On a calm spring morning I traveled west to paddle Barnes Lake near Ashcroft. From Ashcroft, the road to Logan Lake climbs the hill. At about 8 km, the Barnes Lake Road goes past Willard Lake and along the shoreline of Barnes Lake. There are 3 camping areas each with a boat launch spot. The paddle around the lakeshore is … Continue reading →
On a cool (2 degrees) spring day I headed up to Stake Lake to paddle at 4350 feet. There was a bit of snow on the shoreline and there was a steady breeze out of the northwest. It hailed near the end, after paddling twice around the lake:
Continue reading →On a pleasant spring day I drove up the bumpy road to Pat Lake, sometimes called Six Mile Lake. It is a favorite spring fishing lake, but I stayed close to the shoreline paddling around twice, once in each direction. There were many birds on the shoreline and on the lake, including blackbirds, loons, ducks (mostly coots), geese, bluebirds, … Continue reading →
At higher elevations it had snowed overnight (in May) and rain and wind were forecast, so a lake close to town made the most sense for a morning of paddling. The road to Edith Lake was muddy. A few campers were at the lakeside campsite and 4 boats were on the lake as I launched among active blackbirds at the … Continue reading →
On a mild spring day I drove up to Pat Lake in the Six Mile Hills. It is a popular spot for fishing in the early season so I arrived early then paddled along the shoreline. Two loops of the lake (one in each direction) is only 4 km so I hiked around the lake too. The sounds of blackbirds, … Continue reading →
On a breezy morning I paddled Trapp Lake. There were lots of ducks and geese and the trucks kept roaring by on the west side of the lake, but it was otherwise quiet. A steady 10-15 km wind from the south made paddling upwind more work, but when I turned back, it was easy kayaking. In all the years of … Continue reading →
On a calm spring day it was time to haul the 18 foot kayak down to the rivershore at Cooney Bay and launch out onto the lake. The plan was to paddle around the point and into Cooney Bay, then along the shoreline past Battle Bluff, then cross the lake and return by the other shore, stopping to enjoy various … Continue reading →
On a sunny and calm spring day I launched my kayak from the west end of Paul Lake and paddled east past Gibraltar Rock to the campground, then crossed the lake and returned on the other side of the lake, a 7 km outing. Ducks and geese were along the shoreline areas and an osprey flew overhead. With such a … Continue reading →
From the Paul Lake campground beach I paddled to the east end of the lake and back on the other shore to complete a loop of half the lake. The lake was quiet, except for the raucous calls of ducks and geese on the lake. A pair of loons have newly arrived on the lake.
Continue reading →In mid-April I paddled the Inks Lakes, paddling twice around the main lake and two back arms. The lake was quiet, but there were hundreds of ducks on the lake. Geese, lesser yellowlegs, killdeer, crows, a bald eagle, and sandhill cranes were spotted. All photos taken while paddling. Click an image for a lightbox view and caption. The Inks Lakes … Continue reading →
One of the first lakes in the hills to be ice-free is Jacko Lake. Since it is also a popular hike for fishermen, avoid peak times to paddle the lake. The Jacko Lake Road is an extension of the Inks Lake Road. It has been a rough road, but it has been improved by the Trans Mountain Pipeline Project staff. … Continue reading →
On a cool morning I launched my kayak from Pioneer Park and paddled downstream. At the Confluence I stayed right and worked my way through a shallow section into the North Thompson River. I paddled upstream slowly since the current is stronger in that river. Wanting to paddle for about 1.5 hours, I picked a spit to turn back downstream … Continue reading →
From the Valleyview Boat Launch we can paddle up the South Thompson River toward Barnhartvale and back. On this section of the river, the downriver paddle is twice as fast as the upriver paddle. The winds were light and the weather improved during the outing. Another fine day of paddling:
Continue reading →From Pioneer Park I paddled downstream under the Red Bridge, then the Train Bridge, and past the confluence to go under the Overlander Bridge, then beyond past the pylons of a half bridge, and back again on a fine day.
Continue reading →A new video is now available on YouTube: Click the YouTube link for more Kamloops Kayak or Kamloops Trails videos.
Continue reading →In mid-March the river was clear of ice, but the cold winds persisted and the right gear and precautions were still needed. On this day, there were many geese on the river and one other paddler. I had hope to have paddled more by this date, but consistently windy conditions are a discouraging situation for paddlers.
Continue reading →