I`ve got a Clipper Prospector 14 too, but no places that awesome to paddle here in Finland. But, really enjoy the versatility, light weight and durability of that canoe.
I have done the Bowron circuit 10 times and enjoyed it every time. Your video was excellent and you captured the spirit of the trip in a magnificent way, well done.
I did the circuit twice in the mid 80s. It was life changing. I was glad to see that you did not use the wheeled cart to portage your canoe. The nice thing about paddling late in the season is no mosquitoes. I chose late September to do the circuit; cooler nights which knocked down the mosquitoes and also a full moon which served as a very nice night light. If you're ever in eastern North Carolina, check out the Roanoke River Paddle Trail.
Thanks for commenting! Yes September/October is my favourite time to paddle the circuit (for all of the reason you mentioned)! I will definitely look into the Roanoke River Paddle Trail. Thanks again!
Nice video. Brings back memories of doing the circuit myself over Thanksgiving long weekend 1 year. Clipper Prospector 14...designed by James Van Nostrand, a good friend of mine (sadly passed away several years ago. I actually have the station forms for the original cedar strip Prospector 14 that James used to build the mold for the Clipper composite versions, thee forms are sitting about 20 away from me right now here in my paddle building woodshop in Thunder Bay, a 3 minute paddle from Lake Superior. Going to build a cedar strip version of that canoe one of these days.
Great trip and vid! Thank you, for sharing it with us! I love your stove / tea kettle combo! What make is it? One can not embark on ANY trip without a copious amount of tea! Just not proper!
Hi Suzi, we were at the circuit last year (during the big fires, so almost no one on the circuit, and 6 days of sun!), started on 30 July and finished on 4 August! Why am I saying this, because (1) you were very kind! and (2) we only realised when we were almost back in Vancouver that we forgot the give back the bear spray! Hope it did not get you in trouble, and our sincere apologies (finally!)! Also, thanks for the advise to stay at campsites 34/35, awesome ones indeed; and thanks for the video!
Hi Stef! I have no memory of the missing bear spray so I must not have gotten into trouble haha... and I'm glad you enjoyed those campsites on Lanezi! They are still my favourite ones! Thanks for watching :)
Thx for the video Suzi. Very inspiring!! May I ask how long and how heavy is ur canoe? You find it well for portage? Would you recommend this trip for beginners? Thank so much.
Thank you for your wonderful comment! The canoe I am paddling is 14 ft and about 45lbs. I have done the portages with and without a cart and they are very manageable with lots of breaks! If you are a complete beginner I would recommend doing a shorter trip so you can practice different strokes and how to load your canoe in different weather conditions. Some people will choose to paddle the west side (instead of the full circuit) if they don't have a lot of experience. The west side doesn't include the faster moving Bowron river section which is where most of the boats (usually 5ish) are lost on the circuit each season.
What made you decide to do traditional portages as opposed to using a canoe cart? I thought the trails were all super flat and wide. I'd love to do this trip but it's probably never gonna happen.
Hi Suzi, Headed to the Bowron. I am an experienced canoeist (Nahanni, Dumoine, Petawawa, Ashuapmushian etc.) I have always carried my canoe solo across portages, Royalex canoes around 90 lbs. This time, I am going with a 45 lbs canoe and my friends are trying to convince me to use a cart. You have done it with and without a cart. What do you recommend?
Personally I would choose to carry a 45 lb canoe unless I was using a canoe with a removable yoke (the one I was using repeatedly slipped off the gunnels) and/or I knew I couldn’t keep up with the group (by packing too many “luxury items” and making everybody wait for me to complete two trips). The portage trails at Bowron would be classified as excellent by Ontario standards but there are several muddy “pot holes” where canoes can bottom out if you are using a cart with smaller wheels. If you do choose to use wheels, I would recommend using the expedition carts that western canoeing and kayaking sells as they are taller/wider and less like to tip over (if your loaded canoe tips over and lands on a sharp rock it can easily be punctured). I also find when the canoes are fully loaded on wheels it tends to stress/bend the sides of the canoe more because there is nothing to support the canoe shape/curves. Personally I like to carry because I feel like it is best for the canoe and is more traditional but you definitely have to pack lighter which may affect your trip/group dynamics. Either way I think you can’t go wrong!
I am very impressed with both the quality of this video and the fact you did this solo during the off-season. My hat's off to you, I could not do that solo in the off-season. I did it in-season with a buddy in 2016 & we will be doing it again in a couple weeks. I would LOVE to do this circuit in the off-season like you did but I could not do it solo like you did. You also really set the bar high for video quality, I aspire to step up my game for videos a bit more now. If you have any advice for making these kinds of videos please feel free to share it, I would appreciate it lots. Cheers, James WG
Hi James, thanks for your wonderful comments! Mid to late September is also a wonderful time to do the circuit (no bugs and less people and great fishing) and it wouldn't be during the off-season. Honestly, every time I watch canoeing videos on youtube and I feel the need to skip ahead I ask myself why? Then I try (with varying levels of success) to avoid making the same mistakes in my own videos. However this only is my second video and I still have a lot to learn. For editing I use adobe software which has amazing capabilities (but it's expensive).
I think we all hold ourselves to a particular standard in life and then we go out & end up falling flat, well short of that standard at times lol. I have one of those proud moments in one of my UA-cam videos I posted a few months ago. Then there are all the ooospies we make that are thankfully not captured on camera. I hope you continue to make videos for us to enjoy. Cheers
Haha! So true! I think we all learn so much more from mistakes than successes. I do plan to make more videos but I am currently on a hiatus as I improve my whitewater paddling skills (and acquire more gear) so I can start tripping in the Yukon and NWT.
Oh yes, mistakes have the sting of lesson learnt the hard way, especially when they involve pain. Like when you fail to duck far enough for the cabin doorway... I did that too at the same cabin you did. You'd think I would have learnt from your example, but nope, I had to suffer the lesson learnt the hard way too lol. That's awesome. My buddy and I are talking about doing the Nahanni River, in a few years when we have more experience built up. The territories are an amazing wonder that the provinces just do not have with higher populations south of 60.
Awesome video, thank you for sharing! I'll be heading out there with a couple of friends at the end of June - so stoked! Did you rent your solo canoe from Becker's Lodge?
Fantastic video Suzi! After many years of mountain adventures in BC, I’m finally looking to start exploring the lakes and rivers... The Powell Forest Canoe Route and Bowron Lakes Circuit are on my list! A little advice if you could help please: I’m looking really hard at the Clipper Prospector for my first solo canoe, probably next spring. Do you think this would make a good first boat? Any other Clipper models that you might recommend? I’ve paddled my small Alpacka packraft for the last few years, but I’m ready for a solid canoe! 🙂
I had a Clipper Prospector that I took on Powell Forest and Sayward Forest (much nicer) canoe routes among others. It's the only canoe you'll ever need albeit not very attractive IMO. it's like paddling a honeycomb. I had the Kevlar layup but fiberglass is fine too. I did everything from flatmates to grade three whitewater and ocean trips during winter small craft advisories (using a drysuit and expedition cover) it handled it like a champ although on the ocean every wave that broke over the canoe would deposit about a gallon of seawater below so you'd have to land and bail or have a bilge pump to do long crossings on the ocean if weather is rough.
Thank you for sharing this great experience. Do you recommend going solo? I'll be out there with 6 friends in a few weeks and am nervous about bear encounters. I'm so excited about the experience as long as we don't have any bear encounters.
I hope your trip went well! Yes I would definitely recommend going solo! Obviously the risks are slightly higher but because everybody is travelling in the same direction (clockwise) if you do have a problem somebody is eventually going to catch up to you (unlike other parks such as Algonquin where you may not encounter people for days/weeks depending on which section you paddle). If you go solo know your abilities, carry bear spray, and consider carrying a PLB or satellite device (because the emergency radios could be hard to reach as a soloist)!
Hey Scott It is GSI Infinity Backpacker Mug. I bought it from a local adventure store but they are available at the MEC www.mec.ca/en/product/5040-521/Infinity-Backpacker-Mug
Suzi, awesome video! Thank you for making it. How well do you know the waters of BC? I need some advice and it looks like you might have it. Is this a good place to ask?
This is the yoke/hardware. westerncanoekayak.com/removable-contoured-yoke/ If you already have a yoke (and are comfortable drilling both holes) then I would suggest contacting WCK and see if the hardware is sold separately.
Awesome! We had a canoe flip and a site shutdown due to grizzly bear activity! haha This was my day 2 of the circuit! ua-cam.com/video/gG6oEyUIBRQ/v-deo.html
Very nice. My favorite place on earth
there are lots of Bowron Lake videos....and yours is one of the best.
You bear a striking resemblance to the girl I made the trip with in 1975 !!!!
Thank you very much. BEAUTIFUL. Greetings from Holland 👍🏻👍🏻🇳🇱🇳🇱👋🏻👋🏻🚣🏻♀️🚣🏻🛶🛶
Found this video looking for a reveiw on that same canoe because I want to do that same trip, that's so cool. Well done great video.
Takes me back to my trip in 83, Time to return and refresh the memory.
Amazing Suzi, you are an inspiration to my 18 year old twin daughters. Keep living life to the fullest. Peace and love...
I`ve got a Clipper Prospector 14 too, but no places that awesome to paddle here in Finland. But, really enjoy the versatility, light weight and durability of that canoe.
I have done the Bowron circuit 10 times and enjoyed it every time. Your video was excellent and you captured the spirit of the trip in a magnificent way, well done.
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment!
Awesome, the Bowron Loop is definitely on my to-do list. That must've been a great time of year to do it!
I did the circuit twice in the mid 80s. It was life changing. I was glad to see that you did not use the wheeled cart to portage your canoe. The nice thing about paddling late in the season is no mosquitoes. I chose late September to do the circuit; cooler nights which knocked down the mosquitoes and also a full moon which served as a very nice night light. If you're ever in eastern North Carolina, check out the Roanoke River Paddle Trail.
Thanks for commenting! Yes September/October is my favourite time to paddle the circuit (for all of the reason you mentioned)! I will definitely look into the Roanoke River Paddle Trail. Thanks again!
Brings back memories of our trip in July 2015.
Great job on the video!
Awesome video! Thank you! I hope you do more!
Very inspiring! Thanks for taking us along 😊👍
Thanks Mike!
@@suzigoessolo857 where did you rent the canoe?
Nice video. Brings back memories of doing the circuit myself over Thanksgiving long weekend 1 year.
Clipper Prospector 14...designed by James Van Nostrand, a good friend of mine (sadly passed away several years ago.
I actually have the station forms for the original cedar strip Prospector 14 that James used to build the mold for the Clipper composite versions, thee forms are sitting about 20 away from me right now here in my paddle building woodshop in Thunder Bay, a 3 minute paddle from Lake Superior.
Going to build a cedar strip version of that canoe one of these days.
Nicely done. Thanks for taking the time to edit and upload this.
Thanks Simon!
I love the fog coming off the water! Beautiful 👍🏻
Thanks for the nice easy trip. I can’t believe how many cabins you guys have in B.C. You won’t find that here in Ontario. Thanks again 👍🇨🇦
nicely done, especially without the crowds. You can now reward yourself with a nice otter or beavertail paddle!
Such a nice video, well done. Looks like an amazing solo trip.
Yeah it really is! I've done it 3 times now (solo) and have enjoyed every trip!
It is a buck list place for us. Great work getting it done.
If you like mountains and paddling then Bowron Lakes is the perfect trip!
Really enjoyed this and it was a great preview of what I can expect next week when I start my solo.ATB
Thanks for the kind words! I hope you got one of the few weeks of sun this past summer!
That's cool I was wondering if it was permitted to do the lakes solo. My only companion on wilderness adventures is Bill Mason 😆
Great video. Looking forward to the trip in 2020.
I'm sure you'll have a great trip! I'll be doing the circuit for the 4th time in May (2020)!
Well done- both the trip and the video!
Thank you so much!
Great trip and vid! Thank you, for sharing it with us! I love your stove / tea kettle combo! What make is it? One can not embark on ANY trip without a copious amount of tea! Just not proper!
Great video,your an amazing young lady...thanks for sharing.
Thanks John!
Hi Suzi, we were at the circuit last year (during the big fires, so almost no one on the circuit, and 6 days of sun!), started on 30 July and finished on 4 August! Why am I saying this, because (1) you were very kind! and (2) we only realised when we were almost back in Vancouver that we forgot the give back the bear spray! Hope it did not get you in trouble, and our sincere apologies (finally!)! Also, thanks for the advise to stay at campsites 34/35, awesome ones indeed; and thanks for the video!
Hi Stef! I have no memory of the missing bear spray so I must not have gotten into trouble haha... and I'm glad you enjoyed those campsites on Lanezi! They are still my favourite ones! Thanks for watching :)
Love this so much!
Enjoyed your video, always wanted to get back out to BC and do Bowron. Maybe one of these days?
You should! It a a beautiful trip!
Awesome job! We remember you from Beckers!
I got to meet so many fantastic people (both this summer and last summer) and I am sure you were one of them! I'm glad you enjoyed the video :)
Great job , did in September 1986 👍
Hi. Enjoyed your video.
How is the 14 foot prospector handle lakes? It is mostly a river canoe no?
Thanx
Terrific! What was that drop box you put a bag in? thanks
Awesome !!
Thx for the video Suzi. Very inspiring!! May I ask how long and how heavy is ur canoe? You find it well for portage? Would you recommend this trip for beginners? Thank so much.
Thank you for your wonderful comment! The canoe I am paddling is 14 ft and about 45lbs. I have done the portages with and without a cart and they are very manageable with lots of breaks! If you are a complete beginner I would recommend doing a shorter trip so you can practice different strokes and how to load your canoe in different weather conditions. Some people will choose to paddle the west side (instead of the full circuit) if they don't have a lot of experience. The west side doesn't include the faster moving Bowron river section which is where most of the boats (usually 5ish) are lost on the circuit each season.
@@suzigoessolo857 Thanks for the info and advice Suzi. Cant wait to see your next video.
What made you decide to do traditional portages as opposed to using a canoe cart? I thought the trails were all super flat and wide. I'd love to do this trip but it's probably never gonna happen.
Hi Suzi,
Headed to the Bowron. I am an experienced canoeist (Nahanni, Dumoine, Petawawa, Ashuapmushian etc.) I have always carried my canoe solo across portages, Royalex canoes around 90 lbs. This time, I am going with a 45 lbs canoe and my friends are trying to convince me to use a cart. You have done it with and without a cart. What do you recommend?
Personally I would choose to carry a 45 lb canoe unless I was using a canoe with a removable yoke (the one I was using repeatedly slipped off the gunnels) and/or I knew I couldn’t keep up with the group (by packing too many “luxury items” and making everybody wait for me to complete two trips).
The portage trails at Bowron would be classified as excellent by Ontario standards but there are several muddy “pot holes” where canoes can bottom out if you are using a cart with smaller wheels. If you do choose to use wheels, I would recommend using the expedition carts that western canoeing and kayaking sells as they are taller/wider and less like to tip over (if your loaded canoe tips over and lands on a sharp rock it can easily be punctured). I also find when the canoes are fully loaded on wheels it tends to stress/bend the sides of the canoe more because there is nothing to support the canoe shape/curves.
Personally I like to carry because I feel like it is best for the canoe and is more traditional but you definitely have to pack lighter which may affect your trip/group dynamics. Either way I think you can’t go wrong!
I am very impressed with both the quality of this video and the fact you did this solo during the off-season. My hat's off to you, I could not do that solo in the off-season. I did it in-season with a buddy in 2016 & we will be doing it again in a couple weeks. I would LOVE to do this circuit in the off-season like you did but I could not do it solo like you did. You also really set the bar high for video quality, I aspire to step up my game for videos a bit more now. If you have any advice for making these kinds of videos please feel free to share it, I would appreciate it lots.
Cheers,
James WG
Hi James, thanks for your wonderful comments! Mid to late September is also a wonderful time to do the circuit (no bugs and less people and great fishing) and it wouldn't be during the off-season. Honestly, every time I watch canoeing videos on youtube and I feel the need to skip ahead I ask myself why? Then I try (with varying levels of success) to avoid making the same mistakes in my own videos. However this only is my second video and I still have a lot to learn. For editing I use adobe software which has amazing capabilities (but it's expensive).
I think we all hold ourselves to a particular standard in life and then we go out & end up falling flat, well short of that standard at times lol. I have one of those proud moments in one of my UA-cam videos I posted a few months ago. Then there are all the ooospies we make that are thankfully not captured on camera. I hope you continue to make videos for us to enjoy.
Cheers
Haha! So true! I think we all learn so much more from mistakes than successes. I do plan to make more videos but I am currently on a hiatus as I improve my whitewater paddling skills (and acquire more gear) so I can start tripping in the Yukon and NWT.
Oh yes, mistakes have the sting of lesson learnt the hard way, especially when they involve pain. Like when you fail to duck far enough for the cabin doorway... I did that too at the same cabin you did. You'd think I would have learnt from your example, but nope, I had to suffer the lesson learnt the hard way too lol.
That's awesome. My buddy and I are talking about doing the Nahanni River, in a few years when we have more experience built up. The territories are an amazing wonder that the provinces just do not have with higher populations south of 60.
Awesome video, thank you for sharing! I'll be heading out there with a couple of friends at the end of June - so stoked!
Did you rent your solo canoe from Becker's Lodge?
Fantastic video Suzi! After many years of mountain adventures in BC, I’m finally looking to start exploring the lakes and rivers... The Powell Forest Canoe Route and Bowron Lakes Circuit are on my list!
A little advice if you could help please: I’m looking really hard at the Clipper Prospector for my first solo canoe, probably next spring. Do you think this would make a good first boat? Any other Clipper models that you might recommend? I’ve paddled my small Alpacka packraft for the last few years, but I’m ready for a solid canoe! 🙂
I had a Clipper Prospector that I took on Powell Forest and Sayward Forest (much nicer) canoe routes among others. It's the only canoe you'll ever need albeit not very attractive IMO. it's like paddling a honeycomb. I had the Kevlar layup but fiberglass is fine too. I did everything from flatmates to grade three whitewater and ocean trips during winter small craft advisories (using a drysuit and expedition cover) it handled it like a champ although on the ocean every wave that broke over the canoe would deposit about a gallon of seawater below so you'd have to land and bail or have a bilge pump to do long crossings on the ocean if weather is rough.
Thanks for sharing! What kind of canoe were you using and is it Fiberglas ?
Awesome! What month and day was that?
Thank you for sharing this great experience. Do you recommend going solo? I'll be out there with 6 friends in a few weeks and am nervous about bear encounters. I'm so excited about the experience as long as we don't have any bear encounters.
I hope your trip went well! Yes I would definitely recommend going solo! Obviously the risks are slightly higher but because everybody is travelling in the same direction (clockwise) if you do have a problem somebody is eventually going to catch up to you (unlike other parks such as Algonquin where you may not encounter people for days/weeks depending on which section you paddle). If you go solo know your abilities, carry bear spray, and consider carrying a PLB or satellite device (because the emergency radios could be hard to reach as a soloist)!
Nice video.
Great video. Can you tell me what mug you are using for tea (the red one)? I have been searching for such a mug and cannot find one.
Hey Scott It is GSI Infinity Backpacker Mug. I bought it from a local adventure store but they are available at the MEC www.mec.ca/en/product/5040-521/Infinity-Backpacker-Mug
I feel like I've done the circuit with you!
Nice quick overview. Soundtrack music is a bit loud compared to your voice, but still an enjoyable look at this famous paddling circuit.
Thanks for letting me know! I'm still learning how to use adobe so your feedback is very appreciated!
Suzi, awesome video! Thank you for making it.
How well do you know the waters of BC? I need some advice and it looks like you might have it. Is this a good place to ask?
Heya! You can ask away and I might be able to point you in the right direction if I don't know.
Suzi what yoke is that? i need one for my clipper packer.
This is the yoke/hardware. westerncanoekayak.com/removable-contoured-yoke/ If you already have a yoke (and are comfortable drilling both holes) then I would suggest contacting WCK and see if the hardware is sold separately.
Suzi, I’ve done the circuit 6 times. Super nice job. Makes me want to go back again this year. When did you go , October?
Yes this trip was the first week in October. I have done late September and early season (may) as well!
If I ever do this in BC, you gotta take me out there xD
Well let me know if you ever do! You can do the cooking because the food on your channel looks delicious!
Suzi, don't put music !!! (specially like this one) Leave the natura sounds please !!
Thanks for letting me know! I'll make sure to include more "nature sounds" on my next trip.
Awesome! We had a canoe flip and a site shutdown due to grizzly bear activity! haha This was my day 2 of the circuit! ua-cam.com/video/gG6oEyUIBRQ/v-deo.html