Nanaimo

Wednesday 18th July

We left Discovery Islands Lodge this morning and said bye to Brian and Roh on the ferry back to Vancouver Island. We though about going back to Vancouver a different way (via the Sunshine Coast) but the ferry times didn't really align and after the adrenoline rush of the last few days we are feeling quite drained and adventured-out. The holiday is nearly over.

So we decided to stay in Nanaimo for the night and have a final dinner out on the island before heading back to Diane's place tomorrow.

On the way we called into the Parrot Rescue Centre at Coombs - this is a rescue centre that has provided a home for parrots that have been relinquished or been rescued. Seeing the stae of some of these birds would put you right off keeping a parrot as a pet - seeing what has been the result of the birds' experience of humans. There are a lot of birds that have lost feathers, but it is the ones that would be here due to behavioural issues that are tghe saddest. The rescue centre is a large shed divided up into areas, some of which can be walked through. There are a lot of signs admonishing visitors not to feed their fingers to the birds... In one area we were greeted by some parrots that would fly to you andappeared friendly until you relaxed a bit, then they'd bite. I had an Eclectus on one shoulder crooning "hello" in my ear then it attached itself to my cheek... while I was trying to detach it the corella on the other shoulder took a big bite of my finger. Meanwhile a cockatoo was stalking Neil and biting him on the heels.

A parrot going in for a big bite - sacrificial hat

In Nanaimo we stayed at the Buccaneer Inn, on the waterfront near the ferry terminal. The proprietor recommended dinner at the Dinghy Dock Pub on Prospect Island and provided water taxi vouchers. Dinner was very tasty (cod for Neil, crab & mussels for me) and I have continued my quest to try a range of beers - a raspberry ale and a chocolate porter. The raspberry ale was a pale pink, not sweet but did have a delicate berry flavour and the chocolate porter did smell and taste chocolatey - would have gone well with a dessert too.

The Dinghy Dock Pub - a floating restaurant

Neil enjoying the summer's evening

Quadra Island - Okisollo Rapids

Tuesday 17th July

For our last day at Discovery Lodge we were dropped off near the northern end of the island at Hole-in-the-wall, location of one of two sets of waves formed in the Okisollo Channel. These tidal rapids are different from Surge Narrows in that they form over deeper water (there is a bar but it has more water over it) and can get up to 3m high. Today we were expecting up to 2m as it was not a spring tide (flow can get 12-13 knots), with the maximum current today expected at 8.6 knots.

Just after slack water

Just a slight disturbance on the water...

Our staging area on an eddy - the moving water past the kelp bed travels to the right down to the rapid

We arrived not long after slack water and the area of the wave was flat an innocuous looking. This soon changed as the current picked up...

Building up - the first green wave to the left then the next two are spilling (overfalls)

The wave built up over a couple of hours into a series of topping waves with the front being a big green pillow with a deep trough in front of it. From the staging eddy you ferry glide out into position and then turn up-current, sliding into the trough backwards. Then paddle to stay on the wave.

Roh in the first trough - this is quite early on - later in the session when he was in there only the top of his helmet was visible

By the end of the session I had got into the correct position twice but hadn't stayed on the wave very long - one I side broached and got whacked by the second line of waves (rolled right over the top of me). The second time (my last run) was the best and no-one noticed... I wasn't there all that long but it was totally awesome. The feeling of sliding backwards into the trough - you glide back and know that you are wholly in the grip of nature.

Quadra Island - Surge Narrows

Friday 13th - Monday 16th July

We departed Tofino and returned to the east coast, driving up to Cambell River again, and taking the ferry across to Quadra Island. On the east side of the island at the end of a road is Discovery Islands Lodge - a kayaker B&B.

Discovery Islands Lodge

This is a great place for kayaking in the Discovery Islands - accommodation, tours and kayak hire. We were staying there 5 nights and hiring performance kayaks from the Nigel Dennis range - NDK Romany, Romany HV and Explorer kayaks, for our independant trips out to the tidal rapids. I used the Romany which was the smallest of the three (appropriately) and found it very responsive and easy to roll (just as well!)

The wave at Surge Narrows (current is from right to left)

 The wave forms in restricted passages where the water is running at several knots over shallow shelves. It is at its best for about an hour either side of peak flow, but during the time leading up to this Roh took us through the basics of negotiating eddies and applying appropriate leaning, bracing, steering strokes and ferry gliding across the rapidly increasing flow.

Roh on the wave

Me on the edge of the wave

Almost on the wave!

We spent 3 days at Surge Narrows training on what is essentially white water kayaking on the sea. Very exhilarating! I did get on the wave from time to time but most often would get flicked out over the end or not quite get far enough forward - the trick is to get in from the eddy at the right spot and get the stern rudder / paddle like mad combo exactly right.

Once flung off the wave I found I'd either be in the smooth water beyond the eddyline, or right in amongst all the turbulent water. When I got a bit better at coming off the wave (or from near the wave) I was better able to exit near where I'd entered it - much better use of energy rather than having to negotiate the turbulence. Aside from a couple of times near maximum flow (when the wave rolled over me in a side-surf), it was more likely that this turbulence would trip me up as I'd be trying to get back to our sheltered staging area. Number one lesson here is DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOW-BRACE ON OR NEAR THE CENTRE OF WHIRLPOOLS!   :)  They just don't support the paddle - it gets sucked in and I follow! I know this should be obvious but it's one of those things where you look at something (and they are impressive) and end up going there... This is where all that rolling training with Cheri & Turner has really paid off - in confidence if not in technique at least. I only missed two rolls in the three days (out of quite a few) and recovered those with a re-enter & roll.

This of course is the training ground - the real deal is the Okisollo wave.

Peaceful scene at Discovery Islands Lodge on sunset

Clayoquot Sound

Saturday 7th - Thursday 12th July

We spent the morning browsing the shops and galleries before meeting up with Roh and Brian. We headed out to Hot Springs Cove on the Tofino Water Taxi, a slightly damp journey in an open boat of an hour and a half. Along the way we saw some more sea otters and a black bear with two tiny little cubs. We travelled by the inside route as it was a bit bumpy on the ocean side for the boat.

Innchanter

At Hot Springs Cove we disembarked onto Innchanter, a floating B&B and unpacked our gear into some very comfy cabins. Proprietor Shaun, assisted by Robin, provided a lovely vegitarian fondue (dipping pieces of vegetables as well as bread) into a delicious mix of cheeses (swiss, gruyere, emmental). I don't think I've had a fondue since the 70's so this was a great little bit of personal history revisited.

The hot springs inlet stream

After dinner we motored over to the jetty in the runabout and walked up the boardwalk (a couple of km's) in the dusk to the Hot Springs, which we had all to ourselves - this is a major tourist destination so the evening is definitely the time to go!

Next day, after another trip to the springs, we collected the kayaks Brian & Roh had hired (they'd come in by boat while we were at the springs - with some complementary beers - thanks guys they were much appreciated!). After a delicious breakfast of papaw & camembert fritatta, fruit salad (with local berries), yoghurt and english muffins, we packed and reluctantly said goodbye to Innchanter.

We took the outside course across to Flores Island and followed the coast around to Siwash Cove, where we looked at some hut ruins, before opting to travel a few more km's to the more developed campsites in Cow Bay. This was a fairly busy spot with a number of kayaking groups and a group of guys there for a boys-own getway, but the beach was big and there was plenty of room for everyone. We spent two nights there, going for a wander and generally relaxing (and swimming - the sun is out!).

Sunset at Cow Bay, Flores Island

Irregular echinoid (sand dollar), Cow Bay beach

Garter snake (non-poisonous) Cow Bay

On Tuesday we packed and departed in fairly leisurely fashion, stopping to look at the humpback whales that were in the bay. Then paddled on around the Flores Island coast, past some very nice sandy beaches (Whitesand Beach being one of them) and up into the Sound to Millar Passage. This is a quite wide inlet. We contoured the coast, looking at eagles and staying out of the way of boats, arriving at Atleo River mid afternoon. We were hoping to see some bears browsing the intertidal zone but the tide was coming in and the bears were elsewhere. On a tip from a guy involved in a survey on the affects of logging on the river, we continued on to another (secret) campsite, which had some lovely clearings in the forest, a beautiful little waterfall that we could paddle right up to, and a wide gravelly beach (more swimming).

Packing to depart Cow Bay

Departing Cow Bay

A waterfall you can paddle right up to, off Millar Passage

A great campsite, up Millar Passage

Wednesday dawned foggy, which lent a rather spooky cast to the scenery. The fog patches drifted in and out. When we arrived on Vargas Island for lunch at Dick & Janes Beach for lunch the steam was rising from the sand, one end of the beach was foggy and the other clear! After lunch we paddled around to the ocean side and crossed out to Blunden Island. This is a really scenic little island though the scenery was mostly obscured by the fog, but it lifted in the afternoon to give a great view back to Vargas Island.

Pigeon Guillomots (I think!?)

Dick and Jane's Beach, Vargas Island

Fog on Blunden Island

Blunden Island later when the fog lifted

Other side of Blunden Island

Thursday dawned foggy again and we followed our GPS track back to Vargas Island and back around to the inlet side, for the paddle back into Tofino. The tide was running against us so we tucked in close to the coast, arriving back at Tofino early in the afternoon.

One of a family of 5 otters that came out of the water right in front of us - Vargas Island

Mist rising from a little island shore near Tofino

Tofino harbour

Polychaete worms attached to the underside of a dock

View of Tofino waterfront from our motel window

Night out in the Tofino nightspots (not exactly pool champs but then we weren't disgraced either!). We are about to continue on to Quadra Island and Discovery Islands Lodge, where we will be until the 18th (probably no wifi there).

Tofino

Friday 6th July

Departed Campbell River and drove to Nanaimo. Had lunch on the waterfront (clams & local beer).
We then drove on to Tofino, ahead of departure planned for tomorrow afternoon or Sunday. We will be back on-line Thursday or Friday.

Tofino is a bit bigger than we expected & has a lot of new resort development on the outskirts. It is a surfing/fishing /kayaking/nature watching town devoted to watersports on its local surf beaches and Clayoquot Sound.

We are staying at the Schooner Motel in downtown Tofino and had a very good dinner at Sobo - seafood stew & Neil had bison.

Sunset at the wharf

Tours out of Tofino

A rather rocky launch area but better than some we have seen

Sunset

Nootka Sound North

Tuesday 3rd - Thursday 4th July

We headed back across the island to the west coast, arriving in Tahsis just before lunch time. Tahsis was a bit bigger than we expected for a town that once depended on the logging industry. There is a big space where the mill used to be but the town carries on around it and has a focus on boating/fishing and tourism. It has three sea kayak businesses - one at the main wharf and two more at the boat ramp.

We checked out the launching possibilities and had a chat to Jude at Tahsis Dive Charters (also one of the three sea kayaking businesses), then had a big burger early lunch at the diner/supermarket/gas station. We got back to the launch site and unpacked and discovered that we had a bit of a technical difficulty. The best temporary fix at the time was to hire a kayak and carry on... Jude was very helpful above & beyond and we were soon on the water. [A fix is now in hand - very prompt response - Thanks]

The weather forecast was for improving conditions - the rain had stopped but it was still quite grey and overcast and the afternoon winds had come in by then. We hugged the side of the inlet and escaped most of it and it eventually dropped off for the evening.

The BC Marine Trails website and the recently published The BC Coast Explorer & Marine Trails Guide lists a few campsites within a couple of hours paddling of Tahsis but they are not as good as the ones further out. The terrain is vertical and there are not what we would think of as beaches.

The first one, Lord Waterfall is a small ledge, but it was a bit overgrown with prickly bushes. Across Hecate Channel is Haven, which offers a choice of a scramble up a rocky shelf or a one-tent space back off the rocky beach. We spent a bit of time debating these options - the rocky shelf was doable but the camping was a bit confined and there was nowhere to go if the bear that had been snacking on berries there returned (he had left a couple of large deposits to announce his very recent presence). The other site was okay. It had a discarded snake skin next to it which we were contemplating when I just missed stepping on the actual snake... It disapeared into the bush right next to where the tent was going to go - less than ideal. We paddled on around the corner into Esperanza Inlet, to Saltery Creek, but couldn't find anything sufficiently above high tide and the areas behind the beach were either completely overgrown or were streambed.

So we went on the Garden Point, which is accessed by beaches either side of a sandy spit connected to an island at high tide (a tombolo) - an idyllic spot and the one I had been intending to get to anyway before we were delayed. The campsite area is big with multiple tent sites, a central area with a driftwood table and a rather dodgy outhouse set back in the woods.

West facing beach at Garden Point

As we came in to the beach we were greeted by a family curious sea otters. These were the first of many we saw here and in Nuchatilitz Marine Provincial Park.

Sea otter families near Garden Point

Next day we encountered the other inhabitant of this beach - a large black bear! Startled, he intially ran away, but later resumed his patrol of the edge of beach - fortunately some distance away as the tide was out!

Black bear doing a circuit of the beach

After breakfast we paddled to Nuchatilitz Marine Provincial Park (keeping a eye out for our furry neighbour as we launched) and spent the day around the islands. Most of the larger ones have campsites - there was a big group already on Wy-Ash island which seems to be the main one paddlers go for. We saw many sea otters playing in the kelp beds, bald eagles, interesting marine life on the rocks and some nice caves and gauntlets.

More sea otters

There's no such thing as seeing too many sea otters!

Bald eagle on an islet

With the high rainfall trees grow on any small rock!

Sea cave

The skies cleared and the whole picture changed as the sun came out. What was previously a grey palate of pearly, slatey, pewtery and green-grey colours now became a riot of greens and blues. The whole area was transformed.

Garden Point

Garden Point tombolo

All the green colours revealed by the sunlight...

 Back at Garden Point - after dinner I watched the sun set behind the hills and the sea turned a burnished bronze colour. As I watched the light gently fade a family of sea otters emerged and swam in the bay, feeding on clams. The adults could clearly be heard tapping a rock on the clam balanced on their bellies as they floated on the surface. Then crunching as they devoured the meat through the cracked shell and the mewling of the youngster as it demanded food. I watched them for a while as the light dimmed and later when it was dark (around 11pm) they could stil clearly be heard.

Otters at sunset

We paddled back to Tahsis the next day. Brilliant sunshine - summer has arrived declared the locals. We saw more bears on various beaches in Esperanza Inlet and lots of different starfish in the shallows and on rocks. The water was clear over the kelp forests and fish could be seen swimming in the shallows. Three days doesn't do the area justice  - there is a lot more to see in the area both north at Catala Island and south along Nootka Island (there is also a walking trail along the ocean side of the Island).

Leaving Garden Point

Kelp forests of Esperanza Channel

Starfish in a rock crevice, Esperanza Channel

A garden on an old log, Tahsis Narrows