The Third Day

This was a miserable day. We were paddling into rain, wind, and waves.

The lake flows south into the Isaac River. The first section is a narrow chute with a difficult right turn. We portaged this. The Isaac Lake shelter site 29 is open on all sides with picnic tables. A prominent sign indicates camping outside. Andrea thought this was a bit foolish under the circumstances. Within a few minutes we had the picnic tables pushed to the edge and our tents inside.

The Fourth Day

Downstream from the shelter is a stretch of very rough water which we portaged on the left, then a short stretch, followed by a portage on the right around an 11 meter waterfall into McLeary Lake and the Cariboo River. The river is swift and silt laden. Sweepers can be a problem, and shallow water in late summer. For us this run was wonderful, floating past grassy banks with a good current. Lanezi lake has a bad reputation. The lake runs east west between high mountain ridges, which funnel a western wind and cause high waves. We were heading for the cabinn at site 34. On leaving the Cariboo we met the wind and waves coming down the lake. We paddled hard, quartering the waves, and finally reached the cabin. People rushed out to help us. Wonderful. But the cabin was swamped. Several parties had attempted to continue up Lanezi Lake the day before and had foundered and gone to shore. Other parties had turned back. Yet others had waited. There was no room.

Drying clothes hung from every beam. Sleeping bags spread under and across every table. But there was warmth; the cabin had four walls and a good fireplace. There was companionship. Gus and Sandy broke out some 151 proof rum. Two guests turned out to be bartenders and told us to make "Backdrafts" from the rum, although they said the preferred "Sambuco Paralysers". It seems every one there had a good war story. In the evening it cleared.

The Fifth Day

In the morning of our fifth day everyone poured out of the cabin as though released from a trap. The lake was calm under a cloudy sky.

We passed through the narrows into Sandy Lake. We entered the Cariboo River, drifting in the slow current. Below lay Cariboo Falls. We found the channel to the left into Unna Lake, just above the falls. Camp was at site 40.

After setting up camp we paddled across the lake and took the trail to Cariboo Falls. The trail meandered through a pine forest. The forest had burned not long ago; now flowers and mosses grew everywhere on the forest floor.

The falls were beautiful and totally untouched. There were no roads nearby; nobody gawking over a railing; just the roar of the water pouring over the rocks and log jams.

After our return from Cariboo Falls, we decided to investigate Rum Lake, a little glacial tarn connected to Unna Lake by a narrow passage through a grassy marsh.

Camp that evening was glorius. The weather was good, and we could build a fire outside, cook, and enjoy our beautiful surroundings. Somehow we concluded it wouldn't rain, although we did take the precaution to string a tarp.

The Sixth Day

In the morning we paddled back up river to the bend and turned left into Babcock Creek. We were now starting to climb back up to Bowman Lake. The country was relatively flat and the water clear; no longer alpine country. We crossed Babcock Lake and made two small portages into Spectacle Lake which turned into Swan Lake and then the lower Bowron River. Our camp was site number 54 on the south bank overlooking a magnificent marsh where moose and waterfowl may be seen. The wind came up and it began to rain, so we did the blue tarp dance again that night.

The Seventh Day

On our last day we paddled up the Bowron River. We saw harriers and an eagle. We did not see a moose, although there certainly should have been one. Bowron Lake was calm and sunny. It was a perfect autumn day. We kept pausing for pictures. We didn't want the trip to end.