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.
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| 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
Paddled south towards Shi-Shi beach. Along the way, we had a close look at the caves and rock cliffs. An hour into our paddle, the wind started to pick up. Since we were still quite a few miles from Shi Shi, we decided we would turn back after lunching at a nearby pebble beach. To get into this lunch spot, we entered a calm bay surrounded by monolithic rocks. (The calm bay was quite white with frothy water the following day--a full day of rain and high winds towards the shore.) Paddling back, the swells were a good 3 feet larger than they were a couple of hours before. Surf in, boys and girl!
Heading to this Peninsula took a total of 5 hours from Vancouver, excluding the 2-hour wait at the border crossing. There was also a 1-hour wait at the ferry terminal heading to Port Townsend. No matter, however, as the drive along the scenic coastal highway was quite a bonus.
