Category Archives: On the Rivers

Paddling the rivers of the Thompson River Valleys and the southern Interior of British Columbia, and a few rivers from our travels.

On the River in March

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Even though snows still linger, we can start paddling on the river.   Although the Pioneer Park boat launch is still closed, we can get our boat down to the river with a little extra work.   Since the water is cold, we used a wetsuit and stayed close to the shoreline.

The south-facing shoreline was clear of snow but the north-facing shoreline still has some snow and ice.

There were lots of ducks (mallards and buffleheads), geese, some swans, crows, and an eagle on the river.   Lots of spring-shed feathers were floating on the water.

This first upriver paddle and back downstream to the launch was 7 km.   As the season progresses we lengthen the paddling distance.    We can also head upstream on the North Thompson which has a stronger current.

After a long winter, a return to paddling is welcome and we look forward to 8 more months of paddling on the rivers and lakes.

On the River in October

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By October it is rare to see another boat on either the South or North Thompson Rivers.   The boat launches remain open but we are more likely to see dog walkers than power boats.  We continue to launch our kayak onto the river to paddle various routes on the river.   Downstream is always easier but requires vehicle support so most outings are to paddle upstream then back or vice versa.   One of the best routes is to launch at Pioneer Park and paddle upstream to Valleyview and back.
The river is low in fall but that leaves gravel bars to launch from and many places to land.   Although the water is cooler, it is not yet cold.   Neoprene boots are a good choice for wet launches and landings.   We also wear a spray skirt in the fall and early spring.

The shoreline has few visitors, but there are many ducks, geese, seagulls.   On this day we also spotted a young great blue heron and some migrating spring salmon.

On a windless day, the sky is reflected into the peaceful river.

Geese take up residence along the banks of the river for most of the winter.   They were spotted in groups of 25 – 30 in several places on the South Thompson River.

We paddle upstream for about 45 minutes before turning around, taking our time to paddle and drift downstream in the last days of paddling for the year.

In most years we can paddle into November, but we are cautious about temperature and wind so we choose the right times, days, and routes.   We have been able to get the boat into the water at the end of February some years so the kayaking season is sometimes 9 months.

Puntledge River to Comox Harbour

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The Puntledge River flows out of Comox Lake and continues right through the City of Courtenay, flowing into Comox Harbour.   Kayakers can launch their boats at a public boat launch at the end of 20th Street in Courtenay Airpark.   From  there, paddlers can either go upstream for a ways or they can paddle downstream through the saltwater estuary to the sea.

 

There was a salmon run in progress so there were many seals fishing in the waterway.   We also spotted eagles, great blue herons, and many ducks and geese.

 

 

At high tide the whole of Comox Bay can be explored but at low tide we need to follow the river channel into thebay,, heading toward Goose Spit and the shoreline of Comox.  The paddle to the spit and back is about 10 km.

Paddlers could also opt to venture past the spit over to Sandy Island Provincial Park (add an extra 14 km return) if wind conditions are favorable.  It is a shorter distance to launch from Union Bay instead.

 

 

When Comox Bay is at high tide we can paddle over the flats on the south side of Courtenay.   Comox Glacier and the peaks of Strathcona Provincial Park are visible from the bay.

 

We paddled back upstream and continued past two bridges to Lewis Park.   We landed at the Airpark, happy with our paddling experience, so much so that we returned the next day at high tide to explore the area some more.

 

On the Shuswap River

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We have paddled the Shuswap River three times before, starting from a hand launch just below the Skookumchuck Rapids and going downstream for 30 km to Enderby.   We did this twice right during the salmon run (see the links below). an unique experience.   This time we paddled a shorter route, the 12 km from the Trinity Bridge to Enderby.   The lower river has little fast-moving water, but it makes a leisurely fall paddle.   This section is where tubers float downstream on a warm day.

There is a good launch spot at a small community park right on the river.   Much of the river is easy Class 1 paddling.

Some of the shoreline is forested and some is farmland.   The river has many shallow spots to watch out for.

a beehive burner on the shore

the elusive kingfisher

 

By late summer there are many beaches open for a lunch stop.   We landed on a wide, sandy area with good views of the Enderby Cliffs.

During the salmon runs, there are many birds and various predators and scavengers on the river, but before the migration, the river is quiet except for a few ducks, geese, kingfishers, and great blue herons.

We left a vehicle in Enderby so we could enjoy an easy downriver paddle, an enjoyable day in our kayaks.

More Information:

 

 

Rabbit Island Loop

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By the end of summer, the McArthur Island boat launch has its gate closed and the lagoon begins to dry out.   In the first week of September, there was just enough water to paddle out of the channel in a kayak.   A week later it would have been a muddy portage.   I exited to the river and aimed the boat upstream, paddling past the east end of Rabbit Island then turned with the current and came down the south side of the island.

The loop around Rabbit Island is about 4km of paddling with some extra effort required on the upstream sections.

the water was very shallow at the boat launch

a narrow channel to get out to the river

the south side of Rabbit Island

gulls on the island beaches

 

When the river floods in June the island is inundated with water channels, some of which can be paddled.   There are a lot of ducks, geese, and riparian zone creatures on the island in June and July.   By mid-summer the island is high and dry.   We have spotted deer in summer and fall on the island.

Mara Mountain above the river

an old dock washed up at the high water mark

coming around the west end of the island

 

The island is private property above the high water mark.   We saw tents on the island in early summer though.   The wide beaches on the north side of the island are a popular stop for boaters, all legal since it is below the high water mark.

From the south end of the island it is a 10 km paddle to Kamloops Lake, all downriver.   Another on-the-water route we do is to paddle from Pioneer Park past the confluence of the river, past Rabbit Island, landing at Cooney Bay, a total of 17 km, a 2.5 hour paddle   A two vehicle system is needed for that option.

We do most of our paddling on the river from March through May, then from mid-September to the end of October, the best months for avoiding fast-moving and noise-polluting power boats.   As the water gets colder, we switch to wearing a spray skirt, but the water temperature stays moderate through most of the fall.

Downriver: Pioneer Park to Tranquille Bay

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During freshet, the river runs faster so any downriver route is a quicker paddle.   The route downriver from Pioneer Park to Tranquille Bay is 11.65 km and takes about 2 hours.

From the flooded boat launch at Pioneer Park, the kayak enters the current and I paddled under the Red Bridge then the CN Bridge.   There was not much clearance under the train bridge and a week later it was impassable to regular boats.   The confluence was a bit turbulent and the North Thompson River was wide and fast-moving.   Beyond Overlander Bridge the river passes the old bridge pylons.   I followed the north shore toward McArthur Island.

Pioneer Park boat launch

the CN Bridge

looking north up the North Thompson

old bridge pylons

 

I knew that Rabbit Island would be flooded and that at this time, there are navigable channels through the center of the island.  From Rabbit Island the trip down the north shore is a quick one, with a few detours through flood channels near the Rivers Trail.

in the Rabbit Island channels

Mara Mountain above Tranquille Bay

 

Along the way were ducks, geese, gulls, crows, sparrows and other shoreline birds.   An eagle was nesting in an aerie on the rivershore.

In Tranquille Bay we can spot western painted turtles sunning on logs if we approach quietly, drifting slowly to get closer.

The landing at Tranquille Bay is an easy one but a pickup system is needed or two paddlers with two shuttled vehicles.   Later in the season, Cooney Bay is an alternative end point.

More information:

Paddling the Floodlands

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When the North Thompson and the South Thompson Rivers rise, the Thompson River expands and the estuary at the head of Kamloops Lake widens into a floodlands.   We can launch a canoe or kayak from the BC Parks Lac du Bois Wildlife Management Area parking area.  .This launch spot is suitable for canoes and kayaks only during freshet.

We paddle out through Tranquille Bay past the floodland shrub “islands” to the river, then across the river to the far side.

When there is no wind, there are many reflections in the calm bayous.

Willows are tolerant of the salt-rich alkaline waters.   They are the dominant plant in the floodlands.

Clusters of willows and salt-tolerant shrubs make watery islands.

From the river, Mount Mara rises above and reflects in the water.

Kamloops Lake and the estuary become one, a larger lake during freshet.

Along the flood channels and in the bayous, there are carp, ducks, western painted turtles, cormorants, herons, eagles, osprey, geese, blackbirds, crows, and wide variety of birds and insects.

 

We paddle quietly, careful not to startle the wildlife, listening for the calls of birds, always aware that we need to be as unobtrusive as we can in the seasonal Tranquille floodlands.

The floodlands offer the finest paddling in our area for May and June each year.   Watch for our kayaks there.

Lafarge to Pioneer Park Downriver

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Every spring we paddle down the South Thompson River in 21 km outings.    From the Lafarge Bridge (NE side) we launched our kayaks and enjoyed a 3 hour flatwater paddle from Lafarge to Pioneer Park.   Using a two vehicle system, we started paddling about 9:30 am and landed at the boat launch at Pioneer by 12:30.   One of the keys to an outing like this is to paddle downstream before the power boats get onto the river, if possible.

There are homes, businesses, the railway, and the highway along the south shore, but the north shore is much quieter and more scenic.

Eagles and ospreys watched over the river along the route.   This eagle perched in front of its nest in a snag.  Photos taken from a kayak are never easy.   It would be easy to drop the camera in the swirling, swiftly-moving water of the river.  The camera survived this last outing.

Five kayaks are seen here below the silt cliffs on the north side of the river near Harper Ranch.

tThere were geese, goslings, ducks, blackbirds, and bank swallows all along the route.

On several sections of the river there is only the riparian zone with Shuswap Road and the silt cliffs above, remnants of a glacial lake.

On the other side are waterfront homes near Campbell Creek, in Dallas, and Valleyview.   The final section of the journey goes through a narrow section by the TIB Office, then a short section into Downtown Kamloops.

 

By noon there was a fair amount of boat traffic on the river, a good time to land and get the 18+ foot kayaks away from the noise and turbulent waves of the powerboat crowd.   The best part of this route is the first half with quiet kayaks gliding among the birds on the river.

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Paddling Upstream from Lafarge

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

tIn spring we start our paddling season on the South Thompson and North Thompson Rivers.   The best launch is from Pioneer Park, but we also go to other launch sites to paddle different parts of the rivers.   With Valleyview Boat Launch closed for bank repairs, we went out to the Lafarge Bridge beach and paddled upstream in early April.

There is a good access road to a small beach where we can launch the boat to paddle upstream.

The river runs fast here and the north shore has extensive gravel bars so we launch and swing out into the main river channel.

The river looks calm to the east, but all parts of the river run quickly so it is hard paddling and slow progress upstream.   At times it is like “paddling on a treadmill.”

After an hour of paddling upstream, I turned the kayak for a gentle downstream return paddle.

Because of the current (and some wind), the downstream paddle was 3x faster than upstream, but distance is not the issue in the early season.   We just need to build up the core muscles and establish some endurance in preparation for 9 months of paddling.

At the end of the paddle,  as we approach the Lafarge Bridge, we swing over to the beach for an easy landing.

We often land at the Lafarge Bridge when we paddle downstream from Pritchard.   It is is much more enjoyable outing than battling the river upstream.    After all, the “treadmill” becomes tiresome after a while.

South and North Thompson Rivers Paddle

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Paddling upstream is always a good workout and part of a spring fitness program, getting ready for longer paddling adventures on the bigger lakes, the rivers, and the ocean in the summer.   One route we do every spring is to go up the North Thompson River, which is a bit harder than the South Thompson River.   I launched at Pioneer Park and paddled downstream to start the day.

 

The route goes under the Red Bridge, then the Black Bridge to the confluence, an easy 1.3 km start to the paddling day.

 

 

There was a “flotilla” of swans near the confluence which were annoyed at this long (18′) green boat coming toward them, but I turned the corner and started upstream towards the Halston Bridge.

 

There are a number of gravel or sand banks on both sides of the river so the best course is to paddle straight up the middle.   There are sections of faster water so progress is slow at times.   Ducks and geese stayed close to the shoreline and a bald eagle watched from a still-leafless cottonwood tree.

 

The beaches along Schubert Drive were starting to shrink as the flow of the river increased.    This is a quiet route with no road noise until we got close to the bridge.  Progress upstream is at about 3.5 km an hour.   We can probably do 4 km/hour, but steady, rhythmic paddling is the key to endurance work.

 

 

The Halston Bridge was busy but there was also a train crossing the CN Bridge.   Some faster water swirls under both bridges.

 

 

I paddled past the CN Bridge and looked upstream at the river.   That section of river up to Rayleigh will be another day of paddling, launching out of Westsyde.

 

 

I turned the boat and paddled gently downstream, averaging more like 7.5 to 8 km/h.    Mt. Paul stands over the rivers on the way back to the confluence.

 

 

Looking south into the sun is the confluence of the South and North Thompson Rivers overshadowed by the City, but reflected clouds in the river were the memory I took away from the return paddle.   Turning the corner, the final 1.3 km is another slow one, upstream to Pioneer Park.

 

Paddling on a Treadmill

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

We paddle the rivers of our area in early spring.   There are a limited number of launch spots and some of those are in faster water.   There is a good beach launch on the northeast side of Lafarge Bridge so we launch from there from time to time, but it makes a better landing spot for a downriver paddle than an upstream launch spot.   The river moves quickly and there are a number of gravel and sand bars for many kilometers.

Progress is so slow upstream that it feels like paddling on a treadmill.   It took almost an hour to travel 2.7 km upstream and only 25 minutes back downstream, mostly drifting.   This is a good aerobic workout, for sure, but a lot less fun than paddling on slower rivers, on our lakes, and on the ocean.   The lakes will clear of ice soon and we can take a break from upstream paddling.

 

Spring into the River

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

The first paddle of 2017 waited for the snow and ice melt and landed on the first day of spring.    The river is low, but t is still easy to launch from Pioneer Park.    Since the water is still cold, we try for a dry launch, keeping feet out of the water.    Its not so easy to do that on the landing.    The river was calm for paddling slowly upstream to Valleyview.

There were ducks (mallards and mergansers) and geese on the water.   Sheltered spots still had some snow or ice.   Banks that are covered in water for much of the year were exposed.    Very little colour was on the trees and shrubs except for the faded reds of red ossier dogwood and some faded yellows of willows on the banks.  The reflections of Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter and Paul Ridge reflected on unrippled water.

The paddle up to the end of the Gregson Trail at Vicars Road and back is only 7 km, but a good start to the paddling season.

In most years we can easily get about 8 months of paddling.  We start on the river then go to the larger lakes once the ice disappears, then the high country lakes, then sections of the river again.   In the summer and early fall we travel to the ocean and some destination paddling-camping trips.    We return back to the river in late fall for final few paddles before it gets too cold.   One down and sixty more to go…..

Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge

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The only Hawaiian island that has navigable rivers is Kauai.   The Hanalei River is the second largest (in flow) on the island,  descending from the upper slopes of Mt. Wai’ale’ale to the ocean in 15.7 miles.  The lower part of the river flows slowly through dense forests, past taro fields, and then it winds through a flat coastal estuary.     The Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge is a bit inaccessible to visitors, except by kayak to the lower half of the Refuge.

hanalie-river We paddled upstream into the current for 2 km to the forested Refuge.

img_1904The Refuge protects endangered waterbirds, but there are also 18 other species that use the wetlands area.  We spotted a few birds in the dense forest and at the water’s edge.

img_1912This is a quiet area and kayaks can enter the watery corridor discretely without scaring off birds, amphibians, and reptiles.

img_1911

 

Box turtles sunned themselves on logs at the river’s edge.

img_1924From the Refuge we paddled downstream to the mouth of the river where it entered the incoming waves of Hanalei Bay.

img_1928We landed at Black Pot Beach to watch the surfers in the crescent-shaped bay.   We paddled upstream for the last kilometer of our 10 km route on the Hanalei River.

img_1929

A moment of paddling captured from the kayak:

[Spider_Single_Video track=”4″ theme_id=”1″ priority=”0″]

On the Thompson Rivers

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In late October in Kamloops fall colours adorn the riverbanks, especially on the North Thompson River.   I launched at Pioneer Park and paddled downstream to the confluence, then turned upstream paddling steadily against current  to the Halston Bridge and back.

thompson-riversThis same route was paddled in March (Up the North Thompson) and will be hope to return in early spring and fall in the next year.   I spotted an osprey, two great blue herons, a kingfisher, and eagle, a flock of buffleheads, seagulls, and the usual crows, magpies, and other birds.   No other boats were on the rivers on this mild fall day.   Our “orange corridor” on the Thompson Rivers is a special place in October.

Hanalei River

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While on Kauai, we stayed on the North Shore and chose to paddle the Hanalei River on a cloudy, warm day.   We rented boats from Kayak Hanalei and launched into the river.   These were 11 foot sit-on-top kayaks.   Rudderless, tubby, buoyant, and slow.

img_1909

We turned upstream and paddled for about 2.2 miles into the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge.   With a constant downstream flow, the kayaks stopped and turned if we stopped paddling, difficult for photography.

hanalei-river

The shoreline was all flowering shrubs, vines, and tropical trees.   The upper part of the river became narrow and shallower.  In the Refuge, we spotted many birds, turtles, and fish.

img_1916

We turned and paddled downstream for 3 miles to the mouth of the river where it emptied into the surf at Hanalei Bay.   Entry into the ocean would be difficult, better suited to surfboards than tubby kayaks.

img_1930

The final leg of 6 miles of paddling was upstream and into the wind.   These types of kayaks are neither efficient, nor comfortable, but the effort is worth the experience on the river.

img_1933

Kauai has the only navigable rivers in the Hawaiian Islands.   The Hanalei River is the second longest.   We hope to paddle the Wailua River next time.

Although we really enjoyed the river, we found the boats to be klunky, wandering, and uncomfortable.   We know that rental companies buy them because novices can get back in if they spill, the boats can take a beating, and they are inexpensive but it is like playing tennis with a pickleball racquet.   Next time we will paddleboard on the river.

Hanalei River

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

While on Kauai, we stayed on the North Shore and chose to paddle the Hanalei River on a cloudy, warm day.   We rented boats from Kayak Hanalei and launched into the river.   These were 11 foot sit-on-top kayaks.   Rudderless, tubby, buoyant, and slow.

img_1909

We turned upstream and paddled for about 2.2 miles into the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge.   With a constant downstream flow, the kayaks stopped and turned if we stopped paddling, difficult for photography.

hanalei-river

The shoreline was all flowering shrubs, vines, and tropical trees.   The upper part of the river became narrow and shallower.  In the Refuge, we spotted many birds, turtles, and fish.

img_1916

We turned and paddled downstream for 3 miles to the mouth of the river where it emptied into the surf at Hanalei Bay.   Entry into the ocean would be difficult, better suited to surfboards than tubby kayaks.

img_1930

The final leg of 6 miles of paddling was upstream and into the wind.   These types of kayaks are neither efficient, nor comfortable, but the effort is worth the experience on the river.

img_1933

Kauai has the only navigable rivers in the Hawaiian Islands.   The Hanalei River is the second longest.   We hope to paddle the Wailua River next time.

Although we really enjoyed the river, we found the boats to be klunky, wandering, and uncomfortable.   We know that rental companies buy them because novices can get back in if they spill, the boats can take a beating, and they are inexpensive but it is like playing tennis with a pickleball racquet.   Next time we will paddleboard on the river.