Glimpse of Peace: Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit '11 {Day 4: Isaac Lake}

Sleeping Scouts, about to enjoy a fine oatmeal breakfast and break camp.

Tim and Peter prepare for a rainy 12 mile paddle along Isaac Lake.

Anticipating the rain on Monday (based on a weather report posted at the Bowron Lake ranger station) we found ourselves getting doused a day early as we awoke Sunday morning to drizzle which soon gave way to full showers. Prepared for the weather, we donned our rain gear and cinched up our dry bags as we began our 12 mile paddle up Isaac Lake. It fairly dumped on us for over an hour and a half, then the rain let up a bit and the head winds and white caps picked up. An exhilerating experience, this stage of our journey was also exhausting and occasionally somewhat frightening. Staying close to shore allowed us to navigate in calmer waters, as well as keeping us all within earshot of our buddy boats in case rescue efforts were needed.

Zac anchored in the back, Peter airborne in the front, in the battle against Isaac Lake.

Swapping a few paddle partners helped with recovery from exertion and as a creative cure for boredom. Hours on the lakes and trails, though scenic and demanding, can also become quite monotonous. Having a new canoe partner can lead to new topics of discussion, or new role playing or guessing game possibilities; a new rhythm. For Zachary, having Peter as his new partner (in my place) meant he had a full time paddler rather than a part time paddle/part time photographer. For my new canoe partner, Tim, the opposite was true, but the miserable weather put a damper on my artistic endeavors. The photos I did manage to capture don't accurately convey the cold, wet, windy, grind of a journey up Isaac Lake. But the video makes it all seem a bit more real to the outside observer.

Map deciphering at the lunch stop; just how far are we from our campsite?

Navigation with the Bowron Lake Provincial Park maps provided at depature left quite a bit to the imaginiation, as the topography was fairly vauge and the distances hard to accurately figure. On this rainy Sunday, we desperately wanted to know, "Are we there yet?" At our noon lunch stop on a sand bar we enjoyed bagel sandwiches with smoked turkey and cheese, with a cookie for dessert. After about another hour of paddling, the sandy beach at site 21 welcomed us. Once we landed and set up camp, we immediately began to enjoy our new home on Isaac Lake, despite the on-again, off-again drizzle.