It was raining lightly when I arrived at the west end of Paul Lake. I launched my kayak and paddled up the lake, heading east. When I turned around on the eastern side of Gibraltar Rock, the rain had stopped and it cleared as I paddled back with a light tailwind. A 5 km morning paddle.
Continue reading →In mid-April the ice had cleared from most of the area’s lakes, except for the higher elevation sheltered locations. I drove up to Edith Lake for the first time in 2025, then paddled the lake. there were light winds at the start, but stronger winds came from the north for the second half of the time on the lake. I paddled steadily for the … Continue reading →
With many windy days, paddlers sometimes need to venture in a direction of less wind. As a general rule, it is better to avoid paddling larger lakes in the wind, but the forecasts predicted less wind to the east so the decision was to drive to Chase and launch the kayak at the boat launch below the bridge over the South Thompson River mouth and … Continue reading →
I paddled Shumway Lake on a spring day in windy conditions. The forecast called for stronger winds in Kamloops but lighter winds to the east and to the south. I decided to go south to paddle one of the lakes – Shumway, Trapp, Napier, Stump, or Nicola. I drove past Shumway and the winds drove the waves down the lake so I decided to … Continue reading →
One of the first lakes to be ice-free in the hills is Jacko Lake. It is a popular fishing lake, but it is also a good lake to paddle, but best to avoid peak times. On a cool morning at the end of the first week I drove up the Jacko Lake Road and parked in the boat launch area. I launched my kayak … Continue reading →
After weeks of wind, the temperature and wind gave us a break. I paddled upriver, then back downriver, past where the Red Bridge once stood. A cool morning, but okay for early season paddling. Ducks (mostly mallards), blackbirds, magpies, and gulls on the river or the shoreline, but no one in the green corridor at the bottom of the valley.
Continue reading →On the river for Day 2 of paddling… The boat launch gate was open today, but again no one else on the river. Geese, ducks, and an eagle spotted. A little colder and some wind, but manageable with the right gear. Up past the Yellowhead Bridge and back again… All went well, but on getting out of the boat, the place I stepped … Continue reading →
On the last day of winter, the weather was mild and there was little wind, so I brought my kayak down to the boat launch at Pioneer Park. The gate was closed so I wheeled my boat down to the shoreline. Ice bordered the river still, but I was able to lift the kayak over the ice to shallow water. The water is … Continue reading →
On an August day I drove east toward Chase and just after the Neskonlith IR, I turned south onto the Harper Lake Forest Service Road. The road becomes rougher, then at about 6 km from the highway, there is a small Rec Site, with seven primitive campsites and a small boat launch. The plan was to kayak the lake twice (6 km), once in each … Continue reading →
