Category Archives: Paddling

Paddling outings in the Interior of BC on the lakes and rivers in a kayak.

Copper Island

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On a sunny and calm May morning we drove east to Shuswap Lake Provincial Park at Scotch Creek.    We parked at the boat launch area and got our kayaks ready for launching into the lake.    The crossing to Copper Island was about 2 km.    We paddled to the east side of the island where there are a few gravel landing spots.    We secured our boats and put on our hiking shoes.    The Copper Island Trail is a loop route of abut 2 km.    About half of the trail is along the top of bluffs with fine views in each direction.   After the hike, we had lunch on the beach, then we loaded up and paddled back to the boat launch area.

We have done this paddle-and-hike before and we have found that it is best to do this in spring or fall to avoid power boat traffic.    On this day it was quiet, except for the honking of nesting geese on the island rock shelves.   There were wildflowers and flowering shrubs along the trail.   It is a good trail and worth the effort to get to the island.    We plan to do this again next year.

Shared here are some photos taken by the author from that day, embedded as a slideshow of a Google Photos Album (link):

The link goes to the album where there are captions for the images.

Downriver in Winter

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Mild winter weather arrived in February and the rivers became ice-free.     Paddlers can venture onto the water if the temperature is above + 3 and there is no wind.    Since the water is very cold still, we need to wear protective gear.     Neoprene boots and gloves and a dry suit protects the kayaker from cold conditions wading at launch and landing, and sitting in the boat while paddling.   Although a spill is unlikely, a dry suit and a PFD are the best safety measures.    The extra gear takes a bit longer to load and launch and reload again, but if the conditions are good, it is all worth the effort. On a pleasant morning with some … Continue reading →

Kayaking Map

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An interactive Google Map showing many of the kayaking spots in the Greater Kamloops area (which I have paddled) is provided here.   Locations and images are included and links to posts/articles with more specific information on the spot are provided if a post is published on KamloopsTrails.com or RambleOn.ca.   As new posts and news are added, the map will also be updated. An embedded map is provided here:     The map can also be seen on Google maps at this link – Kayaking in the Kamloops Area   Some of these locations are suitable for all paddlers and some have more difficult access.    Comments are added,  where needed.   The map will continue to be updated each week.   … Continue reading →

Stake Lake Thrice

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On a warm June morning I drove to Stake Lake to paddle and hike.   I got onto the water early and paddled twice around the lake, once in each direction.    Then I loaded and secured the boat, put on some hiking shoes and followed trails around the lake for a third time.   This has become a favorite outing in the last few years, one I will do again, but the hiking route is varied each time.    On other days I have paddled a nearby lake (Lodgepole Lake, McConnell Lake, or Walloper), then I made the short drive to Stake Lake for the hike. When I arrived at the lake there were two fishing boats on the lake, but … Continue reading →

Griffin Lake with a Folding Kayak

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In early May I drove up the Lac du Bois Road then turned onto the Isobel Lake Road and parked just off the roadside.    I had my folding kayak in a large backpack so I gathered my gear and then hiked to the marshy shoreline of Griffin Lake.   I had paddled the lake once before, hauling my kayak through the woods and into the lake, on rough ground, but this was the first time with a folding kayak. The distance from the truck to the marshy launch area was only about 150m, an easy hike with the boat on my back.    The boat (Oru Inlet) unfolds like an origami puzzle and then it has clips to hold the … Continue reading →

Stump Lake Kayak and Hike

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On a sunny morning in the second week of April, I drove south on Highway 5A past Stump Lake, then took the turn to the signed Peterhope Lake Road, and turned a short ways up onto the 4.5 km gravel road to the Stump Lake Rec Site on the east side of the lake.   There is a campground, a boat launch area, and lots of parking.    Stump Lake is a popular fishing lake and on this morning there were a dozen boats launched from the Rec Site and quite a few from the lake access points on the west side, but it’s a big lake so there is room for everyone. Each time I paddle Stump Lake I try … Continue reading →

Trapp Lake Kayaking

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On a mild morning in the first week of April, I drove south on Highway 5A to Trapp Lake.    there is a track which leads to the lakeshore 1.3 km down the lake.    A tiny sandy strip makes a good launch point for the lake.    Since a paddle of the whole lake is about 10.5 km, I usually paddle half of the lake and paddle the other half later in spring.   On this day, I paddled the southern half of the lake. Trapp is not a fishing lake and it is rare to see any boats on the water.    The highway is on one side and grassland hills rise up for the entire length of the … Continue reading →

Kayaking Kamloops Lake from Savona

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At the end of March, the weather was cool, windy and rainy, but I drove to Savona and parked at the boat launch at the end of Tingley Street (down from the Community Hall, Library, and School).   The launch area was in good shape for unloading, parking, and launching, but the winds were stronger than expected, coming down the lake from the northeast.    I chose to paddle through some sheltered bays and down to the lake outlet, then a short paddle up the north shore of Kamloops Lake, and back. For the first two-thirds of the paddle, I kept my eye on the waves, rolling across the hull as I went to the west end of lake, past Steelhead … Continue reading →

Five Bridges and Two Otters

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On a grey mild morning I launched my kayak from Pioneer Park then paddled down the South Thompson River.    I passed under the “Ghost Bridge”, the burnt and now removed Red Bridge,  and then continued down to two standing bridges and two other former (ghost) bridges.    There are a number of pylons just below the surface near the base of the stanchions on the CN Bridge so it’s best to stay midway between the pillars.   I continued downstream past Riverside Park, then under the Overlanders Bridge. Farther west I passed the stanchions of the Black Bridge, built in 1925, but abandoned and removed in the late 1960’s – early 1970’s. An older bridge yet was the White Bridge, … Continue reading →

Ross Moore Lake

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One of the lakes we look forward to paddling each summer is Ross Moore Lake.    It is a longer drive into the backcountry to get to the shores of the lake.   We can use either the Long Lake Road (from Knutsford) or the McConnell Forest Service Road (from the Lac le Jeune Road) to get to the Ross Moore Lake Road, then it is an additional bumpy 8 km route to the southeast end of Ross Moore Lake.     We can launch from the dam area or we can go to the rough track into the Ross Moore Rec Site where there is a hand launch and a small campground. A paddle around the shoreline of the lake is … Continue reading →