By the middle of June this year, the river had dropped at least a metre so the floodlands were reduced to channels.    On a windy day, I Iaunched from the pullout near Tranquille into Tranquille Bay.

A strong wind from the east made paddling more difficult as I crossed the bay to the fenceline.   I could clear the top wire of the fence in a couple of places still, but if the river drops another foot, access to the rest of the floodlands may be gone.

I followed channels wherever there was some open water, finding watery channels around the fences.    The sun was coming up behind clouds in the east behind Mt. Mara.

To the northeast Tranquille flanked the shoreline with Jag Hill in the background.

I explored the channels fighting winds upriver and enjoying easy paddling back downriver toward Kamloops Lake.

The upriver paddle was very slow and crossing the wind was not easy either, providing a good workout on a soon-to-be-stormy day.   I took a track while out paddling for 1 hour and 40 minutes.    I do not anticipate paddling in the floodlands again this year.

Relive ‘Last Day in the Floodlands’