Azure Lake has been the subject of several stories on this website (links below), but we continue to return to paddle the lake and explore the northern areas of Wells Gray Park.   To get to Azure Lake, we would have to paddle the length of Clearwater Lake (24km), then go up the Clearwater River and portage to Indian Point.  Or, we can take the water taxi (link below) to the end of Azure Lake and paddle back.   The entire paddle one way is about 46km, but there are a number of campsites along the way (see the links below).

On our most recent trip, we took the water taxi to Rainbow Falls, then paddled 15km to Four and a Half Mile Campground where we stayed for two nights.  On the second day, we hiked up to Mount Huntley.   On the third day, we paddled 5.5 km to the Clearwater River, then continued on to the Osprey Falls landing, a total of 31km for that day.   An easier paddling and camping would be to stay two nights on Azure Lake and two nights on Clearwater Lake.

Although power boats can reach Rainbow Falls if the boats can get up the river, most of the boats on the lake are canoes and kayaks.   One campsite on each lake is reserved for paddlers only, but this is only a concern on busy weekends.   While we were there, campsites were empty to half-full and all were quiet.   The water was azure blue, clean, and warmer than expected.

We will return to Azure every year.   It is right in our backyard, a world-class paddle-camping destination.

• Azure Marine Campgrounds
• To Azure Lake
• Rainbow Falls
• Clearwater Marine Sites – Part I
• Clearwater Lake Marine Sites – Part 2
• Clearwater Lake Tours (water taxi)

On a windy day, Kamloops Lake is not the best choice for paddlers, but on a nice day, a tour of the east end of the lake is a rewarding outing.   Launch from the parking area at the end of Tranquille Road.   The road to Tranquiile on the Lake goes past the entrance and continues on to the edge of Cooney Bay.   Padders will have to carry their boats down to the beach and launch near the river's mouth.   Once in the water, turn the corner to Cooney Bay, then follow the shoreline.

There are some gravelly beaches on the way to Battle Bluff.   If you land, be careful of poison ivy above the high water mark.    The sheer face of the bluff rises above as you round the point.   Look for a smaller tunnel next to the train tunnel.   This is an escape tunnel that goes from deep within the main tunnel out to the east end of the tunnel.   It has recently been partly stopped up with rocks.   Watch for swallows nests high in the rocky bluffs as you round the point.   There are no landing spots at Battle Bluff or on the far side, but there is a pictograph on the west side in an alcove now covered with shrubs.   The shoreline past Battle Bluff is mostly rocky shoreline all the way to Frederick.

Frederick is a small community on the shoreline that is linked by the Dewdrop Road.  The whole lake here is surrounded by rocky bluffs with a few trees found in gullies.   The Cherry Bluffs run from Cherry Creek east to the head of the lake.   Along the shoreline is the Salmon Beach, the location where some salmon fossils have been found.   We were on this beach twice this year searching for the oval mudstones that can be broken open, but found no fossils.   Read this article for more information – link.

On the way back on the south shore are some stoneworks built for the CPR line in 1885 and reinforced several times in the last 129 years.  The large arch is made from quarried blocks transported by rail.

Where the river meets the lake, there are extensive sandbars running from south to north, leaving only a narrow channel in late fall and winter.   In summer, we can paddle across the shallows.   They are a feeding ground for visiting pelicans, returning seagulls, ospreys, llons, and ducks in late summer.   We can paddle across the submerged sandbars in summer back to our starting point,  a total of about 16 km of paddling (about 3 hours at a steady pace).   Pick some good weather enjoy Kamloops Lake.  

We brought our kayaks to paddle the shoreline of Vancouver Island.   Since we were camping at Miracle Beach, we launched from that beach.   Miracle Beach has extensive shallows at low tide so launches and landings have to be at high tide.  Even then, we had to put the wheels on our kayak to get them to the beach and down to the water.  The tide table determined our paddling times, but once in the water, we enjoyed our paddling in the rolling waves of the Straight.

The paddle north from Miracle Beach to Salmon Point and back was our favorite.   On the way is Black Creek, Saratoga Beach, the Oyster River Estuary and then the Oyster River Nature Trails.   With the nutrients from the Oyster River, kelp beds were abundant and there was more sea life in the section north of the estuary.   We were pleased to spot fish jumping and two types of jellyfish.

For people who live on the Island, this would not be destination paddling, but we only get to the ocean once a year so we want to get our kayaks wet when we can.   Last year we did the Broken Islands and future trips will be to destinations like Desolation Sound, Nootka Sound, and the Gulf Islands.  

Three lakes lie near the 50km mark on the Jamieson Creek Forest Service Road on the Bonaparte Plateau.   Mayson Lake is a short drive down a BC Recreation Site road.   There is a boat launch at this small campsite.

The distance around the shoreline is 8km if you choose to paddle into each small bay.   This is  a quiet area, even though the Horse Council of BC and BC Rec Sites have developed a nice campsite on the northeast corner of the lake.   There are a number of rough horse trails from Mayson Lake, around Bogmar Lake, and over to Allen Lake.  

Much of the lakeshore has marshy areas, but is fine for canoes or kayaks.   Lilypads, reeds, smart weed, and an assortment of aquatic plants fringe the shallows.   Loons, eagles, and an opsrey hunted the lake and riparian zones.   Small fish jumped and plopped in the lake.  Dragonflies and blue damselflies hovered for emerging insects.   There was a quiet over the lake, high on the plateau, a long way from the busy city.

In the heat of summer, the lakes of the Bonaparte Plateau are a quiet retreat to the high country.

To get to Mayson Lake, go out Westsyde Road and turn up the Jamieson Creek FSR.   This is an active logging area, but the road is wide and in good shape.   Be cautious on curves, though.   Mileage markers can be seen along the way.   Near the 50km mark, watch for the sign (see above) and turn down to the lake.  

The multi-year goal is to paddle all of the lakes in the area and East Barriere Lake was well overdue for a day in the kayak.   The road to the lake is an easy drive and the best launch spot is at the BC Recreation Site boat launch on the northwest corner of the lake.

This is a fairly large lake best paddled on a day that is not too windy.   To paddle the entire shoreline is about 23km.   We went along the north shore to the "scout camp," crossed the lake, and then came back on the south shore, for a day of about 15km of paddling.   The setting is scenic, the water is warm, and the whole area has a wonderful ambience to it.   A number of large homes with large power boats were seen at docks, but this was a Monday and there wasn't much activity.   We assume that it is a busier lake on summer weekends.   We enjoyed lunch on a small beach and a swim afterward in the clear water.   East Barriere Lake is a gem up in the hills. 

The road to Paska and Face Lake is paved and both lakes see frequent use, but a backroad heads northwest on the upland plateau over to Dominic Lake to an area that is not as well-known.   From the Logan Lake Road, turn north onto the Paska Lake Road and follow it for 9 km.   The same road continues to Face Lake one km north.   At Paska Lake a good gravel road bears off left and winds through the reforested area to Dominic Lake.   Turn left 0.4 km past the 16km marker (the intersection is signed) and drive down to the lake.   The road straight ahead is the Dominic Lake Resort.   The road that forks to the right provides access to the cabins on the north shore.   I counted about 25 of them from a kayak on the lake.

For anyone wanting to kayak or fish, there is really no public access unless you follow a rougher road around the north side of the lake to the dam at the far side.   I was able to launch from the resort this time and paddled around the lake, landing at the far end where Durand Creek drains the lake.   The lake is about 3km around the perimeter and is forested, except where cabins front the lake.

This is a dark lake, but fish were jumping and loons were on the lake.   At 5000 feet, it warms up slower than the lower elevation lakes of our area.   It is a pleasant spot, but not a destination for kayakers.  On the same day, I went into Roper Lake, a shallow lake not far from the road, but mostly unremarkable.   On previous explorations, I had been into one of the Wyse Lakes on a previous trip, but the main lake access is restricted with a piece of private property, so this time I drove some logging roads around to the far side and then hiked in on a marshy quad track to the lakeside.

These lakes are of interest for exploration but there are better spots to hike or paddle.  Face Lake is the best choice for a day of paddling, but the backroads are also good for a moderate mountain bike outing too.

Update

I had previously stated that the Dominic Lake Resort was closed but apparently it was always open.  

Every spring the snows melt from distant mountain ranges and the lands at the head of Kamloops Lake are flooded.   We can paddle in the bays and channels, and enjoy the views, especially on a calm day.

Reflections from the hills and the sky blend with tones of filtered light.

Cloud shapes contrast with the colors of the hills, reflected on the lake.

As the clouds change in the sky, the new effects are displayed on the waters.

Double C's are created with the reflections:

We paddle into the floodlands to immerse ourselves in Nature's Art Gallery.

When spring comes, the ice melts off the lakes and we can start to paddle some of the larger lakes of the area.   In May, Paul Lake has a few people fishing, but is quite quiet otherwise.   The water is still cold, but fish start to jump, pairs of ducks dabble near the shoreline, loons dive for fish, birds swoop for insects, and the chorus of frogs at the east end marsh foretells warmer weather.

We can launch our boat at either the campground or at the west end of the lake and the whole circuit of Paul Lake is 12 km, a good workout in a scenic spot.     

Gibraltar Rock is the prominent landmark along the lake, creating a narrows, with the orange-colorored cliffs looming overhead.   With each return to the lake, we change directions and shorelines.   To do the whole lake is a good paddle, especially in windy conditions.  

The east end of the lake has homes along the north side and steep forest on the south side.   The far east end is shallow with a marsh extending into the trees.   On the west arm, there are homes on the south side and a trail below Louis Ridge on the north side.   We can choose to paddle the whole length of the lake by the forest by crossing the lake by the park forming a figure eight pattern.

By May, we can still paddle the river, but we can also paddle Paul Lake, Neskonlith Lake, Lac le Jeune, Little Shuswap Lake, Stump Lake, Kamloops Lake, and some of the smaller ones (we go around twice) on windier days.