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.

Springtime Prince George

Just a quick update on recent runs around our hometown. Levels have been quite high for awhile now and will likely continue with the delayed snowmelt.

Arguably the best playwave around Prince George has recently come into shape on the Bowron River --- Wayne's World --- named after local PG paddler Wayne Giles who found it several years back. It's located in a wave train about 100 m downstream of the highway 16 bridge on river right. It has easy roadside access and decent eddy service, making it the perfect park n' play spot. Below is a picture of Chris Robberts from a couple years back.

The Willow has also been at high water for a few weeks now. Recently, a few of us have been running it during flood, when every rock in the river is completely underwater. The rapids under the bridge are the most difficult (grade IV), with large boils, compression waves, and the ultra-nasty House Rock hole.
Enjoy this video I put together of some recent footage at Wayne's World and the Lower Willow. Be sure to click on HQ for best video quality: Springtime in Prince George

June 19-21 is our annual Prince George Paddle Party. This year will be pretty rockin' with the high water, loads of rivers to chose from for all levels of paddlers, and new venue out near Crescent Spur, about 1.5 hours east of Prince George. Check here for more info and updates: PG Paddle Party.
See you on a river soon!