Paddling the Corners of Prudhomme Lake

When we awoke this morning, the weather in Prince Rupert, B.C. was perfect early fall weather:  nearly cloudless blue skies, temperatures in the mid-to-high 60's, a light breeze.  We decided it was perfect weather for a paddle.

We had spotted Prudhomme Lake east of Prince Rupert as we drove toward the town.  While having easy access from the highway, it is undeveloped and quickly envelopes itself in wilderness as you paddle its channels, islands and sinuous shorelines.

Prudhomme Lake and Taylor Lake, which are joined by a channel in the former Kloyia River, were formed in the 1950's by the construction of the Kloiya River Dam to supply freshwater to a pulp mill.  The pulp mill has been closed since 2001, and the remaining dam structures have fallen into disrepair.  When the dams were built, old growth trees were logged from the land that was to be inundated by the lakes.  The result is an unusual network of channels and islands.  The water is studded with stumps and snags from trees.  Because the lakes were formed only a half century ago, the stumps, many of which are cedar, have not had time to rot away.  This makes for an interesting paddling experience, a sort of water obstacle course.

We found a place to put into Prudhomme Lake from a highway rest area.  Immediately, Kathy discovered what it's like to paddle through a forest of ghostly underwater stumps:

We worked our way west along the southern shoreline and highway, dodging sunken tree structures as we went:

In some cases, the stumps that rise above the water surface have begun to harbor shrubs, grasses and other vegetation, making magical little islands that dot the surface of the lake:

We saw very little wildlife, but we did spot these two ducks, who paddled determinedly away from us, past a family that had come down for a relaxing lakeside picnic:

One stream that feeds the lake crosses under the Yellowhead Highway, causing the far side of the stream to be framed by the bridge's pillars, beckoning us to explore upstream:

Kathy took the lead and threaded her way through the stumps and deadfall, shallows and sandbars, as we worked our way upstream:

The remains of old trees were truly stupendous in size, drawing to look at them from all sides to understand their complex shapes:

Kathy says that this little stump with its grassy topknot is her favorite little island:

Fall colors have started creeping in, and the grasses along the stream have begun turning gold and orange:

The water was so still that it made a nearly perfect reflection of shapes along the shoreline:

The old stumps reminded us of bull elephants resting on the streambank, or humpback whales breaching from the water:

In some of the shallower corners of the lake, lily pads and other vegetation have taken hold (perhaps not as much, yet, as in older lakes):

We found several islands.  One island across from our put-in spot boasted a small cabin whose roof had become a garden of moss, its walls threatening imminent collapse:

We paddled for perhaps 3 hours, following the channel from Prudhomme Lake into Taylor Lake.  Because Taylor Lake is the smaller, we were able to paddle most of the way around Taylor Lake before returning the way we had come.  As we returned closer to our put-in spot, the late afternoon sun began to give a softer look to the lake and its shoreline:

This proved to be one of the more unusual paddles we have had.  The sinuous channels and unusual coves in the lakes made us think of Louisiana bayous.  The waters, dyed red from the tannins leached from the many cedar trees buried in the lake by the dam, became inky black as they deepened.  This only added to the magical spell the lake cast on us.  We were sorry we had to finish the paddle and head home, even though we were looking forward to a home-cooked meal with some RV friends.