Tag Archives: paddling

Paddling Face Lake

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In mid-September Face Lake was the destination for a morning paddle.    There is no reasonable public launch on the lake so I checked in at the Mile High Lodge, paid a small parking and launch fee, and used the boat launch (parking in the Guest parking area).   The folks at the lodge were again welcoming and wished me well.   I then paddled around the lakeshore.

It is accessed by the Paska Lake Road (paved).   Continue to the end of the road which takes you to the Resort.   Face Lake sits at 5800 feet, at the foot of Chuwhels Mountain.

It is a pleasant 5.8 km kayak around the lake.   With no traffic past the resort, the lake is a quiet spot.


A few moments on the lake are captured in a short video:

This is a recommended lake for paddling in the summer.

 

Paddling Heffley Lake

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On a gusty late August morning I got an early start for a paddle on Heffley Lake.   There is a good launch area at the east end of the lake, but it can be a busy spot at prime times so I got an early start.    The area by the launch is protected from the wind by small islands in a narrow part of the lake.


A paddle around the whole lake is about 12.5 km, a longer paddle, and so on this windy day, a more moderate loop down to the narrows and back was a better choice.

There are a series of sheltered bays on the southeast end of the lake that were calmer and very quiet.

The slopes of Mt. Embleton rise up above the north side of the lake.

At the narrows I turned back and had a much easier paddle downwind to the islands on the east end of the lake.


I avoid Heffley Lake at prime times because of the congestion at the launch area, power boats on the lake, and the activity from all of the homes along the north shore of the lake.   In the offseason or early in the morning I was one of two boats on the lake.

More Information – Heffley Lake (page tba)

Paddling Glimpse Lake

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One of the lakes I enjoy paddling every summer is Glimpse Lake.    It is located on the Douglas Lake Plateau (Nicola Lake > Douglas Lake Road > Lauder Road > Glimpse Lake).    The road (91 km from Kamloops) is good all the way to the lake.

There are two Rec Sites on the lake, but the best boat launch is at the northwest corner of the lake.    A paddle around the lakeshore is about 6.2 km.

Video footage was taken on the lake this summer:

This is a quiet out-of-the-way lake that is one of our best paddling destinations for the summer months.

Paddling Peterhope Lake

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Peterhope Lake is accessed by going up a 7.5 km Forest Service Road from the south end of Stump Lake.    There is a BC Rec Site there with camping spots and two boat launches.

A paddle around the lake is about 6 km.   The highlight is a narrow marsh channel which leads to a small lake on the southwest end.

The small lake is away from the campers, fishermen, and private homes on the lake.

It is a quiet spot for ducks and an occasional paddler.

Some video footage of Peterhope Lake is embedded into this post:

 

Paddling Tunkwa Lake

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Tunkwa Lake is one of the best rainbow trout fishing lakes in the province.   It lies in the grasslands – forest zone to the southwest of Kamloops, accessible on paved roads from Logan Lake.   There are several launch spots on the lake.   On this summer day, I parked at the Day Use area and padded the 7.5 km loop around the shoreline.

The Tremont Forest Fire ran through the area in 2021 and there are many sections of blackened trees around the lake.

There are always lots of birds on the lake.   Flocks of blackbirds were active in all of the marshy areas.

Aquatic plants were filling in the shallow bays.   White water crowfoot, smartweed, and arumleaf arrowhead were in flower.

Some video footage provides a sense of what it is like on the lake:

I will be back to paddle on neighboring Leighton Lake this paddling season.

Day 52 of paddling in 2022.

 

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

 

‘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:

 

 

On McQueen Lake

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McQueen Lake is not paddled very often, mostly because of poor access.    To get to a reasonable launch spot requires hauling the boat to the shoreline where there is a break in the bullrushes.   Once on the lake, though, it is a very nice 2.7 km paddle around the marshy shoreline.


I paddled around the lake twice, once in each direction:

All of the lakes of the area would be busy on a Sunday morning, but on McQueen Lake, there was one person only, along with the loons, ducks, geese, blackbirds, marsh wrens, painted turtles, and a muskrat.

On Isobel Lake

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In mid-May there was wind every day, but on this mid-week day, the wind ranged from calm to gusty so I picked a smaller lake to paddle.


I paddled twice around Isobel Lake, once in each direction, a total of 5 km.

When I started there was no one else on the lake.   A few campers were set up at the east end of the lake and there was a school class at one of the docks doing pond studies.    Otherwise, it was quiet with only the sound of blackbirds, ducks, frogs, and the wind.


The lake becomes weedy in summer so spring is a good time to paddle there, before the crowds, and when all is quiet.   Some video clips follow:

 

 

Paddling Barnes Lake (Ashcroft)

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On a calm spring morning I traveled west to paddle Barnes Lake near Ashcroft.

From Ashcroft, the road to Logan Lake climbs the hill.   At about 8 km, the Barnes Lake Road goes past Willard Lake and along the shoreline of Barnes Lake.   There are 3 camping areas each with a boat launch spot.

The paddle around the lakeshore is about 4 km.    After a quiet paddle around the lake, I hiked into the hills and along the ridge that stands above Ashcroft.

Barnes Lake is a peaceful and scenic spot to visit, one I will be sure to return to.

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.  

 

Back on Edith Lake

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At higher elevations it had snowed overnight (in May) and rain and wind were forecast, so a lake close to town made the most sense for a morning of paddling.   The road to Edith Lake was muddy.   A few campers were at the lakeside campsite and 4 boats were on the lake as I launched among active blackbirds at the marshy shoreline.

There was a large chironomid hatch so there were hundreds of birds feeding on all parts of the lake.   The flies were so numerous that I was pelted when I paddled into the wind.   Many birds swooped acrobatically over the lake and the shore area.

Two loops around the lake is about 7 km, a good workout in the kayak.    The winds picked up on the way back and it rained later in the day, but I was grateful for an opportunity to paddle with the birds on a spring day.

 

 

Back on Trapp Lake

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On a breezy morning I paddled Trapp Lake.    There were lots of ducks and geese and the trucks kept roaring by on the west side of the lake, but it was otherwise quiet.

A steady 10-15 km wind from the south made paddling upwind more work, but when I turned back, it was easy kayaking.   In all the years of paddling Trapp Lake, I have only seen one other boat.

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.