Sea Kayaking the Inside Passage

Point To Point: Exploring The Inside Passage By Kayak

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 19:28:00 +0000

I recently finished a complete chronology of my Inside Passage kayaking adventure and have turned it into the digital "Kindle" book format that is available from Amazon Books online. By clicking on the bold type title above, you will be brought to the Amazon page where the Kindle formatted book can be downloaded. The title is, Point to Point: Exploring the Inside Passage by Kayak.

Introduction

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:40:00 +0000

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

Henry David Thoreau

In the summers of 2007 and 2008 I was fortunate to complete a solo sea kayaking trip through the remote and sometimes dangerous waters of the Inside Passage from San Juan Island Washington to Skagway Alaska.
This is the story of that trip and the adventures I had along the way.
Denis Dwyer

Day 1 - Friday - June 8 - San Juan Island to Prevost Harbor

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:35:00 +0000

Canada's Coast Range appears across the Strait of Georgia as seen from the ferry.

As I rode the ferry across Puget Sound and looked north up the Strait of Georgia, I could see the snow capped peaks of Canada’s coastal mountain range stretching off into the distance. The kayaking trip I was about to undertake would take me well past the farthest mountains I could now see. In a few weeks, these distant peaks would be further behind me than they were in front of me now. The challenge was real, but I was confident that if I took it a day at a time, these sentinels would slowly disappear from my view as new vistas opened before me.
After months of planning, and a 3,000-mile drive across the US, I had finally arrived at my launch point on beautiful San Juan Island in Washington‘s, Northern Puget Sound. The “put in” would be Small Pox Bay at the San Juan County Park. I picked this spot to start the trip because it allowed me to avoid heavily urbanized areas along the mainland and put me in a good position to enter Canada’s Gulf Islands and travel within their relatively protected waters.
San Juan County Park is very popular with kayakers and whale watchers who come to catch a glimpse of the many pods of Orcas that frequently pass within a short distance of its shoreline. It can be crowded during the summer, so reservations are necessary if you plan to spend the night. Access to San Juan Island is via the Washington State Ferry that leaves the mainland in Anacortes Washington and arrives on the island at Friday Harbor.

First Leg - Days 1-12 - San Juan Island to Powell River

The main natural and man made features encountered along this stretch of the route include: The San Juan Islands, Boundary Pass, the US / Canadian border, the Gulf Islands, Trincomali Channel, the city of Nanaimo, the Strait of Georgia, Texada Island, Malaspina Strait, and the city of Powell River.

My big adventure begins at Small Pox Bay on San Juan Island.

The weather was perfect for my first day on the water, light winds, mild temperatures, and mostly clear skies. Launch time was 9:20am. I headed north thru Haro Strait with Canada’s Vancouver Island on my left and the west coast of San Juan Island on my right. Even though there was a slight current against me, I still made good time through Mosquito Pass and into Roche Harbor. As I entered the pass, I got my first look at a group of Harbor Seals that were sunning themselves on a rock while others seemed to be feeding or playing in the water near by.

As I start my crossing of Speiden Channel Vancouver Island fills the horizon across Haro Strait.

I cleared the pass between Henry and Pearl Islands at 11am and headed out across Spieden Channel towards the west tip of Spieden Island. This was my first open water crossing of the trip and a good introduction to what lay ahead. The wind was kicking up a light chop and there were recreational boaters speeding about in every direction. Even though Spieden Island is about halfway across the channel, there is no good place to land, so it is unusable as a refuge in bad weather. By noon, I had made the four-mile crossing to the entrance of Johns Pass. There was a one to two knot current running against me through Johns Pass so I stayed close to shore and out of the main flow.

My campsite at Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island.

In a short time, I had paddled around the eastern tip of Stuart Island and into Prevost Harbor. There is a state park here with a convenient landing spot for kayakers just west of the boat dock and a few yards from the designated campsites. All campsites are about twenty feet above high tide and have good views of the harbor. There are picnic tables, a composting toilet, and water. A trail winds through the park and offers a chance to stretch legs stiffened by a day of paddling.
Today’s paddle covered around 12 miles in 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Day 2 - Saturday - June 9 - Prevost Harbor to James Bay

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:30:00 +0000

Setting off across Boundary Pass from Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island toward South Pender Island.

The weather was gloomy but the wind calm as I woke up for my second day of paddling. After having a quick breakfast and breaking camp, I launched at 8am. As soon as I attached my spray skirt, it started to rain. Ahead lay the four miles of open water in Boundary Pass and the Canadian border. Since slack tide today was at 7:30am, I knew it was possible to make it across the four miles to South Pender Island before any serious current picked up. Boundary Pass is notorious for its fast tidal currents and heavy shipping traffic so it had been a major source of concern for me. Leaving early for the long crossing turned out to be a good idea as the weather later in the day got very windy and would have made the crossing dangerous. The light drizzle and lack of wind made the crossing go smoothly and by 9:30am I was tying up to the customs dock in Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island.

Entering Bedwell Harbor on South Pender Island.

The Canadian customs station was unmanned. Instead of live personnel, there were three phones with direct links to customs agents. After asking me a few questions, an agent gave me permission to enter Canada. While standing in the rain talking to the customs agent, I started to get cold. I spotted a coffee shop nearby so I went over and got some coffee and a muffin. The combination of a hot drink and a warm room soon had me feeling better and ready to face the open water again. While there, I chatted with some friendly Canadians who were amazed that I had just paddled across Boundary Pass in a kayak.

A BC ferry enters Otter Bay on North Pender Island.

I left Bedwell Harbor at 10:30am and after rounding Wallace Point headed up the southwest coast of North Pender Island. The current was flooding south through Swanson Channel for the first two hours so I hugged the shore to stay out of the main flow. By 12:30pm, the current had turned and was no longer a problem, but now the wind and rain had picked up and created uncomfortable paddling conditions as squalls moved through. My original route plan was to go through Captain Passage along the west coast of Prevost Island. This would have required an open water crossing of 2.5 miles from North Pender to Prevost Islands. After considering the weather conditions, I opted instead to follow the west coast of North Pender Island. If conditions deteriorated, three large bays would offer me some protection.

A stormy day on Swanson Channel.

I stopped for a few minutes in the northernmost bay of Port Washington to consider the conditions that lay ahead in the crossing over to Prevost Island. The distance was about a mile and a half and a southerly wind was creating whitecaps that would be hitting me from the left rear. I decided to go for it and headed out for Portlock Point on Prevost Island. I was carrying a waterproof digital camera that could take short videos so I turned it on to try and capture the scene for friends back home that have no idea how it looks to be in a kayak in rough water. Unfortunately, it was just the first time that the camera was to malfunction on this trip so the crossing would go undocumented. After a determined thirty-minute paddle, I reached Prevost Island and could finally take a break out of the wind in relatively calm water.
The coast of Prevost Island was different from all the other shorelines I had passed in these first two days in that there were no homes visible from the water. Every other island had conspicuous homes indicating private property along their entire shorelines.

Approaching the beach at James Bay.

I rounded Peile Point on the North West tip of Prevost Island and headed into James Bay and a Cascadia Marine Trail (CMT) campsite. After landing in the rain at 3pm, I set up camp on a grassy meadow where a flock of Canadian geese had left plenty of proof of their recent feeding activity. The area has no improvements other than an outhouse but the landing site was good and the tall grass made for a comfortable campsite. Although there is no fresh water available at James Bay, I was able to collect a couple of gallons by strategically placing cooking pots to catch water running off my rain tarp.

After a stormy day of paddling the sky begins to clear at James Bay.

After dinner, I made a call home on my cell phone and was amazed when it actually went through. Today I covered eighteen miles in six hours.

Day 3 - Sunday - June 10 - Layover at James Bay

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:25:00 +0000

The camping area at James Bay is in a big field of tall grass.

I had a hard time sleeping last night due to pain in my right shoulder no doubt caused by two days of strenuous paddling. Since it was still raining off and on, I decided to take a day off and let my shoulder rest.
James Bay was full of wildlife that kept me company during my stay. Besides the flock of Canadian geese that seem to have made the bay home, there were deer grazing in the meadow around my campsite, and a river otter feeding in the calm water just offshore. Eagles flew overhead and perched in the nearby trees while a martin searched the shore for its next meal.

Looking NW up Trincomali Channel from James Bay on Prevost Island.

In the afternoon the wind shifted to northerly, the rain stopped, and the sky started to clear. This gave me a good opportunity to do some exploring. A trail along the shore brought me to an abandoned homestead site on a hill with beautiful views overlooking James Bay. Nearby was an abandoned orchard that in years past would have provided the Prevost Island settlers with fresh fruit.

A BC ferry passes off in the distance from James Bay.

Day 4 - Monday - June 11 - James Bay to Blackberry Point

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:20:00 +0000

After an early breakfast I broke camp, got the kayak loaded up, and launched at 7:20am. Although the sky was cloudy and gray, the rain had stopped. Today’s route would take me along the northeast coast of Saltspring Island and through the Trincomali Channel. The shoreline of Saltspring Island was full of wildlife. As I paddled slowly along the rocky shore, I spotted beaver, raccoon, martin, deer, seals, eagles, and starfish.

Wallace and Secretary Islands come into view in Trincomali Channel as I pass Walker Hook.

A planned stop at Conover Cove on Wallace Island to get water turned out to be a challenge. The only shallow area in the cove consisted of thick sticky mud so it was necessary to tie up to the pier to exit my kayak. Depending how a pier is constructed it can be anything from easy to impossible to get in or out of a kayak. Luckily, this one was not bad and I was able to get out easily. Finding the water proved more difficult as the unmarked source was a few hundred yards from the dock along a trail leading to the north end of the island. The antique water pump had seen better days and I found it impossible to hold a water bottle under the outlet and pump the long handle at the same time. The only way to get water here would be to have two people operate the pump, or have a bucket to hang under the faucet while operating the pump handle from four feet away. A sign on the pump warned to boil water before drinking. As I would soon discover, all public water sources that I encountered on the trip would include this disclaimer, apparently to protect its public provider from litigation. Through out the trip, I did not boil, or even chemically treat water collected from these sources, and did not get sick even once.

Heading through the pass between Wallace and Secretary Islands.

I continued paddling along the west shore of Wallace Island and cut across at Chivers Point to follow the east coast of the Secretary Islands. After passing Hall Island on its west side and Reid Island on its east side, I headed north to Valdes Island across a mile and a half wide section of the Trincomali Channel. Kayakers in this area should stay clear of Porlier Pass except during slack tides as the currents flowing through it can create dangerous tiderips.

Looking NE toward Porlier Pass as I paddle along the eastern shoreline of Reid Island.

Shingle Point on Valdes Island was a good place to stop for a break. A grassy meadow with some abandoned buildings was all that remained of a homestead on this beautiful point of land. A small cemetery nearby held the remains of some of the areas early settlers.

Looking west across Pylades Channel from the beach at Blackberry Point on Valdes Island.

My destination on this day was Blackberry Point, where a designated camping area for kayakers has been established. Although there were a few possible sites up in the trees, I opted instead for a breezy beach site, as the mosquitoes seemed to have taken over the wooded area. Tonight’s high tide would not reach the top of the beach, so I did not have to worry about it getting to me in the middle of the night. There is no water available at Blackberry Point. A rustic pit toilet is the only amenity.

Vancouver Island in evening sunlight from Blackberry Point.

I arrived at Blackberry Point at 1:15pm after paddling nineteen miles in six hours.

Day 5 - Tuesday - June 12 - Blackberry Point to Nanaimo

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:15:00 +0000

My campsite on the beach at Blackberry Point on Valdes Island.

Today I hoped to take advantage of a flood tide flowing north through Pylades Channel to help me on my way. I launched just after the tide turned and headed toward today’s destination, Nanaimo. After launching at 10:40am from Blackberry Point on Valdes Island, I cut across Pylades Channel and paddled up the east coast of Pylades and Ruxton Islands.

A small tug pulls a huge log raft through Ruxton Passage.

At Ruxton Passage, I arrived just as a small tug towing a raft of logs started to come through. It was amazing to watch as a huge raft, possibly 300 yards long, passed in front of me. I sat bobbing in the waves for 20 minutes as the raft slowly made its way past. My only consolation was the wonderful smell of the fresh cut timber that filled the air as I waited.
I stopped at the Ruxton Passage Cove Marine Park on the southeast tip of De Courcy Island and filled up my water bottles from the hand pump there. This park has a much more user-friendly landing area than Conover Cove on Wallace Island and the pump was much easier to use for filling water bottles.

Entering False Narrows with Gabriola Island on the right and Mudge Island on the left.

The current was flowing northerly thru Pylades Channel as I made my way along the east coast of De Courcy Island toward False Narrows. The current pushed me along at a good clip in the narrows as I watched the shallow bottom features zip past through the clear water.

Northumberland Channel appears in the distance as I make my way through the narrowest section of False Narrows.

Once I was out of False Narrows and into Northumberland Channel, conditions rapidly became uncomfortable. The current was now flowing at full force through False and Dodd Narrows, the wind had picked up to about 20mph, and there were power boaters zipping around in every direction. The sea conditions were choppy and confused requiring me to pay close attention and not take my hands off the paddle for a second. On top of all that, there were log rafts 100 feet wide tied up along the shore of Gabriola Island with the currents pushing me towards them. I knew it was important to stay away from the upstream ends of these rafts because if forced underneath them I would be in big trouble.

Newcastle Island appears across Northumberland Channel.

I cut across to the Vancouver Island side of the channel and started heading toward the ferry terminal near Jack Point. I could see the ferry approaching from far off so I timed myself to pass behind the ferry as it approached the dock. Now it was only a short distance to today’s destination, the Newcastle Island Marine Park in Nanaimo.

I yield the right of way to the BC ferry landing at Jack Point.

It is a good idea to launch and land at Newcastle Island during a high tide, as the water around the camping area is shallow, and landing at low tide requires a long carry. I arrived at 3:45, two hours before the day’s high tide so I was able to land high up on the beach. The best spot to land a kayak is where you see a little footbridge on the southeast side of the island near a place called Brownie Cove. Securely tie up your boat here and head west along the trail over to the pavilion where the campground office is located. Along the way you will pass campsites so be on the lookout for one that is empty. Locate a handcart either at the pavilion or at the powerboat dock and bring it back with you to your boat. You should be able to load your boat and all your gear on the handcart and bring it all to the campsite you have chosen in one trip. If you cannot find anyone to check in with, just occupy a vacant site and someone will come around, collect the fees from you, and check you in. I stayed here two nights so I could spend a full day in Nanaimo getting supplies and taking a break.

Hand carts are available on Newcastle Island to get your boat and gear from wherever you land to a campsite.

An alternative to landing by the footbridge at Brownie Point could be the public boat dock at Mark Bay on Newcastle Island. This may be a better choice if you have to land or launch at low tide although I did not investigate while there.

A large flock of Canadian Geese has made this lawn on Newcastle Island their territory.

While camped here, do not leave any food in your tent, as the island is full of raccoons that will tear a hole in your tent searching for something to eat. You may even want to leave your tent door unzipped, as I had a raccoon tear a hole in my mosquito net door to get in and I had left no food in the tent. Each campsite has a large wooden box for storing food and equipment so the raccoons cannot get to it.
Today I paddled sixteen miles in five hours.

Day 6 - Wednesday - June 13 - Layover day in Nanaimo

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:10:00 +0000

Small ferries like this one leave the Newcastle Island dock to take passengers to Nanaimo.

Today I took the day off to look around Nanaimo and get some supplies. A small ferry shuttle leaves the dock at Newcastle Island every 15 minutes and crosses the harbor to Nanaimo.

This is a small part of Nanaimo Harbor.

There, a pedestrian walkway winds along the waterfront with restaurants, shops, a laundromat, grocery store, and a mall at the end. For great Mexican food, try “Penny’s Palapa”, a floating restaurant in the middle of the municipal harbor.

A raccoon tore a hole in my empty tent while I was camped here on Newcastle Island.

Newcastle Island Park has a good food concession in the pavilion, where basic fast food meals are available not far from the camping area. There are coin operated hot showers, and flush toilets in the bathrooms. A trail leads around the island where you can stretch you legs and get some good views of the area.

A ten person canoe paddles in the harbor between Newcastle Island and Nanaimo.

While camped at Newcastle I met another kayaker that was paddling the same route I planned to take. Although I did not know it then we would end up paddling off and on for the next three weeks all the way to Port Hardy.

TO CONTINUE READING ABOUT MY TRIP, CLICK ON THE WORDS "OLDER POSTS" BELOW AND YOU WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE NEXT PAGE.

Day 7 - Thursday - June 14 - Nanaimo to Ballenas Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:05:00 +0000

Getting ready to launch from Newcastle Island at low tide.

According to the tide and current tables, the currents around Nanaimo should flood north during a rising tide. To take advantage of this, I planned to launch from Newcastle Island at the turn to high tide, which on this day was at 11:42am. This strategy would give me plenty of time in the morning to get ready and even allow me to have breakfast at the park pavilion. The disadvantage was that since I would be launching at low tide, the equipment carry to the waters edge would be much longer than when I had landed at high tide two days earlier. I was willing to make this compromise, as the net effort involved would be less. As it turned out, the current was against me for the first two hours after I launched so it was like paddling upstream. By 2pm, the current had reversed and I was getting a push toward my destination. As I soon began to realize, the current does not necessarily change direction as soon as the tide changes. Depending on the location, some time has to go by before the current changes direction after a tide change.

A BC ferry leaving Nanaimo's Departure Bay as I round Newcastle Island.

Today’s paddle would take me past the densely populated coast of Vancouver Island north of Nanaimo. The weather was clear and the wind was light. I made good time passing through the Winchelsea and Ada Islands. This area is full of dozens of small islands and rocky islets. My destination this day was South Ballenas Island and as I paddled through all these small islands, I wondered how hard it would be to find the island I was looking for. As I continued along however, it soon became obvious as the two Ballenas Islands were much further north and more isolated out in the Strait of Georgia than any of the other islands in the area.

Before reaching Ballenas Island there are dozens of small rocky islets that must be navigated.

On the north side of South Ballenas Island, there is a small bay with a nice beach composed of smooth rounded pebbles. This beach is perfect for camping and offers protection from all winds except northerlies. The view from the beach looks out on the route across the Strait of Georgia to Lasqueti and Texada Islands. There is no water on South Ballenas Island.

Looking out across the Strait of Georgia toward the mainland from the north facing beach on South Ballenas Island.

When I arrived at the beach, the kayaker I had met at Newcastle Island Park was there already. After reviewing the day’s events, it seemed that launching earlier and not having to carry my boat and gear so far down to the low tide line would have been the better choice. I may have had to paddle against the current for a while longer, but the net effort would have been less. This strategy was useful in planning launch times throughout the remainder of the trip.

The beach on South Ballenas Island makes a great campsite.

Today I launched at 12:10pm and landed at 4:50pm, covering 16 miles in 4 hours and 40 minutes.

Day 8 - Friday - June 15 - Ballenas Island to Texada Island South

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:00:00 +0000

After crossing the Strait of Georgia I reached Squitty Bay at the south end of Lasqueti Island.

Today was the first day of the trip that I paddled with someone else. My new kayaking friend and I were both happy to have a companion along for the seven-mile crossing of the Strait of Georgia from South Ballenas to Lasqueti Island. We launched at 9:40am and had no problems crossing the strait arriving off the southeast tip of Lasqueti Island at 12:10pm. We followed the rocky coastline around into Sabine Channel and through a group of small islands and rocky islets.

I spotted this cluster of Starfish at low tide on Jedediah Island.

This abandoned homestead is located at Home Bay on Jedediah Island.

The first place that we found to land and take a break was Home Bay on Jedediah Island. Although this was a good place to stop for a rest, it was not suitable for camping. We continued on a couple of miles further, and then crossed Sabine Channel over to Texada Island.

This was the first likely campsite I had seen since leaving Ballenas Island.

My first Texada Island campsite looked out on Sabine Channel.

A beautiful campsite awaited us on a small peninsula jutting out from Texada just south of Mount Shepherd. The beach was easy to land the kayaks on and there was plenty of level space to pitch tents. The views up and down Sabine Channel were spectacular, with miles of open water to the northwest and southeast and the broken shorelines of dozens of islands visible across the channel.

Looking SE down Sabine Channel.

This evening the wind became very strong out of the southeast, and the sky was clearer than it had been at any time in the past week. Overnight the wind stopped and a light rain started. This rain continued for the next three days.

Looking across Sabine Channel to Lasqueti Island.

We had landed at 3:00pm after traveling 13 miles from South Ballenas Island to Texada Island in 5 hours and 20 minutes.

Day 9 - Saturday - June 16- Texada Island South to Texada Island north of Davie Bay

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:55:00 +0000

Looking out of my tent on a rainy morning.

My first morning on Texada Island was a rainy one, but the wind was calm and the seas smooth. I set up my alcohol stove just outside the vestibule to my tent and had some coffee and hot cereal for breakfast. A crab fisherman’s boat maneuvered slowly offshore playing Led Zeppelin over the stereo system as they picked up and emptied their traps. I did not really feel like breaking camp and packing up in the rain so I took the opportunity to make some notes and read over the information I had with me on Texada Island and hoped that the rain would end soon.

Looking north up the shoreline of Texada Island on a rainy morning.

After noon, the rain ended. I packed up and got ready to launch. As I steadied the boat parallel to the shore in completely calm water getting ready to enter, a set of waves from a barge that had passed about five minutes before reached me. I saw them building as they approached and the sea bottom became shallower. All I could do was to hold on to the boat and let it rise and fall with each wave as it passed underneath. This was a slight annoyance, as now the cockpit needed bailing out, and I was soaking wet before even launching. From this point on, I made sure no wakes from passing boats would catch me by surprise while launching.
Not long after setting off, the wind began to pick up out of the southeast, which initially helped me along as I was paddling to the northwest. As time went by and the wind and waves increased, it became increasingly uncomfortable to be on the water. Added to that was the unusually large number of submerged rocks that lay just offshore along this stretch of Texada Island. I would be paddling 100 yards out and all of a sudden, I would see waves breaking over the top of a barnacle-encrusted boulder. This went on for miles and it was something I had not seen yet on this trip and would not see again. Because of this, I could not take my eyes off the water in front of me for a second, for fear of running full speed into one of these hull-crushers.

My second campsite on Texada Island.

My destination for the day was the Shelter Point Regional Park, a fifteen-mile paddle. The strong wind however forced me to cut this day’s paddle short. I had been staying fairly close to shore to try to keep out of the strongest winds so I was keeping an eye out for a suitable place to camp if one came along. About a mile north of Davie Bay, I found a good site along a crushed shell beach full of big drift logs. I could see from driftwood on the beach that my tent site would be just above high tide. Since high tide this evening would be at 9:00pm, it was not too risky because I could watch high tide rise and begin to fall before I went to sleep.
I did not take note of what time I landed today, but I had covered around 11 miles.

Day 10 - Sunday - June 17 - Texada Island north of Davie Bay to Shelter Point Regional Park

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Scary clouds threaten me in the Strait of Georgia.

I made it through the night on my little sliver of beach without the waves or high tide getting to me. By 6am I was having some coffee and at 7:40am I had packed up and was launching. This was the easiest launch yet, as all I had to do was, sit in my loaded kayak, give a push, and slide down a slick pebble beach right into the water. This was to be the only thing that was easy about today’s paddle as the wind was out of the northwest and would be in my face creating rough seas in Sabine Channel. Normally in conditions like these, I try to stay fairly close to shore if that will keep me out of a strong head wind, but the many large boulders that lay submerged just below the surface along this coastline forced me to stay a quarter mile offshore most of the time.

The Shelter Point Regional Park is at Harwood Point on Texada Island.

After paddling into the wind for two hours, I had only traveled four miles, which is about half my normal speed of four miles per hour in calm water. I reached the Shelter Point Regional Park, which had been my previous day’s destination, before 10am. Since it was too early to stop for the day, I decided to just wait a while and see if the wind died down so I could continue. There was a restaurant in the park pavilion, so after securing my boat, I checked it out and had a burger and fries. The restaurants windows looked out on Gillies Bay, which was the next stretch of water that I had to cross. I was able to sit here comfortably and monitor the sea conditions as the wind howled outside.

Looking SE across Mouat Bay from Harwood Point.

By 2pm, it was obvious that the wind was not going to let up anytime soon so I went ahead and got a campsite for the night. The sites are just above the high tide line and are easy to access from the beach. If you plan to stay here, you should try and land near high tide as the beach is shallow making for a long carry at low tide. The park has hot showers and clean restrooms and the restaurant serves meals all day long. This is a “must stop” place to spend the night if you are paddling the west coast of Texada Island.

Looking south across Mouat Bay and the Strait of Georgia toward Vancouver Island.

Looking NW across Gillies Bay and up the Texada shoreline from Harwood Point.

After ten days on the water, I got into a regular routine every evening that I called “doing my homework”. First, I would get out my GPS and get the coordinates of that evening’s campsite. Next, I would take out my Palm Pilot on which I had loaded “Tide Tool”, a tide and current program available on the internet, and input the coordinates and date to find out what the tides would be for the next day. After I got this, I would then write the times and heights of the two high and two low tides for the next day on the laminated charts that covered the next day’s route. I did this with a Sharpie pen that is waterproof so the charts could stay right on the deck all day long with the tide information at my fingertips whenever I needed to check it. I would then make my notes in a logbook of the days paddle with entries on times, wind direction, wave heights, and weather conditions.

My campsite at the Shelter Point Park.

Day 11 - Monday - June 18 - Shelter Point Regional Park to Grilse Point on Texada Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:45:00 +0000

Launching from Harwood Point into Gillies Bay.

After a rainy night, I was packed up and launching at 7:30am. High tide was at 7:20am and I wanted to make sure and launch near that time as the beach at Shelter Point Park goes out for a long way at lower tides and I didn’t want to have to haul my gear another 100 yards if it could be avoided. As soon as I shoved off, the wind started to blow hard out of the northwest right into my face.

The Texada shoreline north of Gillies Bay.

I headed across the wide opening of Gillies Bay on Texada Island and followed the shoreline keeping as close in as I could to try to avoid the strongest winds. I tried to stay focused on paddling and watching out for obstructions as the wind blew spray from the wave peaks into my eyes.

This strip mine on Texada Island is marked "Ideal Cement" on the chart.

There were many seals along this stretch of coast, and their camouflage skin tones matched the color of the rocks so closely it made them hard to spot until I was right on them. Whenever I saw seals far enough in advance, I would try to go out a little further so as not to scare them off their rocky perches.

This string of rocks marks the NW tip of Texada Island and is named Kiddie Point. Powell River is visable in the distance across Malaspina Strait.

After paddling for an hour and a half into the wind, I took a break in a shallow bay near an airfield to see if the wind would die down. This was the first time on the trip that I got cold while taking a break and after waiting over an hour I decided to get going just to warm up. It was now 10:15am and I would not stop again until 4pm when I reached the northern tip of Texada Island at Kiddie Point. This point was very rocky, and showed signs of severe weathering from storms blowing down the Strait of Georgia. I stopped and took a break but did not stay too long as I wanted to find a campsite and get out of the wind before it got any worse.

My kayak in the rocks at Kiddie Point.

Looking across Malaspina Strait toward Powell River from Kiddie Point.

I paddled into Blubber Bay and had a look along the shoreline but there was no suitable place to camp. Many sailboats had anchored there, trying to stay out of the strong wind blowing the tops off whitecaps just outside the protection of the bay. About a half mile off, along the east shore near Grilse Point, I could see what looked like a gravel beach. Having no other alternative, I paddled towards it and kept my fingers crossed that it would make a suitable campsite. From the water, I could not see a level spot big enough to set up a tent, but after getting out and looking around; it turned out to be perfect.

Harwood Island is visable off in the distance across Malaspina Strait from my campsite at Grilse Point on Texada Island.

The beach was steep and consisted of smooth rounded gravel that was easy on my boat and on me as I unloaded all my gear. This beach would be easy to land on at all tide levels. A level, grassy area, above even the highest tides, made a perfect spot to set up camp. The view across the Strait of Georgia to the west and Malaspina Strait to the east was spectacular and afforded me a good view of the crossing I would have to make to Powell River the next day. There is a lighted navigational aid just offshore on Cyril Rock, and a tall radio tower just inland that make this site easy to find. This turned out to be one of the best campsites of my trip, however there is no water here.

Looking across Malaspina Strait toward Powell River from Grilse Point.

After I had eaten dinner and was getting ready to go to sleep, four teenagers walked by out on an evening hike. We talked for a minute then they were on their way. Here I was thinking I was in this remote location when actually I was just a short distance from a small town and hundreds of people.

My campsite at Grilse Point.

Although it was not necessary, I could have paddled over to the ferry landing in Blubber Bay and taken the ferry over to Powell River. The four miles of open water could be intimidating during even calm weather, but add to that, strong wind, rough seas, and boat traffic and it should make a cautious kayaker think twice about setting off for a solo paddle.

A BC Ferry makes the run from Blubber Bay to Powell River.

I landed at my Grilse Point campsite at 5:30pm after paddling 16 miles over ten hours. During calm conditions, this distance would be easy to paddle in half the time.

Day 12 - Tuesday - June 19 - Grilse Point on Texada Island to Powell River

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:40:00 +0000

Setting off across Malaspina Strait toward Powell River from the NE tip of Texada Island.

I awoke around 4am to hear the wind in the trees sounding like a jet engine. If the wind did not die down my alternatives were to take the ferry across Malaspina Strait from Blubber Bay to Powell River or to just sit tight and wait for conditions to improve. At 5am, the wind had suddenly stopped, so I quickly packed up and launched at 6:20am. As soon as I got about a mile into the four-mile crossing, the wind started to pick back up. It was coming out of the southeast at around 20mph and it was hitting me on my right front quarter. Although it was slowing me down at least I could see the waves as they approached and easily brace when they reached me. I found this type of sea to be more comfortable paddling in than when waves were reaching me from the rear quarters and I couldn’t see them approaching and be ready with a bracing stroke. After ten days on the water, I felt surprisingly stable and confident even in these rough conditions, a feeling I no doubt would not have had going solo on my first day out. There was a ferry making the crossing at the same time but since it was going in the opposite direction, it was easy to keep an eye on its position and avoid its course. I did have to keep looking over my shoulder to make sure there was no ferry headed my way from the stern. Since my destination for the evening was close to the ferry terminal, it was inevitable that there would be ferry traffic in the area. The weather was clear and visibility was not a problem. I would not attempt this crossing in fog or at night however.

My campsite at the Willingdon Beach campground in Powell River.

My destination for this day was the Willingdon Beach Campground in Powell River. The evening before I had called the park office to find out their location in comparison to landmarks I could see from Grilse Point. The manager was very helpful and the directions she gave me got me right to the campgrounds beach. This kept me from wasting any time or effort trying to find the location along a crowded urban shoreline. It took me two hours to make the four-mile crossing, but since I had left so early, I was there by 8:30am. I was surprised to see my kayaking friend from four days ago already there with her campsite set up on the beach. We spent hours talking about our adventures over the last few days and how the winds seemed to conspire to keep us from leaving Texada Island.

The campsites here were convenient for an Inside Passage kayaker.

After unloading my boat and setting up camp, I took a hot shower and got into some clean clothes. I spent the rest of the day eating and shopping for supplies for the next leg of the trip. There are plenty of stores in Powell River within a one-mile walk of the campground. This makes it a perfect place for a kayaker to stop and re-supply. The next chance to get groceries at a full sized supermarket would not come until Port Hardy another twelve days paddle away. The campground had a Laundromat so I took the opportunity to clean all my clothes. This was the last campground I stayed at until reaching Alder Bay ten days later.

Day 13 - Wednesday - June 20 - Powell River to North Copeland Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:35:00 +0000

First Leg - Days 13-24 - Powell River BC to Port Hardy BC

The main natural and man made features encountered along this stretch of the route include: The city of Powell River, the Strait of Georgia, Desolation Sound, the Discovery Islands, Lewis Channel, Calm Channel, Yuculta Rapids, Big Bay Resort, Dent Rapids, Cordero Channel, Cordero Lodge, Greene Point Rapids, Whirlpool Rapids, Johnstone Strait, the Boat Bay Orca Patrol Base, Robson Bight, Telegraph Cove, Alder Bay, Broughton Strait, Queen Charlotte Strait, and the town of Port Hardy.

My kayaking friend had some last minute errands to run this morning so I launched at 9:10am with plans to meet up later in the day at a campsite on the Copeland Islands. High tide this morning was at 9:30am so I was able to ride a rising tide creating a current flowing northwest in my direction of travel up the coast of the Malaspina Peninsula.
Just north of Powell River, I passed the local paper mill with around ten old rusty ships halfway sunk in the shallows creating a breakwater for the mills dock facility. The sight was extraordinary. Considering how clean the rest of the coast had been so far, this place looked liked a dumping ground for old ships.

Heading up the coast of the Malaspina Peninsula.

The shoreline all the way to Lund was dotted with nicely kept homes looking out over the Malaspina Strait. A campground just south of Lund with sites right on the water, would be a convenient access spot for kayakers either starting or ending a trip in this area. Lund is the last spot along this stretch of the Inside Passage route that is accessible by road until reaching Telegraph Cove on Vancouver Island about an eight-day paddle away.
When I reached the Copeland Islands, I headed to a campsite recommended in one of the guidebooks for the area. This was to be the rendezvous point with my friend. After checking it out, it was obvious this site would not do. The moon was new, and the tides this evening would be close to the highest of the month. This site offered no spot to camp above high tide. I continued looking for a suitable campsite, actually making a complete circumnavigation of the largest Copeland Island, still with no luck. With the wind and current remaining in my favor, I decided to keep on going and hope to find a good site before dark.
Today’s episode was a good indication of how hard it can be to try and kayak with a partner and have plans to meet up at some pre-determined location. There are just too many things can change throughout the day. I had wasted over an hour, and paddled three miles further than I would have if I was on my own and not trying to be somewhere, someone was expecting me to be.

The beach at the North Copeland Island campsite.

As I approached the last small group of islands in the Copeland’s I spotted a small gravel beach where landing was possible. Even though there was no campsite visible, I felt it was at least worth checking out. When I got up into the trees, I was surprised to find a sign showing that it was a British Columbia Marine Trail campsite. I found it interesting there was no sign visible from the water alerting weary paddlers to the campsite. The site had two very nice tent platforms up in the forest along with an outhouse.

My tent set up on the platform on North Copeland Island.

After blowing hard all day the wind really picked up around 10pm with gusts of what I believe were around 40mph. I could hear branches being broken from the trees all around me and just hoped that no big ones fell on me while I was asleep in the tent.
I had made it to my campsite at 4pm after paddling 21 miles in around 7 hours.

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Day 14 - Thursday - June 21 - North Copeland Island to North Rendezvous Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:30:00 +0000

Crossing Desolation Sound with Kinghorn Island straight ahead.

The strong winds and a pain in my shoulder kept me up most of the night so I got off to a late start launching at 11am. The day started with beautiful clear skies and a wind out of the south that helped to push me along all day.
Crossing Desolation Sound was the only real obstacle on today’s paddle. The weather was cooperating though and the four-mile crossing went without a hitch. Kinghorn Island out in the middle of the sound did come in handy as a windbreak. As the wind was coming out of the south west at around 15mph I went around the south east side of the island and was able to stay in it’s wind shadow all the way to Redonda Island on the north side of the sound.

Refuge Cove

I stopped at Refuge Cove to check out the marina and fill my water bottles. The small store there did not have much in the way of supplies, and the water faucet at the dock had a sign indicating the water was not potable.

Heading up Lewis Channel north of Refuge Cove.

As I headed out of Refuge Cove into Lewis Channel, I got my first look at snow-covered peaks off in the distance. This was why I had come all this way to paddle and the scenery in front of me made it all worthwhile. The wind was still blowing, but now that I was in the confines of Lewis Channel, the waves were not as big a problem as they had been while crossing Desolation Sound. The clouds started to thicken, and the sky got darker, but the rain held off with not much more than a scattered drizzle. There were no good spots to camp along Lewis Channel as the shoreline consisted of boulders and shear rock all the way to the waterline. Above the rocks was an impenetrable wall of vegetation.

Lewis Channel

I continued paddling up Lewis Channel to it’s junction with Calm Channel, Deer Passage, and Sutil Channel. The Rendezvous Islands, my destination for this evening, were located right at the intersection of these channels. The southernmost of these three islands is a BC Marine Trail Park. There was supposed to be campsites at both the northern and southern ends of this island but after looking carefully, I could find neither. My only alternative now was to keep going and hope I would run into a suitable campsite soon. When I reached the north tip of the northern most Rendezvous Island, there at last, was a place to land with a level tent site above high tide. This campsite was interesting in that it was located on a tiny island connected to the largest of the Rendezvous Islands by a gravel beach. This beach is exposed at low tide and covered at high tide, cutting off access to the larger island.

Rendezvouis Island appears off in the distance in Calm Channel.

After landing at 6pm I set up my tent, had something to eat, and fell asleep early. I had covered 24 miles today in seven hours.

My campsite at the north end of North Rendezvous Island.

Day 15 - Friday - June 22 - Layover day on North Rendezvous Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Today was the day that I planned to paddle through Yuculta Rapids by Stuart Island. The timing for passage through this channel has to be done carefully. When the tides are in the middle of their cycle, the currents in the channel are at their peak, creating whirlpools and rips that can easily turn over a kayak. Passage must take place at slack, when the tide is neither rising nor falling and so no current is created.

The view from my campsite at the north end of north Rendezvous Island.

Normally I would have checked the tides the evening before and made note of the best time to launch the following day. I had been so tired, and had landed so late the night before, that I put it off, planning to do it early in the morning. Now that I was up and checking the tide times, I found that the time had already passed for me to make it to Yuculta Rapids at slack tide. I chalked it up to another lesson learned and decided that I would not go to sleep again without looking up the tides for the following day.

The campsite on North Rendezvous Island.

Since I had only taken two days off in the past two weeks I did not feel bad about taking another break day. It drizzled off and on all day so I took the opportunity to just sit under the tarp and relax, eat, drink, and make some adjustments to my equipment. I also used the time to calculate exactly when I would have to launch the following day to arrive at Yuculta Rapids at slack tide.

Looking across Calm Channel and up Raza Passage fron Rendezvous Island.

Around mid-day, my kayaking friend who I had last seen in Powell River paddled up to where I was camped. She had found a campsite the night before a few miles back on a peninsula jutting out into Lewis Channel at Teakerne Arm on West Redonda Island. We swapped stories of our adventures over the last two days and found that neither one of us could find the campsites, that according to our guidebook, were supposed to be located on the Copeland and Rendezvous Islands.
In order to double-check our calculations for tomorrow’s passage through Yuculta Rapids, we compared the times that each of us had figured out independently. I used the electronic tide table on my Palm Pilot and she used the standard paper tide tables. Upon comparison, the times were just a couple of minutes apart. This made us both feel much more confident about paddling through this dangerous passage tomorrow.

Day 16 - Saturday - June 23 - North Rendezvous Island to Big Bay on Stuart Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Heading north up Calm Channel after launching from Rendezvous Island.

When making the trip through Yuculta Rapids the currents are weaker at slack tide turning to ebb than at slack tide turning to flood so I timed my passage for the weaker slack tide to ebb. The current table to use for Yuculta Rapids is Gillard Pass. If you are going through at ebb, like I was, add 5 minutes to the figures for Gillard Pass to get the time when Yuculta turns to slack. If you are going through at slack turning to flood, add 25 minutes to the figures for Gillard Pass. For example, on June 23, the current table for Gillard Pass showed slack turning to ebb at 12:40pm. I added 5 minutes to that and knew that the current would be slack in Yuculta Rapids at 12:45pm. Now all I had to do was be there waiting to go through at 12:45pm.

A rain squall on Calm Channel.

I was glad to have company for this section of the trip as I had never experienced saltwater rapids before and did not know exactly what to expect. It was comforting to know that we had both figured out the time of slack tide to within minutes and that we would not be going through at the wrong time and get into trouble.

This is the lighted navigation marker at the southern tip of Stuart Island.

We had six miles to paddle to the tip of Stuart Island where the entrance to the rapids begins. Not wanting to be late for our rendezvous with Yuculta, we launched at 9:10am and had no difficulty making the six miles in two hours. We found a small bay with a dock at the tip of Stuart Island and pulled in to wait out the next hour and a half. At 12:30pm, we pulled out of the bay and slowly started making our way around the tip of the island and towards the infamous Yuculta Rapids that were about a half mile away.

This is what Yuculta Rapids looks like at slack tide.

After all the agony of anticipating this section of the trip, and all the horror stories we had heard about these treacherous waters, the surface turned out to be smooth and calm. We realized though that if we had not done our homework, and taken the timing of running this stretch seriously, the outcome could have been much different.

Looking out from under the pavilion at Big Bay.

The destination for tonight was “Big Bay” on Stuart Island and being just past Yuculta Rapids we arrived there at 1pm. At Big Bay, there is a large municipal pier with a smooth pebble beach at its base that is perfect for landing a kayak. Just a short walk from the beach is a small grocery store with a huge pavilion full of tables and chairs. There is a grassy lawn where you can camp for a small fee, and best of all, a clean bathroom with hot showers. After carrying up all our gear and the kayaks and setting up camp, we started heating up something to eat on a table under the pavilion. Just then, it started to pour down rain. This was the hardest rain I had encountered yet on the trip, and I could not have been in a better place to have to deal with it. I did not know it at the time, but this rain would continue uninterrupted all the way to launch time tomorrow.

The dock at Big Bay on a very rainy day.

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Day 17 - Sunday - June 24 - Big Bay on Stuart Island to Cordero Lodge

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:15:00 +0000

The dock at Big Bay.

Timing of today’s departure was critical to paddling another area of potentially turbulent water known as Dent Rapids, and then hopefully riding the ebb current north through Cordero Channel. Slack turning to ebb today was at 1:45pm so we planned our departure from Big Bay for 1:15pm. This would put us at the narrow pass north of Dent Island right at slack. This pass is about two miles from Big Bay, and although it skirts the worst area of Dent Rapids, we did not want to take any chances and so planned our transit of it for slack tide.

Paddling out of Big Bay with Dent Island straight ahead.

The planning paid off, as the water was essentially calm except for a spot where we encountered a few boils just past Dent Island. These boils create a surface condition that seems to make the kayak a little unstable, like when you try to ride a bike very slowly. I found that by just continuing to paddle through it, balance could be easily maintained.

The pass between Dent Island and the mainland.

We stayed close to shore along the north or mainland side of Cordero Channel until at about five miles, we reached Horn Point. From here we crossed over to the Sonora Island side. About three miles further on, Cordero Channel is bisected by Frederick Arm and Nodales Channel. This creates a crossing of about two miles that affords beautiful views in every direction. The shoreline in this area is devoid of campsites, as the thick forest vegetation extends all the way down to the high tide line, where bare rocks make up the waters edge.

Cordero Channel

Finding a campsite would not be a problem tonight, as our destination for this evening was the Cordero Lodge, a convenient fifteen miles from Big Bay. This lovely little bastion of civility in an otherwise remote wilderness is an incredible site to see nestled in a cove beneath towering spruce trees. After landing and tying up to their floating dock, it became apparent that the entire establishment was floating on a huge log raft, cement deck and all.

Cordero Channel

Cordero Lodge is owned and operated by Doris and Reinhardt Kuppers. They offer lodging, a nice restaurant serving excellent German food, and a dock for your boat. Access their website at http://www.corderolodge.com/ where you can check out their facilities before leaving home.
This was the only evening on the first leg of the trip that my cell phone would not receive a signal and I could not make a call home to check in.

Day 18 - Monday - June 25 - Cordero Lodge to Hardwicke Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:10:00 +0000

I don't have any photos from the water on this day because my Go-Pro waterproof camera would not work. These photos were taken with my Sony camera which I only used while on shore.

The Cordero Lodge.

Today’s route involved paddling through two areas where tidal rapids are created by swift flowing tidal currents. Just two miles from Cordero Lodge was Greene Point Rapids and then thirteen miles further on would be Whirlpool Rapids. If the timing of the passage through these rapids is done correctly, a paddler will not even know there is a hazard in the area. The strategy for running Green Point Rapids, is to go through at slack before ebb. From here, the falling tide will provide a push all the way down Chancellor and Wellbore Channels to Whirlpool Rapids.

The dock at Cordero Lodge.

Although we were ready to go early in the morning, we had to wait until 12:45pm to launch to be at Greene Point Rapids at slack, which would be at 1:45pm today. We paddled slowly along the north shore of Cordero Channel and were able to sneak through the small opening between Cordero Island and the mainland. We continued hugging the north shore all the way to Loughborough Inlet. Taking this route at slack tide allowed us to completely avoid any rough water altogether.

The Cordero Lodge.

Guidebooks for this area indicated that there were few if any possible campsites along this stretch of the route. The only campsite that would be possible to reach today, was in a small bay near the western end of Hardwicke Island. This meant that it would be impossible to wait for slack tide to make the run through Whirlpool Rapids, as we would not be able to reach this campsite before dark. These rapids were also noted to not be as bad as the others we had encountered already, so the decision was made to approach cautiously and see what the water looked like before heading through. No standing waves or rushing water was present, but there were many spots where the water was boiling to the surface as it was deflected off submerged rocks. By just keeping a steady stroke, with the paddle constantly in the water for balance, we made it through with no problem.
We turned the corner into Sunderland Channel at 6pm, still riding the falling tide and with the wind at our backs. Just as the guidebooks had said, there was no place to camp anywhere along this stretch of the Hardwicke Island shoreline. We kept paddling close to shore hoping to find our home for the evening at any moment. At 7:45pm after paddling 23 miles in 7 hours, we finally reached the small bay, which held a nice campsite located on a gravel peninsula between a small island and the shore.

The campsite on Hardwicke Island.

This campsite was fine for this evening because the tides would be in the low range. If high spring tides had been due overnight, the beach would have been unusable. A few spots in the trees above the beach could provide a passable campsite if necessary.
Since Hardwicke Island is so big and remote, it was the first place I had camped on this leg of the trip that actually held the possibility of running into a Brown Bear. Since there were no trees nearby suitable for hanging a food cache, we placed our food far away from the tents in accordance with good bear avoidance practices.

Day 19 - Tuesday - June 26 - Hardwicke Island to The Broken Islands

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:05:00 +0000

I don't have any photos from the water on this day because my Go-Pro waterproof camera would not work. These photos were taken with my Sony camera which I only used while on shore.

We woke up to a calm cloudy day at our campsite on Hardwicke Island. Low tide this morning was at 6:15am and the shoreline was far out over a field of barnacle-encrusted boulders. We decided that it would be best to wait for the tide to rise and bring the shoreline closer to us so that we would not have to carry the boats and gear over this dangerous obstacle. The first high tide today was at 12:45pm but by 12 noon, it was high enough to float our already loaded kayaks right off the gravel beach.
At launch time, the winds were calm and the seas smooth, so we headed straight across Sunderland Channel for two miles to the mainland side of Johnstone Strait. We followed the coastline contours westward staying about a quarter mile offshore, always on the lookout for interesting scenery and wildlife.
By around 3:00pm the wind had picked up out of the southeast and was hitting us from the left rear. The wind was blowing over a long distance of the strait so two foot waves were beginning to form. At one point, I paddled right over an area of what must have been shallow water and the waves started to rise up to compensate for the now shallower seabed. Where one minute I was paddling in two-foot seas I was now paddling in what I estimate were four-foot seas. Since I was going in the same direction as the waves I did not see the wave size changing until I was right on it. This was the first “___ ____” moment of the trip. I kept paddling and braced into each wave as it hit and in about a minute, I was out of the worst of it.

Two cruise ships head east on Johnstone Straight viewed from the Broken Islands.

Our destination for the evening was the Broken Islands at the entrance to Port Harvey. Although camping on a small island did not guarantee a bear free campsite, I tried to stay on one whenever possible to lessen chance encounters. I always seemed to sleep better when not worried about waking up in the middle of the night and finding Yogi had stopped by for a visit.

The campsite on Broken Island was very small and just barely above high tide.

There were not many campsites to pick from in the Broken Islands. After covering 17 miles in 5 hrs. 45 min. we were able to find a beach far enough above high tide to provide a dry spot for the night. If tonight’s high tide had been a spring tide, this site would have been unusable as it would have been underwater. Last nights high tide was just 0.3 feet lower that tonight’s, and we could see flotsam on the beach marking its high point, so we were sure we would be safe here for the night.

Day 20 - Wednesday - June 27 - The Broken Islands to Johnstone Strait near Robson Bight

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Low tide at launch time from my Broken Island campsite.

As I awoke this morning around 6am, the tide was still on its way out reaching the low point of the day at 6:50am. Just as the day before, the waterline was about thirty yards out across a field of barnacle covered rocks over which I really didn‘t want to have to carry my boat and all my gear. By the time, I had eaten breakfast, broken down camp, and packed everything up, the water level had reached a gravel area near the campsite where my loaded kayak was sitting. This allowed me to essentially sit in the boat and wait for the tide to float me off the beach.

Looking out across Johnstone Strait from the Broken Islands.

We continued west down Johnstone Strait passing Forward Bay and hugging the coast of West Cracroft Island. After paddling for about three hours into a light headwind and against a small current it was time to take a break. I started looking for a convenient beach to land on and soon found one that was perfect. It is located on the chart, right by a compass rose. As I approached, I saw a black bear on the beach turning over logs with its paw and foraging for something to eat. I stayed quiet and the bear did not see me at first, giving me enough time to get its picture. I figured it would be best to leave this beach to the bear, and continued on looking for another beach on which to take a break.

A nice beach for a break stop.

After paddling a half-mile, I spotted another suitable beach. As I approached, I was amazed to find a second black bear, this time a cub, foraging right on the beach. Not only did I not want to bother the little guy in his search for lunch, but I also figured mom would be somewhere nearby in the bushes. So on my way I went.

Heading west up Johnstone Strait.

About another half mile down the coast was a similar beach that looked promising. As I approached it, unbelievably, there was a third black bear foraging. By now, I did not want to land anywhere on that coastline for fear of having lunch interrupted by an ursine interloper. This experience with the three bears turned out to be one of my favorite memories on this first leg of my Inside Passage journey.

Looking across Johnstone Strait toward the Tsitika River valley and Robson Bight.

At 2:20pm, we arrived at the Boat Bay Orca Patrol Base. This is a research station manned by university students who study Orcas and protect the nearby area of Robson Bight, which is an Orca sanctuary. We had a look around and visited with the staff for a couple of hours, then decided it was time to head off for this evenings destination. We paddled around to Swaine Point and then headed diagonally across Johnstone Strait for the three-mile open water crossing to a beach on Vancouver Island.

The Boat Bay orca patrol base across from Robison Bight.

I had camped on this beach during three other trips to the area. Each time I launched from Telegraph Cove and paddled east along the shoreline. The site always provided the perfect viewpoint from which to spot the many pods of Orcas that frequent this area of the Inside Passage. It is located a mile west of the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.

Getting ready to head across Johnstone Strait from near Swaine Point.

It took us an hour and forty minutes to cross the strait, fighting a headwind and opposing current the whole way. We arrived at our destination after paddling 16 miles in 7 hours.
Since we planned on taking the next day off from paddling, and the chance of spotting Orcas was good, I decided to stay up late and keep a lookout. I lit my first campfire of the trip using some of the abundant driftwood that had collected on the beach. By 11pm, with darkness setting in, I had not spotted a single dorsal fin so I decided to call it a night and try again tomorrow.

Sunset over Johnstone Strait.

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Day 21 - Thursday - June 28 - Bad weather layover day on Johnstone Strait

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:55:00 +0000

This turned out to be a good day to take a break. It had started raining overnight and would continue all day. The wind was blowing hard out of the east directly down Johnstone Strait creating two to three foot waves with breaking whitecaps. Paddling today would have been not only uncomfortable but also probably dangerous so I was happy to kick back and relax for the first time in six days.

A cruise ship heads east through Johnstone Strait.

I set up my tarp so I could sit comfortably out of the rain and keep watch for Orcas. Since I was not going anywhere I decided to see how much I could eat. The somewhat hectic pace of the last few days had not left much time to have a peaceful meal so today was the day to catch up. I started up my alcohol stove, collected water pouring off my tarp, and proceeded to lighten up my food cache. I filled all my water bottles with rainwater and spent the afternoon re-reading the sections covering this area in the two guidebooks I had with me.

Looking east down Johnstone Strait and across the Robson Bight Ecological Reserve.

This beach is usually great for spotting Orcas but either none were in the area, or large waves obscured their dorsal fins. Either way, by the end of the second evening at this spot, I had not spotted even one.
Normally one of the easiest ways to see Orcas is to look for the tourist whale watching boats out of Telegraph Cove. These boats receive the location of Orca pods from spotter planes that fly around the area and radio back the coordinates to the captains. Since the tour boat operators guarantee their guests an Orca sighting, they will not leave port unless they know right where to go to find Orcas. If a tourist boat is spotted drifting by slowly, you can be sure there are Orcas nearby.
Last night before the rain started, I collected a pile of firewood and covered it with a blue tarp to keep it dry. When the rain finally ended around 5pm, I uncovered the pile and got a fire going. After it was established, I started adding wet wood that had been out in the rain for the last 18 hours. If not for this dry stash of wood, I doubt if I would have been able to get a fire going this evening.
Unbelievably my cell phone was still picking up a signal and I was able to call home with my location and plans for the next few days.

Day 22 - Friday - June 29 - Johnstone Strait near Robson Bight to Alder Bay

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Getting my kayak packed up and ready to launch.

What a difference a day makes. After the rain and wind of yesterday I woke up today to a calm sunny day. I took my time getting ready this morning to give the sun a chance to dry off some of my things before packing them away.
The beach at this campsite is composed of small pebbles, smoothed by wave action, and affords a good landing or launch site no matter what the tide level. I carried my kayak and all my gear down to about 10 feet from the waters edge and started loading it up. By the time I had finished packing the boat, the water level had risen to meet me. It was 9:15am as I slid off the slick gravel and into Johnstone Strait.

Rounding the Blinkhorn Peninsula in Johnstone Strait.

I paddled northwest along the coast of Vancouver Island for 8 miles toward Telegraph Cove. All along this route are beaches that large numbers of kayakers use as base camps for exploring the area and watching for Orcas. In fact, I saw more kayakers on this day than on all the rest of the days of the trip combined. Most kayakers who visit this area launch from Telegraph Cove where there is a marina with a boat launch ramp, floating dock, store, restaurant, showers, laundry, campground, lodging, and multi day parking lot. For those who do not have their own boat, kayak rentals are available, as are guided commercial tours.
The current and a light breeze were with me and by 11:30am, I was pulling up to the dock at Telegraph Cove. It had started raining and I was looking forward to warming up and getting something different to eat from the camping food I had been eating for the past three weeks. The “Killer Whale” restaurant provided the perfect meal, a big burger with fries and a salad.
After lunch, I continued toward today’s destination, Alder Bay. The current was now against me, and the strongest I had encountered yet on the trip. I stayed close to shore and out of the strongest flow and was able to make good headway.

Looking across Alert Bay toward Cormorant Island from the campground at Alder Bay.

At 3pm, I landed at the campground at Alder Bay after covering 12 miles in six hours including the stop at Telegraph Cove for lunch. This turned out to be a good place to spend the night. There are campsites right at the waters edge and it was easy to unload and carry all my gear just a few feet to a grassy tent site. After settling in, I was able to take a shower and then wash all my clothes for the first time since Powell River 10 days ago. Alder Bay campground would be a good spot to use as a base camp for exploring the nearby islands or setting off into Johnstone Strait.

Day 23 - Saturday - June 30 - Alder Bay to Peel Island

denisonline@cox.net (Denis Dwyer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:45:00 +0000

Getting ready to launch from Alder Bay.

After looking over the tide and current tables for today, and the chart indicating I should travel on an ebbing tide, I decided to leave as early as possible to take advantage of favorable currents. When I launched at 6:45am the weather was just cloudy and gray, but before long, it started to rain, and it did not stop until 3pm. The temperature also dropped today to the coldest I had yet encountered on the trip.

Paddling through Alert Bay with Cormorant Island on the right and Vancouver Island on the left.

The shoreline along this stretch of Vancouver Island was mostly mile after mile of shallow gravel beaches backed up by unremarkable lowlands. There was also more kelp than I had seen anywhere else along the route so far. The kelp turned out to be helpful because it calmed the waves stirred up by the winds in Queen Charlotte Strait. I was able to stay on course while picking my way through channels in the kelp beds.

The Coast Range comes into view across Queen Charlotte Strait as Malcolm Island is passed on the right.

On a clear day, the view across the strait would have been spectacular with the Coast Range rising up on the mainland showing off its snow-covered peaks. Today though I had to keep my head down and paddle for hours into the wind with the rain in my face and the scenery obscured by low gray clouds and mist.

Round, Deer, and Peel Islands come into view in Beaver Harbor.

I only stopped once today for a quick break. I found that as long as I was paddling I could stay warm but if I stopped for just a short time chills began to set in. From miles off, I could make out a group of islands that held my destination for this evening, Peel Island. I could not get there soon enough.

My campsite on Peel Island.

I could see planes taking off and landing from the Port Hardy airport that was visible from the water and marked on my chart. I knew I was getting close. As I passed Deer Island and entered Beaver Harbor, the seas calmed and I was able relax a little for the first time today. Peel Island came into view and I started searching for a suitable campsite. At 2:15pm, after paddling 23 miles in 7 ½ hours I found the perfect spot, a crushed shell beach on the far west side of the island. As if on queue, the rain stopped just as I was setting up camp giving me the first break of the day.