Nicola Lake (On April Fools Day)
On April Fools Day there was no wind forecast for morning in the Merritt area. Nicola Lake is about 60 km south on Highway 5A so an early start ensured a launch time in calm conditions. There are a few boat launches along Nicola Lake and the first one just off the highway has a picnic area and a gravel launch area. there was no one else on the lake as I paddled south along the shoreline. On this loop route I spotted ducks, geese, crows, and eagles. The lake was flat and it was quiet, except when a truck went by the lake. I paddled south then crossed the lake to come back on the other side.
There are a small number of summer homes on the northwestern shore, then a series of rocky bluffs. Near the end of the lake are farmlands.
A few images are shared here. Click an image for a lightbox view.
This was an 8.2 km paddle taking about 1.6 hours. Finding calm water on Nicola Lake is always a blessing and the fine spring weather made this an ideal outing. The goal is to paddle each lake at least once and the bigger lakes usually get more than one day of paddling, with subsequent days on a different part of the lake.