We launched our kayaks at the McLure Ferry and paddled to Kamloops.   We had dropped off a a vehicle at the end of Harrington Drive in Westsyde and we were paddling 36 km downriver when the river is high.

The paddle is not very technical except when you have to be careful at side channels and in the Heffley Rapids, but the trip was rewarding and uneventful.   Just after launching into the river, we spotted an island and back channel at the south end of McLure, so we went under the footbridge.

A number of islands are only surrounded by water for two months so we took the time to explore back channels when we could.   We spotted deer on a number of occasions.    Most of the time, we got through these channels quickly.   They will be a slower diversion next month.

We were moving quickly.   Even with explorations, drifting, and playing in the back eddies, we averaged 9.6 km/h over the 36 km distance.

Down on the river, we see the shoreline which is below the line of sight from the roads.   We see the shape of the river, and most of all we see the movement of water – whirlpools, back eddies, standing waves, rebound chop, fast lines of water, rapids, calm bays, and sweeps.   Photography is awkward and hard to compose, but the sounds and swirls of the river are part of our visual memories, ones that need refueling each year.

We stopped at the mouth of the Jamieson River for lunch, to scout the rapids below, and to plan our on-water routines in the event of a spill.

In high water, the Heffley Rapids are a bumpy ride, but the drops are smaller and the standing waves less imposing.   We found a good line through the rapids.   No “Oh, God” moments.   A couple of “yahoos” were heard.   In a fast kilometer of paddling, we were in calm water heading to Rayleigh and chose to continue at a leisurely pace to Westsyde.   36 km in under 4 hours was a surprising result.   The goal was never to see how fast we could do this river run.   Paddling downstream in an active river has an ineffable quality that becomes part of who we will are or will become.   It is a logistical challenge and makes a long day, but the call for another adventure resonates in our hearts and calls for another outing.