Random thoughts on the BWJ:

In hindsight, what happened might have been the 2nd best of all possible outcomes.  1st best of course would have been 2 groups making it allowing for some semblance of a Jamboree after all.  But I must say I would have been a little disappointed to hear that all who attempted it made it in.  The idea was to seperate the bushwackers of legendary proportion from those who just don't have the desire to complete an extremely tough bushwhack.  No disrespect intended to anyone who turned back, either.  You got farther than I did just by making the attempt (didn't work out for me to get that time off work and my party wouldn't have been up for it anyway).  I salute all who planned to come, regardless of whether they were successful, unsuccessful, or just changed their minds at the last minute.

Stumpy, I feel for you.  Not making your event that was 4 years in the planning had to be a bitter pill to swallow.  I don't doubt your personal ability to make it, nor your desire.  However, I would have loved to be a canoe-fly on the thwart to have seen your reaction when your party member flatly refused to continue.  I'm not sure I would have had the composure to back down like you did.  I fear I might have told that person "Here's a compass, a tent, a sleeping bag, and some trail mix.  See you on Cairn in a couple of days."  I suspect that might have caused a bit of damage to the relationship which I would have regretted later.

pghportager and hexnymph, congrats to you and your group for taking the back door into the lake and the even more adventurous exit thru Williams!  It's the stuff of legend.  You now have a great story and a great memory to carry with you the rest of your life, I'm sure.

I agree with pghportager that the Jimboree (along with the weather) probably did cause many potential Jamboree-ers to opt out before getting to the BWJ.  The goal of meeting up with other QJers in a remote area had already been achieved for them which undoubtedly reduced their will to make the extremely tough bushwhack in.

Future BWJs could well fall victim to the same Jimboree phenomenon.  No matter where it is, there will probably be one route deemed "easiest" to get in and the natural tendency will be for all to want to stage from campsites near the beginning of the bushwhack.  Thus meeting up early is almost unavoidable and might have the same effect on attendance at the actual BWJ.

Finally, I think despite it all, the BWJ was a great success.  Much friendly banter about it was exchanged pre-trip, several groups had a goal for this year's trip which was exciting to them in a different way than most trips to the park, there was a rendezvous after all (albeit at Jimboree instead), all participants seemed to enjoy the experience immensely ('cept for asmjock who was sick and Stumpy), and all the rest of us enjoyed reading everyone's trip reports when it was all done.  It most certainly was not a "waste" IMHO.

I think after all is said and done, I will try to attend the next one as long as it's not next year (already have a trip set that's been 2+ years in the planning).  I feel like I missed out on a great experience.