We chose to paddle from Cooney Bay to Savona at the end of October.   The forecast looked good, but at the last minute there was a warning about winds from the east, a tailwind for the paddlers.

With an escape route (at Tobiano) in mind, we started early in the morning.   We had chosen to paddle the south shore of the lake.   I had paddled most of the north shore at one point or another, but the shore shore had always been across 1.6km of lake, so we were interested in what we would see.   We also kept Tobiano in mind if the winds became too strong.

We crossed the 1 km section from Cooney Bay over to the south shore without too much difficulty, although we knew right away that the wind was going to be a challenge.   The winds were blowing right down the lake and this made paddling easier and we were making good time.

Along the south shore, we were impressed by the train tunnels and the stone walls supporting the railbed.   The stones were clearly quarried.   We wondered how old they were?   One of the walls had been recently reinforced with concrete pillars.   Another featured a classic arch (see photos below).   Just about the whole route to Cherry Creek had a sheer rock slope rising right from the lake.

As we proceeded down the lake, the winds increased and we were surrounded by 1-2′ waves.   Our kayaks rose and fell as the waves overtook us.   I checked my GPsr and we were averaging 7km an hour assisted by the wind.   When the shoreline was parallel to the winds, the going was fast, and paddling was straightforward, similar to paddling in the ocean with the current.   When the shoreline angled out with rocky points, there was much more difficult paddling.   As the waves pounded the shoreline (with breakers), waves rebounded back and slowed down the waves coming in, and these waves mounded up into 2-3′ waves.   We found ourselves between whitecaps in the center of the lake and active breakers closer to the shore.   In between there was a comfort zone, where the waves ran straight, but we paddled farther out from the shore.   When we had to angle out into the lake, we had to cross the wave barrage at 45 degrees, which was manageable as long as we anticipated the waves over our right shoulders, paddling into and bracing into the oncoming wave.   We were breached a few times, but as long as we kept our focus, we made good time down the lake.

We chose to make a beach landing at Tobiano on a nice sandy beach.   There is a road down to the beach, a boat launch ramp, and a gangway down to a floating dock there.   No one was around on a windy end-of-October Saturday morning, but we were glad to have a spot to have lunch and dry out.

From the Kamloops Airport to Six Mile Point is a straight line of unimpeded open water.  The winds pick up speed down this corridor.   We launched and found ourselves in 3′ waves.   Looking over at my friend Russ, I would lose sight of his kayak as he dipped into the troughs and then be carried aloft again.   As I paddled and a wave lifted me, the front 4′ of my kayak would be out of the water.   We could surf the waves if we paddled hard enough, but after a minute or so, the wave would steam ahead, leaving us in the trough again, looking over our right shoulders for the next wave.

The most difficult challenge was when the corner of a wave passed us and we slid off the edge.   This would tilt our boat at an angle.   We could brace for this (if we saw it in time) but at times it caught us unprepared and we fought to keep from being turned siideways in the shifting waters.   A combination of angled waves and a rudder out of the water (on the backside of the wave above the trough) might cause us to be spun about, and then the next wave swamped the boat.   With spray skirts on, most of the water swept away, but we got wet nonethless.

The angled sweep out around Six Mile Point was achieved by paddling hard and anticipating the waves.   A few rogue waves broke onto the kayaks in this section.   Who would be out paddling in such weather?

Kamloops Lake can be divided into two sections with the east end aiming northeast and then at Six Mile Point the lake angles southwest.   Rounding the point was like being on a  different lake.   Six Mile Point acted as a natural breakwater for the whole shoreline down to the west end of Savona.   We found the next section leisurely.   The shoreline near Savona has many shallow sections so we paddled out farther into the lake, but still only encountered smaller waves.   The landing at the boat launch was a welcome sight after 5 hours on the lake.

The scenery on the lake is outstanding.   The route is a long one, and best suited to a calm summer day.   But on those days, there will be other boaters and a lot of shore activity.   We saw eagles and shoreline birds, but no boaters, and no one else in sight.    We will return for a Savona to Kamloops paddle up the north shore, hopefully with no wind.

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