Kamloops area.
On a windy day, paddling on any open body of water is not easy and less enjoyable, but we can paddle a short loop on smaller protected lakes. Usually i pick MCConnell, Stake, or Inks Lakes and do one or two loops around the lake, depending on the strength of the winds. If I find the winds too strong, I sometimes do one loop, then I secure the boat and go for a hike. When I arrived at Stake the winds were reasonable (10 – 15 km), but by the end of the lake they had picked up.
I picked a loop on the Stake Lake trails and kept my eye out for wildflowers, birds, and wildlife. Lupines were in full bloom at the side of the trail.
After a month of rain, the ponds were all full. The protected spot was out of the wind and provided reflections of the trees nearby.
I skirted the edge of several marshes and was pleased to find some green bog orchids starting to bloom.
This larger marsh was overflowing and all the low lands were flooded,
Common red paintbrush was also in full bloom at various locations by the trails.
In winter, we strike off the snowshoeing trails to cross the marshes, but on this day, I hiked right around the marsh in a large loop and then back to Stake Lake.
We are lucky to have a trails and a lake where we can paddle and hike on a windy day.
I paddle some lakes every year and Badger Lake is one of them. On this early summer day I drove past Knouff Lake and followed the potholed forest service road to the Badger Lake Recreation Site boat launch.
The launch spot by the campground was often full with awkward launching and poor parking, so a new parking area and boat launch was added south of the Rec site.
I launched the kayak and paddled clockwise around the lake (6 km).
There is a narrow passage into the back lake that can only be used by a canoe or kayak. Sometimes there are some obstacles, but they usually be floated away. There is another passage on the north end that small fishing boats use out and back. I entered at the south end and paddled around the hidden bay, then exited through the north end.
The winds died down leaving me with a perfect day to paddle a quiet lake in the backcountry.
On a warm summer day I drove to Jacko Lake for an early paddle around the lake. there was a light wind on the lake and a few fishermen were already on the water.
Jacko Lake is a favorite, one I usually paddle 3 or 4 times each year. It is close to town, it is scenic, and there is lots of room at the parking area, at the boat launch, and on the lake.
I snowshoed to the lake last winter and will return again in 2023. We are fortunate to have such a nice spot so close to town. A huge mine adjacent to the lake would have ruined it.
Reflections are look-backs, outings over the last year that had not yet come to a post.
On the first day of October after the warmest September on record, an early morning paddle had warm weather and calm conditions. There was no one else on the water for most of the paddle to the end of the lake and back.
looking west down the lake
swamp reflections
the large marsh on the northeast end of the lake
bathymetry of Lac le Jeune
Lac le Jeune is a beautiful lake, but it can be an overbusy location in summer. In October it is a quiet and peaceful spot for rhythmic paddling. A few ducks, a loon, and a number of jumping fish paid me no mind. With no wind, there were another set of reflections, the shapes of trees in the still water.
I paddled Scuitto Lake in the fall, right before the colder weather set in as part of a video shoot with CFJC TV. I took some of my own video footage and some photos that day. A YouTube video highlights some of the on-the-water time on the lake:
In late October, it had rained overnight, but at Edith Lake there was some snow on the ground in shaded areas. With winds forecast, I was on the water early.
A complete circuit of the lake can be done in less than an hour. By the end the cold winds were blowing.
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This would probably be the last day of paddling on Edith Lake for this year, but it was also the 89th day of paddling in 2022.
I paddled close to the shoreline keeping away from fishermen, going twice around the lake, 4 km in all, then I hiked around the lake. Photos by the author. Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.
