We try to paddle every lake in our area, following the shoreline, exploring bays, watching for wildlife, waterfowl, and aquatic plants. We have to paddle around fishermen and snags. Sometimes we go around the lake twice, once in each direction.
On a quiet afternoon, I launched from the provincial recreation site on the north shore, not far from the fishing dock. The paddle was a leisurely one, inspecting the dark, weedy waters of the lake. The loop along the shoreline is 4.7km.
I was surprised by how much noise there was from the highway above. The water was murky, though a few small fish jumped in the bays at the edge of the drop offs.
A few cabins and home hug the north side. Swampy zones were more interesting at the east and west ends of the lake. Great blue herons stood on the shoreline. This is a fishing lake, not a destination for paddling, although it makes a good alternate spot for a short paddle.
Paddling on any large lake is a transit from one marine campsite to the next. There are 4 backcountry campgrounds on Azure Lake. Each has its own special quality. They all have tent sites, a beach, a metal food cache, firepits, outhouses, firewood, and picnic tables. The best of all the campsites is at Rainbow Falls, as noted in the previous post. The next nearest campsites are 16km away, Four and Half Mile and Osprey, on opposite shores, only 10 minutes of paddling apart.
Either site makes a good place to camp. Osprey is a canoe and kayak only site so it tends to be more vacant. On the north side of the hill, it is less sunny. The sites are in the forest and have not been properly graded so tents will not be on a flat surface. We chose to make flat spots on the beach.
Four and a Half Mile sits on the north side so is sunnier and more open. There were 3 nice sites in there, but a jet boat and two tents covered all 3 sites. The trail to Huntley Col starts behind this campsite. If the site had been vacant, we would have chosen it over Osprey. We paddled down the lake to Indian Point. It sits on the north shore directly opposite where the portage comes out onto Azure Lake. he sites were scattered along the shoreline, but there was one nice tent site right on the point. We would choose Indian Point if we had paddled up the Clearwater River or had portaged the forest route. If it was earlier in the day, we would paddle farther on to one of the other campsites. The river starts just past Indian Point. Our feeling was that there could be one more marine campsite between Rainbow Falls and Four and Half Mile and we saw a potential site on the north side about half way along. We were very pleased by the care taken to service all the sites. Blackwell Enterprises is a superior operator in the BC Parks system, servicing North Thompson, Pyramid, Clearwater Lake, Azure Lake, and Murtle Lake. We have used all these sites in the last two years and have seen a consistent high standard.
At the end of Azure Lake is a magical spot. Rainbow Falls Campground sits about 5km from the east end of the lake. Angus Horne River flows into the lake here, tumbling over Rainbow Falls.
Millennia of silt deposits have created a sandy crescent of a beach from the river mouth west around the bay. Campsites in the woods fronting the beach are private and have picnic tables. An old trapper's cabin sits in the woods, amidst the blueberry bushes. The campsite has 3 food caches, 3 washrooms and about 10 campsites. Fire rings are provided and there is ample firewood available. A short trail leads back to a viewpoint of the Falls. The area is in the Interior wetzone with large cedar trees, devil's club, and berry bushes. We filled up our bags with blueberries and had them for breakfast and for after-dinner dessert. This is now our favorite marine campground.
The sandy beach extends into the lake for great swimming and paddling. The water was cool, fed by the Azure River, draining the glaciers to the north end of Wells Gray. We paddled to the end of the lake, and landed on the beach at the mouth of the Azure River. We paddled, then walked up the river for a ways, a wonderful spot for lunch and photos. The loop down to the end of the lake and back by the other shore was 11km, perfect for an afternoon's exploration.
The next nearest marine campground is at the west end of the lake, about 19km away (a follow-up post on Azure Marine Campgrounds to follow). From Rainbow Falls to Four and a Half Mile Campground, the shoreline is steep, with very few places to land, but we did see a half dozen waterfalls along the way. The north shore is dominated by Buchanan Ridge, the view across the lake from the campground.
We didn't want to leave this site, but we had 50km of paddling ahead of us. Rainbow Falls rivals the best beaches on Murtle Lake, but is even more remote and far less visited, This is on our return visit list, especially for the season after mosquitoes and in the blueberry harvest.
Azure Lake lies deep within Wells Gray Park. At the end of the Wells Gray Corridor Road, Clearwater Lake starts, extending 24 km north. At the farend, the Clearwater River empties into the lake. To get to Azure Lake, boats have to paddle up the river for 3 km. There is a portage at the halfway point, but when I hiked the route, I found it to be narrow and twisting with big rocks and trees, not suitable to a cart. It is only a 1 km portage, but would be a big challenge. Paddling upstream is tiring, but manageable by August. Before that, the current is too strong. There are some small islands which create back channels to paddle through.
Azure Lake beyond is also 24km long. Including the river,, it is a 51 km paddle from th start of Clearwater Lake to the end of Azure Lake, 102 km return. Many paddlers opt to take the water taxi to the end at Rainbow Falls and paddle back, camping at marine campsites along the way in 3-6 days. That would be my recommendation (link). The campsite at Rainbow Falls and the end of the lake is worth two days (the next post will feature Rainbow Falls).
Early in the season, the lake will be high (all of the marine campgrounds were flooded this year in June) and the river will run too high and fast. Take the water taxi in May before the bugs emerge. Mosquitoes will be out in June so wait until later. The best months on Azure Lake are August through early October. Go to Azure Lake for the scenery, the quiet remote location, and the beachfront campsites. Go for the memories, the photographs, and the joy of paddling a pristine wilderness lake.
To follow: Rainbow Falls, Azure Marine Campsites, Clearwater Marine Campsites.
When the weather bakes up, we try to get on the water (or hike to altitude). Our rivers and lakes become destinations and we are situated right in the middle of dozens of paddling routes. Kayaking in a longer boat (faster/steadier) means finding larger lakes. Our goal is to have enough lakes and rivers in the area to not have to have repeats within the same year. When there is no wind, all lakes are fair game, but when wind and weather are present, we have to pick our routes carefully. Knowing how winds affect individual lakes helps and we can always hug the shoreline or try the kayak sail if conditions warrant it.
Neskonlith Lake is a good destination for a summer paddle. It is 11.5 km around the shoreline, a 2 to 2.5 hour paddle. The shoreline is varied and there is lots to see. The lake sits in a bowl on a north-south line. Most of the winds of the area run east-west (either way) so cross winds may be seen on the lake, but on my most recent paddle, there was no wind, on a hot day.
The best launch point is is from the boat launch at Neskonlith Provincial Park. Go past the first camping area for about 200m to the beach launch area.
When I paddled the west shore, there were many western painted turtles sunning on logs in the lake. When I approached with some noise, they plunged into the lake, but when I glided close, they stretched their long green necks (with yellow stripes) outward, trying to sense if any predators were nearby. Their orange-scarlet underbellies were on display. Some of big ones were the slowest to plunge in and they could be seen from a distance. Dragon flies flitted along the water, landing on floating aquatic plants.
The campground extends along the western shore for a few kilometers. Douglas fir and red ossier dogwood front the lake. A few cabins can be seen mid-lake and a small number of homes at the south end. A great blue heron waded in the shallows and an osprey and red-tailed hawks circled overhead. Fish jumped everywhere in the gloomy water. Pollen had covered the water’s surface with a yellow-green hue. Smartweed (not yet in bloom), aquatic buttercup, and milfoil grew in the shallows.
The east shore sits below rock bluffs so some shade can be found by staying close to the shoreline. A rocky island makes a good spot for lunch. The northeast corner of the lake is shallow and sits next to dry grasslands on the Reserve. There are some bullrush marshes at the north end. Away from all busy roads, the area is very quiet and other than a couple of small fishing boats, there was no activity on the lake.
There are no fine beaches for good swimming as there is at Johnson Lake, Lac le Jeune, and Paul Lake, but there is a sense of quiet, solitude, and a presence of aquatic life that adds much to a summer afternoon of paddling.
Johnson Lake sits high in the hills above Adams Lake. The best road up to the 3800 foot lake is from the Agate Bay Road. The road is wide and well-graded. The other route is from Adams Lake, either from Brennan Creek or from the 28.5km mark. I followed the latter route which climbed through a series of switchbacks with some nice views down Adams Lake. Although the area has been logged, there were no recent cuts and cedar forests covered the upper valleys.
At Johnson Lake, the road on the south side is a good one, I pulled into the BC Forest Service Campsite at the east end. I launched my kayak and paddled the shoreline loop of the whole lake, an 11km route. The water is crystalline blue and clear to depths. Every inch of the lake bottom can be seen from the shoreline due to the limestone of the area. Shoals provide interesting viewing and some small schools of fish could be seen in blue water over a white shoal. Cedar forests lined the shoreline all the way. There are a few cabins on the north shore, but three-quarters of the lakeshore is forested. The resort sits at the far south west and narrowest end of the lake. The actual resort is out of site between two lakes and only docks can be seen from the water. At the east end of the lake, the camping area sits on a sandy white shoal with the clearest water I have seen in this area. The Johnson Lake Trails were built for horseback riders, but are used by hikers and snowmobilers too. The trails start at the northeast side of the lake. There are 22km of trails to explore. For a map of the trails, go to this link.
On a hot summer day, this highland gem is a recommended destination.
After a number of years visiting Painted Bluffs Provincial Park, we now only visit by boat. The land route is not easy, nor pleasing. After a long drive to Copper Creek, there is no suitable access because of private property, fencelines, and the railway. On the other hand, a boat can launch from Savona (or Tobiano) and go across the lake, following the shoreline up to the beach at the foot of the bluffs. The landing is an easy one on a gravel beach.
A short hike up the slopes and across the railroad tracks is required. There is no discernible trail, but a route follows the dry stream bed up to the bluffs. Sinuous ridges extend from the hill above. The dominant colors are green (copper), red (cinnabar), orange (iron and algae on rocks). Nothing grows on the narrow ridges, nor in the rills between them. The foot of the bluffs is an eerie spot. A visitor can explore the foot of the bluffs easily or climb side hills for a better view.
On our last visits, we have chosen to climb the ridges for different perspectives, following the colored ridges to new viewpoints.
The narrow ridgetops are a scramble suited to good boots and steady balance and the gullies are difficult to traverse, but the diversity of colors, shapes, and materials brings new rewards to explorers willing to climb to the heights of the bluffs.
There are a few rocky ridges intermixed with the eroded bluffs too. A few scrubby plants can be found among the rocks. In the gullies are pieces of calcite, sheets of mica, and variety of interesting rock samples. First Nations people gathered copper nuggets at the bluffs and nearby at Copper Creek. When we travel to the site, we practice no impact exploration, leaving samples where they were found. On a previous trip, we watched bighorn sheep traversing the upper bluffs, but we try to stay on the tops of ridges or in the bottom of stream gullies, not wanting to erode the sides of the ridges. With almost no vegetation on the bluffs, we were surprised to see blazing stars in bloom on a rocky-sandy ridge.
Painted Bluffs retains its other-worldly beauty because it is in a remote spot. Visitors need to respect the heritage values of the site, taking only photos away with them and leaving no trace of their passing.
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park is a very special place, one that we try to visit every year. Our favorite route is to kayak across the lake from Savona. Other routes can be taken too (see this post link). Every time we visit, the light is different and we hike to different perspectives (post link).
A follow-up article will detail the route and opportunities. For now, a preview is offered:
While basecamping out of Jedediah Island, we paddled out into the Sabine Channel and explored around most of 30 islands in the area. All of the islands are rocky with very few landing spots, but we found a couple that would be good for camping as long as we brought our own water.
Tidal currents are minimal in this area. We experienced a 2 knot flow from the NW in Sabine Channel and some winds, but for the most part, kayaking is in protected waters around the islands. Using a kayak sail, I was able to sail down Little Bull Channel one day and down Sabine Channel to the south tip of Texada another day.
We enjoyed a paddle over to Lasqueti Island, following the rocky coast line around to Squitty Bay Provincial Park. We also followed the line of islands northwest. The small islands north of Jervis Island have lots of underwater life in low tide on shallow shelves. In 3 days of paddling in the islands, we spotted over 80 seals. There were also bald eagles, great blue herons, loons, geese, gulls, crows, and ducks.
We landed on Jervis Island which is now Sabine Channel Provincial Marine Park. There is a good landing spot on the west side, right next to Bunny Island. We hope to camp here on a future trip, although we would have to haul our gear up through the bluffs.
There are a few private homes on Lasqueti Island, Bull island, and Rabbit Island, but they are high up above the channels and mostly out-of-sight, Yachts, and power craft ploughed up the channels from time to time, and anchored overnight in protected bays. They are no problem for kayaks and we enjoyed seeing the various boats and activities.
Photography from a kayak is both difficult and limited. The views are from the water looking up at bluffs and headlands. Rocky bluffs, a few trees, seaweed and water stain at low tide. Managing a camera in the cockpit is a precarious thing at best, with both hands already occupied with paddling and steadying the boat in the waves. The camera hasn’t gone overboard yet, but it will happen.
The channel waters seemed warm, but took extra precautions to make sure we didn’t go over. The deeper waters would be cold and even though we know our kayak rescue techniques and have practiced, it is always a difficult operation. There is a time to sightsee, and there is a time to attend to paddling. The camera, the sail, and the fishing rod, stays stowed away in more challenging conditions.
This is a special area to explore by kayak, one that will be in our minds over the winter months, thinking back to warm sun, warm wind, and warm seas.
For those who love to kayak, Jedediah Island is a destination for exploration. Most kayakers launch from the Sunshine Coast. Go north of Sechelt to Half Moon Bay for a good access to a short crossing to the Thormandby Islands. The crossing of Malaspina Strait from North Thormandby is 8km of open water and should only be attempted in calm conditions. We returned by this route in rougher conditions and the kayaks plunged out of sight in the troughs between waves. If conditions aren't good, there is lots of paddling around the two Thormandby Islands and into Pirates Cove Provincial Park.
If the crossing can be done to the south end of Texada Island, another crossing is still required. We found Sabine Channel to be good paddling, but it adds another 5km of open water. The route from North Thormandby to Jedediah is about 3 hours of continuous paddling. there are a number of potential landing spots on the island with Home Bay as the first choice for many kayakers. A narrow channel leads into a protected bay with a beach and camping area. At low tide, all of the landings will be on mud flats, awkward for unloading boats. We observed a group that waited several hours for the bay to fill up with water before landing. The campsite has a kiosk, outhouse, sandy beach and a grassy bench for camping.
All of the camping areas of the island are connected by trails. There are 3.5km of official trails and a few routes to viewpoints too. In Home Bay, the former home of a series of owners who eventually sold the island to the province of B.C. for $4 million sits up on a bluff. Behind the home perched on the hill is an orchard and meadows. A herd of feral goats grazed this area every day. Raccoons came down to the bay at low tide each morning.
Each day yachts, cruisers, and motorboats would take overnight anchorage in one of 7 bays or inlets around the island. Jedediah is a long way from the nearest vacation home so everyone seems to understand the need for a quiet stay at the island. The whole island (243 hectares) is a provincial park, and is a choice destination to visit, hike, and explore. But Jedediah is also surrounded by 30 islands for exploration by water, to be featured in another article to follow.
The Copper Island route has been featured in a past post (link). This time, we left Shuswap Lake Park in flood. All of the beaches were under water. Debris flanked the possible entry points. Mosquitoes were breeding in the standing water in low points. We launched nonetheless and to our delight, the ban on speed boats made the 2km crossing more peaceful. We paddled around the north side of the island to the landing spot on the east side. There is usually a small cove with a pebbly beach landing, but high water covered any possibility of a bow landing. We pulled out kayaks alongside some grassy banks and secured the boats. The hike is a 3km loop, climbing to the top of the steep-sided island. Viewpoints are numerous on the south and west sides of the island.
Flowering spirea, ocean spray, Oregon grape, thimble berry, huckleberry, and mock orange decorate the hillsides. Bald eagles and osprey perched on branches overlooking the cliffs. By the time we paddled back to Scotch Creek, more late-riser boaters were up, but we paddled in a chevron formation back to the camping area. Neither the paddle nor the hike is a long route, but the combined route makes a very pleasant half-day trip in fine weather. This was our third trip, and we will return for many more.
The area immediately east of Tranquille floods each year and becomes the home to wildlife in channels and riparian zone on both sides of the river. The designated area is on the north side, but across the river 2km away is another larger area. The flood zone also extends up the shores of the river trail and west along to Cooney Bay. To see all the channels of the floodlands is a 16 km route. Inside the flooded channels is willow and cottonwoods, creating green "islands," with birds and aquatic life. Which wildlife will be seen depends on the month and the mating cycle of each species. Families are born and predators feed. Floodlands are inhabited by fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Mammals swim into the channels or forage on the shores. Each day brings more suprises. Over 5 days in the channels, many species were seen:
When the Thompson River is in flood, the flat lands near Kamloops Lake become part of the river. The Wildlife Management area on the north side is part of Lac du Bois Provincial Park. A parking area there can be used to do a hand launch at the end of the fence, just short of Tranquille on the Lake.
The flooded land is full of nesting birds and new families of ducks and geese. Small islets of shrubs and debris dot the bay. The river is at its widest here but the current is slow. It is a 2 km crossing to the south shore. A backwater channel starts at the west end of the green space and continues upstream for 2.6 km. The channel has lots of water for canoes or kayaks, but is not suitable for power boats. On the paddle upstream, I spotted a beaver lodge, a deer on an island, numerous ducks and geese, and a muskrat crossing a side channel. At a particularly narrow spot, a big black bear didn't see my kayak and started to swim across the channel just metres in front of me, but slowly backed up as I back-paddled too. He watched me from the shoreline farther up, not quite sure what to make of the intrusion.
A full tour of both sides of the river is a 10km journey. It is best done at full flood, before the mosquitoes hatch. There were no bugs now (mid-June), but they are due any day now. You will likely be the only one there (except for the beavers, bears, deer, muskrats, ducks, and geese)….
On a kayaking trip on Adams Lake, we camped at Spillman Beaches, but the next day we took a long paddle up the lake to a green spot on the map, listed as Poplar Point Provincial Park. The route was 10km one way so we followed the treed east side shoreline. All along the way, we saw sandy/pebbly places to land. There are no bluffs on this route and a number of spots would have made fine camping spots. Almost no wind allowed good progress and, at the end of the 10km, we arrived at a sandy point, a small marine park half way up the east side of Adams Lake. We had lunch on a log on the beach and explored the "park."
A few tent sites bordered the beach. There was a fire pit and an outhouse in need of repair. It is a primitive (BC Parks calls it rustic) campground, the last for many miles on the east shore.
This will be a spot for another trip, one of many calling to us on Adams Lake. The spell-song of the shoreline calls us now…
Kamloops Trails usually provides fairly specific directions to each trail, route, or site, but there have been a few exceptions. When an article on the Petrified Forest was published, no specific coordinates or directions were given. Fossil beds and game trails have not been included to preserve the sites and avoid motorized users from spoiling the spot or route. Spillman Beaches is clearly marked on maps and information can be found on TrailsBC site. But specific launch spots are coordinates are provided with some trepidation.
Adams Lake is large, clean water lake in a pristine environment. Up to now, the main road has been rough and somewhat unsafe to travel. The road has recently been improved and we are now seeing greater use by trucks, ATVs and motorcycles. With better roads come bigger power boats and marine campsites may now see parties who bring their toys to the wild. In the off-season, the marine campsites have very few visitors. On our recent trip, we saw only a couple of low horsepower fishing boats on the west shore and two tugs pulling boom logs. No one was camped along the east shore and we were able to quietly paddle and explore sites. Birds and the sound of running water were the only sounds to be heard. Campsites had not been used since last summer. Beaches had clear water over pebbles or sand. Quiet, idyllic, remote.
Summer will bring the power boats, water skiers, boom boxes/sound systems, barbecues, and party groups. If so, they will have to find the best camp spots on their own. No specific launch spots or landing spots are listed here.
We launched from the west shore in our kayaks and paddled across a narrow part of the lake to some petroglyphs on a cliff face, then proceeded north to Spillman Beaches Provincial Park. This is a series of beach marine campgrounds over a couple of kilometers of shoreline. We identified 4 "official" camping areas, but we found about 10 more. We camped at one, setting up two tents in an area that could accommodate many more.
The shore facilities were fairly primitive. The outhouse was up on the hill, with a roof, but no walls. A firepit at the water's edge was well used. Tent pads have been carved out and are quite adequate. We followed a trail at one of the sites at the mouth of Spillman Creek and found a nice loop trail with small waterfalls. Following rough trails behind, we left the park and found logging spur roads with signs of hunters from last fall. Marine campsites can be more primitive because we can carry more in our kayaks than we would in a backpack.
This was a May trip, but we would happily return in the fall. Even in summer, when the powerboats bring noisy groups to the campsites, we could still find a smaller site up the lake. Kayaks can land in tighter quarters and one-man tents have small footprints.
We swam in the lake with the flat pebbles in the shallows heated by the sun. The water was clear to 20 feet along this shoreline. The sites faced to the afternoon sun and we sat by the campfire and watched the sunset. A perfect spot, but one you will have to find by yourself.
In a single week, the rivers have risen a great deal, but the North Thompson is ahead of the South Thompson, so much so that it has backed up the South Thompson's progress. One week ago, I paddled the South Thompson and the river had its usual slow flow, but this week the river was sluggish. I paddled downstream from Pioneer Park to the confluence and it was clear that the North Thompson River was flowing powerfully. All of the sandbars were covered, foam and debris were on the river and speed of the river was noticeably faster.
A little farther back, I spotted a beaver lodge on the downriver side of the train bridge near to the north shore and silently glided downstream only a few feet away. Sitting on top were two beavers basking in the sun. The female dove into the river and slapped the water with her tail. The lodge is intact thanks to the slowing of the river at the confluence only a short distance downstream. The South Thompson River has backed up and risen on both sides upstream from the confluence.
Paddling around Indian Point is a little tricky, but there is a small back eddy right at the point to help the turn. Going upriver on the North Thompson now is all hard work. It took close to a half an hour to just get up to the shore parallel with St. Joseph's Church. The sandbar here becomes an island at freshet and a boat can steer through a narrow channel.
The South Thompson is dark, but not really muddy. The North Thompson is muddy, brown, and foamy. A bown foam line points straight to the beach at Riverside Park, then turns west. The river downstream stays muddy and the foam disperses a bit, but can even be seen from the top of Mount Mara.
As Shuswap Lake rises, the South Thompson will swell and the volume of both rivers meeting at the confluence will slow both down and raise the river north and east. We will paddle through the confluence at each phase to witness the seasons of the rivers.
I was surprised by how much noise there was from the highway above. The water was murky, though a few small fish jumped in the bays at the edge of the drop offs.
