Tag Archives: Marble Range

Big Bar Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Big Bar Lake is located at the north end of the Marble Range on the southwest corner of the Cariboo.   the easiest access is to follow the Big Bar Road which leaves Highway 97 eight km north of Clinton.   The 34 km road road is a good gravel road passing through rolling forested hills.   The best access is from Big Bar Lake Provincial Park (where we camped), using the boat launch at the west end of the lake.

We paddled Big Bar Lake twice.   The first time was a paddle around the whole lake, a 10 km loop taking about 2.3 hours.

There are a few older, abandoned farm buildings on the northeast end of the lake.   Above us, on the south side the peaks of the Marble Range had a fresh mantle of snow.

old homesteads

the Marble Range to the south

loons on the lake

a stormy night on the lake

 

A second day of paddling was cut short as stormy weather moved in.   We paddled half of the lake, but the last part was slow progress into winds from the west.

Big Bar Lake is one of our favorite spots and so we will return to hike nearby and to paddle more of the lakes of the region.

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Kayaking Pavilion Lake

Kamloops Kayak Posted on by

Pavilion Lake sits in Marble Canyon between Cache Creek and Lillooet. It is at the southern end of the Marble Range which runs north to Jesmond. It is in a karst formation of grey limestone, steep and ragged. The crystal blue waters of Pavilion Lake lie at the foot of the cliffs.

Not only are the waters of the lake crystal clear, they are also the home of freshwater microbialites, not found elsewhere except in very harsh environments. Microbialites are carbonate structures that form in water with the help of microorganisms. They are coral-like in their appearance. Go to the Pavilion Lake Research Project site for a fuller explanation (link).

We paddled out from the end of a small lane in the residential area. We paddled west to the marshy end of the lake and went down a narrow channel into the swamp, enjoying flowering aquatic plants, dragonflies, and marsh birds.

Back in the main lake, we then paddled downwind on this long, narrow lake.

A small offshore island made a good lunch spot. The shoreline between the road and the island is also the plunge/entry spot for divers who want to explore the microbialites below. We watched divers as they swam out to the deep water, their bubbles showing their route.

We continued down to the end of the lake and back where the cliffs of the Marble Range tower over the northeast shore.

On a warm sunny day, the azure skies, warm winds and blue-green water are a magical combination. We finished with a swim, cooling off after a 13 km paddle.