Oh yes,  I was wondering if that was your group.  I'm the guy who said "gotta love that tailwind" or something to that effect.  Did my prediction come true, that you would "have a headwind on the way out" 

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I wish I had known that was you.  I would have loved to have taken a few minutes to meet you and to get the early scoop on the BWJ.  We were kind of watching for qp, woods, and kawish, knowing they were planning on spending that evening on Burke, but it sounds like they'd already pushed on to PP by the time we passed thru.

We did have some headwind on the way out.  Wind was blowing hard out of the west which worked out great as we traveled south on Agnes.  Once we made the turn west on the East/Jeff route it was more of a struggle, especially for the two canoes in the party with younger teenage bow paddlers.  The same wind also gave them some trouble across Bayley Bay the next morning.

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.

  I too would love to see a BWJ in less than 5 years, events precluded my attending this year and I figure it was my only chance(I'm 51). Congrats to the guys that made it, I recall reading your PMA adventure from last year and was impressed then too.


  Of course I suppose there's nothing stopping anyone from attempting to make this an annual event by just announcing a date and location. It might be nice if three or four people indeed did just that since 1 specific day every five years leaves little flexibility.

Bravo, FLP!  You're right.  51 doesn't necessarily have all that much to do with anything if you keep yourself in reasonable shape.  Its SMARTS that's going to get you over that cliff, through the woods, & to the destination.  Don't let hex & the boys fool you with their abundant youth & physical fitness... it was their smarts that got them to Sucker Lake!

If we oldsters play it a little smarter next time, at least some of us will make it to the next BWJ alright (provided it's not scheduled for the Year 2525!).  That's coming from ME, another guy who turns 51 this year!

Physical fitness I got.  Bushwhacking brains?  Well... I'm not so sure.  Remember, I'm somebody who might actually wear a Bannock Bird Hat. 

However, I'm thinking I might be able to learn a thing or two between now & the next BWJ.... 

Jimbo   8)