Tag Archives: kayaking

Paddling Community Lake

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Community Lake is located on top of Community Mountain between Knouff Lake and Sun Peaks.   To get to the Community Lake Rec Site, drive up the Knouff Lake Road and turn onto the signed Community Lake FSR.    Follow the signs to the lake, which sits at 1370 m (4500 ft.)

There is a good boat launch at the Rec Site.   A paddle around the lake takes about an hour.    There are a number of marshy bays and islands to explore.

Community Lake Launch

 

I paddled the lake on the BC Day long weekend and I was the only boat on the water.    The lake is off the beaten path so there are a few fishermen and an occasional paddler

Some video clips and some drone footage helps to share the paddling the lake experience:

This is a lake I enjoy paddling each summer, a higher elevation paddling destination when the weather gets hot in the valleys.

Paddling Surrey Lake

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On a hot summer day I paddled Surrey Lake.    there is a good road to the Wildlings Resort on Surrey Lake.   There is a boat launch there and paddlers can pay a fee to park and launch, or alternately, take the side road along the west side of the lake and hand launch at one of two spots.    That road (around Surrey Lake) is a narrow one and high clearance is advised.

With steady paddling it took an hour to go around the 5 km shoreline of the lake.

Some video of the paddling experience is shared here:

When the temperatures rise only a few ducks will be on the lakes.    These ones were having a siesta on a lakeshore log.

When the temperatures rise, the lakes that lie at an elevation of over 4000 feet are good destinations for a morning paddle.    Surrey Lake is one more gem in the Kamloops area for paddlers.

 

Paddling Nicola Lake North

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On the hottest day of the year I traveled to the north end of Nicola Lake to paddle a loop route.   The goal was to get onto the water before it got too hot and before the power boats were active.   The lake is very open so there is no shade so a modest distance was in order.    There are a number of good launch spots and I chose the northernmost one on Highway 5A.

The highlight of the day was paddling along the west side of the lake by giant granite boulders below granite cliffs.    There are no homes on the northwest end of the lake.

This large standing rock rose like a mushroom from the shallow lakeshore waters.

Most of the waterfowl were hiding in a shaded location, but these mergansers were on morning patrol.

A video of the paddling experience on the lake is shared here:

A greeting committee was waiting for me at the landing area, a kaleidoscope of clouded sulphurs.

Each day of paddling brings some new surprises, with more to come….

Paddling Stump Lake

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Stump Lake is a popular fishing spot and at peak times, the boat launch sites can be full, especially in spring.   It is also a windy lake so finding the right day for a paddle on the lake can be a challenge.

A paddle right around the lakeshore is 19 km, too far for a day’s paddle so we usually paddle the north or south end of the lake in alternating years.  There are three launch spots off Highway 5A, but almost everyone uses the main one half way down the lake.    On this day, I used a steeper track nearer the south end of the lake for a paddle in that area.

Along the shoreline were deer, ducks, a bald eagle, a killdeer, and lots of insects.    Click an image for a lightbox view and caption.

This was a hot and sunny day in July:

I will be back to paddle the north end of the lake on another day.

 

 

Paddling Sussex Lake

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Sussex Lake is a bit remote and because of it, it is quiet, except for the drone of the highway.    I have paddled here twice and snowshoed in from Surrey Lake in winter.   A paddle around the lakeshore is 3.3 km.   Paddlers can go around the lake twice or paddle two lakes in the area.   I also paddled Desmond Lake, but other choices include Surrey Lake and Frogmoore Lake.

Sussex Lake lies at 1365m (4553 ft), just below the Surrey Summit on the Coquihalla.    To get to the lake, we have to go up the Surrey Lake Forest Service Road to Surrey Lake, then take a secondary Road to the Sussex Lake Rec Site.    It is a high-clearance road, but fine to drive in summer.   There is no boat launch, but we can hand launch from a gravel beach at the small Rec Site.

While paddling loons were on patrol, but an osprey dove into the water twice not far from the kayak and came up with a fish.    I could only get shots of it in the air as it flew past.   The fish is clear to see though, glistening in the sun before being consumed.

A short video of the day’s outing is included here:

I will be back into the area to paddle Surrey Lake, Bob Lake, and Frogmoore Lake.

 

 

Paddling Ross Moore Lake

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Although Ross Moore Lake is a long drive on bumpy roads, it is still one of our favorite lakes to paddle.    It has a bit of a remote feel to it and the lakeshore is both interesting and relatively open.

Just getting to the lake requires some navigation (see the link below).    The road was in pretty good shape until the last part where it is rougher, requiring high clearance.    There is a small launch at the south end of the lake which is an easier spot to launch from than from the Rec site. A paddle around the lake is about 3.2 km.    We try to explore all the marshy bays too, but there are many sunken stumps and fallen lodgepole pines, a result of damming the lake.

Eagles flew and perched overhead, ducks with ducklings scuttled to safety, yellow water lilies were in bloom in the bays, and marsh skullcap was in bloom on the shoreline.    Click an image for a lightbox view and a caption.

A Youtube video shares some of the moments at the lake:

More Information – Ross Moore Lake Page

 

 

 

Paddling Paska Lake

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Paska Lake is a fine paddling lake from late spring to mid-fall.   At non-prime times, the lake is a quiet spot surrounded by high country forest.

To get to Paska Lake, we drive up the Coquihalla, then turn onto the Meadow Creek (Logan Lake Road).    The Paska Lake FSR turns off farther along, heading north, to a basin in behind Chuwhels Mountain.   A signed turn leads down into the Paska Lake Recreation Site where there is a campground with a boat launch and parking.

A favorite route is to paddle down the lagoon channel that becomes Greenstone Creek.    In spring we can paddle to the end, but as the weather warms up, the lagoon fills with aquatic plants.

On this summer day, the distance going around the lake, including the channel was about 5 km, on the 40th day of paddling in 2022.

More Information:

 

Paddling Lac le Jeune West

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On a grey and drizzly long weekend summer morning I arrived early to paddle the west end of Lac le Jeune.    From the campground I paddled west to the end of the lake, then went through the watery tunnel under the road to the smaller lake.

After paddling around the western lake the route was back through the tunnel and along the south shore, a 5 km route.

The smaller lake is marshier and there is a channel to explore.    A loon chick and some ducklings were dabbling near the rushes and reeds, blackbirds patrolled the margins, and predators flew overhead, but all was quiet otherwise.    This is a must-do each summer.

More information – Lac le Jeune

 

An Early Paddle on Edith Lake

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On the second day of summer the winds were forecast to be strong by 10:00 am so I was on a nearby lake by 8:30.    Edith Lake is a good choice in the wind because half of the lake is sheltered by hills.


By the end of the paddle, winds were stronger, but the effort to get in an early workout was successful.

Some short video clips captured the lake before the winds picked up.

Over time there will be a page for each lake we frequent.   Edith Lake is done and a link is provided:

Pass Lake

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On the last day of spring Pass Lake made a good destination paddle.   The distance around the lake is about 2.5 km so two loops is a good choice when conditions are right.

The road into the Rec Site was a bit rough, but both boat launches were in good shape.

On this weekday morning there were no other boats on the lake.    Blackbirds, a loon, ducks with ducklings, and some shoreline birds were active on the lake.

Pass Lake is one more good choice to paddle, one of about 100 area lakes to explore.

More Information – Pass Lake

 

McArthur Island Lagoon Route

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Between morning rain showers and an afternoon thundershower I launched my kayak from the McArthur Island boat launch and paddled down the Thompson River to the west end of the lagoon channel that goes around the island.

With high waters, the boat launch and the channels were full of water.   Paddling downriver was quick because of the current.

In some years there can be low clearance between the channel and the bottom of the footbridge and it may be like that again soon.   On this day it was easy.

The one obstacle was a flooded beaver dam at the narrowest spot near the west entrance, but I was able to plough my way through the debris on the way up and skirt the dam on the east side on the way down.

The final part of the paddling outing was back upriver which is hard work during freshet.   Some moments of the paddling route are captured in a video:

 

 

 

‘Round Rabbit

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On a mid-May morning I launched from McArthur Island and paddled up the Thompson River.    The current was stronger during freshet.   At the east end of the Island, I rounded Rabbit Island.


Paddling down the south side of the island is easy and much faster.

Paddling back upstream is harder and a faster paddling rhythm is required to complete the 4 km loop route:

 

 

Six Mile Thrice

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On a pleasant spring day I drove up the bumpy road to Pat Lake, sometimes called Six Mile Lake.    It is a favorite spring fishing lake, but I stayed close to the shoreline paddling around twice, once in each direction.   

There were many birds on the shoreline and on the lake, including blackbirds, loons, ducks (mostly coots), geese, bluebirds, swallows, and crows.   There were painted turtles and marmots sunning, frogs croaking, and a variety of active insects.  

After paddling I hiked around the lake, enjoying the Six Mile Hills.

Video captures the calls of the birds and the soughing of the wind:

I will be back to do a larger loop through the Six Mile Hills.  

 

Kamloops Lake Loop

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On a calm spring day it was time to haul the 18 foot kayak down to the rivershore at Cooney Bay and launch out onto the lake.  

The plan was to paddle around the point and into Cooney Bay, then along the shoreline past Battle Bluff, then cross the lake and return by the other shore, stopping to enjoy various highlights along the way. 

This was an 11 km paddle taking about 2 hours.  A video was complied of the journey.  

More paddling is planned for Kamloops Lake in the upcoming months.