Painted Bluffs Provincial Park lies on the north side of Kamloops Lake east of Copper Creek. Access by land is difficult, but it can be done from the Copper Creek Road just below the Sabiston Creek Road junction (link). We have been in to Painted Bluffs five times in the last 2 years, with the last time by kayak from …Continue reading…
We do like McConnell Lake, but we avoid it because it is being loved to death. Hikers, runners, dog walkers, paddlers, fishermen, and picnickers frequent the lake and the parking lot is often full, the trails are busy and the lake is crowded. Because of its “busyness” we usually go early in the morning before the rush. We launched early …Continue reading…
Freshet brings meltwaters from the north and the east to Kamloops and the South Thompson River and the North Thompson Rivers join to bring floodwaters to the area near the head of Kamloops Lake. On the north side the 2km x 1km flatlands become covered in 2-3.5 meters of water to become Tranquille Bay. On the south side of the …Continue reading…
The only Hawaiian island that has navigable rivers is Kauai. The Hanalei River is the second largest (in flow) on the island, descending from the upper slopes of Mt. Wai’ale’ale to the ocean in 15.7 miles. The lower part of the river flows slowly through dense forests, past taro fields, and then it winds through a flat coastal estuary. …Continue reading…
The first half of the Bowron Lakes Circuit is a challenge with difficult portages, some rough campsites, and long paddles. The return to Bowron Lake, the second half of the Circuit, is a much more enjoyable wilderness experience. The Bowron River empties into Lanezi Lake then there is another shorter downriver paddle to Sandy Lake, an easy paddle with the …Continue reading…
Ross Moore Lake can be hard to get to. We have skied and snowshoed into the lake in winter. We have biked into the lake from Lac le Jeune and run to the lake from a parking area area Fred Lake, but driving in with a kayak requires a circuitous route via the Long Lake Road. Most of the 15 …Continue reading…
Community Lake is acessed by driving up to Knouff Lake, then turning onto the Community Lake FSR. The backroad to the site is a good one, but there were lots of potholes over the last kilometer. The best launch spot is at the Community Lake Recreation Site. The lake sits at 1370 meters (4500 feet) in high country forest, but …Continue reading…
Niskonlith Lake is a good 11km paddle around the shoreline, set in a scenic bowl. Kamloops paddlers can get there by going along Shuswap Road, then up the Bear-Loakin Road to the turn-off to the Provincial Park. The best launch spot is within the Provincial Park at the designated boat launch. Some of the forest on the north/west shore of …Continue reading…
While paddling and hiking on Salt Spring Island, we launched out of Fulford Harbour. We were able to hand launch in low and hide tide from a point along the Isabella Point Road. Drummond Park is also fine for launching, but only at high tide. At the other spot 1.8 km along the road, we were able to drive right …Continue reading…
Stump Lake is a great lake to paddle when it is not too windy. If paddlers just opt to drive there without checking the forecasts, they may be facing difficult conditions since it is a windy area, a favorite for windsurfers. Generally speaking it is calmer in the morning and winds pick up by 11:30 in the morning. It …Continue reading…
Nicola Lake is windy enough for the Interior sailing community to have based their activities on the lakeside for 20+ years. The lake is often too windy for paddling, but we can watch the wind forecast and we can pick days to paddle earlier in the morning before afternoon winds arise. The north end of the lake makes a nice, …Continue reading…
With milder winters, I have been able to get the kayak onto the river in February for the last two years. In 2015 the last paddle outing was in the middle of November (although I paddled in New Zealand after that). There is no one around this early in the season and if there is no wind, paddling is good. …Continue reading…
We have hiked and biked around Stump Lake, but paddling the lake eluded us because of frequent strong winds. I resolved to get onto the lake early in the morning before the winds came up, so I set out to paddle as much of the lake as I could. To paddle the whole lake perimeter is about 19 km, a …Continue reading…
We have enjoyed paddling Pinantan Lake, but we really like paddling up a narrow channel to the hidden upper lake. The entrance to the lagoon channel is at the east end of the lake. It can be paddled in a canoe or kayak, but there is a dam-like blockage partway through that requires getting out of the boat and pulling …Continue reading…