My buddies and I took a trip this past Summer up the outer British Columbia coast from Bella Bella to Prince Rupert. Our route was about 240 NM of open water paddling that we covered in 15 days. The coastline is remote and very lightly traveled by any watercraft. Take a peek if you like:
http://3meterswell.blogspot.com
Jon
#reiemployee
Thanks for the outstanding trip report,
enjoyed it immensely. Too bad about the lost gear. Sometimes the sea just has to take something back for all of the good times it provides us. Still a bitter pill to swallow though. Glad the outcome was good and the trip safe.
Great TR
As incredible as the trips you take are, the trip reports are better. Nice effort on both and thanks for sharing.
~~Chip
Thank you!
It’s only money, right? I got totally lucky and lost nothing. Still surprised that my boat wasn’t broken. That is one tough Tempest.
Jon
http://3meterswell.blogspot.com
paddling BC
Thanks for a great trip report. I wish more of them were this good.
What a read
Really enjoyed reading about your trip, and your reflections on it at the report’s conclusion.
Would you do this trip solo? I know, I know, “three at sea”. I’m just curious…having been there, were the objective hazards such that, all things being equal, you’d not attempt this alone, or??
Thanks for the info – I have your site bookmarked and have downloaded the guides you referenced.
Thank you, pnwer…
Thanks for taking the time to read the report and for downloading Glenn’s Guides. The Canadian government has shown a tendency to protect crown lands from development if there is evidence that it is being used for recreation. The existence of those guides exaggerates the current usage by kayakers of the outer BC coastline to our advantage. By clicking on the download link we further accentuate the importance of preserving those wilderness areas for recreation and habitat. Please click often.
http://issuu.com/glennlewis/docs/aristazabal_price_and_athlone_islands
Regarding the question about soloing that trip………We all have different technical skills and comfort levels around uncertainty. Prior to this trip I think that there were just too many unknowns on the route for me to be comfortable doing it alone. Now that I know what’s out there I would consider doing it solo but I doubt that I ever will. I just don’t think it would be that much fun and would definitely be a lot of work. If you decide to go that way I would be happy to share our experiences with the objective hazards. Dave and Greg would also be open to discuss. I see you are local.
The information in Glenn’s Guides helped me find campsites and on that ragged coastline that is a wonderful gift. His information on weather, seas, tides, etc. is invaluable. Recommended reading for anyone planning to go out there. For my part I try to provide a bit of the flavor that one can expect while highlighting some things to pay attention to and, hopefully, allowing a tiny bit of comic relief.
Jon
http://3meterswell.blogspot.com
Based on your account…
…of missing bays or getting on the wrong side of this feature or that, it was easy to surmise how indispensable these guides were. Given the ruggedness of this coast, it would be a serious endeavor to try your route without knowledge of safe landings. I’ve experienced the queasy feeling of finding a suitable landing with daylight waning…zero fun.
Incidentally, a book I read is one of the influences that keyed me into this part of the world for an extended kayak trip. The book is Great Bear Wild: Dispatches from a Northern Rainforest, by photographer Ian McAllister. I’m a photographer, and a fan of nature / landscape / wildlife photography. McAllister’s work is incredible, and he founded Pacific Wild, which works to protect the north and central coast of BC. I have stacks of photography coffee table books, and this is the only one I’ve read cover to cover, right from the jump.
In any case, thanks for the feedback!
YES!
I’ve got that book and a few other of Ian McAllister’s. Check out his books on the Coastal Wolves. “The Sea Wolves” and “Following the Last Wild Wolves”. Wonderful stuff. Also, take a peek at April Bencze’s Facebook page. She hangs with Ian and Douglas Neasloss of the Kitasoo XaiXais Nation and seems to have a relationship with the Sea Wolves that we would die for. Her wolf photos and narration are extraordinary.
If you haven’t seen some of the documentary videos on the GBR I would recommend my favorites.
Enter the Great Bear Rain Forest
A short, scenic easily digested 5 minute video focusing on the wildlife of the region. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=js1rnKPAnE0&feature=related
Spoil The Great Bear Rain Forest
A long (45 minute) documentary on the region and some of the risks it faces from development.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3bKmz4od3g&feature=related
Jon Dawkins
http://3meterswell.blogspot.com
#REIEmployee