You're a great dad to create first the trip for all of you...then the video! I was the same... I notice what a nag you can be dad! If I was your kids I'd be (sometimes) thinking, "oh man, this sucks, just shut up" lol. I mean well. It's wonderful to have a video like this to self-audit! we never see how controlling we can be on our family. Regardless, I applaud such a great man! Thanks for the great vid. -Franz
Wow, Marty you are an inspiration. So many beautiful areas in our neck of the woods to explore with our families. Thanks to your videos, my daughters and I will be making memories that will last a life time.
Great trip Marty! Thoroughly enjoyed this epic family adventure. Memories that last a lifetime. Videos like this have inspired my wife and I have to purchase kayaks for the first time and explore lakes and rivers here in Ontario. Thanks Marty. Waiting for the next trip!
I did this trip when I was four. It's so easy! Kidding about the easy. I was four years old however when my family and some friend made the trip. I still have vivid memories of it, one of which was accidentally dropping my brother's matchbox dumptruck over the edge of the the canoe and feeling my heart sink while watching it drop through the clear deep water.
I paddled the Bowron Lakes back in 1976. We had no food storage containers back then....had to suspend our food from a rope strung between 2 trees. And there was no orientation session either. Love the "paddle carving" tradition, which wasn't around in '76. Nice to revisit through your video.
Marty, thanks for all the great videos. Been showing your videos to my friends here in Finland and at times when we go hiking we all have discussed the idea of doing our own videos. We figure if we can record footage even half as interesting and great as your productions then we can consider we've done a good job! Best wishes from Finland!
that's my home area. I'm from quesnel. and just an fyi its pronounced b-ow-run. :) love all your videos too. ive backpacked many places you have filmed in Alberta as well. living in Edmonton at the moment but scampering back home to BC permanently this fall with my wife and 2 year old son. cant wait to take him out like you do with your boys. keep up the inspiration!
+Martyupnorth have fun and be safe. We are headed up to Lillian Lake for 2 nights. Might be a little wet...then off to Assiniboine thru hike for 5 days. Love vacation!
good family video we got a river here in Kansas City Missouri it's called the North Fork of the White River it's a trophy trout stream really good video Kansas City Missouri gym
Great trip. Looks like an amazing place for a canoe trip. A good group and good times for sure. Nice job capturing all the aspects of the trip. Nice to see some Clipper canoes too. A small group of us did the Churchill River in Saskatchewan in June, similar kind of trip. Lake paddling, rapids and waterfalls, and portaging. Very nice video, thanks. Take care.
Yes,Marty like that. :-) Very nice video on the canoe trip with family.Bowron Lakes really look nice.Video had everithing,mountains,lakes,rivers,beautiful forest,program for everybody.And where you start with canoe,you finish item.Great.Amazing trip.
Planning to go for my second Bowron trip soon. I say "Bowron" a little different than you. However you want to pronounce it, it is an epic adventure. We fished a little on my first trip and caught some nice lake trout. Very tasty.
Hi, this is Mike from LiveSimplyFilms in the U.K. What a brilliant film you have made there, really enjoyed every minute of it. You are so lucky to be able to canoe in such beautiful remote country. Well done to everyone on that trip. 🛶⛺️
This was great! I love your multi day adventures! Amazing how clear that water is on the lakes. Do you ever fish any of these lakes or is that not your thing? Great videos! Glad I found you channel and keep them coming!
I love fishing. I do trips just to go fishing. In this case there are two reasons why we did not fish. The first is because these lakes have salmon, and if they are not running it is not worth trying to catch them. The second is time. We were on a schedule, and fishing means the boat is not moving (can not really paddle with one person while the other tries to fish). We could have tried trolling I guess, but the lakes are really deep.
Bit of advice.... you could take lessons and learn how to steer a canoe from either side. Makes paddling more efficient. The person that keeps the boat straight is the paddler in the back. Around the 30minute mark you're shouting to keep the boat straight. Nice to see you tripping with your family though! Wish more children were exposed to the wilderness! Good video!
Great video Marty!! I've always wanted to try camping in BC. Some places in North Ontario like Killarney provincial park are nice but they don't compare to what you guys have on the West coast and in Alberta. Consider yourself lucky!
It's called pass the ace. Everyone gets one card. Whoever has the lowest card at the end of every round is eliminated. Person after the dealer goes first. Looks at their card, and decides if they want to keep or trade with the person after them. If you have a kind, it's the highest card and no-one can take it from you. Fun game. Last person standing gets the extra bit of food or treat.
got a smoking wife, yo. live in upstate new York and I'm all over the aderiondecks every weekend starting april. love the videos. one thing I have a hard time with is solo camping. do you ever get over being in the woods alone?
I'll be honest, the first night on the trail is always a little lonely. I always try to mark the passing of the first 24 hours. After that I get into a routine and it's not so bad. There is a real peace being alone, especially at night. I've spent many hours just staring into a fire, or looking up at the stars. I like hiking with my dog because I still feel alone, but I have some companionship and security
We have a trip planned for July and this video is so helpful!! Thank you! We wrote down quite a few things we didn’t think to pack. If you know, what brand are your cooler bags? I have been trying in vain to find something similar. Thanks again for posting this video!
The Bowron Lakes circuit is a Provincial Park, so there's lots of good information on the web. The park only allows so many canoes to start the circuit every day. It's about 20 people a day that can start. You can only travel in one direction (clock wise). There's something like 70 designated campsites on the lake. Everyone goes at their own pace. Some do the circuit in 4 days, some in as many as 10. Most do it in 7, so everyone stays evenly spaced. It's an awesome trip. You need to reserve the trip on line through the British Columbia Provincial Parks system. Do it soon. If you're a single boat with 2-3 people you should be fine. If you have a large group you might not get your prefered start date. Cheers.
Hi there! Great video! Planning a trip up to Bowron next summer with 6 of us so trying to glean as much info as possible. Big question: Canoes or kayaks? We have four kayaks available to us, just wondering what is better? Any thoughts? Two of us have some kayaking experience (although the chute/rollercoaster makes me a little nervous), but the rest are new to kayaking/canoeing.
I've taken inexperienced people on this trip many times. This trip was no different. Only my wife and I had paddling experience. Everyone learned quickly. You have a good 3 days before you reach the chute and the river. By then everyone will be fine. 95% of the people on the circuit use canoes. They carry way more gear, and you can have more than 1 person in the canoe. The extra person is someone to talk to and share the work. They don't allow 2 person kayaks on the circuit for some reason. I like canoes, but others have used kayaks and even paddle boards on the circuit. I personally prefer a canoe. It's easier to reach for food, remove or add clothing, look at a map, etc. First time we brought our own boats. This time we rented. Becker's Lodge has top quality boats at a reasonable price. I saved the cost of rentals just in fuel by not having to drive 2,000 km with my truck. Hope this helps.
Thanks, makes sense! Canoes, park passes taken care of...now looking into meal planning. Looks like you ate well. Your prepackaged meals in the portage bags at the beginning...did you prepare group meals, or just enough for 2-3? I'm thinking that it would be easiest just to make up group meals since I want to dehydrate/prepare from scratch as much as possible (and take fresh stuff like sausage, and maybe some frozen meats for the first day or two.
I never put on any bug spray during this whole trip. A few "noseeums" very small flies and a few mosquitoes. I was expecting horse /deer flies, but none of those. Definitely no bugs when you're out on the water.
What time of year would be best to do this trip? Is it possible with two people as well? We will be leaving from Calgary area too. Any tips are appreciated, wife and I enjoy your videos
gofastordie69 any time after July 1 is good. Weather gets better in August. Reserve now, it fills up quickly. Small groups are good. Two people is doable if you're experienced. A second couple is not a bad idea. That way you share the community gear and the work.
gofastordie69 I'm going to put a good word in for the shoulder seasons - either early June or after Labour Day. Less people, more animals, and none of the sometimes daily thunderstorms that happen mid summer. The only trade offs is it's a little cooler and the days are a bit shorter.
Doing it in the shoulder season would have a lot of great benefits. The extra sense of solitude would be awesome. I often hike late in the season for that same reason. We went on a trip in late September a few years ago, and we got the best weather of the summer.
Cool to see! My friend Donna and I have set our July/August 2017 dates to come up to the Canadian Rockies. Along with our other destinations between Banff and Jasper, we plan to spend a few days canoe camping at Maligne Lake. We were joking that with our equally undesirable presidential candidates for this election year, tons of Americans might be seeking asylum in Canada-- depending on who wins. If that happens, Canada might rethink its immigration policies and not let us across the border, thinking that we intend on staying. A nice idea, but employment opportunities might be thin for me up there... besides, wouldn't want Canadians losing jobs to Americans sneaking over the border!
In Alberta where I live we elected an extreme socialist government last year. We had a very conservative government for 40 years before that. Between that and the crash in the price of oil we've had 100,000 people lose their jobs in Alberta. Of those, nearly 40,000 have moved back to other provinces. When the price of oil rebounds we'll be back to looking for lots of workers here in Alberta. If you have a trade or a skill you'll be welcome in Alberta.
Oh, tempt me not! But, having had a past roommate who's from Edmonton, I do know the Canadian national anthem and quite a few Gordon Lightfoot songs! ;-)
My boyfriend and I did the circuit this year for the first time. Such an incredible experience. We made a GoPro video of our adventures if you'd like to check it out :) ua-cam.com/video/oyS7_SbiCDY/v-deo.html
You're a great dad to create first the trip for all of you...then the video! I was the same... I notice what a nag you can be dad! If I was your kids I'd be (sometimes) thinking, "oh man, this sucks, just shut up" lol. I mean well. It's wonderful to have a video like this to self-audit! we never see how controlling we can be on our family. Regardless, I applaud such a great man! Thanks for the great vid. -Franz
Wow, Marty you are an inspiration. So many beautiful areas in our neck of the woods to explore with our families. Thanks to your videos, my daughters and I will be making memories that will last a life time.
Great trip Marty! Thoroughly enjoyed this epic family adventure. Memories that last a lifetime. Videos like this have inspired my wife and I have to purchase kayaks for the first time and explore lakes and rivers here in Ontario. Thanks Marty. Waiting for the next trip!
Another fine family trip Marty. Them boys just keep growing.
Hey Marty we have a lot of fun to look this Video love the Wilderness hope you been 100 Years Old . Best Wishes to you and your family .
I did this trip when I was four. It's so easy! Kidding about the easy. I was four years old however when my family and some friend made the trip. I still have vivid memories of it, one of which was accidentally dropping my brother's matchbox dumptruck over the edge of the the canoe and feeling my heart sink while watching it drop through the clear deep water.
I paddled the Bowron Lakes back in 1976. We had no food storage containers back then....had to suspend our food from a rope strung between 2 trees. And there was no orientation session either. Love the "paddle carving" tradition, which wasn't around in '76.
Nice to revisit through your video.
I bet it was even more amazing back then. The lockers add a hint of civilization, which is unfortunate (but I understand why its done).
Marty, thanks for all the great videos. Been showing your videos to my friends here in Finland and at times when we go hiking we all have discussed the idea of doing our own videos. We figure if we can record footage even half as interesting and great as your productions then we can consider we've done a good job! Best wishes from Finland!
Thank you so much. Let me know when you post a video.
Awesome,man.
Great trip,family and scenery..
Many thanks for sharing.
Awesome vid Marty thanks for posting .
Ernie
Nice vid Marty. Looked like a lot of fun and awesome scenery. Thanks for sharing!
that's my home area. I'm from quesnel. and just an fyi its pronounced b-ow-run. :) love all your videos too. ive backpacked many places you have filmed in Alberta as well. living in Edmonton at the moment but scampering back home to BC permanently this fall with my wife and 2 year old son. cant wait to take him out like you do with your boys. keep up the inspiration!
Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for sharing all the great videos! It was nice to meet you on the train the other day. Mark
Likewise. I am off to Kananaskis this morning. Hiking to Lake of the Horns.
+Martyupnorth have fun and be safe. We are headed up to Lillian Lake for 2 nights. Might be a little wet...then off to Assiniboine thru hike for 5 days. Love vacation!
What a beautiful trip , wow...
Great looking trip
good family video we got a river here in Kansas City Missouri it's called the North Fork of the White River it's a trophy trout stream really good video Kansas City Missouri gym
We just did it a few weeks before you guys, we had a awesome time too.
love the videos Marty! you have inspired me to get into backpacking and i have my first trip planned for next week!
Great trip. Looks like an amazing place for a canoe trip. A good group and good times for sure. Nice job capturing all the aspects of the trip. Nice to see some Clipper canoes too. A small group of us did the Churchill River in Saskatchewan in June, similar kind of trip. Lake paddling, rapids and waterfalls, and portaging. Very nice video, thanks. Take care.
The Clippers are great canoes. I miss Saskatchewan. Beautiful province.
Yes,Marty like that. :-) Very nice video on the canoe trip with family.Bowron Lakes really look nice.Video had everithing,mountains,lakes,rivers,beautiful forest,program for everybody.And where you start with canoe,you finish item.Great.Amazing trip.
You have a beautiful family and what lucky kids growing up going on so many adventures!!
Dude leave Karen alone, bad ass shorts and I bet they helped keep bears away.Great video!
Planning to go for my second Bowron trip soon. I say "Bowron" a little different than you. However you want to pronounce it, it is an epic adventure. We fished a little on my first trip and caught some nice lake trout. Very tasty.
i agree, those are nice shorts Karen!
This was a fun trip to watch, just doing a repeat. Marty would love to see a multi-day trip like this!
Hi, this is Mike from LiveSimplyFilms in the U.K. What a brilliant film you have made there, really enjoyed every minute of it. You are so lucky to be able to canoe in such beautiful remote country. Well done to everyone on that trip. 🛶⛺️
Thanks Mike.
Amazing video.... you have inspired a new trip for my bucket list.
It is absolutely worth doing. Just make sure you reserve early. The reservation website opens in February I believe, and books quickly for the summer.
Wonderful video
I did the Bowron several years ago. Brought back great memories. Thanks!
Looked like a lot of fun!
Awesome video, and THANK You for NOT playing music.
Glad you liked it! I rarely incorporate music in my videos any more. This canoe circuit is very special. I do it every 3-4 years.
This was great! I love your multi day adventures! Amazing how clear that water is on the lakes. Do you ever fish any of these lakes or is that not your thing? Great videos! Glad I found you channel and keep them coming!
I love fishing. I do trips just to go fishing. In this case there are two reasons why we did not fish. The first is because these lakes have salmon, and if they are not running it is not worth trying to catch them. The second is time. We were on a schedule, and fishing means the boat is not moving (can not really paddle with one person while the other tries to fish). We could have tried trolling I guess, but the lakes are really deep.
Haha I love Karen's shorts. Nice video as always. Thanks for sharing it with us.
I really appreciate this vid & somehow ended watching the whole thing. Nice job all around. Try to remember to wear a pfd at all times.
4:32 kills me
I want to spend the rest of my life here.
I love Nick"s photobomb at 39:15
49:55 RIGHT! you understand my frustrtion.
Right means "go right" so paddle left side
Bit of advice.... you could take lessons and learn how to steer a canoe from either side. Makes paddling more efficient. The person that keeps the boat straight is the paddler in the back. Around the 30minute mark you're shouting to keep the boat straight.
Nice to see you tripping with your family though! Wish more children were exposed to the wilderness! Good video!
Great video Marty!! I've always wanted to try camping in BC. Some places in North Ontario like Killarney provincial park are nice but they don't compare to what you guys have on the West coast and in Alberta. Consider yourself lucky!
High Marty, this was a very nice and amusing video. Kindly Fiete
What card game are you guys playing? I love that you're doing this with your family. Such amazing memories being made.
It's called pass the ace. Everyone gets one card. Whoever has the lowest card at the end of every round is eliminated. Person after the dealer goes first. Looks at their card, and decides if they want to keep or trade with the person after them. If you have a kind, it's the highest card and no-one can take it from you. Fun game. Last person standing gets the extra bit of food or treat.
Martyupnorth sounds fun! Thanks for explaining!
Looks fun - if you want a more wilderness experience try woodland caribou or quetico canoe area
got a smoking wife, yo. live in upstate new York and I'm all over the aderiondecks every weekend starting april. love the videos. one thing I have a hard time with is solo camping. do you ever get over being in the woods alone?
I'll be honest, the first night on the trail is always a little lonely. I always try to mark the passing of the first 24 hours. After that I get into a routine and it's not so bad. There is a real peace being alone, especially at night. I've spent many hours just staring into a fire, or looking up at the stars. I like hiking with my dog because I still feel alone, but I have some companionship and security
Marty, you look like a man packing for an expedition. Nice trip.
My boys didn't think so. They were starving.
Martyupnorth Did you not bring 8000 calories a day require by growing young men? You have a great looking family!
Darn lol couldn't find my paddle at the Isaac river campsite. Must've been the wrong side
We have a trip planned for July and this video is so helpful!! Thank you! We wrote down quite a few things we didn’t think to pack. If you know, what brand are your cooler bags? I have been trying in vain to find something similar. Thanks again for posting this video!
The dry bags are the Mountain Equipment Coop (MEC) Scully 100 Dry Duffle.
www.mec.ca/en/product/5063-646/Scully-100-Dry-Duffle
Hey Marty, great video. Do you have a route you used, or recommend a book for planning this trip?
Cheers
Colin
The Bowron Lakes circuit is a Provincial Park, so there's lots of good information on the web. The park only allows so many canoes to start the circuit every day. It's about 20 people a day that can start. You can only travel in one direction (clock wise). There's something like 70 designated campsites on the lake. Everyone goes at their own pace. Some do the circuit in 4 days, some in as many as 10. Most do it in 7, so everyone stays evenly spaced. It's an awesome trip. You need to reserve the trip on line through the British Columbia Provincial Parks system. Do it soon. If you're a single boat with 2-3 people you should be fine. If you have a large group you might not get your prefered start date. Cheers.
Hi there! Great video! Planning a trip up to Bowron next summer with 6 of us so trying to glean as much info as possible. Big question: Canoes or kayaks? We have four kayaks available to us, just wondering what is better? Any thoughts? Two of us have some kayaking experience (although the chute/rollercoaster makes me a little nervous), but the rest are new to kayaking/canoeing.
I've taken inexperienced people on this trip many times. This trip was no different. Only my wife and I had paddling experience. Everyone learned quickly. You have a good 3 days before you reach the chute and the river. By then everyone will be fine. 95% of the people on the circuit use canoes. They carry way more gear, and you can have more than 1 person in the canoe. The extra person is someone to talk to and share the work. They don't allow 2 person kayaks on the circuit for some reason. I like canoes, but others have used kayaks and even paddle boards on the circuit. I personally prefer a canoe. It's easier to reach for food, remove or add clothing, look at a map, etc. First time we brought our own boats. This time we rented. Becker's Lodge has top quality boats at a reasonable price. I saved the cost of rentals just in fuel by not having to drive 2,000 km with my truck. Hope this helps.
Thanks, makes sense! Canoes, park passes taken care of...now looking into meal planning. Looks like you ate well. Your prepackaged meals in the portage bags at the beginning...did you prepare group meals, or just enough for 2-3? I'm thinking that it would be easiest just to make up group meals since I want to dehydrate/prepare from scratch as much as possible (and take fresh stuff like sausage, and maybe some frozen meats for the first day or two.
We are going mid July as well, how were the bugs?
Not bad at all. I never sprayed myself with insect repellent.
How bad were the bugs in July?
I never put on any bug spray during this whole trip. A few "noseeums" very small flies and a few mosquitoes. I was expecting horse /deer flies, but none of those. Definitely no bugs when you're out on the water.
What time of year would be best to do this trip? Is it possible with two people as well? We will be leaving from Calgary area too. Any tips are appreciated, wife and I enjoy your videos
gofastordie69 any time after July 1 is good. Weather gets better in August. Reserve now, it fills up quickly. Small groups are good. Two people is doable if you're experienced. A second couple is not a bad idea. That way you share the community gear and the work.
Awesome thank you very much for the reply. We are going to give it a shot, looks like it's going to be great experience!
gofastordie69 I'm going to put a good word in for the shoulder seasons - either early June or after Labour Day. Less people, more animals, and none of the sometimes daily thunderstorms that happen mid summer. The only trade offs is it's a little cooler and the days are a bit shorter.
Doing it in the shoulder season would have a lot of great benefits. The extra sense of solitude would be awesome. I often hike late in the season for that same reason. We went on a trip in late September a few years ago, and we got the best weather of the summer.
its also possible solo! my old man did it by himself when he was 16. he has some awesome stories.
Would ya take $10 US for them flower shorts LOL
I would, but I don't think Karen will let me. Cheers and thanks for watching.
heh i was joking. Great video as always sir. Cheers from Ontario :)
Cool to see! My friend Donna and I have set our July/August 2017 dates to come up to the Canadian Rockies. Along with our other destinations between Banff and Jasper, we plan to spend a few days canoe camping at Maligne Lake.
We were joking that with our equally undesirable presidential candidates for this election year, tons of Americans might be seeking asylum in Canada-- depending on who wins. If that happens, Canada might rethink its immigration policies and not let us across the border, thinking that we intend on staying. A nice idea, but employment opportunities might be thin for me up there... besides, wouldn't want Canadians losing jobs to Americans sneaking over the border!
In Alberta where I live we elected an extreme socialist government last year. We had a very conservative government for 40 years before that. Between that and the crash in the price of oil we've had 100,000 people lose their jobs in Alberta. Of those, nearly 40,000 have moved back to other provinces. When the price of oil rebounds we'll be back to looking for lots of workers here in Alberta. If you have a trade or a skill you'll be welcome in Alberta.
Oh, tempt me not! But, having had a past roommate who's from Edmonton, I do know the Canadian national anthem and quite a few Gordon Lightfoot songs! ;-)
You're taking a picture? No, keep paddling!
My wife is so gorgeous.
Tell me Bigfoot doesn't have a good place to live.
You're pronouncing it wrong...Albertans...whatcha gonna do, eh?
My boyfriend and I did the circuit this year for the first time. Such an incredible experience. We made a GoPro video of our adventures if you'd like to check it out :) ua-cam.com/video/oyS7_SbiCDY/v-deo.html