Jacko Lake is a very popular fishing lake and since it is one of the first to be ice-free, it will be a busy place in spring before the other lakes open up. On weekends and in prime times it stays busy right up to summer. When I paddle the lake I go early in the morning and paddle around the lake (4.7 km) before many of the boats arrive. On this day there was not much wind at launch time.
Yellow-headed blackbirds and ducks occupied the bays and the marshy shorelines.
Jacko has open slopes above the lake, mostly grasslands, open forest, and a few snags.
Algae was expanding in the lake, giving a greenish hue to the water, with green hills and dark trees reflected in the lake, all under cloudy skies.
By summer fishermen go to higher lakes, so I will be back to do two loops of the lake later in the paddling season.
On a sunny May morning, I launched my kayak into marshy Lac du Bis and paddled the shoreline, a 3.3 km route. There was lots to see and no one else around.
There were lots of ducks on the lake, including this coot.
In the morning the low sun shone with filtered light into the shaded bays of the lake. A quiet and peaceful place.
Pairs of mating ducks dabbled or dove in the bays, keeping a watchful eye on the 18 foot long intruder.
On this day I spotted over 30 western painted turtles sunning on logs.
I must have approached a marsh wren nest so this small bird perched on top of the reeds and gave me a piece of its mind.
I was pleased with the variety of waterfowl on the lake, most of which scuttled away, but this grebe and I managed to share an arm of the lake.
After paddling for about 3.5 km, I landed and then secured my boat, so I could go for a short hike into the hills above to enjoy the spring growth in the upper grasslands.
Bleeker Lake is 2 km north of Roche Lake. Take the Bleeker Lake FSR and follow the bumpy backroad to the Rec Site on the north shore of the lake. there is a small campsite there and a rough boat launch. It is a popular fishing lake, but the lake is large enough for paddlers too. A circuit of the whole lake is about 5 km.
I launched from a spot next to a campsite while campground was closed for overnight use.
A few ducks were on the lake, including some barrow’s golden eyes.
There was still a bit of snow on the south shore, which is at the foot of a hill. Some pussywillows were caught in sunny spot along the shore of the lake.
Mating pairs of ducks were in the shallow parts of the lake on the 1.25 hour loop.
A ripple of wind arose near the end of the paddle as silver light appeared on the lake’s surface.
This is also a lake I enjoy in mid-summer, especially since flowering aquatic plants grow in the shallow, marshy areas (full of insects and other critters too) on the east and southeast end of the lake. I hope to return and perhaps combine it will another paddle of nearby Hosli Lake (on a very rough road).
Scuitto Lake is one of our favorite lakes to paddle. There is a nice Rec site with a good boat launch on the east shore of the lake, just off the Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road. On an early May morning we paddled our kayaks out onto the lake following the shoreline in a clockwise loop.
When the lake was dammed, it flooded an number of trees, now standing as stumps along the shoreline.
Tree swallows were cruising along the shoreline, feeding on airborne insects.
On the western shoreline were a number of western painted turtles who have crawled up onto waterlogged perches to bask in the morning sun.
As we closed the loop, Mt. Vicars rose above the east shore of the lake. We usually hike to the top each year (use the Search bar to find the article).
A different tree swallow kept its eye on me as I drifted by one of the stumps in the lake.
After paddling around the lake (5.7 km), I went back out for another shorter loop around the island and back. We usually return for another paddle in early September when pelicans and herons are on Scuitto and Campbell Lake.
I have driven past Napier Lake many times, but had never paddled it; the challenge was to find access to launch a boat. After a number or stops along the road, I settled on a steep grassy slope near the north end of the lake. There was a small pullout there to unload. I attached wheels to the back of the kayak and pulled the boat down the steep hill, across some scrubby shrubs, then to the lakeshore. Getting down there was not too bad, but I wasn’t looking forward to getting back up.
The Napier Lake Ranch is on the north end of the lake, but there is a small riparian zone on the northwest corner with a small gravel beach. A rough launch, but once on the water, its a different matter. When I launched into the lake, there was a steady wind from the south so I paddled into the headwind for 3.5 km. The lake is a scenic paddle, but the wind dictated a route close to the shoreline, paddling in the lee of a series of hills.
At the south end of the lake, Droppingwater Creek cascades into the lake through a narrow canyon. The creek originates on the eastern slopes of Hull Hill and flows through the Bute Lakes. At the other end of the lake, the drainage goes into Ritchie Lake, then Trapp Lake, then Shumway Lake, and down Campbell Creek.
Colorful cliffs, mossy slopes, and red ossier dogwood at the inlet on the southwest corner of the lake makes this an inviting place to paddle.
Strong tailwinds carried me back to the narrows. Even the ducks took refuge in sheltered bays.
On the way back, the skies started to clear, and the sun shone on rocky hills rose above grassland slopes.
The final leg of the 7 km paddle was in light winds, passing the beautiful and open but steep slopes on both sides of the lake.
After landing, hauling the 18 foot kayak up a very steep slope was hard, but I will do it again just to paddle this fine valley-bottom lake.
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.
In April most of the lakes in the hills are still covered in ice so we do a rotation of the valley-bottom lakes first (Kamloops Lake, Little Shuswap Lake, Nicola Lake, Stump Lake, Trapp Lake, Shumway Lake, then move to the lower lakes in the hills. When we paddle the larger lakes, we watch for a day with no wind. Capsizing in cold water is dangerous so we try to follow the shoreline. On this April day there was no wind I launched from Memorial Park in Chase in shallow water and angled across the lake, bearing northeast.
With no wind, the rocky hills above the north shore of the lake were reflected in the calm waters.
The long diagonal route took me to the north side where the rocky hills come right down to the lake.
I paddled about 3/4 of the way up the lake, then turned back to follow the shoreline all the way back to the start. Reflections in the water create a type of optical illusion, affecting our innate sense of balance in the boat, especially when taking photos.
Along the lakeshore a few mergansers and other ducks scuttled away from the kayak.
The north side was in the sun and was from highway traffic so it is my usual route on Little Shuswap Lake. I may return to paddle the other shore when fall colors border the lake.
Trapp Lake is a long narrow lake in the bottom of the gully south of Shumway Lake. There is a good launch spot halfway down the lake. It is one of the lakes in which the ice clears off early, so I usually pick it for a spring paddle.
I paddled down the west shore and then back on the east shore, a 10.3 km loop.
Much of the lake is surrounded by steep hills but in the southeast corner, then hills are lower and more open. Eroded ridges and gullies have been shaped by water.
Two bald eagles perched on a snag near the north end of the lake, and they stayed for a portrait.
Over the year I paddle about 66 days, rotating the location for most outings. The ice will be off the upland lakes soon, so I will paddle the lowland lakes first, then drive to the higher lakes as spring deepens.
We launched our kayaks in April from a boat launch on the east side of Nicola Lake close to the southwest end. The lake was low and almost all of the water was quite shallow, but there was a channel of deeper water heading west toward Upper Nicola.
On a sandbar across the lake were 3 American white pelicans (only one of the 8 species to have a bump on its bill).
By drifting in slowly and remaining still, I was able to get close enough to get a few good photos
The pelicans kept an eye on me and started to walk away when I got too close.
After leaving the pelicans, we worked our way into the narrowing part of the lake which we found to be very shallow. We spotted a great blue heron, eagles, an osprey, and many ducks along the waterway.
We had hoped to have done a loop, but this is probably only possible in high water so we returned up the main channel to our launch. We have paddled all parts of Nicola Lake on separate days, all from different launch points. The main body of the lake can be a very windy spot so we always try for a morning launch, avoiding a lake crossing at the end of the paddle (cross first at either end of the lake). We will back next year to paddle another shoreline in spring.
On a calm early April day we launched our kayaks from Cooney Bay and paddled into the rivers flow, down to the lake. We rounded the corner and followed the shoreline of Cooney Bay. Our route continued past a few fishermen, rocky bluffs, gravely and shingled shoreline beaches, and railway fixtures toward Battle Bluff. We passed the tunnel under the bluff and continued around to the west side of the bluff.
The sheer cliffs of Battle Bluff were bleached white in the low-water conditions of early spring. When it is windy, we can tuck in behind the bluff for sheltered paddling. The wind whips out around the point so on those days, we veer out and enjoy the wind-assisted return voyage. But on this day, conditions were warm and calm, so we rounded the point and started the 1.5 km crossing of the lake. We don’t recommending crossing the lake in windy conditions, nor in a small boat. Our kayaks are ocean kayaks, seaworthy, with rudders and structural stability.
We crossed over to the beautiful stone arch, constructed with quarried blocks in the 1880s, still in use today by the CPR. We paddled right underneath, but it is rocky in low water.
We returned on the south shore right up to the river delta which was all sandbars and islands. Sandhill cranes whooped overhead, a bald eagle tried to grab ducks in Cooney Bay, making multiple attempts, an immature eagle perched on a sand island, ready to attack. People were arriving at Cooney Bay for a dog walk, a family picnic, or to fish. We landed and completed our 10.4 km paddle.
sandhill cranes overhead
bald eagle attacking ducks
immature eagle on patrol
blind arch trestle
We try to paddle the lake when calm conditions are forecast, launching out of Cooney Bay, Tobiano, or Savona. We also paddle downstream from town, landing in Cooney Bay, with a shuttle system. In freshet, we launch just east of Tranquille at a parking area and paddle out over the fencelines into the floodlands at the river delta, usually in June.
In the right conditions paddling on the Thompson Rivers is great in March. On this mid-March day, there was no wind and blue skies. I paddled west from Pioneer Park, going under the Red Bridge, then the Black (CN) Bridge before passing through the Confluence. The river is quite low at this time of year and there are gravel bars in the confluence area. Much of the area is shallow because of silts deposited by the two rivers as they collide and merge.
Overlander Bridge is the third bridge on the downriver route. The half bridge is seen to the west, with 3 pillars still standing in the river.
The section down to Rabbit Island is relatively calm. Mara Mountain above cottonwoods reflected in the river as I approached McArthur Island.
I paddled down the north side of Rabbit Island to inspect the narrow channel. At its narrowest spot it is only about 8m across and only mid-calf deep. I was planning on wading over to hike around the island in the next week.
The return route is more difficult, paddling upstream for about 4 km. A rhythmic paddle stroke yields slow progress toward the confluence.
Old pilings in the river are easy to spot in low water. These ones were west of Overlander Bridge.
With no wind, it is easy to see how shallow the Confluence is. Mt. Peter and Mt. Pail stand above the meeting of the waters.
The sandy beach next to the boat launch in Pioneer Park makes a fine place to launch and land.
When there is more water in the rivers we can paddle around Rabbit Island, already planned for another day on the river later in spring.
One of the lakes we return to paddle each year is Badger Lake. Access to the lake is either past Knouff Lake (7 km) on a bumpy back road, or up the Orchard Lake Road (13 km) from Highway 5 North. The road goes up the east side of Badger Lake to a B.C. Rec Site. There is now a separate public boat launch just before the campground. It is a bit of a longer drive on backroads to the lake, but it is worth the drive.
From the boat launch the main part of the lake runs north-south for 2.3 km. Forested hills rise above the lake on either side.
Not shown on the map is a shallow, narrow channel (near the southwest corner of the lake). Kayaks can paddle through that channel to the marshy areas on the west side.
Even in September there was enough water to allow for easy access under the forest canopy.
The marshes on the west side are surrounded by rushes and reeds with ducks clustered in sheltered areas. Dragonflies patrolled the calm waters in search of prey. There is another 2.3 km of exploration for paddlers in this part of the lake.
Another channel on the north end of the marshes provides access to the main part of the lake. Following the shoreline around the lake bays and channels is 8.3 km.
A young loon surfaced in the lake nearby. Fishing line had become tangled in its beak. It will be unlikely to survive the winter.
I drove up to Badger Lake via Knouff Lake but I drove down the Orchard Lake Road, stopping on the way down to hike into Struthers Creek Falls (link). WE will return to paddle Badger Lake again next year.
We try to add new lakes and rivers to our paddling experiences every year, but those make for long days of travel, so we often return to some of the same lakes each year. McGillivray Lake is a spot that we paddle every year. It takes about an hour to get there with 6 km on a gravel road from Sun Peaks, but the road is usually fine and there is a good boat launch next to the McGillivray Lake Outpost at 1400 m (4593 feet).
On a day in early September, there was only one other boat on the lake so it was a quiet paddle around the lakeshore, a 5.5 km loop.
The shoreline is forested and there are some shallow marshy bays. McGillivray Lake is fed by streams of the hills above and the outlet stream flows into Little McGillivray Lake, then continues west down McGillivray Creek past Sun Peaks, joining Louis Creek near Whitecroft.
A bald eagle kept watch over the south end of the lake, unperturbed by the quiet kayak below.
While paddling north back to the launch, the slopes of Sun Peaks Resort/Tod Mountain rose over the trees, 7 km northwest.
Each lake that we paddle has its own unique environment. For McGillivray Lake, we avoid going there in spring because of the early access road conditions and cooler temperatures. We avoid June and July to miss the mosquitoes and the crowds. By the latter part of August the crowds are gone and there are no mosquitoes so we will continue to paddle there from mid August through the end of September.
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.
On a late summer sunny day, I drove all the way up the Deadman Valley and paddled Vidette Lake. It is a 56 km drive up the gravel road from the Trans Canada Highway. Because it is a scenic route with many places to explore, I return most years, choosing different lakes and different hikes each time. We have previously explored Deadman Falls, Deadman Lake, Snohoosh Lake, Mowich Lake, Castle Rock Hoodoos, Sherwood Creek Hoodoos, Split Rock, Pass Valley, Criss Creek, Hihium Lake and more. For this trip it was Vidette Lake and an exploration of the Deadman River, finding an alternate route to the falls.
There is a small Recreation site on the lakeshore with a good boat launch.
Vidette Lake is long and narrow, close to the road, with steep hills on both sides. At the end of the lake, the Deadman Road climbs into the hills.
Vidette Lake is not part of the Deadman River as the other lakes in the valley are. It is on a tributary drainage of three creeks (Hamilton Creek, Yard Creek, and Coal Creek) and the outflow goes into the Deadman River 0.3 km south. Each lake has a different ecology. Many of the shallow bays of our lakes of the area have water lilies, smartweed, and aquatic weeds like millfoil, but Vidette Lake had arrowhead in the bays near the shoreline. This plant grow from rhizomatous tubers which was historically harvested by First Nations people. Muskrats and ducks eat it too. Flowering was done for the year, but clusters of seeds were visible at the surface on the ends of stems.
Fallen trees become saturated logs and over time the wood decays, but as it does this, vegetation may take root in the above-water part of the log. Mosses usually start the process and then grasses and perennials grow on these small “islands”.
A the north end of the lake the Vidette Gold Mine can be seen. This is now on the Vidette Resort property and a tour can be arranged with the resort owner. I wrote a historical research report for Gold Country on the mine. Here is a link to the story – Vidette Gold Mine.
At the south end of the lake is a narrow channel, but it was jammed with logs which would require portaging the boat around or driving down the road and hauling the boat down a steep bank so I skipped that section. The paddle around the rest of the lake, following the shoreline was 5 km.
We paddle Scuitto and Campbell Lake each and every year, but we try to schedule Campbell Lake for late August or September to paddle with the pelicans and sandhill cranes. Campbell Lake is at the end of the Scuitto Forest Service Road, a 14 km bumpy backroad. There is a BC Recreation Site on the south shore of the lake and a good boat launch there for fishermen and paddlers.
No wind is always a blessing for both paddling and photography. An early start on a sunny day with no one else on the lake made this outing perfect, but I couldn’t see any pelicans from the boat lunch.
When the pelicans come to Campbell Lake, they usually roost in shallow bays on the south side of the lake. There are some private properties on the north side of the lake. They fly to other areas of the lake to fish, but they congregate in one of two bays, not very accessible by land, but fine for a kayak. A kayak can skim over very shallow water to get closer to the pelicans.
Rafts of ducks filled all the shallow bays and a few perched on logs by the shoreline.
In the largest shallow bay there were 16 pelicans clustered together. Some were sleeping with heads buried in their feathers, but most were preening or resting. A few aired their wings, standing apart from the pod.
I used a telephoto lens to try to get a close up of the birds, but it is only an intermediate lens. Its too hard to use a heavy, long lens in a kayak. I floated in without making any noise and kept my movement to a minimum. The pelicans kept an eye on me, but did not disperse.
I took lots of photos, then I continued around the lake. There were also two sedges of sandhill cranes on the lake. They are much more skittish than pelicans, so I got whatever shots I could from the water.
The second group wheeled over the lake making a racket, then settled into a small bay across the lake.
We spotted all sorts of birds on the lake, but the pelicans were the stars of nature’s show on this day.
Campbell Lake is a very nice paddle on any day, but it is a special place when there are blue skies, no wind, a quiet lake, and lots of birds to see.
Yellow-headed blackbirds and ducks occupied the bays and the marshy shorelines.
Algae was expanding in the lake, giving a greenish hue to the water, with green hills and dark trees reflected in the lake, all under cloudy skies.
By summer fishermen go to higher lakes, so I will be back to do two loops of the lake later in the paddling season.
I paddled down the north side of Rabbit Island to inspect the narrow channel. At its narrowest spot it is only about 8m across and only mid-calf deep. I was planning on wading over to hike around the island in the next week.
