Hakai to Bella Bella (August 13-22, 2007)

Charts prepared, routes and camping spots marked, Akwon, Craig, Jeremy and I boarded the Queen of Chilliwack on the morning of August 14 from Port Hardy. An hour into our trip aboard ferry, our plans were changed for us by BC Ferries. It turned out, there was another group, a couple, that had requested to be launched about 10 miles south of our destination. It was about 5 miles south of where we had planned, and 5 miles north of the other group's spot. It was an area for which we didn't have a chart. Craig proposed that it might make better sense to get launched with the other group as it would be closer to a campspot instead of just paddling an extra 5 miles to stick to our plan. New plan it is.

We referred to John Kimantas' The Wild Coast 2 for information on this area. There was also some useful information on Peter McGee's Kayak Routes.


DAY 1: ADAPTABLE
Kwakshua Channel to Wolf Beach (11 miles)
We were dropped off just south of Kwakshua Channel at around 4 p.m.--that's halfway between Port Hardy and McLoughlin Bay. We had a few hours while on board the ferry to figure out where we could camp: west of Wolf Beach. Paddling through the northern end of the channel: low bluffs providing a stunning backdrop. We reached our destination just after 8 pm, set up our tents with a beautiful sunset in the horizon, and enjoyed the first of our bagged meals.


DAY 2: AS PLANNED
Wolf Beach to Triquet Island (11 miles)
It was a beautiful and clear day as we crossed Hakai Passage: flat, no swells, no wind. As we were nearing the south end of Stirling Island, we heard the distinct sound of a whale exhaling, and saw it surface just before diving down and allowing us to see its wide tail. No pictures or videos. Sorry.

Lunch spot

We reviewed our charts and the land before us, and couldn't find a sandy beach on which to stop for lunch. We finally found a nook in the rocky bluffs with a spot on which the four of us could stop and step out of our boats. It was going to take a bit of maneuvering through--or above-- logs, but it was very possible. Picturesque spot with high cliffs and windblown trees 20 feet above us on both sides. Of course, from the presence of quite a number of big logs jammed in this area we suspected this wouldn't be the best place for an extended stop.

We're finally paddling the route that we planned before the BC Ferries detour. We crossed over to Triquet Island from our lunch spot. There were lots of fish jumping all around us during our paddle in! Although we found the beach on the northeast end of the island that Kimantas mentions in his book...the only one where there's a boxed toilet...we decided to check out other possibilities for our camp, but decided to return to the first spot. Our site was on a beautiful bay. It's only "downside" was that it was too protected and quiet.

DAY 3: UNAMBITIOUS
Mysterious Creature
Let's face it: most of us hate packing a wet tent especially when it's raining. Though we weren't too enamoured with this Triquet spot, we decided to stay another night. After a short hike to the other side of the island, we decided fishing was the most action we were going to get today. Jeremy caught a strange-looking fish that resembled a species of rockfish: a big rounded head with a big mouth, a short body, and no visible tail. Had it been meatier or another foot longer, it would have been dinner.

DAY 4: WEATHER AND OPEN-WATER CROSSING
Triquet Island to Snipe (Goose) Island (12 miles)
We left Triquet by 11 a.m. A leisurely paddle 3 miles north took us to the east side of Spider Island where we stopped for lunch. There's supposed to be a creek there and an old radar station. The creek water was the colour of black tea, but Jeremy said it tasted fine. There is only a slight trace of the boardwalk (built during WWII) that ran across this end of the island; they are now just a bunch of broken planks with rusted nails.

There was only a small swell and no wind during our crossing to Goose Island. The sky ahead of us was clear but the sky behind us was quickly darkening. What kind of weather was coming our way? The wind and rain didn't catch up to us until after the 8.5-mile crossing, almost as soon as we stepped onto the beach.This crossing took  us about 3 hours.

After a brief scouting of the area, we ended up camping on Snipe Island. There was already an established camp there with a low-sitting hammock and a kitchen table, and there's enough room for a group of tents--good thing because we found the couple we had met before already camped at this beach. Of course, the rain had caught up with us by this time.


DAY 5: TIME TO PLAY
Bath at Goose Island
It was hard to believe that it was raining hard the night before from how hot the sun hit the beach in the morning. We spent another day at Snipe Island and explored the sandbars in our area. We decided to have a bath in an obliging creek at the beach across the water from us. Akwon termed the water as "cedar tea" given its dark colouring; and its source was from the tree roots.

This base was quite comfortable. So comfortable that Craig served hors d’œuvres: Lesley Stowe's rainforest crisps and hummus. We spent the afternoon slacklining and attempting "greenland" rope tricks. The most difficult task of the night was deciding on a destination for the following day.


DAY 6: YOU DECIDE. NO, YOU DECIDE.
Snipe to Northwest Goose Island (7.5 miles)
We left our spot on Snipe around noon with the plan of paddling over to McMullin Group, as decided the night before. Goose Group is surrounded by shallow sandbars which at low tide forces you to paddle a longer route to get to the other side. Fortunately, the water between Duck and Swan Islands had been deep enough to allow for a passage. The view around here was incredible as well: islands with low vegetation and more rock bluffs shaped by the wind and water.

After a quick lunch stop, and after discovering that the camp spot at the north end of Goose Island (i.e. where there is a lodge erected by the Heiltsuk) was already taken, our indecisive collective struggled at deciding on whether or not to stick to the plan of camping up at McMullin. Jeremy stepped up and suggested we go back to the long sandy beach that we had passed. It was a beautiful spot, and none of us minded paddling back. The highlight, especially for Akwon and Craig, were the rock gardens that they really got to play in along the way. Akwon wisely said that we shouldn't be playing around there with loaded boats...of course this was after both he and Craig had left a layer of gelcoat on the rocks. The smiles on their faces confirmed the lack of true concern.

DAY 7: A BIT OF EVERYTHING
Goose Island to the Inlet at Bardswell Group (14 miles)
We left Goose and headed for the sandy area on the northern part of the McMullin Group for a lunch stop before proceeding to a camp spot at the narrow passage on Bardswell. There were swells and more rock gardens around the southern end of the McMullin Group. I thought I saw both Craig and Akwon sallivating as one large swell slapped hard against the rocks.

What made us decide to take the route west of Gale Passage? The tidal rapids that we'd read about were a draw. The passage around the Bardswell Group is quite pretty, and serene. By the time we got to the first of 2 rapids, however, there was only a slight current. It built up slightly, to maybe 4 knots, within a matter of minutes, but nothing as dramatic as we expected. We took turns in playing around the eddylines for a few minutes before letting the current direct us to the passage that we wanted in order to get to the lagoon where there was supposedly a camp spot.

Forget what the book says about a campspot here! If there was, it was well hidden. The following hour proved to be frustrating as we tried to find a place to camp. The beaches around this area--very much like a lake--steep and provided very little in terms of a comfortable camp. At last, Jeremy found a tiny peninsula on the west side of the lagoon on which all of our tents fit snuggly. The outer coast's sandy beaches spoiled us.

We've had quite a mixed bag of water and landscape: low swells, rock gardens, sandy beach on McMullin, a quiet passage, current on the inlet, an in the end, a wide lagoon.

DAY 8: BURGER AND COLD BEER
Bardswell Group to Kynumpt Harbour (12 miles)
There's a passage--a narrow inlet--that's narrower than where we played the day before just north of where we camped. It's just a few meters wide. This was the northernmost tidal rapid on this route, and although it didn't seem like it at the time of our passage, fast-running water goes through here. The banks were definitely carved by the current. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on comfort level and paddling ability, there was very little current as we passed through.

There was a slight wind behind us when we entered Seaforth Channel. The Channel was busy with small fishing runabouts, tugboats pulling barges, and ferries travelling in both directions. Lunch stop was at a gravelly beach just before Dennison Point. You can pick a spot almost anywhere the tide line will allow. The paddle over to Kynumpt Harbour was pretty laid back.

The Heiltsuk used to have a summer camp at Kynumpt Harbour. There is evidence of it here in the way of old pilings and rusting machinery scattered on this gravel beach. Not the most attractive of campspots, but it's a good perch from where one can watch fishing boats pass with the surrounding mountains as a backdrop. This was our last night of camping before hitting Shearwater. Everyone commented on the bugs around here. Our mouths watered at the mention of burger and fries, and a cold beer.

DAY 9: WHERE THE HELL IS THE FERRY TERMINAL?
Kunympt Harbour to Shearwater (7.5 miles)
We left Kynumpt for Shearwater at 10 a.m. By this point, we were being quite liberal in using what little water we had left. We paddled through Ormidale Harbour. As eager as we were to reach Shearwater, whether it was for that cold beer or a shower, we also tried to take in as much as we could paddling in these waters before our trip's end.

As we rounded the lighthouse on Dryad Point, we got a glimpse of McLoughlin Bay and then Old Bella Bella. The biggest challenge when we reached Shearwater was finding the BC Ferries terminal...there is no definitive terminal per se...but that's for another posting. We pulled our boats out of the water into a tight spot on the "restricted" ferry dock, and headed for our long-awaited hot shower and pub fare.

The whole voyage has been great: from the ferry launch to the various places that we visited. Overall, we had unusually calm sea conditions AND were glad to have winds blowing from the south. Calm was nice with respect to our long open water crossing. We encountered sea otters, whales, all sorts of water fowl and shorebirds. The salal bushes around us were teeming with berries--I concluded: no bears in the area. Another trip in the near future will surely be a must.

ABOUT 80 MILES PADDLED.
Photos above by Dominique, Craig and Jeremy

Vargas Island (May 24-29, 2007)

MAY 25, the three of us (Jeremy, Craig and I) set off to Vargas Island. Stayed at Whalers Inn (the hostel) in Tofino--that's just a stones-throw away from the launching point beside the First Street dock. Launching at around the same time were a couple of paddlers, Jeff (USA) and Kierron (UK) who were trying to set a world record for the shortest circumnavigation of Vancouver Island--they were on their 15th out of 19 days (See http://www.pinkkayak.org). I realized only a second after I'd done it, that I shouldn't have shaken Jeff's blistered hand so firmly (oh, that's what those band aids were for).


DAY 1: LAUNCH, LUNCH & SET CAMP
The sea was quite calm when we launched. The sky was grey, and there was only a soft breeze, if any. It was an easy 3-hour paddle from Tofino harbour to Ahous Bay. We stopped for lunch at the mouth of the creek at Ahous (saw a couple of whales here last year). After lunch, we decided to head to the beach where we'd camped the year before, north of Ahous, and across from Bartlett Island. It was a 20-minute paddle around the corner--it was much closer than we thought.

Jeremy gathered some of the bouys that littered the beach, and entertained us with his juggling. He also got us to play some beach bouy bowling/bocce.


DAY 2: HIKE & SURF

The following morning, a group of kayakers came out from a trail at the end of the beach 1km north of where our camp was. (We found out that these were students from Vancouver on a 5-day paddling trip that was part of the TREK program.) We went for a walk in the direction from which they came and followed a trail into the forest. (The "telegraph trail" is 3km long and crosses the island from east to west.)

The wind picked up towards mid-day. Our tent got blown a few feet from where we set it. The waves were dumping, but the water was so enticing. The three of us hopped into our kayaks, paddled around the rock, and over the "surf beach." We played in the water, went through the spin cycle, and came out feeling exhilarated.

The wind blew hard throughout the night. Despite my worry that our tent would collapse while we slept in it, I woke up the following morning feeling quite silly about having entertained the thought.


DAY 3: HIKE & MAYBE SURF?
The wind was relentless and blew steadily throughout the morning. After our morning jolt of caffeine, we went for a walk over the rocks and south towards Ahous Bay and looked for the trailhead. Playing on the beach just beyond the rocks was the other group of 20 students who were dressed only in shorts and t-shirts. In contrast, the 3 of us were wrapped up in our toques, sweaters, and windbreakers. What were we missing here? When we got to the north end of Ahous Bay, we found this group's campsite and it was a sheltered bay. There was no wind to speak of, you could hear the chirping of birds, aaaand it was quite warm! About 500 metres out from the beach though, and one could feel the wind that had been battering our beach for the past 18 hours. The trail continued southward, but we couldn't easily find it, so we turned back.

Gale force- to storm winds, eh? Jeremy and Craig decided they were going to be cold anyhow, so why not try surfing in that wind. Scouting the waves on the beach from our lunch spot, I recalled Craig's back-bender from last year and hoped there wouldn't be an encore from these dumpers

That night, the sky cleared up. The moon shone brightly. The wind continued to blow, but not quite as strongly as it did earlier in the day. We lamented our last night on the open coast over a fire. Jeremy treated us to a reading of some of his writing, some of which was about our last Brooks trip.

There were sacks of sand in our tent, in our hair, in our teeth...


DAY 4: PADDLE BACK The wind warning was over. The sea was quiet again. The only white to be seen on its surface was from the occasional lapping of a wave against a rock. It's quite a different sight from yesterday.

They're hard to come by: glass floats. But, there it lay, waiting to be found, along with all the flotsam on this pebble beach where we stopped for lunch. "Lunch spot" was south of Ahous Bay, and across from the La Croix group of rocks. It didn't look as though anyone had scoured through this beach before as there were still lots of debris and logs all along the shore. The sun felt warm on our skin. Was it Craig or Jeremy who suggested we go for a swim? Somehow, in the end, all 3 of us took a dip in the icy water without our drysuits!

I think we all wanted to delay the return to civilization. We paddled on the outside of Wikaninish Island on our return, rather than turning in at Moser Point. About a mile from Wikaninish's exposed shore, the swells got a bit bigger and the water seemed to travel a lot faster.

Drysuits packed away, we all launched into our celebratory dinner at the Schooner. And yes, we spent some time analyzing various aspects of the trip: food, safety, etc. were all up for discussion.

Well, bagged food, my first taste of Jack Daniels whisky, beach bouy bowling, fireside chats, tidal pools, and the nightly munchies will all be remembered fondly as makings of a great Spring 2007 paddling trip.

SIGHTINGS: Oystercatchers, plovers, ravens, eagles and porpoises BUT NO gray whales, not this year.

Paddle Surf Festival 2006

We took the whitewater boats to Tofino this past weekend. Craig registered us to participate in the Paddle Surf Festival. With Tofino as the destination, how could I have said "no"?

The Vancouver Island Kayak Club hosted the Paddle Surf Festival. They arranged for camping at "Surf Junction" in Ucluelet; almost where the road forks to Ucluelet and Tofino. Surf Junction has hot showers, clean composting toilets, and a hot tub (which we never used). Had it not been so, I wouldn't have agreed to camp in the "wet coast " in late September.

The weather for the weekend was great--sunny and warm. There were about 75 to 100 kayak surfers and canoes on Cox Bay. The waves were quite moderate (2 meters).

I was sold on the surfing, and found out only when we got to Tofino that Craig had entered us both in the competition for Beginners. We hadn't been on our whitewater boats for over a year, and we both felt rusty with our surf skills. Craig's "rusty" is more like my "best." He moves his boat fluidly in the waves while I flail. But, I love being in a kayak, and I was just going to go out there to have fun and learn to surf my little boat with finesse. Alas, the "finesse" part didn't come until Sunday. On Saturday, the day of the competition, I spent the first 15 minutes side-surfing or peeling out early (try my playbout out, and you'll know what I mean). Who cares?!!! I loved being out there.

Craig placed first overall in the Men's Beginners competition for which there were three heats (12 competitors). PRIZE: Magic 8 Ball. Fellow LURKers Bob and Wendy were in the Masters division. They placed first and second respectively. PRIZES: Dashboard Duck and Shot Glasses. Respectable indeed.

On Sunday, we had clear skies and it was warm. We surfed at Long Beach, just to the right of Incinerator Rock. The waves were about the same as the day before: moderate. It was easier to punch out to the green zone. And I learned to surf that little whitewater boat of mine. Craig, meanwhile, tried to flatspin and do cartwheels in the surf. Just as we had gotten the hang of it, it was time to go.

We met lots of friendly people, including a group of kayakers from the VKC during the BarBQ at Surf Junction. Craig's Magic 8 Ball ruled. It was great fun.

Craig and I are bth still stoked from being in the surf. We want more, and SOON!

Southern Gulf Islands 2006

Sidney Spit to Saturna Island via Pender Island August 18-21, 2006

Craig and I started from the government wharf on Schwartz Bay (Barnacle Road, just beside the Ferry Terminal) to Sidney Spit on the NIGHT of August 18. We were rushing to catch the light and in our hurry, forgot to put on any paddling lights. NOT A GOOD IDEA...Sidney Harbour tends to have a lot of boat traffic--ending up as speed bumps at the beginning of our trip is not good. From Sidney Spit, we paddled to Beaumont Marine Park on South Pender Island. From South Pender, we paddled to Lyall Harbour on Saturna Island where we caught the ferry back to Tsawassen. This could easily be a day trip, but why rush?

Sidney Spit
We camped at the public campground for $7 per night. Lots of boaters and daytrippers in the area. It's very accessible especially from Sidney and surrounding areas as there is a water taxi service. Despite the heavy power boat traffic, it IS a beautiful park where seals, deer, sea otters, harbour porpoises and herons are among the wildlife to see.

Beaumont Marine Park
Approaching Bedwell Harbour, we spied a school of salmon jumping. There are a few campsites at Beaumont Marine Park. We stayed at campspot #2 ($5 per night) which is located at the top of the bluff, overlooking the opening to Bedwell Harbour and the marina on South Pender Island. The spot is close enough to the pit toilets, but far enough so that you don't notice that they're there. It serves as a good perch to watch the busy harbour. Bliss, especially if you aren't a resort buff; because then you might be wishing you were on the other side of the harbour facing the Park from your fancy patio chair.

The paddle up the inlet to where North and South Pender meet was quite nice sedate. We paddled at a leisurely pace gazing at the Arbutus trees and walls of sandstone along the way.


Lyall Harbour
The crossing to Lyall Harbour on Saturna Island from Port Browning didn't take very long either. With a mild breeze, and at a moderate pace, we covered the 6 mile distance in about 2 hours. There is a government dock just beside the BC Ferries dock. We pulled our boats out of the water there, and once cleaned up, went to the pub right at the top of the dock for lunch. This is the only place we've been where the Ferry ticket cashier comes to the pub to ask people if they're getting on the ferry. While we were enjoying our cold mugs of beer, she walked back to her booth to process our payment and then came back to give us our ticket. Even though the booth was only 50 feet away, we found it to be quite a novel experience. For this, we gave our visit to Saturna Island two thumbs up.

Notes from the Field
Paddling at night: WEAR LIGHTS--in our rush, we forgot. We were lucky enough to paddle when there was phosphorescence in the water. Moving our paddles in the water produced "trippy" luminescent streaks all across the dark water.

Review chart before you leave land, and take a bearing: we took note of what our bearing should be from launch point to destination. We also used the lights and beacons (i.e. frequency of lights, distance, etc.) for navigation.

I would recommend this route to paddlers not ambitious to log great distances travelled. One can easily break up the paddling distances into small chunks (say, every 2 miles).