We have traveled to the Chilcotin area a number of times, exploring trails, lakes, and various routes. On one of these trips, we drove from the Chilcotin Highway down the Chilko River Road to the north end of Chilko Lake (Tsilhqox Biny). Chilko Lake is 65 km long with the north end in the Chilcotin Plateau and the south end in the Coast Ranges with … 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 →
In the hills above the Thompson River estuary and Kamloops Lake are expansive sagebrush – grassland slopes. There are some scattered ponderosa pines and shrubs in drainages. The north side of the steeper hills have mixed forests of douglas fir, pine, and juniper. Some of these areas are used for seasonal grazing, so any hiking in the areas is best done in the off … Continue reading →
Mild days with not much wind allowed a few more days of paddling. This was a hike on Edith Lake:
Continue reading →At the end of the paddling season, things began to change. The weather became cool, a series of storms came through the Interior, and I caught a cold. From the 78th day of paddling to the 79th day, there was a gap of a week, then the week after, another gap. In 2024, the last day of kayaking was Nov. 4th. Once I have … Continue reading →
We have been to Murtle Lake a few times and we have paddled the whole lake and have done some hikes from the lakeshore. Between the North Arm and the West Arm is Central Mountain. Steep slopes rise above both arms, but the top has open, rolling meadows and fine views. From Leo Island I kayaked to the trailhead, just a sign on a rocky … Continue reading →
On a mid-October day I drove into the upper grasslands to the Lac d Bois Conservancy Area and hiked a loop route around Stony Lake. The old double track was a cart track for homesteaders who grazed livestock on the rolling grasslands from 1890 to the present time. It was called the 1000 acre lease, but changed hands a number of times. There was … Continue reading →
On an October morning, I chose to do three loops of paddling and hiking at Stake Lake. Conditions were cool and cloudy at the start as I paddled around the lakeshore. On the second loop, the skies cleared and the wind was lighter. after paddling twice around the lake, I secured the kayak on the rack, then went out for a loop route on … Continue reading →
On a late spring day, we were camping at Herald Park and we decided to take a forest service road from Sunnybrae up Bastion Mountain. The road was high-clearance for the first part, then 4WD for the rest. We parked and hiked out to the viewpoint overlooking the Salmon Arm Bay on Shuswap Lake. We then hiked over the top of the mountain … Continue reading →
Johnson Lake is a popular spot, known for its crystal-clear water. It is fed by underground springs and there is a high mineral content, clarifying the lake water. Access is on a long and bumpy backroad (Minnova FSR) from the Agate Bay Road. There is a small BC Rec Site on the east end of the lake. There is no parking there for day … Continue reading →
