Tag Archives: kayaking

Nicola Lake from Monck Park

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On a cool, grey day with a smattering of rain I drove down to Monck Park and launched the kayak onto Nicola Lake.

Nicola Lake can be a windy spot and some cool winds were blowing down the lake so I stayed on the shoreline of the lake, enjoying the quiet paddle in spite of the conditions.

Nicola Lake is a big lake so I launch out of three spots (north south, and middle-west) and do different loops each time.    For 2023 this was my second time on the lake, day 67 of paddling.     After paddling I secured the boat, then hiked the trails.

A few moments from the paddle will soon be on the Ramble On YouTube Channel. 

 

 

 

 

 

Cool Fall Winds on McConnell Lake

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When there are winds forecast I try to get an earlier start because the winds get stronger by late morning.    I also chose a smaller sheltered lake and one of the best for this kind of day is McConnell Lake.   I launched early, the only boat on the lake that morning.

I paddled twice around the lake, once in each direction.    The wind was consistent at 10 – 15 km/hour.

Near the end of the second lap, the winds died down for a short time, but were back just after I finished the paddle.


After paddling I secured the boat, then went for a hike on the trail, exploring the forest before returning back to town.

A few moments from the paddle on the lake are shared here in a short YouTube video on the Ramble On Channel.

 

 

Kayaking Edith Lake

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On a cool, sunny late September morning I chose Edith Lake for an hour of paddling.    When I got there I found out that the World Fly Fishing Championships were scheduled for that day.   Eight women’s teams would be on the lake so I paddled out right away.

The back bays were quiet with no fishing boats, a perfect day for kayaking.

The competitors were clustered around the area out from the boat launch.    Fishing was slow, but the organizers were hovering nearby to count and measure the fish caught.    I gave the cluster of boats a wide berth as I completed a single loop of the lakeshore.

Edith Lake is one of my “go-to lakes.”    It is closest to home, the paddling is always good (except at the busiest times, which I avoid), and it is a scenic spot for an hour or two of paddling.

Watch for a short YouTube video on the Ramble On Channel.

 

 

 

Lac le Jeune after the Wildfires

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While the Ross Moore Fire was active, we avoided go to Lac le Jeune, partly because of smoky conditions, but we just wanted to stay out of the way too.   By fall the smoke had dissipated so we went to Lac le Jeune Provincial Park and launched from the beach.

On a mild day, the winds were light and we paddled around the shoreline.

A few moments from the morning of paddling are captured in this YouTube video:

 

 

Cold Winds and Fly Fishing on Jacko Lake

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Near the Fall Equinox  on a cool morning, I arrived at Jacko Lake to find it very busy.    The World Fly Fishing Championships was scheduled for September 24 to 30, but teams from around the world were arriving and practice rounds were on local lakes, including Jacko Lake.   When I arrived the French team and the Italian team were ready to launch.      I quickly unloaded and launched onto the lake, sticking to the shoreline, avoiding fishermen.

Winds were light at the start, but gusts started, blowing down the lake from the northwest.   Remnants of the rainy/stormy weather of the night before hung on over the hills.

The lake’s body of water was low and the bays had lots of aquatic growth, making the loop around the lake a bit shorter.     Jacko is ascenic lake so any loop is a rewarding one.

I left the fly fishermen to some hours on the lake and got out of the cold wind.    Jacko is a favorite lake, always worth my time, but I will avoid the crowds and the wind on upcoming outings.

More information on Jacko Lake at this link.

 

 

Stake Lake X3

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Although the Stake Lake Rec Site is officially “closed” because of the Ross Moore Lake wildfire, the gate to the parking area is open and lots of people are fishing or paddling the lake, and hiking, walking and biking the inner trails.   On a cloudy but mild September day I launched my kayak into the lake and paddled around the shoreline.

There was a breeze on the lake, but not enough to deter me from a great day of paddling on the lake.    I paddled around twice, once in each direction.    That takes about an hour.

After paddling, I secured the boat on the roof rack, then hiked around the lake, mostly using single tracks where available.

After a period of extended drought the forest is still very dry.    A few shrubs and perennials were still green if they were near water.

This is a favorite, three times around Stake Lake.      We will do this again in the fall.

Some moments of the three loops are shared here in a short YouTube video:

 

Kayaking Campbell Lake

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Sometimes there are pelicans on Campbell Lake in late summer or the start of fall.    We can never tell until we get there.   The lake was hit with winterkill, so the campground was empty and with so few fish in the lake, the pelicans may have gone elsewhere.    I did spot two of them on Scuitto Lake on the way in.     I launched my kayak on a grey, windy, slightly smoky day and paddled the lake.

Much of the lake has shallow bays full of aquatic growth so we usually paddle around the lake in an oval shape.

Campbell LakeThere were lots of ducks on the lake, but no larger birds and no fishermen.  It was a quiet paddle, mostly exercise and outdoor recreation; Day 57 of paddling this year.

I did a short video on last year’s paddle on the lake, provided here:

 

 

 

Pack and Paddle: Chuwhels Lake

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Chuwhels Lake is in a remote spot between Greenstone Mountain and Chuwhels Mountain.    It is accessed by driving up the Greenstone Mountain Road for 15.5 km then turning onto the Chuwhels Road.   A 1 km track (unsigned) bears east to Chuwhels Lake.

I put my folding kayak into a pack and hiked in to the lake.    The track is driveable, but a bit rough.    It is a dammed lake and the lake was down, mostly from evaporation.    I assembled the kayak then paddled around the lake, then hiked back out.

Some images from the pack and paddle are shared here.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

Some of the moments of hiking and kayaking are found in this YouTube video:

 

Heffley Lake in the Rain

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On a June day I drove up to Heffley Lake for a paddle even though the forecast was not promising.    There was no one on the lake.    It was only a light sprinkle at the start.

After a few minutes the weather moved in and I was paddling in the rain.

I hung in for an hour of paddling.   A few moments of the kayaking on Heffley are captured in this short video:

When the weather is marginal – wind, rain, or cold conditions – it is always hard to know what to do.    This one turned out okay.

 

Kayaking Paska Lake

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Paska Lake is a fine destination for kayaking.    It can be a bit busier on weekends, but it is usually fairly quiet at other times.   There is a gravel boat ramp at the Rec Site.

A paddle around the lake is about 4 km.    If the back channel/lagoon is full of water, we can paddle an extra kilometer.   The lagoon is usually navigable in spring.  The first water lilies were blooming in the shallow channel.   By the end of June it will be shallow and full of aquatic vegetation.

There was a light breeze on the lake.    There was a great blue heron, loons, and some ducks on the lake.  There was one other boat on the lake and the campsite was mostly empty at the start of June.

More information can be found on the Paska Lake page (On the Lakes > Paska Lake).

 

McConnell Lake in May

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The high country lakes became ice-free and opened up near the start of May so we can now paddle a number of our favorite lakes like Lac le Jeune, Walloper, Paska, Leighton, McConnell, Stake, and others.   On a mid-May day the sun was shining and there was no wind for a morning paddle on McConnell Lake.

McConnell Lake can be a busy spot so its best to launch early in the morning.    I paddled twice around the lake for a total of 5.2 km in about an hour.

More boats were coming in as I finished and there were lots of hikers and dog walkers on the around-the-lake trail.

This is a good spot for a morning paddle and hike.    More information on McConnell Lake can be found on the On the Lakes page on this website.

 

 

First Paddle in the Floodlands

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We can usually expect to paddle in the floodlands area near Tranquille by the end of May.    High water lasts for 2 – 6 weeks, but usually it has receded by the end of June.    On May 12, I was able to launch my kayak into the floodlands using a hand launch in the Tranquille Wildlife Management parking area.    There was enough water to paddle over the tops of barbed wire fences.    Many of the channels were full of debris, but there were also open water channels out to the river.

Later in the season we can paddle across the river and go up more floodlands channels on the south side of the river. A 10 km loop through the floodlands is possible during freshet.

A few moments of the morning of paddling are found in this YouTube video:

 

 

 

Early, on Jacko

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The forecast was for morning rain so I arrived at Jacko Lake at 7 am and launched my kayak.    There were grey skies, but almost no wind.

On a paddle around the lake I enjoyed seeing ducks – coots, mallards, and barrows golden-eyes, but there was also geese, loons, yellow-headed blackbirds, woodpeckers, and loons.    Birds were exhibiting nesting behaviors, there was a hatch on the lake, fish were jumping, and spring was evident along the shoreline of this lake in the grasslands.    Jacko Lake is one of our best paddling spots.

 

 

 

Paddling Little Shuswap Lake in April

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On a mild but breezy April morning I paddled out into Little Shuswap Lake.

The lake was very low so I used the boat launch on the river just below the bridge.    Shallow water meant following the channel markers out into the middle of the lake, but I was able to paddle over on the north side of the lake after a while.   I returned the same way I paddled out.    In the previous year I could paddle closer to the shoreline.

Some moments from the paddle are found in this YouTube video:

More information on paddling this lake can be found at the On the Lakes page.

 

 

 

 

March 14 – Cold Water Kayaking on the River

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The first day of kayaking for 2022 was March 2.    In 2023, colder weather kept ice on the river and when it started to break up cold winds prohibited comfortable paddling.    By March 12, we had signs of spring coming and on March 14 the winds were about 10 km out of the east.   Boat launch gates were still locked so getting to the water was more challenging, but can be done at a couple of spots.    In this case, there is a new concrete boat launch ramp at Pioneer Park so that was the location for the first paddle of the year.

The launch was easy, wearing a dry suit and neoprene boots for cold-water protection.    The paddle upstream was slower with a headwind and a current.

The first few paddles will all be on the river – upstream, downstream, and at other launch spots.    All efforts will de dependent on the winds each day.

A short video features some of the moments on the river:

 

 

Reflections – Fall Mornings on Jacko Lake

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As the paddling season wound down, some of the lakes and rivers were paddled for a final time (or two).    Jacko Lake (along with Edith and Stake Lakes) is a “go to” spot for paddling each year, and for good reason.   Access is good (but a bumpy road), there is lots of room to launch and park, the lake is surrounded by grasslands, there are always lots of birds by the lake, it is close to town, and the lake has a number of shallow bays, suitable for paddling but too shallow for fishermen.   A paddle around the lake is 4.4  km, taking about 52 -55 minutes (per loop).


By summer the lake has become more shallow (evaporation and draw down) and aquatic vegetation fills the shallow bays so the paddling loop is farther from the shoreline.


There are some shallow arms/bays to explore that are usually occupied by ducks and muskrats,

On a calm and sunny day, Jacko Lake is a perfect place for a rhythmic quiet paddle in the Kamloops area.