I'm aback! I returned several weeks ago from paddling and exploring the Queen Charlotte Islands. Aside from paying out a fortune in ferry fees to get there THE ISLANDS WERE SIMPLY SPECTACULAR! Out of the 30 days in the islands 21 days of them were spent kayaking in Qwaii Haanas. My wife and I took our daughter alone as this would probably be our last big expedition with her. She is getting to that age where it isn't cool to go on trips with Mom and Dad and next summer she will probably have a summer job and not be able to come with us. Because of that we decided to opt for the inside route paddling south and didn't regret it at all. There were lots to see on either route and we were able to see the outside route upon our return via the water taxi. When we were in the islands we were fortunate enough to get a stint of sunny weather that lasted 9 days. On the other hand we managed to get 7 days of miserable weather. We were fortunate to observe the best and the worst of nature. When the sunny weather hit we were at Hotsprings Island and was gorgeous sitting in the pools over looking the San Christoval Mountain Range and not see a cloud in site. On the other hand the worst weather hit us just prior to the entrance of the park in a place called Pacofi Bay. The wind started rising from 15 to 25 knots and getting stronger, so we decided that we should get off the water. Thus we surfed the waves down into a small bay where we landed. By the time we got out of our kayaks the wind was over 30 knots with no end of subsiding. We were able to find a small campsite behind a log where we camped for four days while we weathered out the storm. The second day was the worst when it almost flattened our tent. So we quickly dropped one of our tarps to act as a wind break and protect the tent. Tarps are easier to replace than tents! This was the worst storm we had ever been in out kayaking in over 20 years. Unfortunately with the delay of the storm and all our side trips we didn't make it down to Rose Harbour or to Ninstints. My wife and I decided we would be back next year, instead of paddling south we would paddle north this time. Before and after going to the Queen Charlottes we were fortunate enough to explore the waters around Prince Rupert. This area is definitely a place that most people over look when travelling to the Queen Charlottes. There are lots of different paddling trips one can do around there. As of tomorrow my kayaking maps for the Queen Charlottes will be ready for distribution to my dealers. If you would like to know more about them, contact me via back channel. Kirby Stevens Coast Recreation Maps of British Columbia www.coastalwatersrec.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Aug 25 2002 - 10:10:45 PDT
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