Tunkwa Lake Kayaking

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Tunkwa Lake is located in the hills to the northwest of Logan Lake.    We can get there by going through Logan Lake and turning onto the Tunkwa Lake Road (about an hour of driving).    We can also turn off the TransCanada Highway just east of Savona and go south on that same road.    We usually go there by one road and return on the other.   We can launch a canoe or kayak at either the Day Use Area or the Campground boat launch.    Both have good parking and a gravel ramp to the lake.    Our preference is the Tunkwa Day Use Area.

The lake is situated in an open area so it is best to get the wind forecast in advance.    Paddling around the lake takes 1.0 – 1.5 hours, depending on paddling choices, since there are many bays.    There are usually lots of waterfowl and a variety of birds on the lake.    It is a popular fishing lake so veer away from fishing lines, especially at busy times.

Tunkwa

We usually paddle Tunkwa Lake one day and then come back to paddle Leighton Lake on another day. It can also be combined with a loop hike on the Leighton Lake Trail.

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McConnell Lake Trail

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On a grey and drizzly morning I drove up the Lac le Jeune Road to McConnell Lake.    It had rained all night in town and rain clouds still hovered of the area.    As I hiked around the lake, it rained lightly.   It was a quiet morning for this 3.5 km route.    An eagle was perched on a tree on an island.   A pileated … Continue reading →

McQueen Lake to Isobel Lake

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In the first week of summer the hike chosen was a route from McQueen Lake to Isobel Lake. A short distance from the turn into the Overnight Center an older trail bears northeast.    This was once called the Forestry Capital Trail, an interpretative trail through the forest with stations along the way.     Many of the numbered posts are still positioned along the trail, but … Continue reading →

Coal Hill Hike

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From the upper side of Aberdeen, we can hike tracks that wind up the hill toward the top of Coal Hill.    A number of tracks link to the Pineview Trail network.    Some of the tracks are remnants of mining routes and there are old digs and remains of a couple of cabins.   The grasslands above are pasture lands so hikers should avoid any areas … Continue reading →

Wild Horse Canyon Backpack

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In May, all of the higher elevation backpacking routes are still covered in snow, but Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park can be hiked and backpacked early.    In past years we have run through Wildhorse Canyon from East Kelowna to Naramata, and we have also backpacked a two night loop route over the mountain.    In one year a solo backpack started at a trailhead off Lakeshore … Continue reading →

McQueen Lake Hike

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McQueen Lake Environmental Education Center is a School District site with an overnight center for classes, a day center for shorter visits, and a number of trails for students to use. the public is asked to steer clear of the overnight center area, but hikers may use the trails on the south and east side, preferably on days when students are not on site.   For hikers, … Continue reading →

Rattler Viewpoint Hike

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On a warm day in mid-June I returned to hike to Rattler Viewpoint on a combination of trails.    In the previous year I had hiked from Stake Lake, but this year I chose to start at the south end of the trail system, just off the Rossmore Forest Service Road.   I followed ski trails, snowshoe trails, off-piste trails and some off-trail sections, mostly in the … Continue reading →

Lineham Ridge Hike

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We camped at Waterton Lakes National Park and day-hiked several trails, including Crypt Lake, Lineham Ridge, Bertha Lake, and sections of the Great Divide Trail.     We hiked up to Mt. Lineham via Lineham Ridge in good weather.    The trail starts off the Akamina Parkway.    The Rowe Creek Trail is also a leg of the Great Divide Trail (GDT).    It winds up the … Continue reading →

In the Floodlands

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In early June the lands near Tranquille begin to flood during freshet.    We can paddle this area once the water is high enough so we can clear the barbed-wire fences.    Past the fences is a large area of channels with “islands” of deciduous vegetation separating them.    We can paddle out to Cooney Bay, we can cross the river to channels on the other … Continue reading →

Bailey’s Chute and West Lake Trail

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On a sunny day near the start of June, I hiked the Bailey’s Chute and West Lake Trail in Wells Gray Park.   The trailhead is 57 km up the Clearwater Valley Road.    A signed parking lot is on the right side of the main road and a trail crosses the road and then winds up along the Clearwater River as it races through a narrow … Continue reading →