Bowron Bonus Time

It's hard to believe now that this summer was forecast by Environment Canada to be hot and dry, as the influence of the La Niña was supposed to deteriorate across the province. Considering the weather we've had thus far I think it's fair to say that they were out to lunch. Following the huge spring runoff we had (see previous blog post below), continued rainfall has kept river levels very high through the early summer. In my 8 years of boating around these parts I don't recall a wetter season. Much of the central and northern part of the province has been under high water advisories or flood warnings. If you're a sun worshipper it's been a tough go but for whitewater paddlers that enjoy big water, it's definitley good times.

The Bowron has seen sustained peak flows following the spring freshet. The Wayne's World wave, pictured above, came in for awhile in June and then again in mid-July. This is one of the best waves around Prince George for dynamic surf action. We've also had some great high water runs on the Boulder Section upstream of the highway bridge (pictured below and at the top of this blog post), one of the best novice runs around. The road to the put-in is not fixed yet but easily driveable beside the dirt pile in a 4x4.

This year, a new trail was cut-in a few kilometers above Portage Canyon that adds several new rapids to the old run. By all accounts, this has improved it considerably with lots of fun one-timers and whitewater goodies. It's best in high water so this year's extended season has been a big bonus. Check it out below.

Despite the small size of our group getting out on the water, it's been great to have a keen crew of regulars to go paddling with. Fraser, Matty D, Al, Ty, Alene, Duncan, Deanna, Mike, Ian, Jay, Heather, Jess, Trevor, and Hardy just to name a few. Let's enjoy this high water while it's still around and go get some more! For information on upcoming trips and any other updates, check the forum. Thanks to Fraser and Duncan for some of the pix shown here. That's all for now. See you on the river.