Tag Archives: Kamloops Lake

Paddle Bluff

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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.

 

 

 

 

 

Steelhead Park Launch

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There are 3 or 4 launch spots in the Savona area to paddle the west end of Kamloops Lake.   During freshet some are not practical since the shoreline gets flooded and debris, including logs, fills the launch areas.    The public boat launch in Savona Park was closed and logs enclosed the area so the best launch was off the beach at Steelhead Provincial Park.

On this rainy morning the route was north past where the lake drains into the Thompson River, then north up the shoreline.   On a windy day an out-and-back route might be best, but with little wind it was an easy 1.4 km crossing of the lake.

The loop was completed by paddling down the lake to Steelhead Park, a 7 km paddle around the west end of Kamloops lake:

To Battle Bluff

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On a calm September day, I hauled my kayak down to the river near Cooney Bay.    I use some wheels which attach to the back end of the boat and pull it down the pathway, lifting the boat over some logs.   At this time of year the shoreline of the river is muddy so paddling boots are a good choice.    It is only a short paddle from the launch beach to the lake.

I rounded the point at Cooney Bay and looked back at the morning sun, shining through scattered clouds.

I try to avoid paddling Kamloops Lake in the wind, but on this day, only a light breeze came across the lake from the southwest.   I paddled around a rock bluff, then past a shingle beach.

Battle Bluff rises 324 m (1063 ft.) from the lake to the top.

contI paddled around the base of the bluff, noting the high water mark on the rock.

It is about 1 km under the cliffs to get to the west end of Battle Bluff.  There are no landing spots.    With some wind, the waves rebound off the rock, providing choppy conditions.

At the west end of Battle Bluff, the shoreline is series of sloped under the Fredrick Bluffs.   Across the lake, the rocky hills are continuous to the benchland near Tobiano.   The hill between Cherry Bluffs and Tobiano is called Roper Hill.

Battle Bluff, Dewdrop Ridge and all of the rocky slopes on the north side of the lake are built up on a series of lava flows.    On the east side of Battle Bluff, basalt columns rise above the shoreline, an older lava flow than the rocky hills above.

In Cooney Bay, pelicans were feeding by the mouth of Tranquille River.   The flock was settled on a sandbar up the river, but small numbers of pelicans flew down to feed where the river met the lake.

Kamloops Lake is a favorite place to paddle, but the road in is potholed, the haul to the river is hard work, and winds on the lake can be difficult.    Still, I try to get onto the lake when I can.   In this particular day, I paddled about 8 km in fine conditions.

Into the Floodlands

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During freshet, the lands near Tranquille flood and we can paddle the bays and channels on both sides of the river.      We have to wait until the water rises above the fences which is usually the end of May.    I launched from the parking area near the junction of the road into Tranquille and the Tranquille Criss Creek Road and paddled out and cleared the fence into the bay.

It was a calm day and the hills reflected into the lagoon.

Willow stands rise above the floodlands like small islands.

We can paddle right down to Cooney Bay, but on this day, I paddled through the bays and channels in a clockwise 6 km loop.

The water is fairy still in the bays and back channels. but the river continues to run down to the lake.   On other days, i paddle across to the other side and go up the channels to create a loop route.   On this day, I wound through channels on the north side of the river.

The pasture in from of Mt. Mara becomes Mara Bay with the mountain reflected in the still water.

The floodlands provide the best paddling of the year in June each year.   We will be back a few more times.

Paddling Through the Floodlands

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When freshet arrives the low-lying floodlands fill with water and we can paddle out from the Tranquille Wildlife Preserve into Tranquille Bay.

An early start often means no wind.   At about 11:00 am the winds start and will be stronger yet by noon.

“Islands” of shrubs stand in the floodwaters.

The Thompson River and Kamloops Lake become one larger lake at this time of the year.

I paddled 2.5 km to the far side and entered a flood channel on the south shore.   A series of channels can be paddled for another 2.5 km east.

At the east end of the flood channels there are some side channels, some of which can be used to get back to the river.   This lagoon by the old pumphouse had a number of geese in the shallow water.   I portaged across the grass for about 10m to get back to the river.

I paddled downstream and crossed the river to the north side, entering more flood channels, working my way back to Tranquille Bay.

The whole loop was 9.7 km, 2.5 hours of paddling through the flooded lands.   After the river crests more birds, fish, insects, and other animals will settle into the area.  We spotted osprey, hawks, ravens, crows, blackbirds, geese, ducks, and some small birds this time.   On other explorations of the floodlands we have spotted river otters, beaver, muskrats, carp, herons, seagulls, western painted turtles, and pelicans.   On the shoreline we have spotted bears, coyotes, and deer.   Raptors patrol the skies.   The Tranquille Wildlife Preserve is a wonderful place to explore in flood season.

 

 

Exploring the Delta Sand Islands

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I paddled out of Cooney Bay in April and instead of heading out into the bay and then farther out to Kamloops Lake, I chose to paddle upstream into the shallow river channels and explore the delta sand islands.  At low water, the river divides into 3 channels near the mouth before entering Kamloops Lake.   The main channel is about 2/3 of the way across to the other side.    The water moves more quickly there and is deeper.   On the north side of the mouth are two channels, the one closest to Cooney Bay and one shallow channel farther over.   In between the channels are a number of sand islands.   At low water, the islands dry out, some with a few logs or other debris.   I paddled up the first channel, past the gravelly beaches and cottonwoods by Tranquille.

I paddled up the first channel and then down the second one,  watching for shallow spots since its no fun to ground the boat.  I turned the corner at the lake mouth, then went up the main channel, paddling against the current and landed on a sand island.

I explored the island, examining debris and tracks.   There were lots of bird tracks (mainly seagulls), but there was also a river otter tracks that started at one end of the island and went across to the other side.    I have spotted river otters in this area a few times, especially during freshet.

I paddled over to the next island and explored it too.   I tried wading through shallow water between the islets, but the super-saturated silts were like quicksand, with my boots burying deeper with each step.

After exploring 3 islands. I paddled to the south shore then looped back through deeper water in the lake to the launch spot at Cooney Bay.   All of these islands will be covered in water by now and will have to wait until mid-fall to dry out again.

We are lucky to have access to this area, but it is rarely explored, except by a few who kayak into the lake.

Across Kamloops Lake to Painted Bluffs

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Painted Bluffs Provincial Park lies on the north side of Kamloops Lake east of Copper Creek.   Access by land is difficult, but it can be done from the Copper Creek Road just below the Sabiston Creek Road junction (link).  We have been in to Painted Bluffs five times in the last 2 years, with the last time by kayak from Savona.   We paddle on Kamloops Lake a few times each year, but we always check for weather conditions before heading out.   Typically the lake is calm in the morning and winds arise after 11:00.   Strong winds may be difficult for paddlers and they are often at their worst at about noon.    A crossing of the lake is about 2 km.

 

 

There is an official boat launch on the west end of Savona, but we hand launched from the former Savona Provincial Park area not far from the mill instead.   Access to the parking area and the beach below is blocked by large boulders so we parked on the side of Savona Access Road, then hauled our kayaks down to the beach (using rear wheels).   The beach is rocky but this is no problem in calm conditions.   We launched and then angled northeast to the far shore.  The paddle to Painted Bluffs is 6.5 km.

 

 

It takes about 1.25 hours in calm conditions to paddle across the lake and up the shoreline past Copper Creek.   The whole route over and back is very scenic.

 

 

There is a good beach/shore for a kayak landing.   We pulled our boats onto the beach and hiked up across the train tracks and into the bluffs.   As we approached the ragged ridges and gullies, there was very little vegetation below the cinnabar, iron, and copper infused slopes.

 

 

There are no trails, but with some light scrambling we can go over ridges to gullies that can be hiked or we can hike up the narrow eroded ridges.

 

All exploration is limited by eroded green (copper) red and orange (cinnabar and iron) ridges    Over the years we have clambered over all parts of the park.

 

 

 

The outing was on 9/11 and only by serendipityI spotted and took a photo with N11 in it.

 

 

Every trip into Painted Bluffs is a bit different because of changing light conditions.   Ragged shapes and patterns can be seen, depending on the angle of the view and the light.      No matter how many times I hike in Painted Bluffs, my sense of wonder is never diminished.

 

 

 

We paddled back just as the winds came up and we had about 1 km of concentrated paddling with waves coming out of the southeast.   We came under the shelter of Six Mile Hill and then paddled west along the south shore of the lake back to Savona.

 

 

This is an outing that we try to do every year.   The combination of paddling on Kamloops Lake surrounded by its scenic, rugged hills and hiking in Painted Bluffs is a prime Double Feature for our summer.

 

 

Rousseau Hill Above Kamloops Lake

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From Bruker Marina at Tobiano, Rousseau Hill stands above the north side of Kamloops Lake.   This is a great spot to launch to explore the middle section of the lake and all its bluffs, eroded slopes, silt cliffs, gullies, hoodoos, volcanic features, and shorelines.

It is a 2 km paddle across to the far shore, below Peregrine Bluffs.   On this late summer day, the route was across then west along the length of Rousseau Hill to Rousseau Creek.

Kamloops Lake is always scenic, but it can also be windy so paddlers need to have seaworthy boats and have some experience in larger lakes.  On flat water it is about a half paddle across.

 

Peregrine Bluffs rises steeply above the CNR tracks.   We have been able to spot peregrines from  the top by following the guano marks to nests in rocky alcoves..

Just below the CN tracks is a small abandoned shack made from logs and railway ties.

There are a number of different erosion features on the slopes of Rousseau Hill.

The shoreline is rocky with few landing spots between Red Point and the beach at Twelve Mile/Rousseau Creek.

Ragged volcanic features are the highlight of the south side of Russeau Hill.

Below the bluffs are erosion gullies running down to the lake.

The treeless slopes have alternate ridges and gullies right down to the sagebrush.

Our paddle also included an exploration of the abandoned Twelve Mile Ranch acreage, to be shared in a later post.   On the way back we paddled right across the lake just below Balancing Rock

The loop route was about 11 km, another great day on Kamloops Lake.

More Information:

 

 

Tobiano to Cherry Bluffs

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When the winds are calm, Kamloops Lake is one of the best paddling spots in the Interior of B.C.   The rugged hills on both side of the lake provide a scenic backdrop for paddling along the shoreline.   On this last outing on the lake in mid-September, I chose to Launch from Tobiano, at Bruker Marina.   There is a $10 fee to park there and launch from the  boat ramp/beach area.   The marina is protected by a log breakwater providing flat water for a start to paddling.   On this day, I paddled east along the south shore toward Cherry Bluffs.

The hills near Tobiano are mostly silt bluffs with wide gravelly beaches.

Large glacial erratics stand on the beaches left by past ice ages.

 

The gentle rounded hills of the Tobiano area give way to a more rocky shoreline as I paddled east.

 

 

The area near Cherry Creek has a gravelly alluvial fan from hundreds of thousands of years of spring floods.

Just past the outlet for Cherry Creek, the rocky hills of Cherry Bluffs loom overhead, a good point to turn around.   After paddling I drove down the Cherry Creek Station Road, a narrow, steep gravel road that winds down to the CPR at Cherry Creek.   There is access to be beach from the parking area there, but it means crossing the rail tracks.   Cherry Creek had flooded this spring and had eroded away banks along its course.   The lower end is already shaped to these floods and is rich in deciduous trees and shrubs, now turning colour with the approach of fall.   This will be a wildlife corridor throughout the year.

 

Across the lake 2 km away on the north shore is the small lakeshore community of Frederick.

The paddle down from Tobiano to Cherry Bluffs and back is 10.6 km.    It is best to pick a day without strong winds which tend to blow down the bottom of the river valley from east to west.

 

More information:

 

 

Battle Bluff by Kayak

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Cooney Bay can be a busy place on Easter Weekend with fishermen, dog-walkers, hikers, and families parking at the end of the road past Tranquille, and walking out to the gravel beaches where the Tranquille River meets Kamloops Lake.   Getting an 18′ kayak out to the shoreline isn’t easy with a number of logs to get across, but with some rear wheels and some extra effort, the kayak was ready for launching from the muddy beach.   The route was around the point where quite a few fishermen had lines in the water.    A wind out of the east created some chop, but once the kayak was in Cooney Bay, it was calm.   Loons were actively diving in the bay.

Following the scenic shoreline is the safest route out to Battle Bluff.   The route out to the far end of Battle Bluff and back is 7.2 km.

Along the way, swallows were swooping over the water, ducks, and geese were along the shoreline, and crows and magpies flew along the beaches.   A headless small hawk floated in the water.   Coming back around the Battle Bluff point, a river otter rounded the corner then dove below the kayak.   An eagle circled above.   Bighorn sheep sat on the hill watching the show.

The winds were forecast to pick up by late morning so I turned around and followed the shoreline back to the landing spot.   This is a favorite route.   On a less windy day, a good route is to cross the lake (if you have a seaworthy boat with a rudder) and come back by the south shoreline.

More information:

Battle Bluff by Kayak

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Cooney Bay can be a busy place on Easter Weekend with fishermen, dog-walkers, hikers, and families parking at the end of the road past Tranquille, and walking out to the gravel beaches where the Tranquille River meets Kamloops Lake.   Getting an 18′ kayak out to the shoreline isn’t easy with a number of logs to get across, but with some rear wheels and some extra effort, the kayak was ready for launching from the muddy beach.   The route was around the point where quite a few fishermen had lines in the water.    A wind out of the east created some chop, but once the kayak was in Cooney Bay, it was calm.   Loons were actively diving in the bay.

Following the scenic shoreline is the safest route out to Battle Bluff.   The route out to the far end of Battle Bluff and back is 7.2 km.

Along the way, swallows were swooping over the water, ducks, and geese were along the shoreline, and crows and magpies flew along the beaches.   A headless small hawk floated in the water.   Coming back around the Battle Bluff point, a river otter rounded the corner then dove below the kayak.   An eagle circled above.   Bighorn sheep sat on the hill watching the show.

The winds were forecast to pick up by late morning so I turned around and followed the shoreline back to the landing spot.   This is a favorite route.   On a less windy day, a good route is to cross the lake (if you have a seaworthy boat with a rudder) and come back by the south shoreline.

More information:

Cooney Bay to Battle Bluff

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There are 3 access points to launch a boat on Kamloops Lake – Savona, Tobiano, and Cooney Bay.  To paddle into Cooney Bay, drive to Tranquille, but stay left and drive to the end of the bumpy road.   From the parking lot, boats have to be hauled down to the edge of the river through the cottonwoods.   From the beach paddlers can launch into the river to get around the point past the outlet of Tranquille Creek and into Cooney Bay.

Cooney BayEven on a windy day, Cooney Bay is partly sheltered by bluffs.   Rocky hills and dry slopes rise above the north side of the lake.   This is a good area to spot bald eagles, ospreys, loons, and sometimes pelicans.

IMG_6570rA great blue heron launched from the beach as we paddled down to Battle Bluff.

IMG_6549rThe paddle around the bay and down to the rocky cliffs of Battle Bluff is 3.2 km.  Winds may be stronger around the first part of Battle Bluff, but if not, the additional distance is another 1 km.   A return shoreline paddle is 8.4 km.   The shoreline past Battle Bluff is less interesting.   On a calm day we have also crossed the lake and have done a loop route.

IMG_6554brWe spotted a number of birds from our kayaks, including one of the newly-fledged immature eagles from the aerie near Battle Bluff.

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Kamloops Lake is not a good choice for most paddlers on a windy day, but on a calm day, the paddling is excellent and there will likely be no one around, especially on a weekday.

IMG_6571rThe whole area is very scenic and worth the extra effort to get the boats down to the shoreline and back.

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Paddle to Painted Bluffs

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Every year a paddle across Kamloops Lake to Painted Bluffs is planned, but I vary the hike in the hills.   To avoid the strong winds that can blow down Kamloops Lake in summer, I watch the weather forecast carefully.   This year the launch point was in Savona and a double loop was chosen, one on the lake, and one in the hills.

The 2 km crossing of Kamloops Lake is best done in calm conditions in a seaworthy kayak.   The south-facing barren hills across the lake rise above the north shore of the lake.

Passing Copper creek, the edge of Painted Bluffs Provincial Park comes into view.

By July there is a good beach landing spot in the bay past the train tunnel.

From the beach, there is no trail up the shoreline and over the tracks.   There is some poison ivy above the waterline, but also a number of wildflowers there and above in the hills.

The shapes, colors, and alien landscapes of Painted Bluffs comes into view right after crossing the tracks.

The park area is surrounded by rocky grass-covered hills overlooking Kamloops Lake.  A loop through the bluffs and then up to the tops of the hills was part scramble and part hike.   The view east extends past Six Mile Point and Peregrine Bluffs.

Last year I launched from Tobiano, following the shoreline west from Peregrine Bluffs.

It is about 13.5 km to paddle from the east end of Savona to Painted Bluffs and back.   The lake was calm on the return paddle, about 1.25 hours each way.

This is a route I done a few times and hope to continue in summers,  one of the best paddling routes of our area.

Revised – Dec. 2024

 

 

Peregrine Bluffs to Painted Bluffs

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From Tobiano we can launch our kayaks and canoes into Kamloops Lake and then paddle across the lake for 2.2km to Peregrine Bluffs.   This rocky rib is called Peregrine Bluffs because peregrine falcons nest on the cliffs.   Look for the guano on the rocks for their nests.  The north side of Kamloops Lake is rocky and there are no homes between Frederick and Copper Creek, but the whole route is scenic.

As we paddle west, we pass by the impressive cliffs of Rousseau Hill, then Rousseau Creek Valley.   Continuing along this 7 km route, we pass the remnants of the 18 Mile Ranch (sometimes called 12 Mile) near Jaleslie (a railway name) on an outwash plain.   The hills resume as we travel west to Painted Bluffs.   There will be no one on the shoreline or in the hills above, but we spotted bighorn sheep on a ridge.  Painted Bluffs is a good spot to stop for a break, lunch, and some exploration.   There is a large beach here at low water, but even at high water, it is still a good landing area.

Peregrine to PB

The paddle from Tobiano to Painted Bluffs is 9 km each way.   It is a rewarding route, but care must be taken to go in calm conditions.   Kamloops Lake can have strong afternoon winds.  Kamloops Lake gets little fanfare, but it is a superb paddling lake in good conditions.

 

 

 

Freshet Floodlands Reflections

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Every spring the snows melt from distant mountain ranges and the lands at the head of Kamloops Lake are flooded.   We can paddle in the bays and channels, and enjoy the views, especially on a calm day.

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Reflections from the hills and the sky blend with tones of filtered light.

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Cloud shapes contrast with the colors of the hills, reflected on the lake.

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As the clouds change in the sky, the new effects are displayed on the waters.

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Double C’s are created with the reflections:

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We paddle into the floodlands to immerse ourselves in Nature’s Art Gallery.

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Kayaking the Floodlands

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In June each year, we can launch our boats from the Tranquille Wildlife Management area and paddle out into the flooded lands at the head of Kamloops Lake.   We have a 10km circuit that we can do, but each time a different channel is taken.   At the peak of the freshet, all the channels are connected, but as the water recedes, many of them are dead ends, requiring some back-paddling.  The area is full of birds.   This year we have spotted bald eagles, golden eagles, great blue herons, ducks, geese, marsh wrens, yellow-headed blackbirds, and a number of smaller birds.   The cottonwoods, willows, and dogwoods stand in deep water for a few weeks, but still seem to thrive.  Groups of trees/shrubs look like floating islands in the bays.

 

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Past the last of these “islets” is the river, slow-moving as it runs into the lake.   The crossing is 1km to the far shore.   The channel mouth starts to the left of the gully ahead.   This image was probably taken in May before the area was fully flooded.

 

floodlands

 

Any series of channels can be taken, but we usually paddle the one closest to the far shore and return back through the middle.   Views extend down the lake past Battle Bluff and up the river toward Mt. Paul.   Mount Mara overlooks Tranquille Bay and the rocky hills along the south shore rise steeply above the floodlands.

 

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This is one of the yearly great wonders of the region and just a few of us venture out in our kayaks to experience the sights of this wet wilderness each June.