Murtle Lake is the largest canoe/kayak-only lake in North America. it is also a remote spot that takes a lot of time, effort, and planning to provide a good wilderness experience. This article provides some information for paddlers who want to explore the north arm of the lake. The Trailhead From Blue River, watch for the Blue River Campground … Continue reading →
Kamloops has two major rivers and a large lake but very few access points. We have some fully-developed boat launches – Valleyview, Pioneer Park, and for a short-time, McArthur Island. Boaters can also go to Tobiano, Savona, or Chase. Many communities also have hand launch sites, that is, a place to park and a gentle short slope to the river … Continue reading →
On back-to-back days, we paddled the Seymour Arm of Shuswap Lake and the southern end of Adams Lake. The contrast was amazing. Although the Seymour Arm is a remote and scenic spot, it was inundated with dozens of houseboats, jet skis, powerboats, noise, and a collective disregard for others. The area is probably very quiet in the off-season, but we … Continue reading →
When the summer heats up the valley, some of the highland lakes make a nice retreat for exploration, a workout, and some paddling. Two lakes worth visiting are McGillivray Lake and Morrisey Lake. The simplest route is to drive to Sun Peaks and follow the main road, turning up onto Sun Peaks Drive, then onto the McGillivray Lake Forest Service … Continue reading →
There is something magical about driving to the end of lake, then paddling out into wilderness. There are no roads beyond the boat launch and the lake is 23km long. Azure Lake adds another 23 km of wilderness. The southern half of the lake is all trees along a steep shoreline, but these are ridges, not peaks. A few waterfalls … Continue reading →
When the North and South Thompson Rivers reach their peak from mid May to mid-July, islands are flooded and new channels open up, providing opportunities to paddle into the channels and explore areas that motorized boats can't get into. Two channels worth exploring are accessed from the McArthur Island boat launch. By late-July the boat launch becomes too shallow and … Continue reading →
A channel that floods in high water on the North Thompson River was featured in a post last summer (link). In May and June, the river expands and rises and creates a mile-long island island across from Westysde. By paddling across the river, a canoe or kayak can enter the channel at either end and enjoy and "everglades" type of … Continue reading →
We have wilderness and wildlife corridors right through the middle of our City. The North and South Thompson Rivers are transformed as the waters rise and flood the rock shorelines and sandbars. The rivers expand right into the vegetation zones on either side. While paddling on the river this week, the following can be seen by other observant outdoors people: … Continue reading →
We launched out of Cooney Bay on a sunny, blustery day in October. Cooney Bay Road is a bit rough and it is a bit of a haul down to the muddy beach over logs. Once in the water, paddlers have to navigiate around the sandbars at the mouth of the river. It is much easier to round the point … Continue reading →
The Scuitto Lake Road starts a short ways up the Campbell Range Road. After winding through Tree Flats, it starts to climb through the forest around Mount Vicars. The road is in good shape, but it is a little bumpy. Emerging out of the forest, the road comes to the northeast corner of Scuitto Lake. Both Scuitto and Campbell Lake … Continue reading →
One of our favorite paddling destinations is Clearwater Lake. The launch is at the very end of the Wells Gray Corridor. There is a good parking lot and lots of room to launch. Start your journey north. The first campground on the lake is just across the narrow part of the lake so if you have a late arrival, this … Continue reading →
The two arms of Murtle Lake wind around Central Mountain (see the map in the previous post). From a number of viewpoints, hikers can look down the west arm or the north arm of the lake. To the east is the Wavy Range, with triangular peaks and long rocky ridges. To the north is an endless line of snow and … Continue reading →
Once you have launched your canoe or kayak, you will pass through a lagoon for 1.5 km. At this point, you will emerge into Murtle Lake. There are two campsites (Murtle Lagoon) here if paddlers get a late start. The large east bay makes good paddling if the winds are calm, but if not, you may have to stay inside … Continue reading →
Paddlers from all over the world travel to North America's largest non-motorized lake. In British Columbia, we sometimes take such special places for granted, but it's right in our backyard. Murtle Lake is a destination for paddlers, hikers, and anyone loving to camp in remote mountains. The water is crystal clear, the beaches are wonderful, wildlife is abundant, and the … Continue reading →
Bring your GPS with you when you go for a hike/bike/paddle and it can record how far you have traveled, how much actvity time you had, your average speed or much more. The Trip Computer (or whatever it is called in each type of GPS) can record any of the following that you choose: Field Description Accuracy of GPS Your … Continue reading →
You can go out for a hike and bring your GPS and then come back home and download your track onto your computer. You can create an elevation plot, show your route, show your speed, and much more. Here is a plot from a recent off-trail exploration: In the top image, the blue line represents the route I took. The … Continue reading →