I kayaked white Lake in the Shuswap Area in October on a greyish morning. A Youtube video is now published on this outing:
Still kayaking, but the end of the season is near.
Tag Archives: Shuswap
Hiking Copper Island
A new video is now available on YouTube:
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White Lake in November
On a cool day with little wind White Lake (near Tappen) was the destination for a paddle. It is a large lake (12 km around) and in the fall it is better to divide the lake into two separate paddles. There are two good boat launches to do this. On this day, the west end of the lake is easily accessed using a boat launch next to the Fire Hall/Community Hall. There was some local smoke from slash burning on Bastion Mountain nearby.
From the community boat launch to White Lake Provincial Park is 3.3 km. Normally I would cross the lake and return on the other side, but the south side was smoky so it was an out-and-back route instead.
The White Lake Provincial Park is at point which protects another boat launch and day use area.
From the point we can see down to the end of the lake which is still in the park.
We plan to return to paddle the east end of the lake in the spring, launching from the Provincial Park Campground. After this paddle, I chose to do the White Lake Lookout Trail. I will choose another trail to hike in the spring.
On Little Shuswap 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.
Skimikin Lake
Skimikin Lake lies in a valley between Turtle Valley and the end of the Salmon Arm of Shuswap Lake. It is a well-used recreational area with a fine BC Rec Site and numerous trails. For paddlers, there are several launch spots at the Rec Site.
The lake is divided into two parts by a narrow point. In fall the water had been drawn down in a hot, dry summer, so the launch was on dry mud flats.
A paddle around the whole shoreline is about 2.5 km. On this day, I paddled nearby Phillips Lake first for a 5 km on the water.
More information:
Little Shuswap Lake
Little Shuswap Lake is a bigger lake to paddle in our area. A circuit around the entire lakeshore is 19 km. On a mild fall day, we paddled over 16 km, returning by the southeast shoreline.
The best place to launch is at the Chase Memorial Park.
The far eastern shore is 7 km down the lake under the slopes of Squilax Mountain.
Beaches line the shoreline of the Little Shuswap Indian Reserve. The Adams Plateau highlands rise to the northeast of the lake.
Little River runs from Shuswap Lake to Little Shuswap Lake for 3.5 km. All the migrating salmon follow this river upstream in the fall.
Little Shuswap Lake is a big enough lake to get some strong winds so paddlers should check the forecast before venturing out. This day, though, was a calm and sunny one, a fine day for a kayak on the lake.
Paddling Hummamilt Lake
In the back valleys between Shuswap Lake and Adams Lake are a chain of lakes. Hummamilt Lake is the largest and a superb lake for paddling. To get to Hummamilt Lake, follow the North Shuswap Road past Anglemont on the way to Seymour Arm. Pass Albas Provincial Park and turn up the Celista Creek Forest Service Road (may be called Ross Creek FSR). At 9.7 km, watch for a small Rec Site and a hand launch.
The launch area is in a small bay near the outlet and passes through a zone water lilies.
Hummamilt is a long narrow lake. There are some small islands and 3 narrow channels on the way to the end of the lake.
Both sides of the lake have steep forested slopes. The entire paddle up one shore to the end and back on the other shore is 25km, a long paddle, but a scenic one. When I was there on a weekday, there were no other boats and no campers at the two Rec sites.
On the way back, the winds rose and the paddling was harder, but the snowy ragged Anstey Range peaks were right ahead coming down the lake. Loons, ospreys, ducks, and dragonflies were the only other occupants of this remote lake.
A loop route is possible and had been planned, but I blew a radial tire and without a spare, I was reluctant to continue on to Stukemapten, Mowich, and Adams Lake, coming down Holdings Road to Agate Bay. That will be another trip, with a stop to paddle Mowich Lake. Hummamilt Lake is worth the long drive though, especially on a nice day with no one else around.
Shuswap River Run
Paddling down the Shuswap River is a delight at any time, but it is a special experience during the peak of the salmon run. The sockeye spawn in the gravel shallows in the upper river. The river is full of red-colored sockeye and black-headed spring salmon, most moving upstream, but some in redds near the shore, some leaping out of the water, and some dead ones along the shore. Eagles, seagulls, and crows line the shores scavenging. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans was there in river boats and on the shoreline counting fish and monitoring. As we paddled over the fish, we had to be careful not to collide with the salmon in numerous shallows.
It would be nice to launch at Mabel Lake, but the rapids in Skookumchuk Rapids Provincial Park have Class 111 – Class 1V whitewater for 3 km. The Shuswap River has 10 hand launch sites from Mabel Lake to Mara Lake. Most have a sign at the turn-off, parking areas, and a good spot to launch and many also have outhouses and picnic tables. We launched at a designated hand launch site at Hupel, 29.5km by road from Enderby.
The route from Hupel to halfway between Cooke Creek and Dale’s Hand Launch is mostly Class 11 water, but has some short sections of Class 111 too, all very doable, although there are some narrow spots and some obstacles too, so this section is for experienced paddlers. The river becomes slower as it continues to Enderby. For this last venture, we chose to exit at Riverside Hall, just past the Trinity Valley Bridge, a total of 26 km.
The river below Ashton Creek is slower and runs through farmlands. On a previous day of paddling, we went all the way to Enderby, taking out at the bridge (link to story).
Paddling with salmon at the height of the migration on their four year cycle is a unique experience. We watched the fish and their predators with fascination as we quietly paddled downriver. This is a good time to carry an underwater camera, but it is not easy to get a good photo of the fish while moving downstream in a kayak or canoe. It is probably easier to do this from the shoreline with a bit of wading (Cooke Creek is a good place to do this). Along the way, we stopped for lunch in Shuswap River Islands Provincial Park, a section of oxbows, channels, islands, and sandbars. Cottonwoods line the riparian zone in this protected area. The upper river has an unspoiled feel to it and the huge sockeye run is indicative of a healthy river, even in rising temperatures.
We have penciled in a return paddle in October of 2018 to meet the next generation of salmon as they return to the Shuswap River.
Neskonlith Lake Paddling
When the weather bakes up, we try to get on the water (or hike to altitude). Our rivers and lakes become destinations and we are situated right in the middle of dozens of paddling routes. Kayaking in a longer boat (faster/steadier) means finding larger lakes. Our goal is to have enough lakes and rivers in the area to not have to have repeats within the same year. When there is no wind, all lakes are fair game, but when wind and weather are present, we have to pick our routes carefully. Knowing how winds affect individual lakes helps and we can always hug the shoreline or try the kayak sail if conditions warrant it.
Neskonlith Lake is a good destination for a summer paddle. It is 11.5 km around the shoreline, a 2 to 2.5 hour paddle. The shoreline is varied and there is lots to see. The lake sits in a bowl on a north-south line. Most of the winds of the area run east-west (either way) so cross winds may be seen on the lake, but on my most recent paddle, there was no wind, on a hot day.
The best launch point is is from the boat launch at Neskonlith Provincial Park. Go past the first camping area for about 200m to the beach launch area.
When I paddled the west shore, there were many western painted turtles sunning on logs in the lake. When I approached with some noise, they plunged into the lake, but when I glided close, they stretched their long green necks (with yellow stripes) outward, trying to sense if any predators were nearby. Their orange-scarlet underbellies were on display. Some of big ones were the slowest to plunge in and they could be seen from a distance. Dragon flies flitted along the water, landing on floating aquatic plants.
The campground extends along the western shore for a few kilometers. Douglas fir and red osier dogwood front the lake. A few cabins can be seen mid-lake and a small number of homes at the south end. A great blue heron waded in the shallows and an osprey and red-tailed hawks circled overhead. Fish jumped everywhere in the gloomy water. Pollen had covered the water’s surface with a yellow-green hue. Smartweed (not yet in bloom), aquatic buttercup, and milfoil grew in the shallows.
The east shore sits below rock bluffs so some shade can be found by staying close to the shoreline. A rocky island makes a good spot for lunch. The northeast corner of the lake is shallow and sits next to dry grasslands on the Reserve. There are some bullrush marshes at the north end. Away from all busy roads, the area is very quiet and other than a couple of small fishing boats, there was no activity on the lake.
There are no fine beaches for good swimming as there is at Johnson Lake, Lac le Jeune, and Paul Lake, but there is a sense of quiet, solitude, and a presence of aquatic life that adds much to a summer afternoon of paddling.