INSPIRATION
The first time I heard of the Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit was in July of 1989 when I was canoeing/camping in the area with my family. The idea of doing the circuit really excited me, but, with a 5 year old on board, we weren’t prepared for that kind of trip at the time. So I added it to my dream list and didn’t think about it much in the years that followed.
30 years later I am with Charlie and we are planning a vacation to Canada, Vancouver Island maybe, some camping, some kayaking. Then looking at the map I remembered the canoe circuit and was able to find it and point it out to Charlie and spin a few distant memories.
That, and a few YouTube videos was all he needed. He ordered up a lightweight and pretty Northwinds canoe and we made our reservation in April for a launch date of September 3. In the months in between, we dedicated a spare bed to the collection of maps, food and gear in preparation for a paddle into the wilds of British Columbia.
NEW CANOE
Our canoe was built and shipped to Bend where we picked it up the end of July. We took it for a maiden voyage on Hosmer Lake, one of the Cascade lakes at the base of Mt. Bachelor. It was love at first paddle.
Our destination was the Bowron Lake Provincial Park, a wilderness on the western slopes of the Cariboo Mountain Range in British Columbia. The Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit is 116 kilometers (72 miles) long, encompassing 10 lakes, the Cariboo River, and connecting portages. We expected it would take us 6-10 days to complete the circuit.
It took 3 days to get to Bowron Lake in BC from Ashland.
We spent the night before our departure in a cabin at Becker’s Lodge on the shore of Bowron Lake.
The next morning we did the orientation and weigh-in at the circuit trailhead and prepared for our first portage.
The Lakes
DAY 1: The beginning of the Bowron canoe circuit is a long portage over pretty smooth ground through dense mossy woods. Then a short glide across pretty Kibbee Lake, another mostly smooth and woodsy portage, with an ending opening out onto Indian Point Lake. The shores of Indian Point Lake are lined with tall evergreens and mighty mountains rise up behind, made grander by their reflections in the glassy water, embraced in a day of abundant sunshine. We camped our first night on Indian Point Lake.
DAY 2: There were a few sprinkles during the night, otherwise our second day was calm and cloudy. We cruised the rest of Indian Point Lake which ended in a marshy trail and the challenge of the day; a wet, steep, muddy, under construction portage that turned into a knee deep muddy water slog. The reward was Isaac Lake, the widest and longest of the lakes on the circuit. As we paddled along the shoreline, the rocky topped mountains seemed to grow and gather under the stormy clouds. We stopped at the shelter at Wolverine Mountain to collect some wood before finding a campsite for the night.
DAY 3: I couldn’t have conjured a better day than our third day on the circuit. A misty morning breaking through to a sun-filled day. Calm water with reflections so deep they seemed to reach across the water and join one another creating a vision of the channel narrowing down and disappearing over the edge. But Isaac Lake is not narrow. She is wide and straight, hemmed in by tall craggy cliffs. I felt as if I was paddling in a dream of beautiful vistas opening up into beautiful vistas. Waterfalls tumbled down avalanche trails and sometimes only the sound of our oars breaking the lake surface. As still as wilderness gets.
DAY 4: The fourth day was our longest one, if not the furthest traveled. We began another mostly sunny day, which quickly warmed up. We finished Isaac Lake, and pulled up at The Chute, where Isaac Lake becomes the lsaac River and begins with the really only big navigable rapid on the entire circuit. Portage is optional. We scouted it and, following a family of 3 generations, rode her just fine.
We went through some fast water after that and then a mandatory portage around a fast moving section of the river. The next portage landed us at the bottom of the roaring Isaac Falls, which are, in the words of a 5 year old on the beach at the foot of the falls, big and white!
After Isaac Falls the river continues into McCleary Lake, which like it’s name implies, is very clear. But before long, the Cariboo River pours into her flank, making the water milky and carrying us on a few miles before spilling us out into Lanezi Lake. We have turned another corner, we are on the third tangent of our parallelogram route.
We paddled away our afternoon in a a warm, sunny glow. We are seeing the backs of the mountains from the other side. Once again, the stillness was so complete, the reflections exact mirrors of the peaks surrounding us. Middle Earth. Our campsite that night was carved into the hillside beside Lenezi Lake, with a magnificent view of steep peaks and snow fields.
DAY 5: We woke up to fair skies. We finished Lenezi Lake and were back on the Cariboo River for a short run to Sandy Lake. The end of Sandy Lake narrows down to a reedy channel. The next lake is Unna Lake which is actually a side trip from the main channel. The Cariboo River continues on past the turn off to Unna Lake but boats are stopped here because the river soon drops 75 feet at Cariboo Falls, a roaring, mist bellowing wall of water. We got to the base of the falls via a trail from Unna Lake. The trail passes through forest that has been disturbed, opening up to sunlight and the perfect habitat for dense fields of blueberries, in full fruit, which we grazed on and collected along the way. Near the falls we ran into a couple of fellow Oregonians. We had heard about them from others. You become a kind of community with the other paddlers on the circuit with you. Camping together, passing each other, portaging with, sharing stories.
Leaving Unna Lake, we pressed on through Babcock Creek and an easy portage to Babcock Lake, then a short portage and a short glide across Skoi Lake, the smallest lake on the circuit, and another even shorter portage to our final campsite on the first of many Spectacle Lakes.
DAY 6: On our last morning, after a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, we pushed off from the first of three Spectacle Lakes. Threatening clouds followed us through the lakes, but it was pretty smooth sailing and we continued on into Swan Lake. At the end of Swan Lake we entered the Bowron River, a marshy canal that winds its way to the grand lake finale, the Bowron. It was early in the afternoon when we made our final lake run across the Bowron to the take out dock. We returned our wheels to the registration center and our gear to the truck, and spent the night in the same cabin we had our first night on Bowron Lake, 5 days earlier.
We had prepared for 10 days and expected this trip to take at least a week, but with perfect weather and easy paddling, we did the circuit in 6 days. I was truly sad and not ready for it to end. The Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit will always be near the top of my best and richest adventures ever!
The Camps
There was never a problem finding a good spot to camp. Every one we landed on had a great view and the basics; tent spot, fire pit, outhouse, and food locker. We were able to gather firewood along the way at designated wood lots. Every evening, after setting up our gear, Charlie would dig into the blue barrel and produce a hearty meal. Twice we shared our camp and fire with Canadian folks. At the end of the day, arms weary, bodies tired, but spirits high, with the ruby glow of the setting sun falling behind dark mountains and reflecting on the lake, we would climb into our tent for the night. I love sleeping in wild places, and I slept long and dreamed well those nights on the lakes.
The Portages
Navigating a portage with a canoe on wheels was a new experience for us. Anything over 60 lbs. in your boat had to be carried on your back or otherwise shuttled while traveling the portages. The first two portages, from starting point to Kibbe Lake, and from Kibbe Lake to Indian Point Lake, were long but did not have much incline and had relatively solid footing. Coming out of the dense, mossy woods at the end of the second portage, the scene opens up with a dramatic view of Indian Point Lake, a portend of what lies ahead.
Our third portage was on the second day between Indian Point Lake and Isaac Lake. The wet, steep, muddy portage was made even more challenging by the maintenance work being done on it while we were trying to navigate it. One of the workers helped pull us a long for a bit, and warned of traffic up ahead. What he meant was there were a few boats ahead of us navigating what turned out to be a slop through mud and water up to our knees. The folks ahead gave us good advice and we portaged our gear before dragging our canoe through the bog to Isaac Lake.
We spent two nights on Isaac Lake and skipped the next (optional) portage around the Chute on the Isaac River by successfully running the rapid, but soon had to exit and portage around a roaring section of the river. This one, and the next one around Isaac Falls were a bit grueling, pushing and pulling our canoe over and through forest, mud, and rocks, finally ending up o the beach at the base of the falls.
All of the other portages we traversed on our fifth day, short easy little hops from Babcock Creek to Babcock Lake, to Skoi Lake, and the last one (which I did in my bare feet) to Spectacle Lake.
The Wildlife
We saw a lot of birds on this trip; eagles, ospreys, mergansers, ducks, and loons. We did not see any bears, just heard bear stories. Campgrounds being closed because of pesky bears, a couple guys getting chased from their site on Unna Lake by a bear. I would have liked to have seen a moose. We heard the call of Two Feathers on our last morning, but missed the mother moose and calf in the reeds across the lake. It was enough knowing they were there, and for a little while, sharing their wild and rich habitat.
