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PostPosted: January 13th, 2009, 12:17 am 
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Ahhhhh, armchair paddling and adventure planning in the winter....

I've done the Bowron Lake route three times now. Love it, and will surely do it again. I've done it solo, dou, and trio. By kayak and by canoe. In summer. And in Fall.
I'm toying with the idea of doing it from Bowron Lake to Kibee this time - the "wrong" way. For three reasons: to see if I can. To see the route from a different angle - I'm sure it looks different paddling towards those lake ends than looking over your shoulder at them. And because I think the Issac/Indianpoint/Kibee part is by far the prettiest part of the circuit.
So has anyone on the forum done this? Is it possible? How much longer should I allow compared to the standard 7-10 days? Any suggestions as to what time of year I'd be fighting less current upstream?


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PostPosted: January 13th, 2009, 1:27 am 
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Hey Kayakwriter2, Good Idea!

The only time change I could see would be to count on up to one day from Turner Cr. to Lanezi Lk. This would of course depend on what craft and how many paddlers.

You would have just over 5kms on the Cariboo and another 1km on the Issac of mandatory upriver paddling/tracking. Might be worth making/taking a pole.

For current, (I'm guessing) I would think mid July and later would have lower and slower water. We've always gone in Aug. and the water is low.

Three year ago we passed a group on the Cariboo that were doing the circuit backwards. Never heard how they made out.

What are you thinking of paddling? A kayak w/rudder would make it a lot easier. I've been trying to convince my wife to do the loop counterclockwise to Kibbee, then turn around and do it clockwise. I'm still working on that one. :D Something that I wouldn't forget would be a sail for the tailwind days and spraydeck to reduce windage on the headwind days.

Keep us posted...
Hope this helps, Canoeheadted.


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PostPosted: January 13th, 2009, 1:17 pm 
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Canoeheadted wrote:
The only time change I could see would be to count on up to one day from Turner Cr. to Lanezi Lk.

I was thinking the Cariboo from Lanezi to McLeary Lake and then the short but swift run just north of McLeary and south of "The Chute" would be the real crux moves. Think I'd want to be camping the night before at Site 32 to get an early start on plugging up the Cariboo there.

Canoeheadted wrote:
This would of course depend on what craft and how many paddlers.What are you thinking of paddling? A kayak w/rudder would make it a lot easier. SNIP Something that I wouldn't forget would be a sail for the tailwind days and spraydeck to reduce windage on the headwind days.

A single sea kayak, with rudder and spraydeck. A sail is also part of my standard operating equipment - here I am using it at sea

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=AD6M0l6iABw

I also did get some grand sailing in on my solo sea kayak the right way round the Bowron Circuit, but no video of that...

Canoeheadted wrote:
Keep us posted...Hope this helps, Canoeheadted.

Thanks for the info and the encouragement. This is long range planning. Summer 2009 is spoken for (a trip to Europe and paddling in the Princess Royal Island area - tough jobs, I know but someone's gotta do them.) But the additional time to 2010 will give me a chance to get in shape for upstream paddling and refresh/upgrade my river skills (I mostly ocean paddle).


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PostPosted: January 14th, 2009, 9:03 am 
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Some of the best scenery is when you are going down the Cariboo River and you take the time to look back. Even when going clockwise it is always nice to find a few pullouts along the Cariboo to stop and enjoy.

While it would be interesting to do the circuit in reverse, it would sure add a fair bit of work coming around that SE corner.

My solution to doing this circuit "backwards" will be happening in just over 2 weeks. We will be skiing the circuit starting out on Jan 30. Our plan at this time is to do the route counterclockwise. We plan for a minimum of 6 ski days, trying to take advantage of the trapper cabins wherever possible, but along the south leg will likely have at least one night out. We will be geared for anything anyway, just looking for a few comforts on long nights.

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PostPosted: January 14th, 2009, 2:37 pm 
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dunkin' wrote:
My solution to doing this circuit "backwards" will be happening in just over 2 weeks. We will be skiing the circuit starting out on Jan 30. Our plan at this time is to do the route counterclockwise.


That's great dunkin. Since you're going that way anyhooow, any chance I could persuade you to lay down a few miles of rope along the river banks on the faster portions of the Caribou so I can hand-haul myself upstream in my boat come summer? :P


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PostPosted: January 14th, 2009, 2:50 pm 
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kayakwriter2 wrote:
That's great dunkin. Since you're going that way anyhooow, any chance I could persuade you to lay down a few miles of rope along the river banks on the faster portions of the Caribou so I can hand-haul myself upstream in my boat come summer? :P

:lol: Anything can be got for a price. :lol:

Maybe a cable line would be better, and last longer too. :D

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PostPosted: January 15th, 2009, 9:24 pm 
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Jim, you are so lucky!

Please give us a trip report in great detail! :D

Be careful and take lots of pictures.


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PostPosted: January 16th, 2009, 6:51 am 
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Thanks Ted.

I am really looking forward to it. :) I guess the Issac and Cariboo rivers are open year round, which provides a bit of a challenge to get by, especially where there are no portage trails. I have learned that I definitely want to take some snowshoes along too.

As for photos, I will likely take along a dSLR. I just have to figure out what lenses to take without weighing the sled down too much.

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PostPosted: January 16th, 2009, 9:39 pm 
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On the chance you have not read these trip reports, cue up the Bear River Mercantile website and look on the Gumboot Chronicles page w/r/t travelling the circuit in the winter.


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PostPosted: January 16th, 2009, 9:54 pm 
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Soloman wrote:
On the chance you have not read these trip reports, cue up the Bear River Mercantile website and look on the Gumboot Chronicles page w/r/t travelling the circuit in the winter.

I did read those with great interest. It was the report from the guys who completed it that led me to realize I'd best bring some snowshoes along. Actually, that is the only source I have seen with any trip reports of doing this trip. They had quite warm, sloppy conditions and I am hoping for slightly colder temps. The forecast does have it cooling by the end of next week, and hopefully that holds until the following Friday when we set out.

It seems that the SE corner with the Issac and Cariboo rivers will be the hardest going. From what I remember paddling the Cariboo, there is a lot of growth right up to the river banks in many places.

The Granite Gear pulk I bought just arrived today, and I am now getting quite pumped about this trip.


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PostPosted: January 29th, 2009, 9:52 am 
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Hello Kayaker2;
I have done the 'Reverse Bowron' last Thanksgiving weekend.
Ascending the Cariboo River in anything but the late season, will be very difficult unless you carry.
Because the tempetures were coolish (-8) the river banks were frozen solid and we were able to track and wade about 2/3 and paddle the rest.
I think we left Turner Creek at around 7:30 am and got to Issac Lake by 3:30 ish.
We did; Pat's Point, Turner Creek, Issac Lake, Indian Point Lake and Home. Five days.
Good Luck.
John Marien


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PostPosted: February 9th, 2009, 12:58 pm 
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[quote="]I have done the 'Reverse Bowron' last Thanksgiving weekend. Ascending the Cariboo River in anything but the late season, will be very difficult unless you carry. [/quote]

Thanks for the info. John. I'll add it into the mix as I consider whether to try this.

Cheers,

Philip


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PostPosted: April 1st, 2009, 10:23 pm 
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Well, our attempt at a reverse on the circuit aboard skis did not come to fruition. They had 12" of snow per day, for each of the 2 days before we got there, and a whole bunch more during the previous week. It was tough going pulling the pulk. It woulda been tough regarless though. In strong headwinds we only got to the Cabin on the Bowron River by the end of the first day. The next day we only got to Pats Point at about 1:00. The weather did clear off for us, but the near freezing temps made it real hard slogging in the deep wet snow. We then made a decision that we would not do the circuit, but would carry on at least to the Cariboo River, which we did the next day, geting to the Rangers cabin near days end. The door had been broken open so we fixed it, and stayed there a couple nights. We had thought to go to the Cariboo Falls on a day trip, but there was no where to cross the river, this included an open channel most of the way across Sandy Lake. We came back, stayed one night again at Pats Point, then a couple more nights back at the cabin at the Bowron River, taking a long day trip up the Bowron River.

We had near, or above, freezing temps as highs every day, way too warm. But what it and the wind did was to knock the loose snow down. The following week was forecast to be about 10 degrees cooler, and would have been perfect for doing the circuit.

I would also start out much later than early February to give us more daylight. We will be back next year in late Feb or early March, and we will make it around.

Despite not making our goal, we still had a blast. :)

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PostPosted: April 2nd, 2009, 11:54 pm 
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Next time, Bowron... Next time! :evil:

Good try Jim, must have been a hoot! Very envious.


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PostPosted: April 3rd, 2009, 6:19 am 
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:lol: Next time, for sure.

But you are right, we had a blast anyway.

So, next year Bowron, watch out. :)

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