Tag Archives: paddling

Kamloops Lake in the Fall

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Even in November, we can paddle on Kamloops Lake.   It remains a wild spot, with rocky shorelines and steep slopes, hard to access.  A  lone paddler will see no one.   Trains and airplanes infrequently pass by, but the lake is the domain of the gulls, loons, and eagles.   Fall colors ornament the hills.   As the river drops, sand bars rise along the shores down to the mouth.   The river is too shallow for boats where it empties into the lake at Cooney Bay, except for canoes and kayaks.  

The paddle will be stored for the winter, awaiting the arrival of spring, with migrations of ducks, geese, cranes, and shoreline birds.   The song of the lake will remain in our heart even while snow lies on the hills.

North Adams Lake

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Holdings Road runs the length of Adams Lake along the west shore.   It is an active logging road, but much improved.   I would be happy to pull my trailer on this road all the way to the north end.   There are some beautiful campgrounds on the shores of the lake.   An earlier post described the marine campgrounds in the middle section of the lake (link).   Beyond Brennan Creek at Km 37, there are a few more Rec sites: Honeymoon Bay, Refuge Bay, Rocky Point, Gordon Bay, and on the other side, Tsikwustum Creek, and Momich Creek.   

Honeymoon Bay – This lovely spot has 13 campsites that front a sandy beach/bay.    Turn at Km 47.5.

Refuge Bay – This is a provincial marine campsite on the shores of Adams Lake. 

Rocky Point – There are 5 sites along the lake at Km 52.5 north

Gordon Bay – Near the end of the lake, there are 2 sites at km 62.   Two islands lie just offshore.  

End of the Lake  – The road splits in two with the left fork heading over the hills to Vavenby and the right fork following the Adams River north, then around the lake to the east side.

Tsikwustum Creek – Also called Silviculture Camp.   There are 7 sites over a sandy beach and 3 more sites a short distance south.   Located at Km 8 south.

Beyond – The road continues south to Momich Lakes and explorers can drive right through to Seymour Arm in a very large loop route (but bring extra fuel). 

On Edith Lake

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Edith Lake is small enough that it will take two loops around the lake to get a good paddle, but it has an interesting shoreline, with grasslands, a north-aspect bluff, a swampy area, and probably a few fishermen to dodge.   The shoreline is 3.5 km rorund.    There are 3 places to launch from off the Edith Lake Road.

A long narrow bay out of sight rarely has anyone in it, although some people do hike the shoreline to cast their lines in behind the hill. Edith Lake is a good spot for an after-work paddle, especially on a warm summer evening.

To get to Edith Lake, drive out Highway 5 A South to Knutsford, then take the turn onto Long Lake Road.    At about 3.5 km, turn onto the Edith Lake Road and follow it to the lake.   The road is a good gravel road.

Walloper Lake

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We try to paddle every lake in our area, following the shoreline, exploring bays, watching for wildlife, waterfowl, and aquatic plants.   We have to paddle around fishermen and snags.   Sometimes we go around the lake twice, once in each direction.

On a quiet afternoon, I launched from the provincial recreation site on the north shore, not far from the fishing dock.  The paddle was a leisurely one, inspecting the dark, weedy waters of the lake.   The loop along the shoreline is 4.7km.

I was surprised by how much noise there was from the highway above. The water was murky, though a few small fish jumped in the bays at the edge of the drop offs.

A few cabins and home hug the north side. Swampy zones were more interesting at the east and west ends of the lake. Great blue herons stood on the shoreline.   This is a fishing lake, not a destination for paddling, although it makes a good alternate spot for a short paddle.

 

A Tale of Two Lakes

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On back-to-back days, we paddled the Seymour Arm of Shuswap Lake and  the southern end of Adams Lake.   The contrast was amazing.  

Although the Seymour Arm is a remote and scenic spot, it was inundated with dozens of houseboats, jet skis, powerboats, noise, and a collective disregard for others.   The area is probably very quiet in the off-season, but we can't recommend it in the summer.  

On the other hand, we found Adams Lake to be remote, quiet, and relatively deserted.   No houseboats, jet skis, or ski boats.   Every time we travel to the shore of Adams Lake, we find clear water, wildlife, and a quiet wilderness environment.   The lake is long with a few access routes off Holdings Road.   We drove north to the lake, then past the mill at the south end to Adams Lake, then a few kilometers north to Adams Lake Provincial Park (Bush Creek).   We parked at the campsite and used the boat launch, paddling north up the shoreline toward Agate Bay.   The water in the lake is high so the beaches are covered, but there are few roads, few homes, and lots of scenery.   On a previous trip we had found broad, pristine beaches.   We will return to Adams Lake many times.   Shooting video from a kayak is a challenge, but we posted some footage to give readers/viewers a sense of the sights and sounds:

Adams Lake South on You Tube  (click to go to the video)

McGillivray Lake

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When the summer heats up the valley, some of the highland lakes make a nice retreat for exploration, a workout, and some paddling.   Two lakes worth visiting are McGillivray Lake and Morrisey Lake.     The simplest route is to drive to Sun Peaks and follow the main road, turning up onto Sun Peaks Drive, then onto the McGillivray Lake Forest Service Road.   This road is snowed-in the winter, but it is quite a good access road for late-spring, summer, and fall.   Follow the road as it climbs around the resort, then around the cross-country ski system.    This same road connects all the way towards Chase.

Along the way, a side road goes east to Morrisey Lake.   There are two small campsites to launch a boat, camp, fish, or just picnic.    It is a medium-sized lake, but in scenic forested bowl.

Not far to the south is the larger McGillivray Lake.   Drive down to the McGillivray Lake Outpost where there is parking, a dock, a boat launch, and outhouses.

It is an easy launch from this spot.   The lake is about 2km long.   There are two large islands to explore, with a landing spot on the south tip of the northern island.   Two bays are full of water lilies, loons dive for fish, fish jump with a new hatch, and many birds circled overhead.

On the way back to town, take the road south down, winding through the hills down to Neskonlith Lake.   On our last trip we saw deer, a black bear, two badgers, and hillsides of wildflowers.

The road winds down the hill, passes the west end of Neskonlith Lake, and comes down to the Shuswap Road.   Follow the road back to Pritchard, and cross the bridge to the Trans Canada Highway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kamloops Lake to Tobiano (South Shore)

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We launched out of Cooney Bay on a sunny, blustery day in October.   Cooney Bay Road is a bit rough and it is a bit of a haul down to the muddy beach over logs.   Once in the water, paddlers have to navigiate around the sandbars at the mouth of the river.   It is much easier to round the point and venture into Cooney Bay and then along the north shore of the lake.   To get to the south shore of the lake, there is a long traverse over some turbulent water to reach the rocky bluffs.   The railway (CPR) follows the south shore and goes over trestles, platforms, and through tunnels where the clifffs come right down to the lake.  The railbed was built in 1885 and the tunnels and platforms date back to this time, but were improved over time.   Some of the platforms are quarried rock:

Paddling Kamloops Lake on a calm day is a great experience.  It can be an adventure on a windy day and should only be attempted by experienced paddlers with full safety gear.

Taking pictures in a kayak with waves and wind is not easy.   Further along the lake is a trestle which we paddled underneath to a rocky cove.

The shoreline remains rocky all the way to Tobiano.   The angle of the lake turns WNW so the waves were now cutting across our bearing and we had to time each wave surge (some were 3 feet high) to avoid being swamped or overturned.  This made for some concentrated efforts all the way to Tobiano.

Tobiano has a launch ramp. some docks, and a sandy beach.   We found the landing to be easy, pulled our boats onto the shoreline and had then lunch.

A paddle from Cooney Bay to Tobiano is not an easy one.   Good weather is important and a two-car system would work best.   We are not sure if Tobiano would charge you for a landing.   We understand that it costs $10 to launch there.   That day was late in October, no one was around, and we paddled all the way to Savona, landing at the small park.    It is a longish paddle with a lot of open water, but the scenery is fine all the way.   It would be nice to have a better launch spot near Kamloops, but this also measn that there are very few boats on the east end of the lake.

 

Clearwater Lake

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One of our favorite paddling destinations is Clearwater Lake.   The launch is at the very end of the Wells Gray Corridor.  There is a good parking lot and lots of room to launch.   Start your journey north.

The first campground on the lake is just across the narrow part of the lake so if you have a late arrival, this may be a good choice.    As you start your paddle up the lake, you will be amazed by how clear the water is.   The lake gradually widens.   Divers Bluff is a larger campground with some nice sites above the shoreline.   Big Bar Campground is popular because of its sandy point and sheltered (small) bay.   We like Ivor Creek because it is a small campground for non-motorized boats only.   Two small streams come down to the lake here, but the forest behind is very dense and dark.   If you plan to cross the lake, doing it early is a good idea since winds can whip up on this 22 km long lake.   It is a long paddle to the end of the lake.   We enjoyed the small campground at the north end.

If you have two nights only, then paddling Clearwater Lake to two campsites is a good choice.   If you have more time, then you can try the portage to Azure Lake.    Paddle to the end of the lake, them enter the river.   The current makes progress slow but look for the slowest flow on either side.    After some hard work, you can see a sign on the right marking the start of the portage.   This is not a long portage, but it is an awkward one.   The first 250 meters is fairly open, but the last 750m climbs over a small bluff, winding among rocks and trees.   Even with a cart, this is a difficult section for a lone paddler.   Most people carry their boats one at a time, working in pairs.   More and more people are using the the water taxi to haul their boats instead, right to the end of Azure Lake and then they paddle back to  their vehicles.  

Azure Lake is also 22 km long.   From the parking lot to Rainbow Falls near the end of Azure Lake is two full days of paddling.    However far you plan to paddle, come prepared and be self-sufficient.   There are no roads, homes, or services once you have started your marine exploration.    But that is precisely why we return to Clearwater Lake as often as we can.

Murtle Lake

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Paddlers from all over the world travel to North America’s largest non-motorized lake.   In British Columbia, we sometimes take such special places for granted, but it’s right in our backyard.   Murtle Lake is a destination for paddlers, hikers, and anyone loving to camp in remote mountains.    The water is crystal clear, the beaches are wonderful, wildlife is abundant, and the views are wonderful.   We hope to get back to Murtle Lake every 2-3 years.

Murtle Lake will require some preparation.   It would be very impractical to think of it as a day trip.   Traveling time, a portage, and overnight camping all need to be planned.   No campfires are allowed so you have to bring a camp stove and all of your own gear.   Campsites are primitive so your boat has to have all the gear you might need.

To get to Murtle Lake, drive north to Blue River.   Turn left at a signed intersection and follow a twisting, rough gravel road for 27km up into the hills.   At the parking lot, you will start the process of loading your boat onto a cart.   If you don’t have a cart, you can rent one at the campground at the turn-off in Blue River.   Load your supplies into your boat and pull your cart along a gravel path for 2.5 km to the lagoon launch site.   You can lock your cart there (a rack is provided).    You will then reload your canoe or kayak to launch.   A fee is charged for staying overnight at one of the campgrounds at $5/person/night.   The first 1.5 km is through a lagoon where you emerge into the lake.   There is a wide beach at this point and a campground there if you have made a late launch.   As you paddle out into the east bay, you will have to decide to head west or north.   There are 19 camping spots on the lake.   Your first paddle will likely be to your first campground.   it is a long paddle to the end of either arm, so the conditions, the time, and your fitness will limit your choices.   Each arm is different and a subsequent post will explain a bit about what to expect.

Some campsites are special spots:

There are more complete posts on Murtle Lake on this website.

Paddling the South Thompson River

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One of the easiest put-in points is at the Pioneer Park boat launch.  There is lots of parking, a good launch site, and easy access into the river but there is one drawback.   In the warm weather it is a crowded and noisy spot – not a great launch site with power boats, jetskis, and way too many vehicles.   Except in full flood, the river can be paddled upstream fairly easily, especially if you stay on the south side.   Up the river to the end of the Gregson Trail and back is a good paddle.

 

Another good launch spot is the Valleyview Boat Launch just on the west end of Thompson Drive.   Again you can paddle upstream and back, or if you have a two-vehicle system, you can paddle one way down the river to Pioneer Park, or beyond to McArthur Island or even the airport seaplane port.    An enjoyable paddle is to launch at either the Lafarge Bridge on the north side or even the Pritchard bridge (north side) and paddle downstream to any of the points noted.    On my last three paddles, lots of geese and ducks were nesting on the shoreline, eagles perched on tree branches watching the river, swallows soared over the banks and I enjoyed seeing all of the riverfront homes on the river.