My latest adventure was one of the BC classics outdoor adventures. It is recognized as being a bucket-list topper for most Canadians. People come from all over the country to experience the Canadian wild in this unique experience. Of course, I speak of the world-renowned Bowron Lakes. Outdoor magazine has ranked it as one of the top ten canoe trips in the world. One website describes Bowron as “a quintessentially Canadian canoe trip. Azure lakes surrounded by the majestic glaciated peaks of the Cariboo mountains impart serenity deep into ones soul with every dip of the paddle.”
Bowron Lake Park is located in the Cariboo Mountains, about 120 km east of Quesnel. The circuit contains string of 9 or 10 lakes (1 optional lake) spanning over a 116 km. The suggested time to complete the circuit is 6 to 10 days. The circuit could easily be completed in a shorter time frame but to truly enjoy the trip and soak in the scenic beauty of the Bowron Lakes, spending 6 or more days on the lakes is the way you go. If you are looking for an adrenaline-filled adventure with intense physical exertion, this isn’t the trip for you. The Bowron Lakes is an amazing place where you can fully immerse yourself in nature; where it is just you, your canoe, and the wild (and a few close friends to share the experience).
Click here is a link to the provincial site with more information.
I was fortunate enough to have a friend who had booked this trip the moment the bookings became available on January 2. With both of us in the intense BEd program at UBC, there was only a single, one-week window when UBC’s program has a week break could fit in this trip with our busy schedule. So after January 2, we knew what we were doing for the week of June 26 to July 4th.
This trip was not like my other adventures in the past. Usually, I’m a meticulous planner when it comes to finding adventure. I have a problem with going into a trip without a plan. I cringe at the idea of possibly missing out on a opportunity that I didn’t know about. But leading up to our departure date, we were all preoccupied with school and work to do much research. We were lacking info like what campsites to stay at, what are the best times to paddle, how should we pack, and where is the best places to see wildlife. None of us had more than two days of paddling experience. We going in to this epic trip inexperiences, underprepared but excited and ready for adventure.
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