The last few weeks had been mostly about park and play surfing on the local playwave until the level dropped recently, so it was quite a change to think about a long kayak tour. But Matt and I had been planning the trip for weeks, and I'd slowly been accumulating camp stuff and other items which I figured would make my life easier. A week before we were due to leave we had a meeting which I think was more designed to ensure that I wasn't just going to turn up with my kayak and a toothbrush, Matt went through his kayak camping checklist but unusually for me, I'd had my own checklist on the go for several weeks. I was, pretty much, as prepared as I'd ever been for anything.
We decided to head down to Bowron Lakes Provincial Park on Sunday evening and camp in the main campground, then head out on the lakes first thing Monday morning. Sunday night passed slowly and I don't think I slept, just lay in my sleeping bag listening to forest sounds and wondering what they could be. In particular there was a thumping noise that sounded like a single-cylinder bike being started, I assumed it was some inconsiderate camper starting a powerplant for their RV, but Matt mentioned it was some sort of Grouse trying to attract a mate. Evidently he was somewhat less than irresistible as the noise went on into the early hours.
Next morning we got up and packed up camp to head over for the mandatory Provincial Park orientation at 9am. Full of oatmeal and optimism, we sat and watched a DVD about how to avoid becoming bear food. Then the park ranger told us they'd had to encourage a mother Grizzly and cub out of the main campsite that morning. So the sounds I heard were not ALL Grouse.
All the other people starting their tours that day were in canoes, and had to have their gear weighed. Matt and I, in kayaks, were given our park passes and sent on our merry way.
The first part of the circuit is a huge portage - the longest on the whole tour - and for the first hour we grunted and sweated in the warm weather, hauling our kayaks on carts. I'd thrown almost all of my gear in a backpack and was dragging a light boat, Matt had gone the opposite way and was struggling just to move his heavy kayak. We started to take turns hauling his boat, and it wasn't long before we were both wondering just how far 2.4 kilometers really is. We were hot and tired, and hadn't dipped a paddle in the water yet. Added to that the warm day brought out mosquitoes by the million, and any body part that we'd missed with the bug dope was quickly turned into a pin cushion by the annoying insects.
When the first lake finally appeared, we found that we were the last to arrive. Everyone that we'd last seen weighing their gear was already there, despite us only seeing one other boat on the portage trail. Two people pushing one canoe was obviously much more efficient than a person pushing a kayak. This was a theme we were going to see more of during the week!
We were far more organised at the lake shore though. I had my kayak in the water in minutes, and even with all the gear he was packing Matt was not far behind. We put in and I tried to get a feel for moving the heavy boat around. A couple of cheesy snapshots and we were underway, leaving the canoeists behind. The first part of the lake was a grassy river delta, and we slowly wound out into Kibbee Lake. We were obviously on some sort of mission... although Kibbee is quite small we almost flew across it in twenty minutes. My kayak cart was strapped across the bow hatch and I kept hitting it with my paddle, about halfway across I noticed that I'd lost an axle pin. We'd done one of three planned portages for the day, and already we'd have to figure out how to attach my left cart wheel. Grr.
We stopped and ate a quick lunch on the far shore of Kibbee lake, and contemplated the next portage. I broke out the duck tape and my cart was not quite as good as new. The first canoeists turned up as we were leaving and the kids were all wondering whether to eat or portage first. Matt had less in his boat but the portage was harder, almost all uphill and the sun was out overhead making for hot work. We passed bear poop on the trail and I made sure to make plenty of noise, probably if we encountered a bear it would have a good laugh at us sweating and dragging our kayaks, but I didn't want to take the chance.
At the end of the portage, mosquito bitten and sick of walking, we put our boats out onto Indianpoint lake. It had a completely different character to Kibbee, and was much longer. We hugged the left shore and I noticed how quiet it was. The lake was particularly pretty, forested right to the shore and surrounded by mountains. Towards the end it narrowed right into another river delta and I realised we were paddling upstream. The sea kayaks made easy work of it though and we wound through into a small, shallow stretch of lake. At the end of it was a sign telling us where to portage. We were both pretty happy that we'd got to the third portage, once out of the way that would be our first day target completed.
We decided this time to haul our gear the 1.6km and then come back and get the kayaks. The mosquitoes were simply ridiculous, there were more than I had ever seen. We'd slapped bug repellant all over and the whole portage all I could feel was insects pinging off my arms and legs where they were trying to land. At the end of the portage the level of Isaac Lake was so high that all the ground was marshy and there was a lot of standing water. Hence the mosquitoes. We were planning to camp there originally but I told Matt we'd be better off a few hundred metres down the lake. We jumped in our kayaks and headed off, looking for a campsite.
Camping on the Bowron circuit is all in designated sites, to keep down erosion and other environmental concerns. The campsites are all numbered, and we stopped for the evening in #12. It was beautiful and we were able to watch the sun slowly sink behind the mountains. I had a look around and found a log and using Matt's axe I started chopping some wood for the fire. Matt made pizza for both of us and it went down well with the dried Lasagne dinner I had. We were both pretty pleased that we'd done almost a quarter of the circuit and three long portages. Tomorrow we'd have a paddling day and hopefully manage the whole length of Isaac Lake, some 30 kilometers. It was light so late and we sat around our fire watching the smoke cross the lake. Eventually we headed off to bed and I sat again listening to the utter quiet.
We were in the wilderness.
More to come!
Frase.
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