Thunder Lake

In early August, we went back out to Thunder Lake. We'd paddled the SE third mid-day in June but the lake was too rough that day to venture up the lake. This time, we went after dinner and the water was calmer.

We put in again at the day-use area of the provincial park, which was basically deserted. I picked up my first leech in maybe 10 years (last time was in the green canoe out at Astotin Lake) and it had lots of friends in the water when I started looking!

We went NW along the north shore for awhile and basically it is reeds giving way to an aspen forest. Very pretty but nothing really notable. There was a blue-green algae warning on the lake but we didn't see any algae.

There were a lot of boats on the lake but the wakes weren't anything to be bothered by. It was smoking hot at 28C with no wind.

We paddled around the islands in the middle of the lake, watching the birds. Terns, cormorants, loons, ducks and some black-birds.

The cormorant drying its wings was the most interesting part of the islands.

We got about halfway down the lake and then some wind came up so we toured the south shore back towards Lightening Bay. Lots of young birds in the sheltered areas plus a few folks water-skiing.

Eventually, we cut back across past the deserted public beach and pulled out. A few more folks had arrived for a late evening paddle board as we were leaving.

Overall, a nice evening paddle. I'm more of a morning person and I'd forgotten how nice a warm, calm paddle with the sun dropping towards the horizon can be.