Bonnie Lake and Cucumber Lake

In late August, we took a trip northeast of the city. Along the way, we paddled Bonnie Lake (near Vilna) and scouted Cucumber Lake (near Andrew).

Cucumber Lake

Cucumber Lake is a long lake running about 4.5km SW to NE. The width varies but averages about 300m. Access is off Highway 857, north of Willingdon.

I thought our best bet at access was on the western edge, where Township Road 570A cuts north across a small causeway to run along the north side of the lake. You might also be able to get in on the north side of the lake or the far east end (we didn't drive that far). Access on the south side looks like it would require cutting across someone's land.

Cucumber is basically a large sloe with a bullrush shoreline. The best spot I could find was on the causeway by the culvert (above). This would be a tricky entry because of the slope and an even trickier exit.

The lake was pretty green by late August so we decided to keep driving a look for a nicer paddle.

Bonnie Lake

Bonnie Lake is located NE of Vilna and the easiest access point is the Bonnie Lake Campground on the southwest end of the lake run by the town of Vilna. The lake runs about 6km east-west and is about 500m wide in most places.

The campground has a cement boat launch with a steel dock, pit toilets, picnic tables, a playground, and fire pits. The facilities are a mixed bag. The picnic tables and playground looked new. The picnic shelter and washrooms could stand an upgrade. The place was largely empty when we stopped in just ahead of the long weekend.

You can drop your boat right beside the water and go park maybe 50m away. The water was yellowy-brown when we got in (not unusual). As we paddled out, we could smell the onset of a blue-green algae bloom and see some clumps starting to form.

The picture below is a pretty representative shot of the lake. The shoreline is a mix of reed beds and rocky shore. Behind that is mixed forest.

We went left (west) off the launch and found about 40 pelicans hanging out with cormorants on this small island. They were unhappy to see us and took off, circling while they gained height.

At the end of the lake, we turned and paddled east to the island that is about halfway down the lake. While technically this is an island, the water on the northern edge was too shallow to paddle through so we skirted down the western edge.

At this point, it was about 32C and the smell of the algae bloom was getting to us so we turned back. No idea what the eastern end of the lake is like.

An alternative launch point may be the Bonnie Lake Resorts public beach, just east of the campground. We did not drive over to check this one out, I just snapped a picture from the water.

Overall, this was a so-so paddle. Absent the algae bloom, this might well be a nice lake, especially earlier in the year.

Hubbles Lake

In mid-August, we took a quick week-day trip out to Hubbles Lake for a paddle. We went in through the crown land on the north shore (directions here). This involves (according to Strava) about a 400m carry with a descent of 15m (there are actually two drops and one climb on the way in). Spirits were high in the picture below, despite finding bear scat in the parking area.

This is the long drop to the lake. The trail turns to the left as it enters the trees and keeps descending. The trail and the footing was better than when I was here last fall.

The entry is so-so. The dock is dilapidated but sturdy. We decided to go in to the left of it and bum scoot through the mud. There was some lake goo here (just late season slime, not blue-green algae).

There was a lot of bum scooting and the mud smelled bad but eventually we got out into the lovely clean lake.

A reverse shot of the entry.

We went left (east) off the launch and paddled towards the Allen Beach Resort. There was no one on the water at 10 am on a Tuesday and no one on the shore either. The water was like glass.

A bit of high cloud looking towards the resort. There is a fellow in a golf cart on the beach!.

The sun kind of came out as we went east. The lake is maybe 1.2km long and about 200m wide and you could do two laps in an hour or so.

The west end of the lake had a fair number of birds and we stopped to float and share a chocolate croissant, like I imagine the voyageurs would have done 150 years ago.

We finally saw some other paddlers.

I had a chance to rescue a bee!

Getting out was basically the reverse of getting in, with some bum scooting and light cursing. The picture below is the first half of the hill before it turns to the right and keeps climbing. It is fairly steep and would be better with a cart than carrying.

The hill finally conquered with only a small amount of gasping. Not sure this if this was easier to harder than doing it with one boat on my head last fall.

And back to the parking spot and loaded. All told, maybe a ten-minute carry from the water to the car? Room for two or maybe three vehicles here.

Overall, a fun paddle on an empty lake with clean water close to town. I see why this lake is so popular.

Camp Lake and Thomas Lake

Camp Lake has long been on my list of places to visit and I managed a trip in mid-August. Access is through Camp Lake Park on the east side of the lake, a campground run by Beaver County. There is no fee but you do need to check in and sign a waiver at the camp office.

There is a large parking lot, with a port-a-potty and a picnic shelter. There is also a sandy beach, a cement boat launch, floating dock, and gravel shoreline for you to choose among. The water was clean but had a very mountain dew colour to it. Lots of people were swimming there when I put in.

The lake is about 3km north-south and 500m across east-west. The shoreline winds a lot and I'd say the perimeter is about 8km. A full trip took me two hours. 

The north end is much less interesting than the south end. The picture below is illustrative of the north end: rocky shoreline with occasional reeds, steep bank and lots of shrubs (chokecherry, wild rose, dogwood, saskatoons). There was honestly just not that much to see.

Heading south, things get a bit more interesting with beaver lodges and a few birds. 

The southern half of the lake had many more trees (mostly aspen) and a grassy shoreline, often with a sandy edge. There were a lot more weeds that attracted muskrats, beaver, and waterfowl.

I interrupted this coyote stalking some ducks in the very southern end.

I also followed this bald eagle around the southern end. There were a few power boats on the lake, towing tubes but none in the southern end (it was fairly shallow).

There were lots of birds trying to lead me away from their young.

Overall, this was an okay paddle. It was very windy at times. The lake is too shallow to get big rollers but it was choppy and quite wet. Friends have camped here and said it was a nice campground.

Thomas Lake

Just west of Camp Lake is Thomas Lake. I didn't have the gas to paddle a second lake but I did scout an entry point for the next time I'm down this way. You can get in pretty easily off of Highway 619 (orange arrow). There is a small pull out here where you can park and it is a short haul to the water along the highway right of way. 

The photo below looks west from the pull out, towards the orange arrow.

The lake edge is fairly sandy and shallow. The water looked pretty clean here.

The other option may be off of Township Road 480 (green arrow). I did not get up here but it looks like the road ends in an informal boat launch.

Kelley's Bathtub, Jarvis Lake, William Switzer Provincial Park

In early August, we stopped at Kelley's Bathtub, a day-use area on Jarvis Lake in William Switzer Provincial Park. Jarvis Lake is shaped like a J, with the main access on the south end (i.e., the bottom of the J). Kelley's Bathtub offers both a sheltered paddling spot and easy access to the north end of the lake (the top of the J). Our plan was to paddle across the small, enclosed bay and then lift the boats over into the main lake.

Unfortunately, it was raining like hell when we arrived so we settled for a walk around the bathtub on the trail. The main parking lot offers pit toilets and picnic tables. The visitor centre is also in the parking lot. It is about a 30-meter carry from the parking lot to the water but there is a significant slope.

The shot above looks back at the access point and gives you a sense of the drop and the narrow beach area.  The water was clean and this would be a good place to paddle board.

To access Jarvis Lake, you need to paddle across the bathtub, get out of your boat by the bridge (in the picture above), lift over the walk, and get back in. You cannot get under the bridge. The north end of Jarvis was lovely and is sheltered from both west and north winds (sometimes an issue).

You probably want to lift over the board walk on the south end (on the left as you paddle towards it), just in front of where my wife is standing. The bottom there on both sides is pretty good. The bottom on the far side of the bridge had submerged logs and looked way harder.

I'd definitely go back and give this a go the next time where through here.

Victor Lake and Grande Cache Lake

In early August, we took a quick trip that included a night in Grande Cache. We ran into some bad weather which turned a hoped-for paddle on Victor Lake into a quick scouting report.

Victor Lake

Victor Lake is located about 2km southeast of Grande Cache on Highway 40. The lake serves as the town's reservoir and there are no gasoline-powered engines allowed on the lake. There are a couple of access points.

There is a day-use area (blue arrow) that I took a snap of below. This has a fire pit, some parking, and a fairly easy grass and gravel entry once you lift down a few feet to the lake. The water was clear and clean and there were lots of fish jumping. 

Maybe 10 meters further west (green arrow) was a boat launch (looked like gravel). Further down the road, you could get access to what appeared to be an old air strip and has other access points (orange arrow). 

Allen Creek flows into Victor Lake by the day-use area and is apparently navigable except there is one point you have to portage around (according to the fellow we spoke with). The west end of the lake looks super interesting. This lake is definitely on my list of places to go back to.

Grande Cache Lake

Just a few kilometres further east on Highway 40 is Grande Cache Lake. It had about twice the foot print of Victor Lake and is prone to getting rough if the wind comes up. The easiest access point is the municipal park just off Highway 40 about half way down the lake.

The park has pit toilets, picnic tables, a playground, a boat launch, floating dock, and a gravel-dirt beach with clean water. The dock was crowded with people fishing the morning we were there.

Access to Allen Creek is about 1km west from the beach. This would probably be my second choice for paddling because of how open it is to the wind.