Lafarge to Pioneer Park Downriver
Every spring we paddle down the South Thompson River in 21 km outings. From the Lafarge Bridge (NE side) we launched our kayaks and enjoyed a 3 hour flatwater paddle from Lafarge to Pioneer Park. Using a two vehicle system, we started paddling about 9:30 am and landed at the boat launch at Pioneer by 12:30. One of the keys to an outing like this is to paddle downstream before the power boats get onto the river, if possible.
There are homes, businesses, the railway, and the highway along the south shore, but the north shore is much quieter and more scenic.
Eagles and ospreys watched over the river along the route. This eagle perched in front of its nest in a snag. Photos taken from a kayak are never easy. It would be easy to drop the camera in the swirling, swiftly-moving water of the river. The camera survived this last outing.
Five kayaks are seen here below the silt cliffs on the north side of the river near Harper Ranch.
tThere were geese, goslings, ducks, blackbirds, and bank swallows all along the route.
On several sections of the river there is only the riparian zone with Shuswap Road and the silt cliffs above, remnants of a glacial lake.
On the other side are waterfront homes near Campbell Creek, in Dallas, and Valleyview. The final section of the journey goes through a narrow section by the TIB Office, then a short section into Downtown Kamloops.
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By noon there was a fair amount of boat traffic on the river, a good time to land and get the 18+ foot kayaks away from the noise and turbulent waves of the powerboat crowd. The best part of this route is the first half with quiet kayaks gliding among the birds on the river.
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