Wild Pacific Trail, Ucluelet, BC

Whilst in Ucluelet we had a few days spare, either side of our Clayoquot Sound trip, and we were able to take advantage of the beautiful Wild Pacific Trail.

The trail runs along the Pacific Coast from the lighthouse at Amphitrite Point , north to the start of Long Beach. Passing only a kilometre from our accommodation, we walked both north and south on different days.

With spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean, there are look outs that are worth stopping at.  Towards the north of the town there are a number of loops in the trail, providing vantage points, specifically designed for artists to aid their work. We saw seals playing in the ocean from one of these vantage points.

The walking is easy as the trail is well maintained. It follows along the cliffs, but within the rain forest, as there are few accessible beaches on this part of the coast, but the views are magnificent

We walked another part of the trail on Flores Island, in Clayoquot Sound, from Cow Bay to White Sand Cove.  This area is different as most of the walking is on beaches, only entering the rainforest at headlands. Designed to aid shipwrecked sailors find settlements, the walk runs along the west coast of Vancouver Island.

My Thoughts On The Nimbus Telkwa Kayak.

It is always good to try other kayaks, so this post is my view of the kayak I used in Clayoquot Sound. This is in no way intended as an in depth review, more my personal observation, I'll leave a proper critic to more qualified kayakers.

The kayaks provided by Majestic Ocean Kayaking were excellent, in very good condition and designed for the task. One appeared to be brand new.

Both Marty and I used Nimbus Telkwa's and Gilly used the slightly smaller Nimbus Solander.

The Telkwa was designed to be a fully fledged ocean touring kayak, capable of doing unsupported trips of at least a couple of weeks duration, and it has a huge capacity. I have to hand it to the Canadian's when they go kayak camping they don't skimp on taking the comforts of home.  So a number of their kayaks have enough volume to hold what you want to take, rather than what you can cut down and survive with.  We met Brad and Chuck at Ahous Beach and they had a good set up, using a Current Design Solstice and an extended, home made CLC 17 foot kayak, they were out for a long weekend and appeared to be camping in style. 

Dimensions
Length        Beam        Depth       Weight (lbs.)         Cockpit size
18' 3"           24.375"     14"             53 Glass            32.625" x 17.625"

Storage Volume
Total volume (litres) Bow Hatch     Cockpit       Stern Hatch
         410                  80                195                   135



The Telkwa handled well, was very stable and quite fast. Fully loaded it was not too difficult to get up to cruising speed, once there, it was easy to maintain the pace. In rougher waters it was vice free and we enjoyed some nice surfing. Edging was difficult and even leaning the body over the side did little to tilt the hull. That said stability was rock solid and even in some unpleasant, choppy seas the Telkwa never caused concern.

The rudder worked well, even with the sliding foot rests that hire craft have.  Surprisingly, there is quite a lot of rocker in the hull, but the kayak tracked and manoeuvred well, both fully and partially loaded, but only with the rudder deployed. The Telkwa did not track terribly well without the rudder and this is probably due to the amount of rocker in the hull.

Summary: Designed as a load carrier for extended trips and for this purpose it's superb.   With its huge volume you can take the kitchen sink. After the low volume Scorpio, the Telkwa opened my eyes to comfortable kayak/camping. It doesn't have any vices and handled very well.  With water temperatures of 6 degrees, swimming was not an option and the Telkwa never caused me any concerns. I certainly will paddle one again, if I am lucky enough to return to Canada.

Legendary Noodle Restaurant, Vancouver.

This restaurant is easy to miss. Situated on Denman Street, near the Comox Street intersection, it has a very small frontage.

We’d been there on a previous trip, but I just couldn’t remember it, that was until we walked through the door and it all came flooding back.  

How on earth could I have forgotten?  The noodles are made on the premises, in fact in front of you, as the kitchen is only a glass screen away, and are “legendary”.

   Noodle Making On The Premises.

Beef brisket soup is my favourite and I had a real dilemma in changing my normal order to the cold noodles and prawns, but they too are now on the list of “must have again”. The soup reminds me of the Japanese Ramen soups, served in a big bowl, it is full of flavour  without having chilli or being overpowered with spices.

The restaurant has a friendly, busy atmosphere and the staff are attentive. Very reasonably priced meals, which make Perth prices look ridiculously expensive. This is a restaurant we will be visiting again, when we're back in Vancouver.

Images Of Clayoquot Sound.

                                                                                                             

  

                    

       

                

 

 

                                                                                

Majestic Ocean Kayaking, Ucluelet, Vancouver Island.

Majestic Ocean Kayaking

Thanks go to Tracy and Ted, the proprietors of Majestic Ocean Kayaking, for their hospitality during our stay in Ukee, at their luxury Bed & Breakfast. The stay in the Emily Carr room is one we will always remember. We really enjoyed the breakfasts every morning, but rarely finished everything, there was just so much.

A big thank you as well on the kayaking side, as they provided first class equipment and an exceptional guide in Bill Rickson for our trip into the Sound. We're looking forward to our next trip with you.

Bed & Breakfast On Inlet At Ucluelet

Sincere thanks go to:

   The Team: Guide Bill, Gilly and Marty.

Guide Bill Rickson, of Majestic Ocean Kayaking, is a professional. He knows the waters of Clayoquot Sound well and took us to some incredible places, one's that we would never have found on our own. Our meals were of a gourmet standard and whilst they were prepared by the staff at MOK, Bill's presentation was first class.  Special mention has to go to his coffee which both Marty and I really appreciated. Our thanks go to Bill for his attention to detail and for guiding us safely, on a fun trip, one that we will remember for years to come.

Marty Thedroff from Saskatchewan, in central Canada, not a well know sea kayaking area.  For someone who only manages to paddle once a year, he is a very capable and reliable paddling companion.  Marty fitted into the team effortlessly, and it was like paddling with an old friend, rather than a new acquaintance. Thanks Marty, I hope we have the chance to paddle with you again, somewhere.

To Gilly for sharing the dream and being a major part of it.  Without whom the trip would not have been as memorable.  Thanks for being there.

Marooned On Salt Spring Island.........

I would like it known that alcohol was not involved .............

I managed to fall over on Salt Spring Island, ending up in the gravel with a few grazes and a very twisted ankle.

I'm marooned on the island. I can't carry any luggage and hopping (literally) on and off ferries, just isn't going to happen.

I was contemplating this dilemma, with leg up, iced and compressed , in the lovely garden of Beverly and Len Brown the owners of the Wisteria B&B, when Nurse Gilly arrives waving a piece of paper.

At first I had trouble working out what the receipt was for, but when I read the merchant name "Salt Spring Air", the Penny dropped.  We were booked on a float plane from the island to the float plane terminal, in Downtown Vancouver, right in the heart of the city.

So, instead of a full day's travel by taxi, bus, two ferries and yet another bus, and probably a final taxi to make the accommodation, we took a thirty minute ride in comfort.

No contest.

What a clever girl.

Ganges Harbour, Salt Spring Island.

Trying To Work Out How To Load The Hockey Bag.

  

Touch Down Vancouver.

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.