I have driven past Napier Lake many times, but had never paddled it; the challenge was to find access to launch a boat. After a number or stops along the road, I settled on a steep grassy slope near the north end of the lake. There was a small pullout there to unload. I attached wheels to the back of … Continue reading…
I paddled out of Cooney Bay in April and instead of heading out into the bay and then farther out to Kamloops Lake, I chose to paddle upstream into the shallow river channels and explore the delta sand islands. At low water, the river divides into 3 channels near the mouth before entering Kamloops Lake. The main channel is about … Continue reading…
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. … Continue reading…
Trapp Lake is a long narrow lake in the bottom of the gully south of Shumway Lake. There is a good launch spot halfway down the lake. It is one of the lakes in which the ice clears off early, so I usually pick it for a spring paddle. I paddled down the west shore and then back on the … Continue reading…
We launched our kayaks in April from a boat launch on the east side of Nicola Lake close to the southwest end. The lake was low and almost all of the water was quite shallow, but there was a channel of deeper water heading west toward Upper Nicola. On a sandbar across the lake were 3 American white pelicans (only … Continue reading…
On a calm early April day we launched our kayaks from Cooney Bay and paddled into the rivers flow, down to the lake. We rounded the corner and followed the shoreline of Cooney Bay. Our route continued past a few fishermen, rocky bluffs, gravely and shingled shoreline beaches, and railway fixtures toward Battle Bluff. We passed the tunnel under the … Continue reading…
In the right conditions paddling on the Thompson Rivers is great in March. On this mid-March day, there was no wind and blue skies. I paddled west from Pioneer Park, going under the Red Bridge, then the Black (CN) Bridge before passing through the Confluence. The river is quite low at this time of year and there are gravel bars … Continue reading…
One of the lakes we return to paddle each year is Badger Lake. Access to the lake is either past Knouff Lake (7 km) on a bumpy back road, or up the Orchard Lake Road (13 km) from Highway 5 North. The road goes up the east side of Badger Lake to a B.C. Rec Site. There is now a … Continue reading…
We try to add new lakes and rivers to our paddling experiences every year, but those make for long days of travel, so we often return to some of the same lakes each year. McGillivray Lake is a spot that we paddle every year. It takes about an hour to get there with 6 km on a gravel road from … Continue reading…
Painted Bluffs Provincial Park lies on the north side of Kamloops Lake east of Copper Creek. Access by land is difficult, but it can be done from the Copper Creek Road just below the Sabiston Creek Road junction (link). We have been in to Painted Bluffs five times in the last 2 years, with the last time by kayak from … Continue reading…
On a late summer sunny day, I drove all the way up the Deadman Valley and paddled Vidette Lake. It is a 56 km drive up the gravel road from the Trans Canada Highway. Because it is a scenic route with many places to explore, I return most years, choosing different lakes and different hikes each time. We have previously … Continue reading…
Tsintsunko Lake Provincial Park is a 333 hectare park on the Bonaparte Plateau at an elevation of 1603 m (5260 feet). The B.C. Parks lands are along the eastern side of the lake and adjacent interconnected wetlands. The area to the west has been extensively logged. Access is on a combination of Forest Service Roads (Jamieson Creek Road > Deadman … Continue reading…
We paddle Scuitto and Campbell Lake each and every year, but we try to schedule Campbell Lake for late August or September to paddle with the pelicans and sandhill cranes. Campbell Lake is at the end of the Scuitto Forest Service Road, a 14 km bumpy backroad. There is a BC Recreation Site on the south shore of … Continue reading…
Palmer Meadows Lake lies in the hills east of Stump Lake, not far from Dardanelles Lake. It is a dammed lake with the reservoir benefiting waterfowl and ranchers that need summer irrigation. The dam has created a larger lake, flooding copses, meadows, marshes, and low areas. Access is by backroads (Old Kamloops Road > Fraser Road > … Continue reading…
Bleeker Lake is a long narrow lake located just north of Roche Lake. To get to the lakeshore, drive up the Roche Lake Road and then turn left onto the Bleeker Lake FSR (3 km before Roche). Follow the bumpy 2WD road to the west end of the lake. There is access to the lake off a side road, close … Continue reading…
In late summer or early fall we often drive through Barnhartvale to the Robbins – Campbell Range Road, then onto the Scuitto Lake Forest Service Road to launch a kayak in each lake. In August and September we expect to encounter birds on the lake – pelicans, sandhill cranes, herons, eagles, loons, kingfishers, ducks, yellowlegs, killdeer, and more. In this … Continue reading…
