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Day 5 of 2026 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
"The Chute! and the Cariboo River"
Day 5 of 2026 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
"The Chute! and the Cariboo River"
Date: August 17, 2026
2026 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Travel to Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Bowron Lake Park Registration and Visitor Centre
Day 1 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 2 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 3 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 4 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 5 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 6 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 7 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 8 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Return from Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Map Link: gaiagps.com
Site 29 to Site 33
Site 29 to Site 33
Day 5 Started at Site 29 and would take us through The Chute and "Roller Coaster" to a mandatory portage past the Cascade Falls to a short river run to a mandatory portage past the Isaac Falls, to McLeary Lake, to the Cariboo River west to Lanezi Lake to Site 33
Leg 1 - "The Chute"
& The Roller Coaster
After practicing The Chute the day prior with empty boats, we tackeled The Chute with loaded canoes. We all made it without dunking a boat!
Leg 2 - Portage around Cascade Falls
Day 5 required a mandatory portage around the Cascade Falls and then around Isaac Falls. Cascades would have likely destroyed a canoe and Isaac Falls would probably been lethal.
Freckled Pelt Lichen (Peltigera aphthosa)
Leg 3 - Isaac River
Leg 4 - Portage around Isaac Falls
Isaac Falls viewed from the portage trail. What a ride that would have been!
Leg 5- McLeary Lake to Cariboo River
Once we got out of McLeary Lake, we entered the Cariboo River. Depending on conditions, the Cariboo River can have deadly flows and debris.
There were plenty of "Deadheads", "Sweepers", and destroyed boats on the river. One canoe was completely taco'd around a deadhead and others littered the fast flowing banks of the river. Scouts followed the line of our River Guide and avoided adding more evidence of carnage to the river.
Leg 6 - East on Cariboo River
Not advised for future trips, our adult leads were able to collect a lot of lost gear which we transported out of the Bowron Lake Circuit for our service project. Each of our canoes carried 2 bags of lost gear.
Among random gear we carried out was a huge wallet, cellphone and car keys. We sent these off with some Canadians that lived in the same town as the owner of the wallet and after our trip, the owner let us know they received it. It was good to hear that they made it out alive after capsizing and losing all of their gear.
River Carnage
Canoe taco'd around deadhead
Gear stuck in river debris
Something is lurking on beach
These appear to be a Black Bear
Moose too
Little bear
Youth and Adult Adventure Leads enjoying break at the Half Way Point
Leg 7 - Cariboo River to Site 33
There is a narrow channel trough that takes you to Lanezi Lake. You could tell because duck was walking in the shallow water ahead of us.
If you followed the lead boat, you could get through the shallows without bottoming out. Unfortunately everyone after the lead boat got stuck in the shallows and had to carry their boats over the sandbar.
It was time for another break anyways.
Rangers were cleaning up our campsite, so we gave them space and waited a bit before going ashore.
We washed all the gear we recovered and hung it out to dry to reduce its weight and the horrible smell it had when it was wet.
Site 33 had a cabin next to it. Each of these cabins had a wood stove and were decorated with artistic paddles.
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2026 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Travel to Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Bowron Lake Park Registration and Visitor Centre
Day 1 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 2 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 3 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 4 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 5 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 6 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 7 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Day 8 Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
Return from Bowron Lakes Canoe Circuit
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