Is any one familiar with the Port Alberni Inlet? I'd like to paddle from Port Alberni to the broken group but my partner has contacted 3 kayak shops that all recommended against it, citing 3 meter waves and lack of landing spots. Thanks for any info. Paul *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Paul Grant wrote: > Is any one familiar with the Port Alberni Inlet? I'd like to paddle from Port > Alberni to the broken group but my partner has contacted 3 kayak shops that > all recommended against it, citing 3 meter waves and lack of landing spots. Well, 3 meter waves on some days, yes. Wind, almost every day, typically as pressure relief, so you might get a head wind or a tail wind. I have not paddled it, but it is probably seriously boring water, steep-to shorelines with difficult, ugly camping, having lots of clear cuts to admire, and little interesting paddling. If it were me, I'd take the steamer to Sechart and launch there. The steamer (Lady Rose / Frances Barkley) has charm, elan, hot food, and gets you there in half a day for not a whole lot of bucks. If it is interesting paddling enroute to the Brokens you want, take the steamer to Bamfield, launch there, and hit the Deers for a night or two, and then do the Brokens. All of this transiting between island groups is serious open water. I hope you are experienced. Within the Brokens, it is very protected, easy paddling; getting from the Deers to the Brokens might not be so easy. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Quatsino Sound inlets might be more rewarding than Alberni Inlet. Much longer drive obviously. More remote. Alberni Inlet East can be a thrill during a tsunami. DL > Paul Grant wrote: >> Is any one familiar with the Port Alberni Inlet? I'd like to paddle from >> Port >> Alberni to the broken group but my partner has contacted 3 kayak shops >> that >> all recommended against it, citing 3 meter waves and lack of landing >> spots. > > Well, 3 meter waves on some days, yes. Wind, almost every day, typically > as pressure relief, so you might get a head wind or a tail wind. I have > not paddled it, but it is probably seriously boring water, steep-to > shorelines with difficult, ugly camping, having lots of clear cuts to > admire, and little interesting paddling. > > If it were me, I'd take the steamer to Sechart and launch there. The > steamer (Lady Rose / Frances Barkley) has charm, elan, hot food, and gets > you there in half a day for not a whole lot of bucks. If it is > interesting paddling enroute to the Brokens you want, take the steamer to > Bamfield, launch there, and hit the Deers for a night or two, and then do > the Brokens. > > All of this transiting between island groups is serious open water. I > hope you are experienced. Within the Brokens, it is very protected, easy > paddling; getting from the Deers to the Brokens might not be so easy. > > -- > Dave Kruger > Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Paul Grant wrote: > Is any one familiar with the Port Alberni Inlet? I'd like to paddle from Port > Alberni to the broken group but my partner has contacted 3 kayak shops that > all recommended against it, citing 3 meter waves and lack of landing spots. > It's been a long time since I was in the area but I believe there is a old mail boat that runs between Port Alberni and the Broken group (and Ucluelet). When I took the trip they dropped a group of 8 people and four canoes off at a dock in the middle of the broken group on the way out and picked up a couple on the way back. I spoke with the guy they picked up on the way back and he said the'd been there for four days and only saw a handful of people. > Thanks for any info. > Paul *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Paul Grant wrote: >> Is any one familiar with the Port Alberni Inlet? I'd like to paddle >> from Port Alberni to the broken group [snip] Fereira replied: > It's been a long time since I was in the area but I believe there is a > old mail boat that runs between Port Alberni and the Broken group (and > Ucluelet). When I took the trip they dropped a group of 8 people and > four canoes off at a dock in the middle of the broken group on the way > out and picked up a couple on the way back. I spoke with the guy they > picked up on the way back and he said the'd been there for four days and > only saw a handful of people. John, times have changed since you were in the BG: During the high season (late June-early Sept), the popular campsites are heavily subscribed in the BG. Some of the less popular may provide occasional solitude. At its peak (August), the Brokens run to about 200+ souls camped over the 8 sites. On the shoulder, at times it is lonely, for sure. Shoulder is May-early June and late Sept-Oct. In winter, it truly is lonely out there. Best whale watching in March near the herring spawn time, I was told. The old mail boat is now a pair of steamers, disgorging dozens of paddlers or gawkers: the former, at Sechart (the float on Gibraltor you recall has been gone for at least 10 years), where there is a first class B and B, hot tub, bar, showers, a fleet of kayaks to rent, and a water taxi in case you want to be _delivered_ to your campsite of choice; the latter, at Bamfield, to stroll the Boardwalk, lay over for a salmon charter or whalewatch or Zode cruise through the islands (Deers and/or Brokens). Ucluelet is an alternate destination. Fees to camp are about CDN$10/night/person for adults; I think there is a break on kids; wolves moved through the islands, decimating the deer population on most islands, except for Clarke and Benson, last I heard ... leading to a precipitous rise in browse vegetation at some campsites. It now costs to _park_ at Toquart Bay, the launch of choice for folks who drive to Barkley Sound. What you saw was bucolic; now we get mostly colic. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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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