I'm looking for a paddle route from Seattle to Port Hardy, BC (North Vancouver Island). Especially interested on opinions about whether to paddle through the San Jauns to Victoria, Vancouver Island, or to paddle straight north along the coast to Vancouver, BC. Would be appreciative of any information on campsites, routes to avoid, resupply options, and any Canadian permit requirements or other things that I need to be aware of. And are there certain routes that I can take, but only during certain tide conditions? Any help or contact information on this would be great. Thanks, Shoni Blue *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 03:36 PM 1/21/99 -0800, you wrote: >I'm looking for a paddle route from Seattle to Port Hardy, BC (North >Vancouver Island). > >Especially interested on opinions about whether to paddle through the San >Jauns to Victoria, Vancouver Island, or to paddle straight north along the >coast to Vancouver, BC. >Would be appreciative of any information on campsites, routes to avoid, >resupply options, and any Canadian permit requirements or other things that >I need to be aware of. And are there certain routes that I can take, but >only during certain tide conditions? > >Any help or contact information on this would be great. >Thanks, >Shoni Blue Hi Shoni, Some years back I paddled from Port Hardy to Vancouver, BC. I followed the BC mainland from Cortes Island on down. Although from about Powell River south, the land is definitely "cottage country" rather than total wilderness, it is less built up and offers more camping opportunities than Vancouver Island does from the north end of the Gulf Islands until Campbell River. (If you're "credit card touring" you can find some lovely shorefront B&Bs and resorts to stay at, as well as some waterfront commercial campgrounds on the Vancouver Island side.) I've only paddled on the Canadian side of Boundary Passage and around the aptly named Boiling Reef, but I understand the crossing from the San Juans to the Gulf Islands can be very hairy in the wrong tide and weather conditions - see Sea Kayaker's "Deep Trouble" book for a description of a fatal accident in this area. You should be fine as long as you're patient enough to wait for the right tide and weather. There's a Canada Customs check-in at the yacht club/resort near Beaumont Marine Park on South Pender Island. I understand all boaters arriving from "overseas" are required to check-in as soon as they land on Canadian soil. There's a sign posted at the Canada Customs Office with instructions on where to phone after hours when the office is closed. If you do take the Vancouver Island side from the San Juans up, you will have to pass through Seymour Narrows just north of Campbell River. This is, as the name suggests, very narrow, and the situation is complicated by the fact that this is the point where the tides flooding around Vancouver Island meet as they "wrap around" from the north and the south. So there is no full "slack tide" - it's always either flooding or ebbing, and often an exciting mixture of both. It is passable (I've done it), but there are other, more mellow options nearer the mainland. The BC Marine Trail Association recently published a guidebook which covers the Discovery Islands area (among others). These are the islands roughly north east of Campbell River, and they offer some very exciting tidal whitewater passages and/or some more laid-back routes northward. I'll email you the book title tomorrow as it's at home. You might also look for the BC Marine Trail Associations home page, and email them for other suggestions. One route option, if you don't mind zigzagging, would be to paddle through the San Juans and Gulf Islands, then either take the ferry or paddle across The Strait of Georgia to the mainland north of Vancouver. I have paddled across the Strait at various points over the years. Of course, you must be up for 5 to 8 hours or more in the boat, you must be dressed and equipped for the conditions, and you must ensure that you have a very long "window" of ideal weather, so you'd have to be prepared to wait in the Gulfs until conditions were perfect. Good luck on your adventure, and email me if I can be of help with any specifics. Philip T. N49°16' W123°08' "The opinions expressed in this posting are not necessarily those of my employer, or indeed, of any sentient being." *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 15:36 1/21/99 -0800, Shoni Blue (Meridian Partners Ltd.) wrote: >I'm looking for a paddle route from Seattle to Port Hardy, BC (North >Vancouver Island). Neat! There's a Kayak Shop in Gig Harbor that may be able to help-can't remember their addy but it is on the net... I am nearly ready to start volunteering at Harborview with the computer folks-something to do with the Y2K problem... In any case that indicates to me that I am making measureable progress and so---- I am in search "Seattle-ites" who might have a spare place on their rack, for one more kayak, and maybe a place inside their vehicle for an extra person... Heck I can take a bus-but I have to get my yak to the water. <VBG> The state hasn't come through with my drivers lic. but it's been quite a while since I had my yak out the one and only time since my accident, and since the weather should be getting better [somewhat] soon... I thought I better get a note out asking about people who might be interested in having an addition to their party... :) If there is anyone in this area who might be interested, please write me and let me know! Heck, I went out by myself once, I was careful, and I do not believe that if I had a partner at the time, I would have been any bother... Any help in this regard can be re-payed [I feel confident] sometime in '99 for by then it seems that the state should finally approve giving me a drivers test etc... and my S-10 can handle-oh at one time I think 4 yaks and a canoe... :) Thanks for your time, Tom... { "Three left turns often make a right-The trick is surviving the attempts..." } Kirkland, Wa. <gadfly_at_isomedia.com> <http://www.isomedia.com/homes/gadfly/> *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Are you aware of the Washington Water Trails Association? They've been working on a system of connected campsites within a days paddle of each other -- some reserved just for kayakers I understand -- in a trail system that runs from Olympia to the north San Juans, and they are working to extend the trail into the Canadian San Juans. They have a website: http://www.eskimo.com/~wwta/ Shoni Blue (Meridian Partners Ltd.) wrote: > > I'm looking for a paddle route from Seattle to Port Hardy, BC (North > Vancouver Island). > > Especially interested on opinions about whether to paddle through the San > Jauns to Victoria, Vancouver Island, or to paddle straight north along the > coast to Vancouver, BC. > Would be appreciative of any information on campsites, routes to avoid, > resupply options, and any Canadian permit requirements or other things that > I need to be aware of. And are there certain routes that I can take, but > only during certain tide conditions? > > Any help or contact information on this would be great. > Thanks, > Shoni Blue > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** -- Rob Nevitt blumarbl_at_pacbell.net 122d42'27"W 38d26'58"N (Santa Rosa, CA) ils.bytebeam.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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