Tag Archives: Falkland

Kayaking Pillar Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

At the end of August I drove down to Falkland, then turned onto the Falkland to Chase Road.      After arriving on the road at the southern end of the lake, I turned down a gravel road to the Pillar Lake Recreation Site.    I launched my kayak before 9:00 am and paddled in calm waters along the lakeshore.

I paddled south to the end of the lake, and then back up the west side of the lake.

The lake is narrow with steep sides.    There are a number of fallen trees along the lakeshore.    On the eastern side the Pillar Lake Resort sits on a hilltop above the lake.

 

I paddled to the north end of the lake, then turned and paddled down the east side.

A paddle around the lake is about 5 km.    On this day, I was able to do the whole loop in less than an hour.      I try to paddle Pillar Lake every year.    In some years, I drive a loop route, going north to Chase, then back on Highway 1.    On this day, I secured the boat, then hiked to the Pillar before returning on Highway 97.

A new YouTube video features kayaking on Pillar Lake (coming soon).

Paddling Pillar Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

On a September day I drove to Falkland, then up the Chase Creek Road to Pillar Lake.   There is a BC Rec Site on the east side of the lake with a gravel boat launch.

At the start of the paddle there was no wind.    The Pillar Lake Resort is located on the hillside above the lake for about 200m, but there are no other homes along the lake.


The lake is narrow, but it is a nice relatively quiet spot to paddle.    The distance around the shoreline is about 4.6 km.


After paddling I secured the kayak, I hiked up the trail to The Pillar above:

 

Pillar Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Pillar Lake is located 11 km north of Falkland. A BC Recreation site right next to the road provides a good launch spot for canoes and kayaks.

pillar lake launchPillar Lake is a narrow lake, but paddlers can cover 5 km by going up one shore and back on the other shore.

pilar lakePillar Lake Resort has the only set of buildings on the east side of the lake and there is only one  home on the other side of the lake, set high on a hill.   For the most part the lake is surrounded by steep forested hills.

IMG_6607rFrom the lake, the Pillar Lake hoodoo (pillar) can be seen standing above the forest on the east side.   The trail to the pillar is right above the boat launch.

Pillar Lake

the pillar

 IMG_6621r

 

Pillar Lake is an enjoyable lake for an easy day of paddling.   We chose to paddle two lakes that day to add some extra distance, driving up to Bolean Lake afterwards before returning home.

 

Paddling Pinaus Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Pinaus Lake is found in the hills between Falkland-Westwold and Okanagan Lake.   Just after passing Westwold, a Forest Service Road leads up into the hills.   Follow the Pinaus Forest Service Road for 18 km, ignoring turns to Ingram Lake and Tuk (Tuktakamin Mountain).   The Pinaus Lake Resort is at the start/west end of the lake.   The narrow road continues to wind along the north shore.   Watch for a sign for the turn down to the Pinaus Lake North Rec Site.   This is a larger campsite (8 open sites) on the shore of the lake.   There is a good hand launch site.

I paddled 8 km along the the shoreline on a windy day.

There are a few homes/cabins along the northeast shoreline, but most of the lake is surrounded by steep forested slopes.   On a Monday morning the lake was very quiet, with only a few loons, ducks, dragonflies, and an eagle active on the lake.  A few sand/gravel beaches were found along the north shore providing easy landing spots along the way.

The goal is to paddle all the larger lakes in the area and we return to paddle the best ones.   Pinaus Lake is a very good choice for a quiet paddle on a remote lake.   Recommended.

  • Launch site – N50 25.742 W119 35.832