Question: How To Travel With A Greenland Paddle ?

Answer:

Purchase a Northern Lights carbon Greenland paddle, which breaks down into three pieces, the maximum length being just over 92 cm.  

It is promoted in the literature as “fitting into your luggage”. That is if you have a "REALLY BIG CASE", it will fit, otherwise it sticks out.

So out of the frying pan and into the fire, so to speak.

The next problem was finding a case big enough.

A chance meeting in a Mountain Designs store, with a lady shopper and her daughter, put me on the right track. She suggested using a wheeled hockey bag – the perfect solution.

Cathy Pacific accepted the case without question, but did insist it was lodged at the "Over Sized" counter after checking in. The advantage of having the paddle contained in the bag is that you don't incur an additional surcharge if it is to travel seperately as sporting goods ie we did have to pay a surcharge with Air New Zealand to get our ski's to Queenstown.

Trip Log ( The boring technical stuff) and Chart of Clayoquot Sound.

For Your Information: MacKenzie Beach is in the bottom right hand corner; Cow Bay is in the top left hand corner.

Day 1: Saturday, 13th July 203.

Start Point: MacKenzie Bay, Tofino, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Participants: Geoff Palmer, Gillian Palmer, Marty Thedroff.
Guide: Bill Rickson.

Weather: Light winds throughout day, overcast developing to sunshine. Sea calm to slight.

Route: MacKenzie Bay across Templar Channel to Wickininnish Island, across Father Charles Channel to Moser Pt., Vargas Island for lunch stop.

East to West through rock gardens of the La Croix Group to Ahous Beach.

Distance: 7.5 nm,  (13.9 kms)



Day 2: Sunday, 14th July 2013.

Route: Ahous Beach, Vargas Island, around bay to Blunden Island and return.

Weather: Light winds and calm sea to start, increasing to 18 to 20 knots and 2 metres swell off Northern point of Blunden Island, decreasing in Ahous Bay. Sunshine all day.

Distance: 6.6 nm, (12.2 kms)

Day 3: Monday, 15th July 2013.

Route: Ahous Beach to Hobbs Island and across Brabant Channel to Lawrence and Bartlett Islands for lunch.
Tibbs Island across Russell Channel to Garrard Group, Flores Island, west along coast line to Cow Bay.

Weather: Light wind and sea conditions, increased to 10 knots and 1 metre sea in Russell Channel. Sunshine at beginning and end of day, overcast early afternoon.

Distance: 8.6 nm, (15.9 kms)

Day 4: Tuesday, 16th July 2013.

Route: Around Cow Bay to Siwash Cove and return.

Weather: Light winds and slight sea. Sunshine all day.

Distance: 5.2 nm  ( 9.6 kms)

Day 5: Wednesday, 17th July 2013.

Route: Cow Bay east to Whitesand Cove for lunch.  North into Millar Channel to Yates Point, across channel to Vancouver Island, under Catface Range, then south to Monks Island and across Calmus Passage to Dick & Jane's Beach, Vargus Island.

Weather: Started with moderate headwind and sea on point at Cow Bay, decreasing to under 10 knots. Over cast all day.

Distance: 9.0 nm,  (16.6 kms).


Day 6: Thursday, 18th July 2013.

Route: Dick & Jane's along Calmus Passage east, north and then east coast of Vargus Island to Rassier Point. South across Father Charles Channel to Stubbs Island for lunch.
East to south of Tofino and MacKenzie Beach.

Weather: Over cast all day. WInds light sea calm to slight.

Distance: 8.8 nm, (16.3 kms)


Total Distance: 45.7 nm,  (84.5 kms)

Day 6: Rolling Home, Slowly.......

Around The Camp Fire At Dick & Jane's
Guide Bill, Marty and Gilly

Camping On The Beach Among The Tree Trunks

It's still. The cloud is low on the mountains. The water is oily, flat and motionless. Even the wind refuses to blow. The only movement, two eagles soaring high over the Sound. Everything is grey, including our spirits.

Today is our last day, the last day of a wonderful adventure, with great people and fantastic scenery.

As we paddle east down Calmus Passage, our paddle strokes are heavy and slow, we savour the moment, and take in the scene before us.

This part of the Sound is different, it's calmer, there are the mountains and the rainforest, but they appear to be very close.  Unlike the sea areas we have been paddling, this is more like a lake scene.  The land is so close, you feel as if you can reach out and touch it.

The tide is with us, speeding our progress towards the final beach.  Marty is possessed, his  technique has been improving all week and today he's "Rocket Man", no one can catch him, what ever he had the breakfast, I need some ........

At Elbow Bank we enter the Maurus Channel, the tide is well and truly under us now, but we keep close to Vargas Island. The on coming boat traffic is also on this side of the channel, keeping well away from the mid channel bank, as we approach Rassier Point several high speed whale watching vessels are on us, so Bill's caution was well founded.

Down towards Stubbs Island, we cross Father Charles Channel for the final time.  The tide is ebbing quickly but the cross wind is pushing us east.  We all keep up into the wind and reach the point without problems.

Our last lunch is on the South side of the island and we can feel the end approaching. As we are packing up lunch,  Bill compliments us on our strength, we have paddled each day of the trip, he indicates other groups have needed a "beach day" to recover. I'm not sure if he thought three old timers wouldn't be up to it, but it appears we can hold our heads high.

We dawdled towards MacKenzie Beach arriving at the appointed hour, to be greeted by Tracy and Ted, the owners of Majestic Ocean Kayaking.

                     The Team: Marty, Gilly, Geoff and Guide Bill.,,,,

It is over, six fantastic days, but years of memories.

Day 5: Cow Bay To Dick & Jane's Beach (Heading Home).

Breakfast

Gilly Heading For Whitesand Cove

The homeward journey starts today, we have reached as far west as we are going, the weather must have realised, as it is overcast and there is a little more wind than we'd experienced this trip.

We know it is going to be a long day, from Cow Bay on Flores Island to Dick & Jane's Bay on Vargas Island.  It starts with a head wind and lumpy sea, as soon as we round the point and head east. "This is going to be fun" I thought, as we head into the conditions, the prospect of a 5 or 6 kms slog, is going to be hard work.  Fortunately, both the sea and wind ease after a while and the paddle to White Sands Beach is a very pleasant one.

Bill Preparing Lunch Whitesands Cove

After lunch I expected we would be heading out into the Russell Channel, retracing our steps of a few days ago, but our guide Bill chose a more circuitous route. We head north into the Millar Channel until we reach Yates Point, just before the First Nation's  Ahousat Settlement, which we can just see through the rainforest. The wind is a little stronger now and there is a slight, wind driven, sea running. At this point we head east across the channel to the Vancouver Island shore then south following the coast line and rock garden to Monks Rock.

      Marty Paddling North Towards Yates Point After Lunch

Regrouping we paddle across Calmus Passage, an open water stretch, in good conditions keeping an eye out for fishing boats and pleasure cruisers, to make Vargas Island in calm conditions at Dick & Jayne's Beach.

 
    Heading Towards Dick & Jane's Beach From Vancouver Island

A very famous sea kayaker lives at one end of the beach, John Dowd, he is the person who defined the  "Sea Kayaking" movement, back in the 70's and wrote the first book on the subject, the sport has come a long way since then.  We respect his privacy, camping at the other end of the beach in calm overcast conditions, and indulge in another feast for dinner.  I will post a separate item on the food we enjoyed during the trip, it has raised the bar so high I don't think we will ever be able to reach it.

Day 4: Day Paddle To Siwash Cove, Flores Island.

Heading Across Cow Bay

Approaching Siwash Cove, Flores Island.

Tuesday we decided to paddle up the coast, the weather was still amazing, so we made the most of it. Heading west around the bay, we reached Siwash Cove were a hermit  once lived in a shack set high on a headland.

We had another good surfing session on the way home as the wind had picked up, and I lead the group between two large rocks just off the point on Cow Bay.

A great morning paddle.

Cow Bay is named after the female whales that frequent the area, often with their young.  We saw them circling in the bay from dawn to dusk, in fact their show entertained us in the evenings.  First we saw the spout of water then the whale would appear on the surface, sometimes breaching but not often.

In the afternoon we all walked the Wild Pacific Trail east to Kutcous Point. This trail uses both the beaches and the rainforest and enabled ship wrecked sailors to reach settlements, now a recreational walk it is particularly spectacular.  We were able to view part of the paddle area we'd made the previous day, and it's amazing how different an area looks from the sea and then from the land.

In Search of Grey Whales, close to Siwash Cove. Gill, Marty & Bill.

The Wild Life of Clayoquot Sound.

Grey Whale Near Rock Garden, Siwash Bay

In Ahous and Cow Bays we were fortunate enough to be entertained by the Grey Whales, circling inside the bays. Every evening they came to perform for us as we ate our gourmet dinners.

We had numerous encounters with the Grey Whales during our trip, in fact we almost became blasé about sighting them, but we always stopped what we were doing to watch them.

On the first day as we rounded the east side of Wickinninish Island Gill spotted a Racoon on the rocks, startled by our presence it bolted before we could reach for our cameras.

Bald Headed Eagle On Rocks Off Bartlett Island

Bald Headed Eagles and Ospreys were sighted almost daily, magnificent birds of prey, they are majestic in flight and soar almost effortlessly high in the sky watching for their prey.

Sea Otters were only re-introduced into the Sound within the past 30 years and are critical to the whole eco system. It was encouraging that we spotted a number of them, and  at a rock garden off Blunden Island, we saw a colony of at least nine playing and feeding.

Although I still can't tell the difference between them, we did have numerous sightings of Seals and Sea Lions, usually in the rock gardens as they hunted for food.

In Australia, there are a number of creatures on land that can be very dangerous, but none that will try and eat you.  In the wilderness areas of this part of Canada it is important to be aware of creatures that can threaten you. We had already encountered a Wolf at Ahous Bay, Vargas Island, very close to our camp site, but at Cow Bay, Flores Island we were aware that a Cougar had stalked a female hiker at the other end of the beach, the day before our arrival. Even a bear banger had only temporarily frightened the creature, and it returned to stalk her, only backing away when she screamed at it. The Park Wardens had posted warning notices and did visit one afternoon to check on the situation, they carried a loaded rifle ..................

Bears are living in these forests, although we didn't encounter any, it is important to take precautions at the camp site, and never have food in the same area as you sleep.  All our food was locked in the forward hatches of the kayaks, well away from our tents and we ate at least 50 metres away from the tents. Food caches are provided in a lot of areas to enable campers to lock food away in metal cabinets, otherwise it is necessary to suspend food from trees out of reach of the bears.
 

Day 3: We're Rock Hopping, To Make Flores Island.

Gill and I studied the chart and guide book before dinner, it was certainly possible but it would be weather dependent, making Flores Island, one of my dream destinations was within our reach.

Bill our guide, broached the subject after yet another amazing dinner, this one of marinated salmon, Japanese noodle salad and green beans, followed by chocolate cake. We jumped at the idea, even if we had to do a quick dash across the Russell Channel and miss our lunch stop.

It was settled, we'd try for either White Sand Bay (the closest) or Cow Bay if all went well.
The next morning we followed our track of yesterday but, extended north and crossed the channel to Bartlett Island without difficulty - the weather gods were on our side.

After lunch we rock hopped until we were ready to cross the Russell Channel from the rocky out crop of Tibbs Island. The wind and sea had increased, the sky was overcast and the whole scene was grey, but Bill had faith in us and we pushed on as a group, staying together until we reached the relative safety of the rocks close to Flores Island.

A grey whale surfaced not 50 metres from my kayak, so close I was concerned it would resurface under me, and I'd be swimming. Fortunately, it dived deep and disappeared.

The push up the coast was uneventful until we reached the eastern point of Cow Bay, where the sea was lumpy and we were very close to the rocks.  All went well and finally we landed on Flores Island ..........

Cow Beach, Flores Island.

Our First Night At Cow Bay.

Day 2: A Day Paddle To Blunden Island

Lunch Stop In Cove On Blunden Island

 We paddled around Ahous Bay, passed the river mouth and crossed the small channel to one of the many islands around Blunden Island, eventually stopping at a secluded cove on the N/W side.

The weather was still good with light winds and calm sea, so we settled in for lunch.

Gourmet Lunch

 During lunch we realised the wind was increasing and shortly it was up to about 15 to 18 knots.

We decided to sit it out for an hour to see if it would decrease.

Of course it didn't, so we set out through the narrow entrance into some largish swells. It was a bit bumpy at the headland but the Telkwa handled the conditions well and I had some great surfing down waves. By the time we reached the lee of the island, the wind was lighter and the swell had eased, but we still had fun surfing across Ahous Bay to our camp site.

Early Morning In Ahous Bay.

Two Ospreys were climbing over the bay, gaining height and then circling, watching out for their prey.

A  Bald Headed Eagle was perched high on a branch of a fir tree at the end of the bay, just watching us.

The bay seemed to sweep for miles, fringed with pine trees, the mountain rose above them. clouds gathered in the distance.

The early morning sun was rising, it's warmth increasing and clearing the haze.

I searched for signs of the Grey Whales we'd sighted last night but the bay was empty.  Perhaps they would return later and perform for us?

No sign either of the lone wolf, that had come to the edge of the forest to investigate his new neighbours, but he may have been watching from the bushes, unseen.

The only sound was the crash of the shore break, far louder than its size, as the sea was flat and there was little wind. It promised to be another superb days paddling.

The only smell was that of the sea, it refreshed everything.

The islands beckoned beyond the bay, inviting us to once more get into our kayaks and paddle to investigate them.

A truly majestic scene.

Camping at Ahous Beach, Vargas Island.

 On the afternoon of the first day we paddled along the South shore of Vargas Island, to be precise, we paddled through a huge rock garden called the La Croix Group, about 5 Kms in length.

There was plenty of Kelp and Sea Weed, but also Sea Otters and a Grey Whale were sighted.

Ahous Beach Camp Site

                                       

Wolf Checking Us Out, Only 30 Metres From Our Camp.

                                       

                                        Sea Kayaks Above The High Tide Line.

                                         Looking Along Ahous Beach.

                                         Watching Grey Whales In The Bay, An Evening Pastime.

Living The Dream On Clayoquot Sound.

                                    MacKenzie Beach, Tofino, British Columbia, Canada.

We're loaded with food and water, plus personal effects and are raring to launch.
Weather is overcast but the forecast is for light winds and sunshine ...............
It looks as if it's going to be a great trip.

The team members are Marty from Central Canada, Bill our guide and Gilly.
We're a small group but this has many advantages as we can travel faster and be more flexible as to where we go.

Afloat at last, the sun is honouring us with it's rays and the sea is calm, what more could we ask for?
In the back ground is Lone Cone Mountain at 730 metres, we are heading out towards Wickaninnish Island and then on to Vargas Island for our first camp site on the beach at Ahous Bay.


Life really doesn't get much better than this.

Discovery Island Kayak Trip Blown Out .

                                                 Gilly Paddling on Victoria Harbour


Checking the weather the night before our trip to Discovery Island, we realised that the gale warning for the San Juan Straits was probably going to be a problem.  In spit of this we were ready at 8:00 am for the pick up.

I think Paul from River & Ocean Kayaking was quite relieved when we said we'd seen the wind forecast and weren't surprised they'd cancelled.

The prospect of a harbour paddle around Victoria was a poor second choice, but after coffee and breaky at the Union Pacific Cafe, we warmed to the idea.  Great cafe, with good coffee a wide selection of meals.

If you ever want a flat white in British Columbia, ask for a "no foam" latte.

Probably, the best part of the paddle was watching the float planes taking off and landing in Victoria Harbour.  In the kayaks we were able to hang around the float plane markers and really get close to the action.

We got close to the action again when a huge barge with two tugs entered the harbour. I followed at a "discrete distance" so that I got a tow as well from the wake and waves. However, the Port Authority was not so amused and "suggested" I give the tow more room.........

Later that day we watched from a dockside tavern as the float planes passed low over head and struggled to land in a huge cross wind, very entertaining, unless you were actually in one.

Tomorrow we leave for Ucluelet, or Ukee, as the locals call it. This is where we'll start our real trip on Clayoquot Sound and the reason we've come half way around the world.    

Reconnecting with YVR.

Vancouver is being kind to us, the weather is sunny and the temperatures are in the 20's, summer is here.

Staying in the West End area just off Denman Street and close to English Bay, this area always reminds me of St Kilda. Same vibe, with great cafes and a beach at the end of the street.

English Bay is back dropped by Stanley Park and the mountains; some still with snow on their peaks. At one end of the beach is the magnificent Inukchuk, made of stones, commemorating the First People's Culture. They  were used as a sign post, indicating things such as good fishing or danger.

Located on Granville Island in Vancouver, Ecomarine Kayaking is a must for kayakers.

We found it by accident a few years ago and just had to return this trip to stock up on equipment. 

A treasure trove, it has everything for the kayaker, so time just flies when you enter through the door, and mysteriously your wallet becomes lighter …………………

Granville Island is an oasis in the middle of the city, we sit on the sea wall eating lunch of bagels and lox (cream cheese and smoked salmon ), watching the world go by.  Sailing yachts and motor cruisers are heading for the open sea, the little ferries plod between the island and the mainland, whilst kayakers and SUP boarders weave in and out of the water traffic.  

All with the back drop of the city skyline.

It is good to be back.

A Scene From The Moore River

                                         The local wild fowl take fright at our approach.