Pontoon trip on the Lilloett River
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There is some mean water in the canyon! I got out of the third canyon ( as far as I remember it was the third! 
) twice last year due to the wall of water in the funnel (wrong boat/ pump combo to take on that kind of water). You can go from Lilloett lake down quite a ways, but I have not fished that part yet, and Harrison lake up is fine (pending on your river running experiance). You might call one of the local raft and river boat tour companies up there and see where the rapids are and at what cfs they run the canyons and if there is a volume they would recommend running. I know of a couple guys who have done the whole trip and both boats came back a little more tender then when they went up. There will be a specific volume range to run the entire system (which I don't know and there is no hydrometric station on the river between the lakes to gauge when I am there), but a first trip through I would recommend running up,bring lots of gas and a river buddy in another boat! :thumbup:
) twice last year due to the wall of water in the funnel (wrong boat/ pump combo to take on that kind of water). You can go from Lilloett lake down quite a ways, but I have not fished that part yet, and Harrison lake up is fine (pending on your river running experiance). You might call one of the local raft and river boat tour companies up there and see where the rapids are and at what cfs they run the canyons and if there is a volume they would recommend running. I know of a couple guys who have done the whole trip and both boats came back a little more tender then when they went up. There will be a specific volume range to run the entire system (which I don't know and there is no hydrometric station on the river between the lakes to gauge when I am there), but a first trip through I would recommend running up,bring lots of gas and a river buddy in another boat! :thumbup:
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I've drifted from just below the lake too below a run called the bowling alley.Roughly 10k I think and this was a full days fishing /drifting.Their were a couple tricky spots the worst being where the river braids around an island you must stay river right or you will swim.the lower through the canyons is definetly not for pontoons. :2cents:
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Forgive my ignorance and interference, but you didn't mention when you were planning to go. Right now the Lillooet River is iced over almost completely, under the BC Rail bridge at Pemberton.
DSD.
DSD.
You could drive around but that would take some scouting to see where the road gets close to the river for a take out and put in. I don't think walking would work very well. I know that the bottom end of the canyon is quite high and long; it would be a bugger to walk around. The are some old, old service roads on either side but I don't know where they are in the canyon, but in the lower end they are not more than 100 yards from the flow. walkable but the pontoon would be difficult if inflated.
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Google Earth has updated 40% of the run with high definition photos. Good down to individual trees. Perhaps that would give a bit of a birds eye view of closer road access,... at least for 40% of it.
DSD.
DSD.
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I"ve got the free version of Google Earth. Therefore I have to wait patiently for high resolution photo updates of some areas as they throw them out. Still waiting for north of Princeton to get released. They're great for planning hiking and 4X4ing. However they're at least about 2 years old so some decomissioned logging roads might already be gone since the shots. They give the true shapes of lakes and show small ones that aren't on any maps. I'd heard you can pay about $30 / year supposedly for all the good stuff right away, but I'll be patient for now.
DSD.
DSD.
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I have the free, Google Earth, use it very little. Careful, I have seen one very significant error on it that got a fellow very lost in his vehicle and stuck for a tow. Salt.
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·be careful in highwater dudes, I ran that sucker in higher water this year in my 23' custom built jet boat and I nearly swamped it more then once lots of intense water. GNARLY! I saw some rafters running it later on in the summer, that might be a good time to go, or I could suggest later spring.
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