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Bowron Lakes, Solo Sept 2016

Nice write-up and pictures - thanks! :big_thumb
Questions:
Why do the rangers insist on weighing gear?
If they let in 50 people/day, how do people 'get spread out' - if you paddle faster than average, aren't you running into slower parties & folks taking a 'storm day' in camp?
 
Why do the rangers insist on weighing gear? - They only weigh canoeists gear, there is a limit of 60 lbs to be in the canoe when using a cart. This is to prevent wear and tear on the pathways and to keep them from rutting and potholing. The rest is to be packed. I must admit I didn't see many canoeists actually carrying a pack, mostly left all their gear in the boats! THey don't weigh kayakers gear as I suppose they figure the limited space keeps the weight down!

If they let in 50 people/day, how do people 'get spread out' - if you paddle faster than average, aren't you running into slower parties & folks taking a 'storm day' in camp? - in theory 50 people is a max of 25 canoes but you see single kayaks and canoes with 3 etc. so it may range from 20 -30 boats.The larger groups must use the group campsites and they are regulated as to the timing- must camp at a group site on a specific night. This sucks up bodies and keeps the other sites free for the smaller parties. I did the circuit in 5 nights but many take 8-10 days and if a site is full you move on to the next although I suspect that folks spend a night on sites with more tents than pads from time to time. The couple who landed on my one pad site late at night in bad weather slept on the bit of beach at the site. The busy day on a site I experienced was after a couple of wet days and there were folks camped on the group site. I suspect there is some racing for sites from time to time in the busiest times but ..... I was the only solo traveler that I saw on my trip and most folks were quite surprised that I was alone! You can expect to share the campsites with someone every night.
 
The Bowron's is one of my favourite trips. We (my son and daughter and I) did the circuit in 2006 (wow, ten years have passed already!). Looking at your photos brought back many good memories -- thanks for posting.
 
Dan, thank you for sharing the report. Such details elevate it to the "I could do that" category of trips.

In the first photo of your hammock, the trap looked HUGE - looked like you had over a meter, nearly two, coverage at least on one end of the hammock. Was it a Kelty 16?
 
Nice report. Always nice to see pics of the Bowron. I probably mentioned it here before but i lived and worked on the Bowron in 73. I was one of the crew who looked after things, built corduroy trails etc. Great experience for 22 yr old young guy. Spent about half my time on Issac . Thanks
 
Dan, you are correct, I confused your name on Last Post with the Thread Originator.

CanoeDog, what tarp were you using for your hammock?

Thank you,
Paul
 
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