The Bowron Lakes Circuit is one of the top paddling destinations in the world, a week-long paddling, portaging, and camping wilderness challenge.   Reservations are needed to venture onto the circuit and an orientation is required before starting on the 2.4 km portage to Kibee Lake.   We had our long kayaks loaded onto kayak carts to pull up the hill early in the morning.   Our first mistake was not to bring large portage packs (70 – 100 L) to take the heavier items out of the boats.   With all the weight in the hull storage chambers, the boat was hard to pull up the hills and it was very difficult in muddy and rocky sections.   Some kayaks have a good handle system for an easier pull.   My kayak had a poor design and the handle was pulled right out, leaving a gaping hole in the top of the boat.   I then pulled it from the rear (aft) handle and eventually pulled that one out too.   With a complicated strap design, the kayak could still be pulled, although more slowly and with much grumpiness.   It was demanding to pull a weighted kayak the 2.8 km distance, but we eventually made it to Kibee Lake for an easy 2.2 km paddle across the lake.

The first half of the trip has all the hardest portages.   The Bowron Lakes Circuit is better for canoes than for kayaks.   The gear can be unloaded into portage bags and two people can pull the empty canoe on a larger cart.   Canoes passed us on the portages and we passed the canoes on the water.

The second portage was 2.0 km, but it was steep, rocky, muddy, and rough.   My 18.5 foot kayak took a beating with the ends bowing up and down as it went over rocks, logs, and through mud holes.   On Indianpoint Lake, water poured into the cockpit from a significant crack under the seat, right at the  edge of where the kayak cart was.   We all found the first two portages to be difficult and discouraging, but we camped on Indianpoint Lake that first night before the rains came in.   We enjoyed the campsite (#5).   Our friends Ian and Wilma were much better prepared for this venture and Ian had packed Crazy Glue so the crack on the bottom of the boat was partly repaired, though it would not stand for more heavy portaging.

On Day 2, at the end of Indianpoint Lake, the third portage was much easier, a big relief for a kayaker with a boat with three holes in it.   We paddled down the west arm of Isaac Lake and stayed at a  larger campsite (#15 on Wolverine Creek) with an open shelter, a welcome retreat in the rain.

 

The paddle down Isaac Lake is a long one.   Although we had hoped to get right down the lake, wind, hail, then rain forced us to camp at a primitive site.   The tent pads were raised, but were not filled with proper material so they filled up with water.  That was a wet night.   Isaac Lake is the longest lake and is prone to wind and rain (more grumpiness set in).

The next day we paddled down to the end of Isaac Lake with some rain.   The kayak leaked a bit but another paddler (Bob) gave me some kevlar tape to cover the crack.   After lunch at the shelter at the end of the lake, we started down the portage to McCleary Lake.   Although a lot of it was downhill, it was very rough and quite steep at the bottom.   This ordeal resulted in another crack in the hull of the boat.   The campground at the bottom of the Isaac River cascade was full, so wet and discouraged, we paddled down McCleary Lake, but we were pleased to find the old (1935) cabin unoccupied so all 5 of us crowded into the small, dark single room cabin.   By foraging we found enough materials to start a fire in an old wood stove (thanks to Ian), so we were able to dry out some of our gear.

I used the last of the kevlar tape and crazy glue on the hull of the boat after finding a second crack.   I made the decision to unload the boat for any portage for the rest of the trip.   Any further expansion of the cracks would make the boat impossible to stay afloat.   Another paddler gave me some duct tape later on the same trip.   With all the support offered and some care, we got the damaged boat all the way through the Circuit.

The weather started to improve on the 4th day as we paddled across McLeary Lake and down the Cariboo River.

 

We could finally see some of the rugged Cariboo Ranges rising above the lakes.

 

The Bowron Lakes Circuit can be done in 3 to 4 days if paddlers have a good portage pack system and two people for each boat.  The days would be long and tiring, but if the weather cooperated, it can be done.   The portages are harder for kayakers.   The right boat*, a larger canoe cart, and a good portage pack would make a big difference.

The first half of the Circuit is a demanding one with 3 hard portages and one easier one.   Isaac Lake is a long paddle, but quite enjoyable if done in 2 days.   We had the wrong setup and some poor weather so the first 3.5 days were less enjoyable, although the paddling on the lakes and river was still very nice.

The second half of the Bowron Lake Circuit was much nicer, to be featured in an article to follow (Dec. 19, 2016 titled Return to Bowron Lake).

 

• The right boat would a be a stiffer one – fiberglass or kevlar, but it would still have to be a high capacity boat.   A long plastic boat needs a larger kayak cart with large radius wheels. In the end, Delta Kayaks repaired the boat and they showed me their new designs that avoid these kinds of problems.