Canoeing Bowron

More than 15 years ago John and I canoed the Bowron Lakes circuit in northern B.C. with our friends Yolanda and Dianne. When we decided we would be traveling across Canada for the summer, doing the circuit was one of the first things on the list of things to do. John did a phenomenal job planning and organizing the trip. On the trip from Quesnel to Pemberton, after finishing the circuit, we "interviewed" each other about the experience. Enjoy the photos too! The scenery is spectacular!

The view from campsite #24 on Isaac Lake.

How was your Bowron Lakes trip?
S, D, J, P – Awesome!

Day 1 - ready for the first portage from the registration centre.

How long did it take?
Seven days and six nights. We started on Wednesday August 6 with an orientation at noon and we were on the first portage just before 1pm. We beached our two canoes back at Bowron Lake Lodge at 7:30pm on Tuesday August 12.

What was the most exciting moment or event for you on the trip?
D – bouncing on the waves in Laneezi Lake when it was very windy. We called it La-hardy Lake
S- building a log cabin out of logs, carving a paddle, and meeting new people
J – camping on the beach at site #24, seeing the mountains change colour as the sun went down; watching the clouds clear after the rain and seeing fresh snow on the mountains
P – every time the lake was so calm and the sky so clear and being surrounded by mountains. Seeing the eagle snatch the fish off the water. Paddling through the Cariboo River with Simon. We got stuck twice but we navigated the fast water very well together.

Another day and another view of Isaac Lake.

What is your favourite camping food?
S – Dung brownies. They are called that because they looked like a pile of dung but they tasted great.
D – chocolate almond bark
J – blueberry pancakes made with organic dried blueberries (50 cents a bite)
P – butter chicken (without the chicken) and lentils with naan bread

John paddling through the mini-Chute with Simon and Danielle.

Did you see any wildlife?
S – we saw 5 eagles on our last day of canoeing, and out on Babcock Lake one snatched a dead fish off the water less than 50 metres away from us
D – we saw a bear swimming across the Cariboo River near Babcock Creek. It swam very fast.
J – as we entered Bowron Lake we watched an osprey dive-bomb into the lake trying to catch a fish
P – We saw so many types of birds – loons in every lake, ducks and ducklings, kingfishers, a hummingbird, heard a woodpecker, little birds along the bank, osprey, the eagles

Lots of different wildflowers and other "flora and fauna" to discover.

What was the hardest part of the trip?
D – canoeing the whole time
S – setting up in the rain
J – canoeing in the cold and having cold feet
P – the first two portages, and not sleeping when I thought I heard something outside the tent

Portaging on the last day with lighter packs and a lighter canoe.

What was the fun-est part of the trip?
S – the last two portages because they were so short. And meeting new people.
D- playing games with other kids
J – running a bit of white water with Simon and Danielle
P – swimming in a glacial lake after a long day of paddling Isaac Lake and getting a brain freeze

Skipping stones in the setting sun.

What was the weather like?
D – 3 days of rainy weather, and 3 days of sun
J – the first 3 days were glorious and then rain at the end of the 3rd day, 4th day gorgeous in the morning but rain at the end of the day, non-stop on the 5th day, and drizzly to start on the 6th and cleared in the afternoon, sunny with the wind on our back on the seventh day
Trying to get all the details recorded in our journals (bear cache in the background).

Do you think you would do the trip again?
D – Yes
S – Yup
J – I’d love to.
P – It is a rare and amazing place that no one but God could design. I’d love to share it with more people.

Back at the registration centre. We're planning on going again in 5 years. Want to come?!