In 2021 I had paddled 90 days by November 6th. There would likely be a handful more before the weather became too cold. For this day, it was 3 degrees C and there was a 10 km breeze. The sun was out at Jacko Lake for a paddle around the lakeshore.
The lower approaching-winter-sun made all views to the south glaring and bright. There was snow on Greenstone Mountain to the southwest.
I have photographed this snag quite a few times and each time I go around Jacko Lake, I swing by.
I had a GoPro on, but I only got a short clip:
Everything will be put away for the winter soon, but only for three and a half months. The ninety days of paddling were partly a result of a foot injury, the late spring heat dome, the summer fires, and Covid restrictions. Paddling seemed like a good choice for all of these.
Launching a kayak from the Tournament Capital Ranch requires driving a dirt road to the bank above the river, then hauling the boat down the sandbanks to good spot. There is a bay with a back eddy and a beach south of the slow pitch diamonds area.
The river runs very quickly, too fast for most paddlers to proceed upstream, but we can paddle downstream, cross to the other side and come up channels on the west side.
In the first channel the water was still, but the shoreline was very colorful. At the end it was easier to turn around than to portage to the next channel.
The next channel ran aground after a while, but it was a short portage to get to the next channel.
Each channel was flanked by fall colors.
Most of these channels could be paddled without any portages in spring and early summer.
Some hard paddling and a short portage across a gravel bar took me back to the main channel so that I could paddle downstream to the start, turning quickly into a back eddy.
This was fun paddling, but it would not be the kind of venture that novice paddlers should try. Any route from the shoreline will involve paddling upstream into fast currents, paddling across the current, paddling in shallow water, portaging, and hauling. All safety gear would be a must, especially in cool or cold water.
I plan to return in early summer to explore more channels or to paddle downstream to Riverside Park.
In the fall, I returned to Jacko Lake to paddle around the shoreline twice (8km).
The shallow bays are filled with aquatic vegetation, but it doesn’t take much surface water to glide over the masses below the surface.
This lake was busy with fishermen, but by staying close to the shoreline, I stayed out of their way.
On this website, I am developing a page of information on each lake in our area. There will be over 100 pages when done, by mid-winter. One of the first to be ready is a page on Jacko Lake. Click the link below for more information:
On the first day of fall, I drove up to Lac le Jeune in the morning and paddled the east end of the lake. There was no wind at the start and the lake water had a blue-silver glaze.
There was 3 still fishing boats with quiet electric motors on the lake, but no other paddlers and almost no ducks or geese. Loons were fishing in the middle part of the lake.
I followed the shoreline, veering around fallen trees, and seeing more ready to fall over the winter.
The marshlands on the northeast side of the lake provided some color as the reeds, rushes, and sedges lose their greens and show yellows, oranges, and a bit of reds.
I don’t choose to paddle Lac le Jeune in the summer when there are too many boats on the lake and shoreline activity includes a lot of noise. In the fall, the lake becomes quieter, especially on a cool mid-week morning.
The sun was shining through clouds and dark clouds to the east was contrasted with sunnier conditions to the west. The wind picked up near the end of this paddle, the 77th day of kayaking this year.
Lac le Jeune is one of the best paddling lakes of our area. This was my third time on the lake this year and I plan to paddle the west end and the smaller lake one more time before the weather becomes cold.
On a calm September day, I hauled my kayak down to the river near Cooney Bay. I use some wheels which attach to the back end of the boat and pull it down the pathway, lifting the boat over some logs. At this time of year the shoreline of the river is muddy so paddling boots are a good choice. It is only a short paddle from the launch beach to the lake.
I rounded the point at Cooney Bay and looked back at the morning sun, shining through scattered clouds.
I try to avoid paddling Kamloops Lake in the wind, but on this day, only a light breeze came across the lake from the southwest. I paddled around a rock bluff, then past a shingle beach.
Battle Bluff rises 324 m (1063 ft.) from the lake to the top.
contI paddled around the base of the bluff, noting the high water mark on the rock.
It is about 1 km under the cliffs to get to the west end of Battle Bluff. There are no landing spots. With some wind, the waves rebound off the rock, providing choppy conditions.
At the west end of Battle Bluff, the shoreline is series of sloped under the Fredrick Bluffs. Across the lake, the rocky hills are continuous to the benchland near Tobiano. The hill between Cherry Bluffs and Tobiano is called Roper Hill.
Battle Bluff, Dewdrop Ridge and all of the rocky slopes on the north side of the lake are built up on a series of lava flows. On the east side of Battle Bluff, basalt columns rise above the shoreline, an older lava flow than the rocky hills above.
In Cooney Bay, pelicans were feeding by the mouth of Tranquille River. The flock was settled on a sandbar up the river, but small numbers of pelicans flew down to feed where the river met the lake.
Kamloops Lake is a favorite place to paddle, but the road in is potholed, the haul to the river is hard work, and winds on the lake can be difficult. Still, I try to get onto the lake when I can. In this particular day, I paddled about 8 km in fine conditions.
Near the first day of fall, Hyas Lake was the planned paddle. It is 13 km up into the hills from Pinantan at 1237 m (4060 ft). The boat launch is at the Hyas Lake Recreation Site, at the end of the Hyas Lake Forest Service Road. There are 5 small campsites there, adjacent to the Hyas Lake Fishing Camp.
On a calm morning, I paddled around the shoreline of the lake, a 4.3 km paddle.
To the north Shaw Hill at 5200 feet rises above lake. We have hiked to the top, coming up backroads from the Heffley Lake area. There were many potholes in the roads, but it is accessible to most vehicles, but in shoulder season, it may be best to have a 4x 4.
Hyas Lake is a beautiful clear lake with marl shoals and a forested shoreline, a fine spot to paddle in the off-season.
We have also walked/hiked the backroads in the area and hope to connect a loop route after some more exploration.
When we paddle about 80 days each year, some days are light and easy, with exploration, photography, and some floating. Other days are more ambitious, paddling longer distances, exploring shorelines, but keeping a steady pace (long-slow distance). And, on other days, we paddle more quickly doing loops around a favorite lake like Jacko Lake, Edith Lake, or Stake Lake. On a sunny day, I drove to Stake Lake for two quick loops around the lake, ramping up the intensity, and shortening the total paddling time.
I paddled twice around the shoreline of the lake, once in each direction.
When I am focused on paddling intensity, I carry a point-and-shoot camera, but try to keep the photography to a lower priority. Rather than photos, here is a Google Earth Fly-Over of Stake Lake.
I will be back to Stake Lake again for more paddling, cycling, hiking, and snowshoeing.
On a mild smokeless day I went to the West Roche Lake Rec Site to launch my kayak. The road in is rough, but a sign stated that the road will be closed for 3 weeks in the fall for an upgrade. There was no one in the campsite, but the boat launch was in good shape. I launched and paddled down to the south end of the lake, doing a one hour loop.
I spotted many ducks, two eagles, a great blue heron, a fawn, a coyote, loons, and a turkey vulture. There were three fishing boats on the lake, but all seemed quiet.
Roche West 021
Roche West 017
Roche West 012
Roche West 008
Roche West 006
In recovering from a summer cold, I was pleased to be able to paddle for 65 minutes with almost no wind, and good conditions.
Here is a Google Earth Fly-By of the day’s paddle:
Each week brings new paddling destinations, but the choices are determined by conditions – wind, smoke, and weather. Each outing is a choice-of-the-day.
Smoke was everywhere, but firesmoke.ca predicted a small pocket of clear air right over Roche Lake Provincial Park, so I headed up there to paddle the lake. there was blue sky overhead, but ashen skies in every direction. There were no campers in the two campsites and only two fishing boats on the lake.
I followed the lakeshore, going into marshy areas and shallow bays to explore.
Reeds and rushes filled the shallower bays.
There were a few ducks on the lake, including this merganser.
I also spotted turkey vultures, eagles, loons, a deer, geese, spotted sandpipers, and ravens near the shoreline.
Roche Lake 017
yellow water lily
turkey vulture
loon
Roche Lake 001
merganser
The smoke was predicted to fill in all of the open spots over the next few days so I was pleased to have had one more day of semi-clear weather for paddling.
On a hot smoky day, I used firesmoke.ca to see where the least-smoky area was and the answer was – down the Highway 5A corridor. With several lakes in mind I went along the lakes and found Trapp Lake to be reasonably good. the lakes beyond tend to be windy and winds were forecast, so I was happy to find a place for an early paddle. I had paddled the north end of the lake in the spring so this time I did a 5.5 km loop on the south end of the lake.
The light winds subsided and the sky started to clear at the end of the lake.
There were lost of blackbirds, three eagles, and many ducks on the lake. Weedy flowers were also blooming, but white clematis covered the banks in the southwest shore.
Trapp Lake 016
Trapp Lake 012
Trapp Lake 008b
Trapp Lake 004
Trapp Lake 003
The pros of paddling Trapp Lake include no boat traffic, easy access, and a longer lake to paddle. Cons include highway traffic and murky water, especially with algae growth in summer. But, for a 1.25 hour paddle on a smoky day, it was a perfect place for a workout on the water.
Peterhope Lake Rec Site is on the northeast corner of the lake, 7 km from the turnoff, just past the south end of Stump Lake. A good road leads to the Rec site where there is a dedicated boat launch.
Peterhope has marl shoals and sunken islands, with clear water. Fishermen can catch medium-sized rainbow trout in season. When smoke blanketed the Interior, the lakes in the this area had relatively clear skies. Light winds rippled the lake.
At the southwest corner a narrow channel through marshes leads to a small secluded lake.
This was the highlight of the day, going around the shores of the hidden lake.
I paddled back out, then continued around the lake.
A paddle right around the lake, including channels and bays is about 6.5 km. Peterhope is a favorite lake and I will be back again next year.
Winds, rain, thunder and lightning were forecast for the afternoon so I went to Jacko Lake early and launched the kayak in calm conditions.
Jacko Lake was very quiet with no fishermen. It was just birds and the kayak.
A squall did come in and it rained hard for short time. Families of geese headed for the cover of shore.
Watching over the shoreline was an immature eagle. I paddled within 5m of the eagle and it didn’t seem at all worried.
This was my third time on Jacko Lake this season. I had planned for two loops, but dark clouds and rain discouraged more paddling. It was a quiet morning paddle, worth the effort to get out early onto a rough road.
With a forest fire in progress it was smoky in the valleys so I drove south to the 4000 ft. level at McConnell Lake where there was less smoke. It was a hot day so I got an early start.
There was a muskrat on the lake and two loons with two chicks.
I paddled around the lake twice, once in each direction, a total of 5.3 km.
McConnell Lake can be a busy spot so an early start is recommended.
On a sunny June morning I drove south on Highway 5A, then turned onto the Douglas Lake Road, then up the Lauder Road to Glimpse Lake. I launched my kayak from a good hand launch at the west end of the lake.
Glimpse Lake allows only electric motors so even though there were a few fishing boats, it was quiet on the lake. There are a number of shallow marshy areas to explore on the way around the lake.
There were a few ducks and geese on the lake, including some families.
I kayaked all the way around the lake, a 6 km paddle.
Glimpse Lake is one of the best lakes in our area to paddle, one I try to return to each year.
The lower approaching-winter-sun made all views to the south glaring and bright. There was snow on Greenstone Mountain to the southwest.
I have photographed this snag quite a few times and each time I go around Jacko Lake, I swing by.
I had a GoPro on, but I only got a short clip:
The shallow bays are filled with aquatic vegetation, but it doesn’t take much surface water to glide over the masses below the surface.
