Minnie Lake and Garner Lake

In late August, we paddled Minnie Lake (NE of Glendon) and scouted Garner Lake (NE of Vilna).

Garner Lake

Garner Lake is located northeast of Vilna and just east of Bonnie Lake. It is a triangular-shaped lake with the easiest access being through the Garner Lake Provincial Park on the south shore. There may also be a boat launch on the east edge off Range Road 122, but we didn't drive over there.

The lake has experienced a significant drop in water levels over time and the boat launch  gives you  sense of how much (I'd guess at least a meter). The province had banned trailer launches while were there in order to protect the lake bottom. You can still hand launch off of the silty beach or the footing docks. The water was so-so. Parking is back up the hill about 75 meters

The other option is to go of the public beach in the day-use area. This involves a long carry (100m meters) across the old beach and the exposed lake bed. There are pit toilets, a playground, and picnic tables here.

Below is a shot back up from the edge of the lake towards the parking lot. The drop in water level (basically the grassy area)  is really quite something.

The water was again so-so with a fairly mucky-looking launch. 

Floating Stone Lake to the east is probably a better bet if you want to paddle nearby. In the end, we decided to pass and go on to Minnie Lake.

Minnie Lake

Minnie Lake is located just NE of Glendon. It is about 2km north-south and maybe 400m east-west. The best access is from the municipal campground on the south shore.

There is a boat launch with a floating dock, a cement launch, picnic tables and pit toilets. You can drop and park right by the water.

The water was insanely clear and clean and lovely. The cement launch was a tad slippery as we wadded out to get in, with both of us almost biting it!

The southern half of the lake is basically forest behind a bullrush border.

As you get further north in the lake, the trees thin out and it becomes a bit more pastoral.

It was windy as hell the day we were there (at least 30kph based on the flags) but there was hardly any real chop on the water, likely because the lake is small and shallow.

You could also likely launch off the public beach in the campground.

Overall, this was a lovely paddle, even in 34C heat. It was a bit short (less than an hour) but would be a great option for SUP.

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.