On a fall day, the river was calm, the sun was shining, and the downriver flow had slowed down to allow easy paddling.
I paddled downriver to the highway bridge area and back up, another section of the South Thompson River worth kayaking
Category Archives: On the Rivers
Exploring Pritchard Provincial Park
On a fall day, I launched from the beach at the Pritchard Bridge and paddled out into the river.
I paddled upstream and the downstream flow was quite manageable for steady progress. I paddled up to Pritchard Provincial Park, a marine strip park along the South Thompson River.
I paddled past the park, around a rocky bluff and some farmland shoreline. On the way back, landed on the shoreline in the park and walked the beach.
With the salmon run starting, there were many birds on the river – crows, eagles, geese, and gulls were active on the rivershore. There is foot access to the two sections of parklands along the river (north and south of the bridge) and we are planning to walk these sections in late winter when the beaches clear of snow.
This will be a paddle I will return to do each year, in the spring or fall, when the flow of the river allows reasonable paddling.
Paddling Cooney Bay in Fall
Once the logs were cleared from the path to Cooney Bay I put my kayak on wheels and launched the boat on the river. The goal was to paddle upstream to the sand-silt islands where the pelicans were. Paddling upstream was okay, but there is a lot of very shallow water so it was hard to get close to the pelicans on the other side of the river. I got close enough for a few shots with a telephoto lens, but it is very hard to hold the longer lens steady for the distances required, so only a handful of shots were clear enough to share.
Click an image for a lightbox view.
After the upstream paddle, I floated downstream to Cooney Bay and paddled a loop route on Kamloops Lake.
The launch area was very muddy and the path to the shoreline was narrow and it wound through many logs (pulling an 18 foot kayak), but once on the lake, the paddling was excellent.
A Floodlands Meditation
When the river fully fills at freshet, the lowlands near Tranquille fill, creating lagoons, bays, and channels among the tall shrubs. We can launch from a parking area near Tranquille and create our own route.
On a calm and cloudy day we are rewarded with reflections in the glassy waters.
On such days there can be a surreal, peaceful experience, best found with a kayak or canoe.
Each year we get about a month of paddling the floodlands, right in our backyard.
Freshet River Rain
On a rainy grey morning I launched my kayak from the grass in Pioneer Park and paddled downstream on the surging current of the river during freshet.
It rained for about half of the outing. High volumes of water makes the paddle back upstream harder, especially around the bridge supports.
When it rains we can wear a good paddling jacket and hat and use a spray skirt. We can stay relatively dry, especially on days that are not windy.
On rainy days we actually stay drier when kayaking than we would while hiking. If it is windy and rainy, we take a miss, but this is infrequent in Kamloops.
Paddling into the Floodlands
When the rivers rise in June the lands between the airport and Tranquille flood and we can kayak out and explore the channels.
When its windy out in the river, we can paddle a loop route in the protected bays and channels.
Ducks and geese can be found in the side channels and pocket bays with their young by their sides.
Reflections are at their best when the waters are calm and there are clouds in the sky.
Some video clips are shared from paddling in the floodlands:
Information on where to launch can be found here.
McArthur Island Lagoon Route
Between morning rain showers and an afternoon thundershower I launched my kayak from the McArthur Island boat launch and paddled down the Thompson River to the west end of the lagoon channel that goes around the island.
With high waters, the boat launch and the channels were full of water. Paddling downriver was quick because of the current.
In some years there can be low clearance between the channel and the bottom of the footbridge and it may be like that again soon. On this day it was easy.
The one obstacle was a flooded beaver dam at the narrowest spot near the west entrance, but I was able to plough my way through the debris on the way up and skirt the dam on the east side on the way down.
The final part of the paddling outing was back upriver which is hard work during freshet. Some moments of the paddling route are captured in a video:
‘Round Rabbit
On a mid-May morning I launched from McArthur Island and paddled up the Thompson River. The current was stronger during freshet. At the east end of the Island, I rounded Rabbit Island.
Paddling down the south side of the island is easy and much faster.
Paddling back upstream is harder and a faster paddling rhythm is required to complete the 4 km loop route:
Up the North Thompson River
On a cool morning I launched my kayak from Pioneer Park and paddled downstream. At the Confluence I stayed right and worked my way through a shallow section into the North Thompson River. I paddled upstream slowly since the current is stronger in that river. Wanting to paddle for about 1.5 hours, I picked a spit to turn back downstream to enjoy my face into the sun as I glided and paddled back to the Confluence, and then back up the South Thompson River.
Another fine day of spring paddling with many more days to come…
Valleyview South Thompson River Route
From the Valleyview Boat Launch we can paddle up the South Thompson River toward Barnhartvale and back. On this section of the river, the downriver paddle is twice as fast as the upriver paddle.
The winds were light and the weather improved during the outing. Another fine day of paddling:
Seven Bridges
From Pioneer Park I paddled downstream under the Red Bridge, then the Train Bridge, and past the confluence to go under the Overlander Bridge, then beyond past the pylons of a half bridge, and back again on a fine day.
Overlander Bridge
And, a video of paddling the river:
Shuswap River Run
A new video is now available on YouTube:
Click the YouTube link for more Kamloops Kayak or Kamloops Trails videos.
Late Winter River Runs
In mid-March the river was clear of ice, but the cold winds persisted and the right gear and precautions were still needed. On this day, there were many geese on the river and one other paddler.
I had hope to have paddled more by this date, but consistently windy conditions are a discouraging situation for paddlers.
On the Eagle River
A new video is now available on YouTube:
Click the YouTube link for more Kamloops Kayak and Kamloops Trails videos.
March 2 On the River
There was still ice on the shoreline and over much of the boat launch area. I hauled the kayak to a patch of beach at Pioneer Park and paddled up the river.
That part was fine, but the prelude was more interesting – I drove down the boat launch to the edge of the ice and unloaded the kayak. I placed the kayak on the ice while I got out the rest of the gear. I heard a noise and watched with horror as the 18 foot boat slid along the ice and into the river. The river picked it up and it was floating away. I had my dry suit on so I started to run down the shoreline. I was prepared to wade and swim out to the boat in the cold water. But the ice was slick and I fell. As I got back up, a man walking his dog saw my predicament and luckily there was a small back eddy which spun the boat, so he reached over and pulled the boat out. I thanked him, then took a moment to realize how lucky I was. A few minutes later, I launched the boat and paddled upriver.
Fall Color on the River
On Hallowe’en Day the weather was colder, but the sun was shining. With no wind, there were colorful reflections in the river.
Cloudy mists hung over Mt. Peter.
Blue skies and colorful leaves reflected in the river.
Many tones of greens and yellows are brought out in the sunlight.
And, some spots show reds, yellows, and greens, surrounded by blues in reflection symmetry.
A great blue heron stood by the rivershore as I drifted by.
The temperature was -1C, but with no wind. Paddling will continue into November.