Pink Turtle and Ice-Off Pat

Pink Turtle and Ice-Off Pat

Doug Smith  April 20, 2020 at 4:00 pm

A friend (Susanne) had visited the Six Mile Hill area lakes at the end of March and she had posted a photo of Turtle Lake which had turned pink, so I ventured up there to go for a hike, investigate the lakes,  and take a few photos.  Overnight it had snowed and there was a strong cold wind, so I wore good boots, bundled up, and headed out.   the road in was fine and I parked at Turtle Lake (so called because we can spot turtles there in warm weather).

About 2 inches of snow had fallen in the hills, but that just helped to show the contrast with pink Turtle Lake.   Sometime Buse Lake will turn a magenta colour in summer when the oxygen is depleted in the lake after runoff dissipates, and bacteria multiplies, producing a reddish color.   This is a relatively rare occurrence, especially right after ice-off.

I hiked around the lake in slippery conditions to get more perspectives.

After circumnavigating the lake, I hiked through the hills on double tracks.   This area is a favorite.   I have been hiking the hills in the Six Mile area for over 40 years.

The ice was mostly off Pat Lake and anglers were already out (March 31st).   A small amount of ice remained in the bays, but it will be gone in a few days.

I usually paddle the lake early in April since it is one of the first “ice-off” lakes in the hills, but this was a windy day and only a few intrepid fishermen were out, each with a large anchor.

I will be back to paddle Pat Lake and hike through the hills.   A wonderful area for hiking to the west….

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Doug Smith

Doug writes for Kamloops Trails, a not-for-profit (and ad free) website, offering information on trails, waterways, routes, featured spots, viewpoints, and explorations in the outdoors in the Kamloops area (and beyond).

Doug started exploring this area in 1976 and continues to follow tracks and routes wherever they lead, with the aid of map, compass, GPSr and camera. After many dead-ends, but also many discoveries, he chose to share this information.

The Kamloops Trails website has a massive number of interesting posts and would be of interest to anyone in Kamloops who enjoys the outdoors. Visit the Kamloops Trails website at: http://www.kamloopstrails.ca/

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