To the list, Here is part one. I'll break the report up into two parts, as it is a bit long. I was going to abbreviate it for PW, but I'm headed off for a week to volunteer as a camp counselor for teens, and I am running a bit behind. Hope the report is of some value. I "grew" through the trip. That is all we can ask out of life. Cheers to all, Doug Lloyd ------------------------------------------- Pre Departure Day - Mon Aug 7th, 2000 Left Victoria 11:00 am. Pulled radio from car. Wanted to mellow out on way up and get in sync with natural world as much as possible. Originally had planned on being on water by now, but last minute leak test of kayak caused one day delay to fix; and a canoe overlap-ash gunwale job came up next day, paying $100.00 for some easy work, so gas expenses easily covered for trip -- but gales returning to North Island according to internet. Stopped in Campbell River, looking for knee padding to cover inside deck bolts from just installed newer front deck paddle float straps. Only thing available was a mouse pad and adhesive glue from office supply store. Arrived in Port Hardy at 6:00 pm with a headache from hell. Gale had whipped seas into a frenzy. However, unlike last time here in April of 1999, no snow storms; in fact, legs sunburnt from drive up. Took a stroll down to see new Coast Guard cutter. The older one that rescued us was sitting there, forlorn. Emotions welled up inside me. Went and got a motel. Will get groceries in morning. Twitching in nose severe. Day 1 - Tue Aug 8th, 2000 Slept in way too late. Called and met Paddlewiser Pat Kirbin of Odyssey Kayaking. Left him my float plan/equipment details. Pat will alert CG by first light next Tuesday, if no word from me. I am due back Sunday, and leave Monday for a poor weather layover. I kept his number here in journal -- (250) 902-0565 -- will call him Sunday with progress report to narrow search grid if something goes wrong after that. Pat gave me his marine operator's number for VHF emergency use. Very nice of him. Left car at town center. Picked up groceries. Had "last meal" of chinese food. Accosted by an insurance agent trying to sell me coverage. Gale was still raging in Strait. A visiting British kayaker (paddles an Anas Acuta) strolling waterfront assisted me down to low tide beach, up over stone wall. This was a good omen. He is waiting to meet other Brit paddlers for a week in Robson Bite area. His trip is planned by the owner of Knoydart, with no local guides. Pat came down to beach to scold me for not leaving earlier, suggested I hug Vancouver Island shoreline as I head west. I told him I would be crossing to Gordon Group right away, and not too worry, as I need the sea trial and would be fine. I cut the mouse pad in half and glue it in. I hate this last minute stuff, and my headache returns. Left beach finally at 2:00 pm into a 20 knot headwind in the semi-sheltered 3-mile deep bay. Rear of kayak was completely awash. Bow pounded over the 2 foot chop, splattering face with cool sea water, which had a nice flavor to it. Very hard work. Arrived at Duval Pt 3:15, where the open Goletas Channel was spewing forth its venom. Many a small boat has floundered here, so close to home port. Decided to cross to Heard Is., four nautical miles away. Goletas Channel very, very lumpy in middle (lots of fun), with a 3- to 4-foot sea running at a semi-broach angle. I'm glad for all the high wing training in Juan de Fuca Strait over the months of June and july, and I was thankful for the rudder once again. Two-thirds of the way across, I started using lots of slap supports. Figured something had to give in the pounding. It did. My neck stiffened up badly. Limped into lee of Hurst and Duncan Islands. Saw two kayaks lashed to a Zodiac bouncing over the waves. They stopped for awhile, before crossing further. Hired assisted transport for crossings -- now there was a notion. Talked to fish boat captain who had just pulled into a small sheltered bay near a fishfarm around 5:00 pm. I spoke of April's rescue and persistent ebb situation, and my attempt to finish the crossing this time. He said April was always bad due to estuarine runoff from melting snow and rain swollen rivers and "iffy" April weather accelerating currents -- all draining past Cape Caution, but shouldn't be a problem in August. He really knew his stuff. He said the worst seas he had seen in his life were just off cape Caution. He said too bad about the snotty wind of late, and that it had been as flat calm as he has ever seen it over the previous week and a half. Thanks! He shook his head after I disclosed I was continuing on, and not settling into the sheltered bay for the night. Very lumpy on outside of Bell Is., with lots of headwind and a 3-foot sea, low swell. Lots of reflected waves against cliffs. Shot through a narrow passage on the outside of Bell Is., into a sheltered bay just like Shangri-La. Took a break from the damn wind. I was in my short sleeve summer paddling jacket, and was getting cold. Went out to Boyle Is. a mile further off shore, getting really cold now. Storm Island visible on distant horizon. At 6:30 pm, headed for Redfern Is., 3-miles distance -- three miles closer to my obsession. Then I remembered those awful feeling from last April, and quickly turned back. It was way too late in the day for further crossings, and there may have been no landings on Redfern or the Hedley Islands. Be smart, stay well within your thresholds, I muttered to myself. I headed back to Hurst Is., playing over the reefs off Boyle Is. Swell was breaking steeply, and bow submerged under 9 or 10 thick kelp stocks about 2- and 3-inches in diameter. I used my tethered, fast deployment deck knife to free myself, pronto, before the next big break. Done for the day, I headed to a small rocky beach on Hurst Is., landed on the rough rocks. The beach was awful. It was time for some camp finding savvy. I had forgotten Kirby Steven's' Coastal Recreation Map of the area, so would have to trust my old nose once again. I traced backward to my route, and headed down a large inlet (Harlequin Bay), and found a superb campsite at a lovely shell beach, and set up the tent on a 12-foot cliff, terraced with soft, dry moss, overlooking the inlet. I felt like I was rewarded for being smart and backing off. Forecast for rain and fog tomorrow, strong NW wind in afternoon with sunny clearing. High tide at 10:30 tomorrow, followed by ebb till 15:40, so will head for Storm when and if it clears, if possible. Brushed up on my tide mindset. Remembered to convert 24-hour clock by simply subtracting 12 hours, thus 15:40 less 12:00 = 3:40 pm. I converted tide table times to daylight savings time, and placed successive sticks in beach to indicate final High Water mark time and double checked if it corresponded to my calculations. Everything appeared in good order. No screwing around with incorrect tide information on this "revisiting" trip! Day 2 - Wed Aug 9th, 2000 Slept poorly through the night. Wind whistled through the high trees, gusting strongly at times. Cursed wind -- it is not supposed to do this except in the afternoon. There is no way the Storm Island crossing is going to happen soon. My shoulder and back writhed with pain. I lay my head back on my stuff-pillow at 7:00 am, and proceeded to fall into a stupor of fitful deep sleep, suddenly awakened at regular interval, hearing strange voices from the forest, and lifting my head only to collapse in an agony of rushing, successive headaches. I was unable to alight until 11:00 am. The wind was still whistling away. I decided to poke my way along to the end of Nigie Is., which was on my official float plan anyway. It will be a good staging area for the crossing to Storm. I left at noon. It was very slow going into 3- to 4-foot seas, strong headwinds the whole way. Whitecapps everywhere. Considered crossing to Redfern or Buckle Group again, so as to do a mid-stream attempt at Storm, but there was just too much wind -- even if the tide was ebbing toward Storm. Passed lighthouse at Scarlet Pt at 1:30 pm, considered stopping in, but didn't want human contact. Shortly after the lighthouse, a big sea lion popped its massive head out of the waves. It was difficult to retrieve the camera in the chop off the deck, while I was being blown backwards toward a reef. I managed to snap a couple of shots. Then, he started coming toward me. The big guy was so close, just below the water's surface, that I could have pushed him with my paddle. I did not like this intimacy and inquisitiveness. I stuffed the camera and put paddle into motion, and raced along the coast of Balaklava Is. It was a very long haul against 29 knot headwinds along the east side of Nigei Is., once I reached its shoreline. Stopped in a beautiful little bay around from Hougestal Pt. for lunch. Found an awesome surge channel along coast prior to Cholberg Pt. Very deep, very fun, and afforded some temporary shelter from the wind. Gobbled down some power bars. Drytop and long-sleeved Capaline worked great all day. No exposure feeling this time around. Considered crossing still again with the lessening of the wind a bit, but 5:00 pm was just too late -- no reserves, night coming, and where would I land on Pine Is.? Decided I love my family too much to try. Told myself to relax -- why be so premature and immature about these crossing challenges. I made a decision right then and there to employ a red flag modality for the rest of the trip. I give myself one red flag for being solo, automatically, and allow myself two red flags as a maximum total -- then it will be off the water or find an alternative plan. Maybe I'll just circumnavigate these lovely islands near the coast, and do Storm some other year. There is nothing forcing me to do anything. I then turned the corner into Cascade Harbour and found another awesome spot with a fire pit, a double terraced plateau with grassy ledges for tent erection and even an out house. I felt rewarded yet again, and figured the old man hadn't lost his nose for good camping spots. I had a full view of a very dramatic sunset while the wind hazed over the outer islands off Hope Is. It was off to bed by 9:00 pm. I will try crossing with the flood in the morning (don't EVER want to get sucked out to sea again) and a10 knot wind predicted for morning -- if there is no fog and good forecast for the rest of the day. It continued windy through the night. Following in the wake of my last disaster up here, a calm reassurance was welcomed as I drifted off to sleep: The weather is the great arbiter out here, along with the tides and temperature. I determined to not fight them. The skills of my chosen sport -- caution, prudence, judgment, experience, interpretation, intuition -- are all imprecise tools at best. But they are what I rely upon to get the job done -- they are all I have along with the hard skills, and I suddenly feel a new peace and lucidity. I sleep like a baby, and the twitching in my nose disappears. I awaken to a new dawn at 5:00 am. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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