On a summer morning I drove to Pinantan Lake, continued on the Pinantan – Pritchard Road, then turned up the Hyas Lake Road.    This backroad climbs steadily up into the hills and there are a number of unsigned side roads to ignore.    The final section is mostly unsigned, a short rough road to the side of Hyas Lake.    It arrives at a small BC Rec Site, with a few camping spots, an outhouse, and a hand launch.    Right next to the Rec Site is the former Hyas Lake Fishing Resort, now privately owned.   There are a few spots to park and launch a kayak into the lake.

I have paddled this lake in summer for decades.    I try to go on a weekday morning.     On this day right after a long weekend there were some campers on site and families in the property next door, but I launched into the bay and paddled around the lakeshore, the only boat on the lake at that time.

Around the perimeter of the lake is 4.2 km.    The north end of the lake is very quiet, surrounded by forests under the slopes of Shaw Hill (I have hiked to the top from the Heffley Lake side, although it would be easier from the Hyas side, via backroads).

There are sections of marl shoals along both shorelines, offering clear water with no aquatic vegetation.    Hyas is stocked with rainbow trout, a quiet haven for fishermen, but is also a lovely spot for a peaceful paddle on a summer day.