Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit '11 {Day 9: Spectacle Lake to Bowron Lake via Swan Lake and Bowron River}

{and all the way home to Bellingham!}

Peter, Joseph, D, Judah, Caleb, Zachary, Tim, Isaac, Canon, AJ:

2011 Bowron Crew before departing from our final camp site

Splashing in the shallows before departure on Day 9

Like glass...

Wildlife viewing en route on Swan Lake

Peter's gondola style paddling on the Bowron River

The end in sight, Bridget and Joseph at lunch stop

This is the end!

Or is this the end?

Joseph and Judah team up to clean their canoe on the shores of Bowron Lake.

Want to see more of Day 9?


Visit the online album @ Picasa Aug 26, 2011

Glimpse of Day 9:
8:25AM: up and pretty well packed
8:35AM: nearly ready to depart on our final day of paddling
9:34AM: transition from Spectacle Lake to Swan Lake: sand bar, almost navigable (a little pushing required)
10:10AM: end of Swan Lake, entering the reedy Bowron River; loons calling constantly
10:48AM: Bowron Lake!!
11:29AM: "75 mile beach" for lunch; same spot we ate our final picnic on our 2008 Bowron trip
12:45PM: shore reached, push-up competition begins; canoes being rinsed out; Kimberly & Bridget to the ranger station to formally sign out; Ranger asks, "Are all 12 still alive?"
1:20PM: truck contents tied down; BSA uniforms back on; math project to determine whether Bowron or Philmont is "bigger"
2:19PM: paved road
3:30PM: Starbucks in Quesnel; fresh fruit at Safeway
8PM: back on the highway after burger stop
midnight-ish: HOME sweet HOME
 
Day 8 Quote:

Q: "What will you miss most about Bowron Lakes?"
A: "Getting up and doing something." ~ Joseph
A:  "Swimming everyday; being outside everyday" ~ Zachary
A:  "My gloves" ~ Judah (melted in the final campfire)
A:  "The outhouse.  My beard." ~ Tim

"For some reason, Philmont seemed way more 'out there'" ~ Canon

Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit '11 {Day 8: Rum Lake to Spectacle Lake}

 {Via Swan Lake, Cariboo Falls, Cariboo River, Babcock Creek, Babcock Lake, and Skoi Lake}

Daybreak on Rum Lake

Shades around the campfire at breakfast... fresh blueberries added to the quite ordinary oatmeal

Zac, AJ, Caleb, Judah, Peter, Canon, Joseph, Isaac & D; a morning dip

Waking up to the sunshine on our private little lake, our crew felt no reason to rush away from Rum Lake.  Joseph ran out of his tent directly to the lake and splashed in for a polar bear dip (well past dawn, but still early!).  Imagine his surprise when he discovered that the campfire was not yet lit.  A little shivering later, the campfire blazed and everyone prepared to take the plunge. 

Cariboo Falls

A wee little paddle from Rum Lake across Swan Lake landed us at the trail head to Cariboo Falls, a beautiful sight at the end of an easy hike.  Hiking is a rarity in Bowron Lake Provincial Park, and after so little real walking this past week, the "hike" was a welcome change of pace.  Unfortunately, the pace of the crew didn't match up very well, and the opportunity for a crew group photo at the falls fell through.  At least none of us fell through!  The falls were thundering tremendously, and graced by rainbows, truly a spectacular viewpoint.

Cariboo Falls

Grazing moose on Babcock Lake

Another spectacular view presented itself along the shores of Babcock Lake; a grazing moose.  We paddled slowly and paused for a lengthy wildlife viewing (& photographing) session.  Probably more of a napping session for a few of the Scouts who didn't need quite so long to take in the sight.

Reflections on Spectacle Lake

Landing at Spectacle Lake; our final campsite

Thanks to careful map reading by AJ & Kimberly, we found our final campsite without too much extra paddling.  The warm sandy beach welcomed us, and our recessed campsite was across a wooden bridge over a marsh.  With amazing weather and plenty of provisions, we didn't feel much like weary travelers on our final night's camp out.  Our work ethic surely lacked, but our relaxation and enjoyment ethics soared!

Dozing in the sand on the Spectacle Lake shore

Want to see more of Day 8?

• Visit the online album @ Picasa Aug 25, 2011

Glimpse of Day 8:

8AM: everyone's awake, excited to see the sunshine

8:40AM: lazy breakfast with fresh blueberries in our ordinary oatmeal

9:52AM: swimming time (with bio wash)

10:40AM: morning snacks distributed; camp sweep & departure for short paddle to hike

11:11AM: arrive at Cariboo Falls trail head

12:37PM: eat lunches in canoes after hike (no crew group shot at the falls this time around)

1:47PM: portage at end of Babcock Creek to Babcock Lake

2PM: Moose viewing on Babcock Lake

2:23PM: launch into Skoi Lake (to escape the mosquitoes); one more portage to go!

2:40PM: end of Skoi Lake; begin FINAL portage!

2:56PM: into Spectacle Lake

4:17PM: find campsite on the sandy shores of Spectacle Lake; site #47; relax on the beach, eat

6PM: still playing on the gorgeous beach; hatching plans for a beach camp out

7:07PM: easy freeze dried dinner served (stew)

8:04PM: still waiting for water for clean-up (ongoing guessing games around the fire, sapping all mental energy in camp!)

8:48PM: darkness falling and still guessing (games)

Day 8 Quote:

"I saw more than the Milky Way; I saw like ten other galaxies no one has ever seen before!"
~ Isaac