On a mild and calm day on the second day of spring, I drove down the bumpy road to Cooney Bay, then hauled my kayak down to the shoreline of the estuary. I launched in a shallow channel and worked my way out to Kamloops Lake. There were swans, geese, ducks, and gulls in the channels and on the lake. With no wind and the sun breaking through clouds, it was a perfect day for a paddle. I padded around Cooney Bay then continued along the bluffs going west.
The goal for the day was to paddle around the base of Battle Bluff, then turn around and paddle back the same way.
Kamloops Lake is often a windy area so when the forecast is for no wind, Kamloops Lake, Nicola Lake, Little Shuswap Lake. or Stump Lake are on the list for a longer paddle. This one was about 1.5 hours. the next time I paddle the lake, it will be from the west end. Some images from the paddle are shared here. click an image for a lightbox view.
On a calm early April day we launched our kayaks from Cooney Bay and paddled into the rivers flow, down to the lake. We rounded the corner and followed the shoreline of Cooney Bay. Our route continued past a few fishermen, rocky bluffs, gravely and shingled shoreline beaches, and railway fixtures toward Battle Bluff. We passed the tunnel under the bluff and continued around to the west side of the bluff.
The sheer cliffs of Battle Bluff were bleached white in the low-water conditions of early spring. When it is windy, we can tuck in behind the bluff for sheltered paddling. The wind whips out around the point so on those days, we veer out and enjoy the wind-assisted return voyage. But on this day, conditions were warm and calm, so we rounded the point and started the 1.5 km crossing of the lake. We don’t recommending crossing the lake in windy conditions, nor in a small boat. Our kayaks are ocean kayaks, seaworthy, with rudders and structural stability.
We crossed over to the beautiful stone arch, constructed with quarried blocks in the 1880s, still in use today by the CPR. We paddled right underneath, but it is rocky in low water.
We returned on the south shore right up to the river delta which was all sandbars and islands. Sandhill cranes whooped overhead, a bald eagle tried to grab ducks in Cooney Bay, making multiple attempts, an immature eagle perched on a sand island, ready to attack. People were arriving at Cooney Bay for a dog walk, a family picnic, or to fish. We landed and completed our 10.4 km paddle.
sandhill cranes overhead
bald eagle attacking ducks
immature eagle on patrol
blind arch trestle
We try to paddle the lake when calm conditions are forecast, launching out of Cooney Bay, Tobiano, or Savona. We also paddle downstream from town, landing in Cooney Bay, with a shuttle system. In freshet, we launch just east of Tranquille at a parking area and paddle out over the fencelines into the floodlands at the river delta, usually in June.
From Tranquille Bay or Cooney Bay, paddlers can follow the shoreline to Battle Bluff, which is a sheer face rising 1150 feet from the lake. The shoreline to the east is often protected from the wind, but there is usually some wind around the point. When there is no wind, the walls of the bluffs are reflected in the lake.
Paddling close to the rock, the reflection creates a strong optical illusion.
Sometimes it is hard for our eyes and our brains to make sense of the scene. How many logs?
The paddle around Cooney Bay and beyond to the end of Battle Bluff and back is an 8 km journey. On this last trip, bighorn sheep were grazing on the shoreline, ospreys were scouting for fish, mergansers perched on logs, poison ivy was spotted on the shoreline, Tranquille Creek was surging out into the bay, and eagles cirlced overhead. The lake can be very peaceful, but strong winds are always a possibility. Will the new marina at Tobiano bring more power boats into the lake?
