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/ ***************************************************************************
On Sunday, August 25, 2002, at 10:09:30 AM PST, Kirby Stevens wrote: > 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. Eek...I feel one of my weather rants coming on... I propose that we eliminate the terms "bad", "miserable", etc. from our weather description vocabulary, and instead look at how our own wishes and expectations might cause us to overlook the joys and wonders that each different weather scenario offers us. When you were forced off the water by the storm, did you spend those days trying to stay warm and dry in your tent, thinking about how "miserable" the weather outside was? Or did you dress for the weather and enjoy some exploration of the island...or stand at the water's edge to watch and feel the storm doing it's wondrous work to shape the islands? Did you revel in the refreshing rain in your face and the wind that takes your breath away? Did you marvel at the beautiful storm waves as they crashed against the rocks and tossed trees around like toothpicks? Were you lucky enough to observe the wind sculpting those coastal trees into lovely natural "bonsai" shapes? If a storm causes us to miss a planned route or destination, it does not mean that we cannot enjoy the alternative wonders that "being there" (where ever "there" is) can offer. While I might launch with some idea of an A to B route plan, it is much more important to me to enjoy where ever I am at any given moment. If I don't happen to reach "B" on a particular trip, it only means that some other wonder along the way took my attention and my time. This is not an unfortunate failure to reach some goal...just a spontaneous change in plans. Destination "B" can wait until the next trip. When the weather doesn't always cooperate with our plans for a holiday filled with nothing but "sunny warm days with moderate winds", it is not a matter of the weather being "bad" or "miserable". It is instead our own unrealistic and narrow "postcard expectations" of what constitutes "good" that causes us misery. We cannot blame the weather...for it is only our own narrow definition of "good", or "beautiful" that is capable of calibrating our own personal "beautiful to miserable continuum". I happen to love all sorts of weather, and while I love warm sunny weather as much as the next person, I would find it *dreadfully boring* to have only that...especially on a nice long paddling trip! I love fog, mist, rain, wind, and snow just as much as I love sun and warmth! Each has its immediate wonders while experiencing it, and each has its long term influence on the beauty of a particular region. For instance...the Queen Charlottes wouldn't be nearly so spectacular if it weren't for their natural abundance of so called "miserable" weather. We can't control the weather, so we have a choice... We can enjoy it in all it's wondrous variety, or we can decide that some forms of weather will always make us "miserable". I prefer to enjoy. Sorry for ranting, but it *really* annoys me when I feel that a good storm is being badmouthed. :-) Melissa -- PGP public keys: mailto:pgp_keys_at_gmx.co.uk?subject=0x46C29887&Body=Please%20send%20keys *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On Sun, 25 Aug 2002, Melissa Reese wrote: > On Sunday, August 25, 2002, at 10:09:30 AM PST, Kirby Stevens wrote: > > > 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. > > Eek...I feel one of my weather rants coming on... > > I propose that we eliminate the terms "bad", "miserable", etc. from > our weather description vocabulary, and instead look at how our own > wishes and expectations might cause us to overlook the joys and > wonders that each different weather scenario offers us. Amen to Melissa's rant. There are not bad days, only underdressed kayakers (hikers, motorcyclists, bikers, whatever). I would, though, call attention to the last sentence of Kirby's paragraph. We were similarly blessed recently in the Lofotens, although we still managed to paddle every day. -- Steve Cramer *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
I have two custom sea kayaks for sale in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The first has a cedar strip deck on a commercial fiber glass hull and the second is a Pygmy Artic Tern. Both are beautiful and in great condition - seriously near perfect (well loved). I plan to sell each complete with a Lotus PFD, Wood Paddle, Paddle Float, Pump, sponges, dry bag - everything one needs to hit the beach! I also have a near new NRS wet suit and Thule Rack with kayak saddles (old kind) that could work their way into a deal. I'm reticent to give a price because I really need to sell this gear and am very willing to be reasonable so that a "Win-Win" can be worked out. Anyone interested please email me via jfuller_at_tni.net. John *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Melissa said: <<< Eek...I feel one of my weather rants coming on... I propose that we eliminate the terms "bad", "miserable", etc. from our weather description vocabulary, and instead look at how our ownwishes and expectations might cause us to overlook the joys and wonders that each different weather scenario offers us. >>> While the following doesn't directly address your point, it does reflect the sentimate. From my log: Stormbound Winds were predicted at gale force today, from the southeast. Doug and Tom were keen to try and make a few nautical miles through the unstable air mass. Anything would be better than holding up in the boring little bay we were trapped in, though it was out of the wind. I came to the sea to find space – sweeping vistas that disappear into the horizon; space where my soul can thrive; space where I’m not cramped by confining corridors of concrete; space where I can sense viscerally the ocean expanse that stretches around the globe. It took two hours to break camp, another 30 minutes to rig our gear for extra heavy-weather paddling. I was never so happy to leave a spot. As we rounded the point, the full furry of the gale spending itself upon the coast became evident. No matter how experienced one is, it is always so easy to under-anticipate and estimate the extent of the sea state when departing from a sheltered location. Each of us gritted teethe, tearing into the tempestuous seas with similar fury. Realistically, the waves weren’t atrocious. In the lee of the land, the wind wasn’t able to grip enough fetch to pose an absolute menace. But what the sea lacked in amplitude, it made up for it in sheer unobstructed wind velocity. Without any swell or breaking waves to hide behind, every gust, every sustained burst blew us backward at the slightest slackness of paddling effort due to a valley running in a direct line with the southeasterly coming over the landmass jutting out into the sea. I was truly humbled. After an hour or two, we had made little more that one nautical mile of actual forward progress. The signal was given and shore was sought. Recriminations and accusations were bantered about -- all that effort, wasted energy, and misplaced exuberance. Settling down to survival basics and an obviously needed restoration of camaraderie, we hacked a pocket out of the forest shrubbery, apparently ensconcing ourselves for the duration. By noon, uneasy with the cruel litigation, which resumed once dampness and coldness had sullied the undulating alliance, I removed all fleece and heavy protective garb. Wearing only Tevas, quick dry shorts, polypro T-shirt and light paddling jacket, I set off on a shoreline walkabout. The rain stung as it pelted my unprotected legs. I was cold, but was sure I’d heat up with sufficient movement. The sea lashed intensely at the shoreline once around the point. I was again humbled -- standing sternly to face the full onslaught of the gale – in the company of the ocean. It was a vast, brooding realm, and I, a small man, standing at the edge of an atmosphere both arresting and strangely serene. I moved further along the rocky shore, moving lightly and carefully from wet ledge to wet ledge -- one solitary figure alone, but not lonely. Though I would have rather been on the water -- sun glistening off the tips of northwesterly whitecaps, making progress toward Brooks Peninsula -- I was more at peace with the circumstances after the long walk. I returned to my companions, less inclined to worry about our itinerary or what the implications would be from our "decision by consensus" in the morning. I was happy to simply exist in the moment, enjoy the moment, and make the best of each moment. It was all like water off a ducks back by that point. By walking in the storm, by enjoying the context of what nature had provided for the day, I had learned to relax and just be in the moment. DL *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
> Without any swell or breaking waves to hide behind, every gust, every > sustained burst blew us backward at the slightest slackness of paddling > effort due to a valley running in a direct line with the southeasterly > coming over the landmass jutting out into the sea. Sounds like miserable weather :) *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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