Autumn Colors ~ Quiet Lakes ~ Interior BC

An autumn day drive to find some colors and the weatherman could not have given us a nicer day!  We decided to expand our horizons and take in some higher altitudes that would be more likely to include color and we headed north.

North Thompson River

We followed the Yellowhead Highway north which brings back some old memories for me as I spent several years growing up in Rayleigh and rode the school bus with many who lived up as far as Vinsulla and McLure.  The North Thompson River looked peaceful and had some misty clouds over it and up the valley.

Cloud covers the valley

We passed through Barrier and Little Fort under darkening heavy clouds but once we turned on Hwy 24 and got up to higher altitudes on that 11 km hill we were now above the clouds and could see them lingering over the lower valley.

Lac DesRoches

We stopped at the viewpoint overlooking Lac Des Roches and what a view it was.  This boat was the only one on the quiet lake and it drew a line across the reflections of the colors across the lake.

Quiet country road

We’ve now entered Cariboo country.  One never knows what is around the corner of the road but with sunshine, colors and that blue sky up there, every corner is worth the time to find out.  We took this drive on a Tuesday and I’m not sure if the timing was just great for a drive or not but we did not have to deal with any traffic congestion.  

Bridge Lake

We left Hwy 24 and followed Bridge Lake N. Rd to see the lake from the other side, one we’d only previously seen from boating on the lake.  There are some amazing views of this large lake and this was one of them.  Imagine having this to look at every day!  

Canada Geese

This was a small lake we saw right before leaving this road and there were several flocks of geese swimming the lake.  They all seemed to be heading towards a meeting in the middle of the lake.  Just might be time to make a plan for their winter time. 

Watch Lake 

We left Hwy 24 before Lone Butte and turned down Watch Lake Road.  Keith has worked in this area during his road construction days so thankfully knows his way around these country roads, and where to find some great sights. This is Watch Lake and we are at the home of the Watch Lake Lodge.

Green Lake

Watch Lake Road meets with N. Green Lake Road and we stop to enjoy the view of this big lake.  There was not a cloud in the sky; it was hard to choose only a couple of photos to share.  The clear water might be tempting to wander into if there was sand rather than rocks. 

Green Lake 

There are many private homes bordering the Green Lake shores and it also offers several locations that are part of the Green Lake Provincial Parks.  There are several boat launches available and no doubt there would be many boats out there during the summer months enjoying this beautiful lake.

 Kamloops Lake

We leave N. Green Lake Rd, follow N. Bonaparte Road to Hwy 97 at 70 Mile House, which will lead us home.  Now that we’ve left the country roads, we are not seeing much color other than in the far distance.  We pass through Clinton and onto Cache Creek where we are now on the home stretch.  One last stop overlooking Kamloops Lake; we’ve driven just over 400 km in about 6 hours and we’ve had a lovely day enjoying the colors of Fall.