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Category Archives: On the Rivers
Tournament Capital Ranch Channels
Launching a kayak from the Tournament Capital Ranch requires driving a dirt road to the bank above the river, then hauling the boat down the sandbanks to good spot. There is a bay with a back eddy and a beach south of the slow pitch diamonds area.
The river runs very quickly, too fast for most paddlers to proceed upstream, but we can paddle downstream, cross to the other side and come up channels on the west side.
In the first channel the water was still, but the shoreline was very colorful. At the end it was easier to turn around than to portage to the next channel.
The next channel ran aground after a while, but it was a short portage to get to the next channel.
Each channel was flanked by fall colors.
Most of these channels could be paddled without any portages in spring and early summer.
Some hard paddling and a short portage across a gravel bar took me back to the main channel so that I could paddle downstream to the start, turning quickly into a back eddy.
This was fun paddling, but it would not be the kind of venture that novice paddlers should try. Any route from the shoreline will involve paddling upstream into fast currents, paddling across the current, paddling in shallow water, portaging, and hauling. All safety gear would be a must, especially in cool or cold water.
I plan to return in early summer to explore more channels or to paddle downstream to Riverside Park.
Clearwater to Kamloops Video
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Last Day in the Floodlands
By the middle of June this year, the river had dropped at least a metre so the floodlands were reduced to channels. On a windy day, I Iaunched from the pullout near Tranquille into Tranquille Bay.
A strong wind from the east made paddling more difficult as I crossed the bay to the fenceline. I could clear the top wire of the fence in a couple of places still, but if the river drops another foot, access to the rest of the floodlands may be gone.
I followed channels wherever there was some open water, finding watery channels around the fences. The sun was coming up behind clouds in the east behind Mt. Mara.
To the northeast Tranquille flanked the shoreline with Jag Hill in the background.
I explored the channels fighting winds upriver and enjoying easy paddling back downriver toward Kamloops Lake.
The upriver paddle was very slow and crossing the wind was not easy either, providing a good workout on a soon-to-be-stormy day. I took a track while out paddling for 1 hour and 40 minutes. I do not anticipate paddling in the floodlands again this year.
Relive ‘Last Day in the Floodlands’
Into the Floodlands
During freshet, the lands near Tranquille flood and we can paddle the bays and channels on both sides of the river. We have to wait until the water rises above the fences which is usually the end of May. I launched from the parking area near the junction of the road into Tranquille and the Tranquille Criss Creek Road and paddled out and cleared the fence into the bay.
It was a calm day and the hills reflected into the lagoon.
Willow stands rise above the floodlands like small islands.
We can paddle right down to Cooney Bay, but on this day, I paddled through the bays and channels in a clockwise 6 km loop.
The water is fairy still in the bays and back channels. but the river continues to run down to the lake. On other days, i paddle across to the other side and go up the channels to create a loop route. On this day, I wound through channels on the north side of the river.
The pasture in from of Mt. Mara becomes Mara Bay with the mountain reflected in the still water.
The floodlands provide the best paddling of the year in June each year. We will be back a few more times.
McArthur Island Rabbit Island Loop
I paddled from the McArthur Island Boat Launch into the Thompson River and continued upriver.
When I had gone past (and above) the east end of Rabbit Island, I crossed the river and swept down the south side of the island, gaining speed for the downriver journey.
Below Rabbit Island I crossed the river again to the channel on the west end of McArthur Island and then turned into the channel.
There were lots of ducks and geese in the brackish water of the island lagoons, including quite a few goslings.
It is not possible to paddle around McArthur Island. I had to turn around at 12th Street, but out and back is 2.5 km. Back at the river, I knew the current was too swift on the shoreline of McArthur Island, so I crossed back to the north side of Rabbit Island and continued upstream until I could cross back over where the river does not move as quickly. The whole route is about 8 km with some energetic upstream paddling during freshet.
South Thompson River from Valleyview
On a grey, cool May day with rainshowers in the hills, I decided to paddle from the Valleyview Boat Launch. There was no wind at the start, but it was only 4 degrees.
The sun started to shine through filtered clouds over the calm river. I paddled upstream for 3.6 km.
A wind out of the southwest rippled the water and helped in my upstream paddle. There were no other boats on the river.
I turned around at about the Pineridge Golf Course and came back on the other shore, now into a 10 km headwind.
This was a 1.5 hour paddle, a good workout wedged in between weather systems. I turned on the GPS watch at about the 1.4 km mark and then created this video from the track.
Relive ‘Valleyview River’
On the River in Fall
At the end of the paddling season it becomes more difficult to paddle on the lakes at higher locations so I turn to a small selection of lower elevation lakes and the south Thompson River, mostly launching from Pioneer Park. By mid-October there are rarely any boats on the water, but the boat launch provides easy access to the river.
I paddled upriver following the south bank. On top of a nesting stand on a pole was a great blue heron watching over the river.
With little wind the old poles for the yacht club were reflected in the still waters of the river.
I paddled upstream past the soon-to-be-gone Jack Gregson Trail and then turned back, enjoying the easier paddling of downriver flows.
In early spring the first days of paddling (Mar. 16 this year) are on the river. The lakes are not ice-free until April. The last days of the are also mostly n the river. The section of river from Pioneer Park up to Valleyview and back is the best choice when the weather and the water chills. Proper gear helps then steadily paddling for a good workout makes it still worthwhile. The last day will be in early November this year, the end of 8 months of paddling.
Tranquille Bay to Cooney Bay
On an overcast day, I launched my kayak at the Tranquille Wildlife Management Area parking pullout and paddled out into Tranquille Bay. With no wind the skies were reflected in the calm floodwaters.
There are many route choices possible during freshet, but on this day I kayaked down to Cooney Bay and back.
At the mouth of Tranquille River, eagles were perched in snags, watching for their next meal.
On the way back, a muskrat swam near the boat with a mouthful of vegetation from foliage out in the bay.
I did a loop out among the “islands” which are just taller shrubs and trees standing above the floodlands.
This 8 km loop can be done in June and in high flood years, much of July too. It is a special place when there is no wind in the channels and bays of the floodlands.
Paddling Through the Floodlands
When freshet arrives the low-lying floodlands fill with water and we can paddle out from the Tranquille Wildlife Preserve into Tranquille Bay.
An early start often means no wind. At about 11:00 am the winds start and will be stronger yet by noon.
“Islands” of shrubs stand in the floodwaters.
The Thompson River and Kamloops Lake become one larger lake at this time of the year.
I paddled 2.5 km to the far side and entered a flood channel on the south shore. A series of channels can be paddled for another 2.5 km east.
At the east end of the flood channels there are some side channels, some of which can be used to get back to the river. This lagoon by the old pumphouse had a number of geese in the shallow water. I portaged across the grass for about 10m to get back to the river.
I paddled downstream and crossed the river to the north side, entering more flood channels, working my way back to Tranquille Bay.
The whole loop was 9.7 km, 2.5 hours of paddling through the flooded lands. After the river crests more birds, fish, insects, and other animals will settle into the area. We spotted osprey, hawks, ravens, crows, blackbirds, geese, ducks, and some small birds this time. On other explorations of the floodlands we have spotted river otters, beaver, muskrats, carp, herons, seagulls, western painted turtles, and pelicans. On the shoreline we have spotted bears, coyotes, and deer. Raptors patrol the skies. The Tranquille Wildlife Preserve is a wonderful place to explore in flood season.
Exploring the Delta Sand Islands
I paddled out of Cooney Bay in April and instead of heading out into the bay and then farther out to Kamloops Lake, I chose to paddle upstream into the shallow river channels and explore the delta sand islands. At low water, the river divides into 3 channels near the mouth before entering Kamloops Lake. The main channel is about 2/3 of the way across to the other side. The water moves more quickly there and is deeper. On the north side of the mouth are two channels, the one closest to Cooney Bay and one shallow channel farther over. In between the channels are a number of sand islands. At low water, the islands dry out, some with a few logs or other debris. I paddled up the first channel, past the gravelly beaches and cottonwoods by Tranquille.
I paddled up the first channel and then down the second one, watching for shallow spots since its no fun to ground the boat. I turned the corner at the lake mouth, then went up the main channel, paddling against the current and landed on a sand island.
I explored the island, examining debris and tracks. There were lots of bird tracks (mainly seagulls), but there was also a river otter tracks that started at one end of the island and went across to the other side. I have spotted river otters in this area a few times, especially during freshet.
I paddled over to the next island and explored it too. I tried wading through shallow water between the islets, but the super-saturated silts were like quicksand, with my boots burying deeper with each step.
After exploring 3 islands. I paddled to the south shore then looped back through deeper water in the lake to the launch spot at Cooney Bay. All of these islands will be covered in water by now and will have to wait until mid-fall to dry out again.
We are lucky to have access to this area, but it is rarely explored, except by a few who kayak into the lake.
Three and a Half Bridges
In the right conditions paddling on the Thompson Rivers is great in March. On this mid-March day, there was no wind and blue skies. I paddled west from Pioneer Park, going under the Red Bridge, then the Black (CN) Bridge before passing through the Confluence. The river is quite low at this time of year and there are gravel bars in the confluence area. Much of the area is shallow because of silts deposited by the two rivers as they collide and merge.
Overlander Bridge is the third bridge on the downriver route. The half bridge is seen to the west, with 3 pillars still standing in the river.
The section down to Rabbit Island is relatively calm. Mara Mountain above cottonwoods reflected in the river as I approached McArthur Island.
I paddled down the north side of Rabbit Island to inspect the narrow channel. At its narrowest spot it is only about 8m across and only mid-calf deep. I was planning on wading over to hike around the island in the next week.
The return route is more difficult, paddling upstream for about 4 km. A rhythmic paddle stroke yields slow progress toward the confluence.
Old pilings in the river are easy to spot in low water. These ones were west of Overlander Bridge.
With no wind, it is easy to see how shallow the Confluence is. Mt. Peter and Mt. Pail stand above the meeting of the waters.
The sandy beach next to the boat launch in Pioneer Park makes a fine place to launch and land.
When there is more water in the rivers we can paddle around Rabbit Island, already planned for another day on the river later in spring.
On the River in the Fall
Pioneer Park is a busy place in the summer, but in fall, the area is much quieter. On the river, the noisy and disruptive power boats are absent. We can return from the high country lakes to paddle up and down the river. On this grey and cool day in October, I pushed out from the boat launch and went downstream.
The section down to the confluence of the North Thompson and South Thompson Rivers passes under the red bridge, then the train bridge.
It is an easy 1.3 km to Indian Point and the mixed waters of the confluence.
The waters of the North Thompson are muddier and faster than the South Thompson. Turning the corner and going upstream is a challenge.
With some persistence and lots of sweat, we can work our way upstream for as long as far as we choose to on that day. The return trip back to the confluence is quick.
The waters swirl where the two rivers meet and there are shallow gravel bars on both sides of the area. We can do a circuit of the confluence area before heading upstream again.
Options may include a paddle downstream to Rabbit Island and back or we can paddle back up to Pioneer Park but continue upstream to the Yellowhead Bridge and back. Depending on conditions, we can paddle any distance from 4 km to 20 km. Since all of the upsteam paddling is hard work, we are guaranteed a good cardiovascular workout.
When the air temperature drops, the water takes much longer to cool, so we are comfortable in the kayak for another month. We dress more warmly and the spray skirt will be used if there is some wind. By early November we will put away the kayak until next March when we will launch in the river for another season.
Cooney Bay in Flood
When freshet brings the North Thompson and South Thompson Rivers to a high water point , the area at the head of Kamloops Lake floods. The flat floodplains near Tranquille get covered in several feet of floodwaters. In addition, Cooney Bay floods, the beach disappears, and the shoreline recedes. We paddled out of Tranquille Bay then followed the river downstream to Cooney Bay. the feet of the cottonwoods are under water and a barrier of logs covers all parts of the shoreline. A river buoy was untethered from the channel and also ended up along the log-covered shoreline.
The piling up of logs on the shoreline started about a kilometer upstream and continued all the way to the north end of Cooney Bay. The gate to the Cooney Bay Road has been closed for a few weeks now, but there would be nowhere to walk anyway.
Ducks, ospreys, loons, and bald eagles are still resident at Cooney Bay. This eagle had caught a sucker and landed on a pot in the logjam.
The shoreline past Cooney Bay was log-free all the way to Battle Bluff.
Paddling back upstream, we enjoyed seeing the sheltered floodwaters reflecting the images of logs and stumps on the shoreline, this time creating a loop in the water.
Lenticular clouds formed over Tranquille Bay. Lenticular clouds, scientifically known as altocumulus standing lenticularis, are stationary lens-shaped clouds that form at high altitudes, normally aligned at right-angles to the wind direction.
Mount Mara and the shoreline reflect in the calm waters of Tranquille Bay on the paddle back to the launch area.
More Information:
- Paddling the Floodlands (video)
- Paddling the Floodlands
- Next post – June 17 – Stony Lake Loop
Exploring the Floodlands
Freshet brings meltwaters from the north and the east to Kamloops and the South Thompson River and the North Thompson Rivers join to bring floodwaters to the area near the head of Kamloops Lake. On the north side the 2km x 1km flatlands become covered in 2-3.5 meters of water to become Tranquille Bay. On the south side of the river the 2.5 km x 0.7 km areas also become inundated and channels and bays form among small islands and willow groves. If we paddle through channels into both areas, crossing the river twice, we can cover 10km in our kayaks.
By mid-May the floodwaters reach the shoreline near Tranquille, but we need to wait for the waters to rise enough to cover the barbed-wire grazing fences too. We can usually launch and paddle through this area for 6 – 7 weeks.
When there is no wind, the waters of Tranquille Bay are mirrors of the shoreline features.
Mara Mountain provides colorful background terrain, standing above Tranquille Bay and the Floodlands.
Willows stand out in the floodwaters like floating islands.
We often paddle south for 1.3 km to the river then we have a 1.1 km crossing of open water. Our seaworthy ocean kayaks handle any wind and waves well. Smaller boats without rudders should probably stay on the north side of the river on a windy day. All kayakers should be carrying a paddle float, tow rope, a bailer/pump, and some kind of communication device if crossing Kamloops Lake or the open river of this area. Too few kayakers have practiced self-rescue but they still venture into exposed conditions.
Once we are on the other side, the river channels provide protected paddling. The channels are a maze of navigable routes and dead-ends, but in general if we stay close to the shoreline we can paddle all the way through the south floodlands to the east end.
The channels of the south side have a special quality not available anywhere else in the Interior. There are some grazing fences on this side, but when the water is high, we drift right over them.
We take any channel that leads back to the river which we cross, using the current to take a long diagonal route northwest. Once we are on the other side, we look for more channels to work our way into Tranquille Bay. We took our time and paddled for 3 hours in a large loop.
On other days, we stay in channels and bays on the north side only (a good plan for smaller boats or less-experienced paddlers). We watch for wetland birds, turtles, raptors, muskrats, river otters, carp, and water-tolerant flowering shrubs as we explore the floodlands. We will continue to explore these “water trails” as they change with flood volumes right up to the point when the rivers drop at the end of June.
More Information:
- Paddling the Floodlands Video
- Paddling the Floodlands
- Next post – June 10 – North Batchelor Range Hike
Paddling the Kamloops Lake Delta
The delta lands at the head of Kamloops Lake are covered in water now, but in early spring there were large sand/silt islands with shallow channels to explore.
We launched out of Cooney Bay, then went across the lake to the south shore, working our way back into shallow channels, landing on sandy islands.
At the end of the flooding season, a few logs and river debris lodged into the shallow waters and as the river continued to go down, the logs became stranded on silt/sandbars. When the snows melted in late winter, seasonal ponds and shallow bays formed among the islands.
The deltalands lie at the “gateway” to Kamloops Lake.
Before freshet, the river waters are less muddy and flow silently through the river valley into Kamloops Lake.
We walked on the islands a bit, then went upriver. Upstream paddling is still hard work so for this day of exploratory paddling, we went up to the Tranquille Conservation Area and back down, turning the point into Conney Bay and along the shoreline of the lake.
A few ducks and geese used the sheltered waters of Cooney Bay and the lee of Battle Bluff. The gravel beaches on the shorelines were wider and deeper than spring or summer, but will soon be covered by the rising waters of the freshet.
These “deltalands” are only exposed from late fall through early spring when conditions are colder so they are rarely explored. Some of the shoreline can be walked on foot, but much of it requires a short paddle to cross the river channels.
We walked some of the shoreline earliert (link provided below), then we returned to paddle the island network. We will return again to paddle the area, but will explore the floodlands several meters above the deltalands.
More Information:
- Hiking the Floodlands
- Paddling the Floodlands
- Next post – Mara Canyon Ramble – May 17