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Bowman Lake, August 17-18, 2002

By Larry Wright

Bowman and Kintla lakes are nestled in the northwest corner of Glacier National Park. The lakes have an elevation of about 4000 feet and a beautiful backdrop of rugged mountains rising almost sheer for another mile to the Continental Divide. Each lake has a car campground at the foot of the lake and a backcountry campground accessible by canoe or trail at the head. Bowman may have a slight edge in scenery, but Kintla is motor free, giving it an edge in serenity.

We met trip leaders Dave and Casey Luzzo early Friday afternoon in Columbia Falls, and headed up the North Fork of the Flathead River. The trip begins with 30 miles of Class II washboard dirt road. Upon reaching the ranger station at Polebridge, we applied for a backcountry camping permit. Unfortunately, they were they were already reserved. The rangers explained that you need to pay a deposit to reserve a backcountry site well in advance. So we proceeded on to Bowman Lake to set up a car camp and go for an evening hike.

The next morning, Dave got up early to watch the sun rise over the Continental Divide. After breakfast we paddled the length of Bowman, about 6.5 miles. We saw loons, eagles, osprey, and mergansers. Paddling tandem canoes were: Dave and Casey Luzzo, and Larry and Mary Wright. Paddling solo canoes were: Nobody. Paddling kayaks were: Nobody. We lunched at the backcountry campsite, which at that point was deserted. On the way back, a head wind came up, so we stayed close to shore. On day two we drove another 20 miles of dirt road to Kintla and paddled on it for a couple of hours.

This would be a great place to practice canoe camping. People of all skill levels should be able to handle the short lakes. We had warm days with blue sky, and crisp nights. But as Ken and Pierre will attest, storms can be severe. If the weather is iffy, stay close to shore or take a break and go hiking.