In mid-July, we took off for Bowron Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia with our son, the grand kids, and a friend of our sons. We took two canoes for the trip, an 18 1/2' and a 21 1/2', both strippers. My wife and I were in the small canoe while the big canoe carried four. We have previously done the complete circuit eight times, and plan to do it again, but this time we opted for a shorter, less physically demanding trip. We spent our time on the west side of the circuit, going in about twenty miles, then retracing our path.
Our first night on the lakes was about 12 miles in at Pat's Point camp site. The next day we paddled and portaged in another 8 miles to Unna Lake, where we stayed for two days, before returning to Pat's Point for the last night. Total portage distance for this trip, in plus out, was about 2 miles. Most travelers on the circuit use wheeled carriages to transport boats and some supplies, but our canoes are light weight, so we still opt to carry them.
On this trip the wild life was abundant. There were more deer than we had previously seen, lots of moose (up close and personal on several occasions), otters, loons, mergansers, eagles and osprey. There were also bears in the area of both camp sites, but we missed seeing them.
We had a great time at the lake, but when asked whether Disneyland or Bowron Lake was more fun, both grand kids said Disneyland. Maybe they'll change their minds when they're a little older!
If you are interested in a canoe camping adventure, consider the Bowron Lake circuit. You can opt to do either the full circuit or just the west side. In either case, the scenery is spectacular and in late July and through August, the weather is fairlly predictable. Although you may see some rain, you will almost certainly be blessed with sunny weather as well.
Here's a picture of the kids in the big boat steaming back toward the lodge on our last day.Attachment: Heading Back to the Lodge.jpg (Downloaded 11 times)
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