Our route up to Hihium Lake was from the southwest, so we drove west on the Trans Canada Highway and then turned north onto the Deadman Valley Road. The narrow and sometimes Hihium FSR climbs steeply out of the valley onto the upper plateau, which has been heavily logged and planted. The road was reasonable and we noted signs for … Continue reading…
The paddle from Westsyde to McArthur Island is a leisurely 14 km downriver route. We launched from the end of Harrington Road near the Dunes and moved out into the river allowing the current to pull us downstream. In June the river is bank to bank with no sand bars. We could average 7km per hour without too much effort, … Continue reading…
Green Lake has clear green water and a forested shoreline. It is a marl lake, a lime-rich mud-bottom and gravel post-glacial lake, common to a number of the larger BC Interior lakes. The Marble Range stands above the Cariboo to the west and silts and sediments rich in calcite and lime have worked their way into the lake basin by … Continue reading…
We paddle downriver from the Town of Chase to the Pritchard Bridge, a journey of 21 km down the South Thompson River.
Continue reading...The South Thompson River is a great paddling destination, breaking the distance from Chase to Kamloops into three 21 km sections. We launched our kayaks from the Pritchard Bridge (NW side) on a sunny morning and paddled downstream for 3 hours. During freshet, the river swells to cover all the gravel bars and so parts of the journey west feels … Continue reading…
Each year the rivers rise in May and they usually peak in June. When both rivers rise enough, the area near the east end of Kamloops Lake floods upstream for a few kilometers. We can launch our kayaks and paddle from Tranquille Bay to explore the seasonal channels. In 2016, freshet was early and by the first of June access … Continue reading…
Every year we paddle downriver to Kamloops. The South Thompson River from Chase to Kamloops can be done in 3 legs – Chase to Pritchard, Pritchard to Lafarge, and Lafarge to Pioneer Park. We organize a pick up behcile at the end so we enjoy the river as it runs quickly in freshet. We paddled downriver from Lafarge to Pioneer … Continue reading…
The Deadman Valley runs north for over 50km from the Trans-Canada Highway, a scenic drive, but also a good route to explore lakes, falls, hoodoos, and backcountry routes. Each time we make the whole-day trip, we pick new points of interest for more exploration. Last year, it was Deadman Falls, Sherwood hoodoos, and Snohoosh Lake (Deadmans Tour). This year it … Continue reading…
We paddle into the Floodlands in freshet each year. The meltwaters from the North and South Thompson Rivers expand to fill the riverbanks and raise the rivers considerably in May and June. We enjoy launching from a small parking area near Tranquille once the river rises enough to clar the grazing fences. The area is part of the BC Parks … Continue reading…
Heffley Lake is one of the best lakes for paddling in the Kamloops area from ice-off to the end of the season, but it is even better to pick a day when it is not full of power boats. In shoulder season and on weekdays, the lake is fairly quiet and it is long enough to accommodate a lot of … Continue reading…
On our way to Paul Lake Provincial Park or Pinantan Lake, we drive past the shores of Louis Lake. The lake is too shallow for swimming or fishing and it is too small and shallow for a bigger boat, but it is just right for a stand-up paddleboard outing. There is a small pullout to drive down to the reedy … Continue reading…
There is a big difference between paddling Paul Lake on a quiet day as compared to a busy weekend in the summer. On this sunny day in April, loons were calling across the lake. Kingfishers flew from tree to tree, chittering as they followed the shoreline. A great blue heron slowly worked its way along the lake to a new … Continue reading…
The first day in the kayak in 2016 was in February and the next 5 weeks was paddling in the rivers. Once the ice is off the lower lakes, we look to paddle them, but the first ones to thaw are smaller lakes like Jocko and Six Mile and they are full of fishermen too, so we wait for Paul … Continue reading…
There are a handful of good launch spots on the South Thompson River and the beach at the Lafarge Bridge is one of the best ones. A dirt road goes down to a gravel beach. We can park on the side road above after unloading the boat. We launched and paddled upstream east to Rivershore Golf Club. There is a … Continue reading…
The first day of paddling on the river was in February and the last day will be in November this year. When we paddle early in the season, the river is cold so there are some things we can do to make the experience more reasonable. Check the weather forecast in the last 24 hours. Wind is the critical issue. … Continue reading…
When we paddle early in the season. we paddle upriver then return back down to our launch spot. The South Thompson is the easier river to paddle upstream, but we also go up the North Thompson River too. We launch from Pioneer Park and head down to the confluence, then we use the rudder to take a sharp turn at … Continue reading…
