Category Archives: On the Water

Paddling routes…

Spring Paddling on the Lakes

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Once the weather improves and the lakes open up, we bring our kayaks out to the lakes to explore the shorelines and  waterways, to see wildlife, and to enjoy the from-the-lake views.   We have done over 100 lakes in our area now so in spring we usually start with a few that are close to town.   This year we chose Paul Lake and Niskonlith lake first.

The east end of Paul Lake is where the creeks run into the lake from Pinantan and the hills above.   There is a large marshy area to explore.

We watch for eagles, ospreys, loons, and herons when we paddle along the lakeshore.

We can paddle through gaps in the rushes to explore the waterways of the lake.   Red-winged blackbirds were nesting among the reeds and rushes.

Mated pairs of loons were fishing in the lake at both ends.

Gibraltar Rock stands out into the middle of the lake.   A paddle around the whole lakeshore is 12 km.

The shoreline of Neskonlith Lake has open fields and rocky hills on the south side and forests slopes on the north side.   Open slopes above are the result of wildfires.   There is a good boat launch for canoes or kayaks in the provincial park.

The hills to the far east are part of the Adams Plateau, across Adams Lake.

the grassy slopes on the south shore are part of the Neskonlith Indian Reserve.

The provincial park extends for about 3 km along the northwest shore,   A paddle of the entire shoreline is about 11km.

Some of the lakes we visit every spring include Heffley Lake, Lac le Jeune, Stake Lake, Walloper Lake, McConnell Lake, Jacko Lake, Edith Lake, Badger Lake, Knouff Lake, Pinantan Lake, Nicola Lake, Kamloops Lake, Stump Lake, and more.    Watch for our kayaks following the lakeshore.

 

 

Paddling the Kamloops Lake Delta

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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.

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Pender Islands Paddling

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The Gulf Islands area has many opportunities for kayaking, using one of the islands as a starting point and paddling the bays, harbours, coastlines, and channels.   We have paddled out of Saturna, Galiano, Cortez, and Salt Spring Islands, and recently out of the Pender Islands.  With a short term decision to go to South Pender Island without our kayaks we opted to rent sea kayaks out of the Port Browning Marina (Pender Kayak Adventures) and confine our paddling explorations to protected areas.    There is a narrow channel between North and South Pender Island so we combined the Port Browning Harbour with Bedwell Harbour, a total of 15 km of paddling without going into the open channels.

We were pleased to rent decent sea-going kayaks for a half day of exploration on the water.

By following the shoreline down to Shark Cove then through Pender Canal, were in Bedwell Harbour in 2 km.

South Pender Island is reasonably unspoiled and there were lots of birds and marine mammals to see.

We watched a sea otter swim through a bay and climb up the banks.

The eastern shores of Bedwelll Harbour are in Gulf Islands National Park.   Trails could be spotted above the bluffs leading to Beaumont Marine campsite (we also hiked there the day after).

Beaumont Marine Campsite has 13 marine-access-only sites fronted to by a protected bay and beach.

We paddled for about 3 hours that day and we were so impressed by the area that we returned to hike all the trails of Mount Norman and Beaumont Marine the following day.   We hope to return with our own kayaks to camp there as part of a marine journey, taking in Pender Island, Saturna Island, Prevost Island, and Wallace Island.

 

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McQueen Lake Area

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At the upper end of the Lac du Bois Grasslands at 983m (3225 feet) elevation the area turns to forests, ponds, lakes, marshes, backroads, hills, and a few trails.  To the south of McQueen Lake are the Nature Conservancy of Canada Lac du Bois Conservancy lands, accessible on foot to hikers and snowshoers.   To the north are forested hills, a series of cutblocks in the hills between 1000 and 1400m elevation).   To the east is the upper end of the Lac du Bois Grasslands Protected Area.   Rough backroads can be hiked or biked to the McQueen Creek grasslands.   The Community Grasslands Trail bears east for 14 km to Deep Lake.     Opax Mountain is on the west side.   Some tracks lead up its slopes, but it is remote and not an easy area to navigate.   There are several articles on this site on hiking Opax Mountain.

The McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center is run by School District #73.   Visitors are asked to not use the trails when students are on-site.  There are alternate routes to the lakes, ponds, and meadows (see the map below).   Just 4.5 km past McQueen Lake is the Isobel Lake Recreation Site with a number of opportunities for outdoor recreation.   Pass Lake Recreation Site  is 2.5 km west of McQueen Lake.

In this interactive Google map, information, links, and images are provided.   Use the controls to see it as a full screen map, to zoom in or out, and to pan to different areas.

 

A few Images of the McQueen Lake area are provided here:

Next post – Tranquille Ridge – April 18

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.

The Cougars of Harper Lake

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While paddling on Harper Lake, I spotted some movement at the remote west end of the lake.   As I approached closer I could see two cubs in the open as well as the longer/larger mother partially hidden in the forest.  Cougar cubs stay up to 2 years with their mother before they are driven off to fend for themselves.  These two were already over a year old so they will be on their own in the spring.

Cougars are naturally secretive and stay well hidden, but the cubs were curious about the 18 foot green kayak out in the lake.     I stayed as still as I could so they sat and watched me for a while.

The mother cougar kept an eye on me, though.   Mostly she stayed hidden, but I was able to drift to a clearer view.   Cougars are polygamous, with males mating with several females.   The females are fertile by 2 to 3 years of age and can mate at any time of the year.   Babies gestate for up to 96 days then the mother will look for a den to have her young.   One to four babies are born in a litter.  Their eyes are closed at birth, but are open withing 2 weeks.    The kittens are nursed for 5 – 6 weeks then start to eat meat.

When I drifted too close to the shoreline, the young cougars retreated to the cover of the bush, but still remained curious.

The mother cougar decided that was enough and led her young along the south shoreline in search of prey.  They range in an area of 5 to 25 square miles so there were probably many miles to go before the ed-of-the-day sleep.

Comox Lake

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We launched our kayaks in Comox Lake with the intention of paddling down the lake far enough to see the end of the glacier-fed lake, but strong winds came up so we ended up paddling a loop around the east end of the lake only.

We parked adjacent to the campground and launched from the beach into the protected bay.     There is no charge for canoes and kayaks.

We had an audience as we paddled out onto the main body of the lake.

There was a boat upside down by the point, capsized by the strong winds/   Our ocean-going kayaks were okay in the waves and wind, but the lake is cold and open waters is not a good choice for a recreational paddle.

A loop around the east end of the lake is about 5.5 km so we did it one and a half times to get in  decent workout.

A loop all the way around Comox Lake would be 32 km, too far for one day, but it is possible to paddle down around the corner to see the end of the lake and back with a 13 km paddle, our goal for the next visit.  .

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Ospreys on Stake Lake

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On the west side of Stake Lake is an osprey nest at the top of a broken-top fir tree.   Eggs were laid by the mating pair  and then were incubated for about 40 days.   The chicks hatched then nested for 50 – 60 days this summer and each time I returned to kayak the lake, I checked their progress.   From my kayak with a 250 mm zoom lens I could get images of the mother and chick in the nest.

The adult male was often nearby, keeping an eye on possible predators.   I could also watch it fishing, circling then doing a talons-first dive into the lake.

Loons were also fishing on the lake and kept an eye on their young one.

Ducks also stayed in small flocks, especially with an adult osprey nearby.   Ospreys mainly feed on fish but they can also feed on ducks, birds, muskrats, mice, snakes, and squirrels.   It is, however, the only member of the hawk family that primarily eats fish.

In the fall, the ospreys will start their long migration from Stake Lake to Central America.   We will return to paddle the lake and watch for ospreys next spring and summer.

On Heffley Lake

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Heffley Lake is one of our finest lakes to paddle and it can be a busy spot in summer so we usually paddle there in spring or fall.   There is a good boat lunch on the east end suitable to cartop boats or kayaks, but the parking area is limited so it can be full on a weekend in summer.   On this fall day in late October there were no other boats on the lake.   Paddling the whole shoreline is about 12 km, but on this day the lake was down so I avoided some of the shallower areas.

Sunny weather with no wind made this paddle route a next to last quiet paddle for 2017.

 

Reflections in the lake were an added bonus. The slopes of Mount Embleton stand above the north side of the lake.

The osprey’s nest on the small island was empty.   They migrate to Central America for the winter.   I paddled around the lake and headed back on the other shoreline,

After a dry summer the whole lake was down a meter and gravelly breaches flanked much of the lake.

Not long after this outing in first week of November the kayak was stored and secured for the winter.  In spite of some medical issues and a smoke-filled summer, I logged 60 days of paddling in 2017, slightly less than 2016.

 

 

 

Jacko Lake Sojourn

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For fishermen or paddlers, Jacko Lake is one of the first lakes to be ice-free in spring and one of the last lakes to freeze over in late fall.   It is surrounded by grasslands at 917m elevation (3000 feet).   A paddle around the shoreline is about 4.4 km, an hour of paddling.  Lakes above this are all surrounded by high country montane forest so its nice to paddle out in the open among the rolling hills.   In summer the lake is prone to an algae bloom and a number of lakes like this encourage looking for clearer lakes that have better intakes of fresh water.   On this outing, the lake was clear and had a few fishermen scattered across the lake’s surface.   It was a clouds-and-sunny fall day with silver light cast across the sky.

Two longer bays have marshy areas where we can spot ducks and the occasional muskrat.

This snag stands over the western shoreline, twisted like a corkscrew.

Swans were feeding in a shallow bay in the southwest corner, but took to flight at my approach in the kayak.

A bit of blue sky fringed the view to the east, the start of a few days of nice weather.

Jacko is one of our favorite lakes to paddle so we will return in March to greet the coming of spring.

Cool Waters of Paul Lake

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We try to paddle Paul Lake  each year in the spring and fall when there are few, if any, boats on the lake.  On this last mid-October day the winds were calm for a quiet outing on the cooler waters of the lake.   The lakeshore had receded quite dramatically with the whole lake surface down 3 – 4 feet.    The cartop boat launch area  was deserted, making it easy to unload and prep the boat for a workout paddling down the lake and back.

When there was no wind, the colorful leaves rand darker trees reflected in the lake as I paddled down and around Gibraltar Rock.

 

The paddle down to the western end of the lake and back is 7 km.    With the sun lower in the sky, the south shoreline gets no sun so a return by the same shoreline is a good bet on a cool, sunny day.

There were a few ducks and geese on the lake and I spotted a muskrat swimming near a marshy area twice.

On the return paddle, silver waves rolled down the lake toward the kayak.

It is rare to see another boat on the lakes or the river by mid-October.    Since it is colder, I wear a spray skit, a good paddling jacket, neoprene boots, and good paddling gloves.   I work at keeping my feet dry on the launch (that’s not easy) and I have a change of shoes ready at the truck when I am done.   We will paddle into November waiting for milder days with no wind, before storing the kayak for the winter months.

Skimikin Lake

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Skimikin Lake lies in a valley between Turtle Valley and the end of the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake.  It is a well-used recreational area with a fine BC Rec Site and numerous trails.   For paddlers, there are several launch spots at the Rec Site.

The lake is divided into two parts by a narrow point.   In fall the water had been drawn down in a hot, dry summer,  so the launch was on dry mud flats.

A paddle around the whole shoreline is about 2.5 km.   On this day, I paddled nearby Phillips Lake first for a 5 km on the water.

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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.

 

Phillips Lake

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Phillips Lake lies on the Skimikin Lake Road between Turtle Valley and Skimikin.   the fastest approach from Kamloops is to drive on Highway 1 East to Squilax and turn onto the Squilax – Turtle Valley Road.   Follow the valley toward Skimikin then turn onto Ptarmigan Road.   A good parking area and boat launch is located on the northwest side of the lake.

The whole lake is surrounded by reeds and rushes.   In fall, the lake was fairly quiet, but the lakeside would be full of blackbirds, marsh wrens, and ducks in the spring.

A paddle around the lakeshore is 2.5 km, but there is also marshland which can be paddled on the far end.   This would be better in the spring when there is more water and before the water lilies fill the channels.  In summer and early fall, an algae bloom also fills the lake.   Spring is the recommended time to paddle this lake.The lake sits between the Fly Hills on the south (see below) and Black Mountain on the north.   To the northwest are the rocky slopes of Squilax Mountain (seen above).

In fall, the Turtle Valley and the Squilax Valley were filled with color.   We continued east to paddle Skimikin Lake on the same day, another find small lake for paddling.

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.

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