In the last month I have been out kayaking the lakes, varying the location each time, but if conditions are marginal, I return to a few sheltered spots (Edith, Stake, McConnell mostly). If the forecast has been for stronger winds, that has been a hiking day instead. The goal is to paddle on almost all of the area lakes each year, but the higher … Continue reading →
At the start of May I drove up to Stake Lake to paddle the lake and hike the trails. There are a number of lakes where this can be done, like McConnell Lake, Lac le Jeune, Paul Lake, Lodgepole Lake, Logan Lake, Heffley Lake, Tunkwa Lake, and others. Usually I paddle first since winds arise by about 11:00. I paddle around the lake once or … Continue reading →
On a sunny and mild April day the main gate to Paul Lake Provincial Park was closed, but the lake can be accessed from the west end of the lake. A hand launch site is located next to the trailhead into the park. I paddled up the lake along the north shoreline past Gibraltar Rock, then back on the same shore for a 5 … Continue reading →
On a mild day with calm conditions, I drove down Highway 5A South to Trapp Lake for a second day of paddling, this time around the north end of the lake. Trapp Lake is a good spot for early spring paddling since the lake is ice-free early and there is some protection from seasonal winds. This lake is a muddy, alkaline lake though so it … Continue reading →
On a sunny day at the end of the first week of April, Pat Lake in the Six Mile Hills area was the destination for kayaking and hiking. A bumpy road leaves the TransCanada Highway just west of Tobiano. It climbs into the hills to the south side of Six Mile Hill. This old road was once the main road between Savona and Kamloops, but … Continue reading →
On a calm and sunny early April morning, I drove down Highway 5A South past Shumway Lake and the Roche Lake turn-off. About halfway down Trapp Lake is a short side road to a parking area on the shores of the lake. I did a hand launch into the muddy lake and paddled south down the west shoreline and back on the east shoreline, a … Continue reading →
At the end of March some of the lower elevation lakes became ice-free. Some of the larger valley-bottom lakes had been clear for a few weeks, but large lakes and strong winds are not a good combination in cool temperatures, so I paddled on the river instead. On a cool (2º ) morning there was a steady breeze our of the east, but I … Continue reading →
The weather at end of January and early February was mild enough to allow dedicated paddlers to get out for some kayaking on our area rivers. It is still too cool to venture out on a windy day, but if the temperatures are above 4º C and the winds are light, we can launch a kayak at the Pioneer Park boat launch and go up … Continue reading →
Mild November weather has allowed dedicated paddlers an opportunity to extend the 2025 kayaking season on the water. As long as the temperature is 2ºC or higher and the wind is 10 km/h or less, the day will be okay for paddling. Since it is colder up in the high plateau hills, lower level lakes and the rivers are a better choice. I find that … Continue reading →
Mild days with not much wind allowed a few more days of paddling. This was a hike on Edith Lake:
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