Tag Archives: Thompson River

Mission Flats Winter Beach Hike

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When we have milder temperatures near the start of winter, then again in late winter, the snow in the valley bottom melts.    The sandy-silty shoreline is quite porous so the meltwater does not result in mud.    There are a number of winter beach hikes along the shores of the Thompson River, the South Thompson River, and the North Thompson River to enjoy.     One of the the hikes is along the beaches of Mission Flats on the south side of the Thompson River.    The beaches are widest near the mill, but we usually start our hike closer to the Waste Disposal area, at the west end of the beaches.    We hiked there twice doing different routes.    The route most often hiked is along the sandbars next to the river, then around the two seasonal islands and back with a partial loop route.

Along the way are long views down the river to Kamloops Lake, long views up the river toward Mt. Paul, and across the river to the airport and the hills rising above.    On the south side is the mill and the rocky hills rising above.

At the rivershore were gulls, crows, and ducks.    Bald eagles perched on tree limbs.    Magpies called out.    Some sockeye salmon bones were scattered in the river and along the shoreline.   A few dog-walkers also use the area.    Its fun to see the dogs playing along the beaches.

Shared here are some more photos taken from this hike, compiled into a Google Photos album (with some captions) – Mission Flats Winter Beach Hike.

Also shared is a slideshow of the same album, embedded in the post:

 

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 →

Rabbit Island Ramble

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On the first day of March I hiked from McArthur Island over to Rabbit Island.    In late winter the ice clears off and a narrow channel separates the beaches of the two islands.    Since I have done this route many times, I knew what to expect.    The route is to hike over from the corner of McArthur Island onto wet beaches.    I had already put on a dry suit and neoprene boots and I had my hiking boots in a dry bag.   The narrowest part of a river channel is about 12 m across.   I waded through the cold moving water.   The deepest water came up to my knees, but since the water is quite cold. … Continue reading →

Hiking the West Beaches

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On a mild end-of-February day we started a hike at the end of Aviation Way to go out to the West Beaches.    The route starts on the Rivers Trail, but we stayed on the narrower trail which follows the river downstream and out toward the Thompson River Estuary, looping back along the river for a 8 km, 2+ hour hike, much of it on the sand. A single track trail winds through the cottonwoods above the floodlands, bearing west. A single track drops down into a dry slough, following a single track past an old vehicle graveyard, sometimes called Dale’s Antique Beach. We emerged to the beach shoreline, then wound through the red-osier dogwood to the beach.   We went … Continue reading →

Hiking the Estuary

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By the end of February a route that I try to hike is from the entrance area to Tranquille down to the shoreline where streams flow into the river, then along the rivershore toward Cooney Bay.    The whole area floods in late spring, but it is a wide estuary in the other seasons.   Conditions are wet after snowmelt, but we can pick our way downstream to get to a gravel beach. There are several streams which flow from the hills down to the river.    A faint trail heads southwest toward the wider estuary. We can follow the shoreline of the river, which braids out into several channels between silt islands, some still with ice. The beaches become wider … Continue reading →