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 when the provincial government built the highway bypass over the shoulder of the hill, the old road was left to ranchers, fishermen, and recreationalists.   The road goes right through, past Morgan Lake to the Tunwka Lake Road, but it needs a high clearance vehicle.   For this day, I parked at the northwest side of Pat Lake to start the day with a kayak around the lake.

The lake was low (after years of drought), but I could still paddle the shoreline.    I went around the lake twice, once in each direction.

I secured the boat, then I hiked around the lake, following a faint trail with open views through grassland hills.

Unloading and loading the boat and all the gear adds to the time required, but three times around the lake and all took about 2 hours.    This has become an annual event for me, usually in April.     There was a loon on the lake, and lots of ducks and geese.    Sandhill cranes flew overhead on their way to the Chilcotin area.   A hawk ranged over grassy meadows on the hunt.    A few fishermen were on the lake, but on the whole it is a peaceful area for a paddle or a hike.