@#%&*! mosquitoes

Here it is. Proof of the eight days of mosquito hell we endured on the Bowron Lakes canoe circuit.

My friend Brendon took this photo from inside his tent. The bloodthirsty bastards refused to leave us alone. When we were outside the tent, they feasted on every inch of exposed skin. When we were inside the tent, they swarmed the nylon walls looking for a way in.

Exiting and entering the tent was an exercise in stealth, timing and teamwork.

Exiting the tent was pretty straightforward. One person would unzip a tiny hole in the tent door. The other person would immediately dive head first through the hole before zipping up the tent as quickly as possible.

Entering the tent was more difficult because at least 10 mosquitoes would hitch a ride on the way back in. We'd then spend a good 20 minutes hunting down and killing the mosquitoes in the tent in order to avoid being eaten alive while we slept (our tent looked like a crime scene by the end of the trip with all of the bloodstains on the walls).

Leaving the tent in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom was torture. I'd lay in my sleeping bag, holding it in as long as possible, knowing that as soon as I left the tent the mosquitoes would be dining on a buffet of ass.

Were all the bites worth it? Absolutely! The scenery and the bug-free days on the lakes made up for the constant itching. My friend Brendon finally sent around some amazing photos (that's me in the canoe enjoying a sunset paddle!) and they were too good not to share. Enjoy!