Queen Charlotte Islands (Haida Gwaii). Guided trip with Ecosummer Adventures 1992. Stayed at a B&B in Sandspit and then took a Beaver south to Rose Harbour in Stuart Huston Channel separating Moresby and Islands. With a group of 6 and 2 guides, all the clients used double kayaks. Over the next 7 days we stayed at the following camps: Ross Island, Looscoone Pt (tour or SKang Gwaii), Gordon Islands, Raspberry Cove (meal at Rose Harbour), and High Island.
Baja, Mexico south of Loreto. 1996. Guided trip with Scott Aitken of Cetacean Adventures, a jobber for Sea to Sky. Participants were Scott and his girlfriend from Winnipeg and Jan Micklethwaite. Launch 30km south of Loreto at Ligui. Crossed south of Danzante Island and camped on Punta Baja on the west end of Carmen Island and hiked up the hill east of camp. Kayaked to Arroyo Blanco, a nice beach at the foot of a spectacular white canyon which we hiked up to the viewpoint to see the ocean on the other side the island, a long way to scour for firewood. Camped next on the beach on the south side of Salinas, the town built for the salt works. Town abandoned in the 1970s, except for a “caretaker” wearing gold shoes who told us we were not allowed to camp close to the town. Explored the town and camped at Punta Perico, east of town. Early next AM, started early to try to beat the usual NW wind with a goal of circumnavigating the rest of Carmen. Jan and I were such poor paddlers that the attempt had to be abandoned and we basically returned the way we had come.
On the beach on the mainland we met a German tourist who told us about Sierra de San Francisco, near San Ignatio, the entry point to a spectacular canyon with 5,000 year old cave paintings. In town we met with the headman who organized a guide, Angel Arci, who with 2 burros and 2 mules took us down a spectacular steep trail down into the verdant canyon with flowing water. The best was Pintura, a 100m long overhang with confluent paintings of animals and anthromorphic figures.
Baja Mexico. In the winter of 2006-07 day trips through Gonzaga Bay and Bahia Los Angeles.
Bought my Current Designs Solstice GT high volume kayak from a business in White Rock going out of business after trying many kayaks at the Port Townsend kayak festival in 1999.
Slocan Lake. 5 separate trips over several years camping at Wragge Creek Recreation Site, Nemo Creek and Evans Creek. Best hiking is in Nemo Creek past the many gorgeous waterfalls, and up Evans Creek as far as Beatrice Lake. There are several other hiking possibilities: Sharpe Creek to New Denver Glacier, 13 miles up Wee Sandy Creek.
Kootenay Lake. Over many trips circumnavigated Kootenay Lake. West Arm Kootenay Lake from Balfour to Nelson. Kootenay River Taghum to first dam, between Brilliant Dam and Kootenay Canal.
Arrow Lakes, Columbia River. In 2 trips, did entire lake from Revelstoke to Castlegar. Separate Trip from Hugh Keenleyside Dam to Trail, one of the few free flowing sections of the Columbia River.
Pend Oreille Canyon. Launch at Metaline, over Metaline Falls and down canyon to Boundary Dam through a gorgeous roadless canyon.
Green River, Utah – Crystal Springs to Spanish Bottom. 2003. Tex’s Riverways. (Charles Chandler, Carol Potasniuk, Hans Korn, Erme Mende, Jill and Dave Watson, Jan Micklethwaite, Renate Belzcyk)
Lake Powell.
Trip 1. Launch Bullfrog. 2004. Abandoned trip after 2 days due to sore back.
Trip 2. Lake Powell. 2005. Launch Bullfrog, down lake to Escalente and explored many canyons in lower Escalente. Golden Cathedral not accessible due to low water levels (insurmountable waterfall at entrance. Davis Canyon: camped in (massive thunderstorm and wind collapsed tent), and hiked ¾’s up past well preserved kiva.
Trip 3. Lake Powell 2009, Halls Crossing to Wahweap. Launch Halls Crossing and caught in incredible wind storm on first day. Explored lower Escalente: hiked up Davis all way to narrows but did not find the Everett Ruess inscription. Paddled up San Juan River to Cha Canyon. Explored West Canyon hiking past several narrows. After 92 lake miles, it was a 300 mile road trip (with nice Navajo couple) back to get my truck.
New Zealand. (March, 2010) Guided 10 day trip with New Zealand Adventures Ocean Kayaking. Half spent in the Cavalles where the Rainbow Warrior is sunk and half in the Bay Islands.
Clayoquot Sound
Meares island. (June 2009) Launch Tofino, Great Cedar Trail, camp Heelboom Bay, camp Robert Point, take out Tofino
Vargas Island/Flores. Launch Tofino, camp Dick and Janes Beach, camp Cow Bay, Flores, Hilmer House, camp Cow Bay, camp Ahous Bay, Vargas Island, take out Tofino. (Rainforest Kayak – Assistant Guides Course)
Broken Islands.
Trip 1. Launch at Toquart.Bay day use picnic area, camp Hand Island, explore Brabant Is, Dodd Is, Turtle is), camp Willis Island, explore Lovett Is, Trickett Is, Turret Is (giant tree), camp Clarke Is, camp Benson Is, explore Batley Is, Wouwer Is (walk across), Howell Is, Dicebox (caves, tunnel, old village site), Effingham Is, camp Gilbert Is, explore Tiny Islands, Jarvis/Jaques Islands and lagoon, camp Gilbraltar Is, explore Nettle Is, Prideaux Is, kayak Pinkertons, take out Toquart Bay.
Trip 2. (Sept, 2011)Launch Toquart Bay, similar to above, kayak Pinkertons (beautiful next to shore at above low tide, saw bear), take out Toquart. Louise Hammerlich.
Octopus Islands (June, 2010) motorboat to Mureille Island, camp Octopus Is.
Cortez Island west. (Sept 2010) Motorboat Von Donop Marine Park, camp inlet, motor to Carrington Bay, camp rave site, paddle Carrington Lagoon, kayak Burdwood Bay, around Viner Pt on Read Is, take out Bold Pt, Quadra. (Roberta, Brenda, Rico)
Read Island Circumnavigation. 2011. Launch Bold Pt on Quadra, camp NW Viner Pt (Read Island), old hotel site, through Whiterock Passage, take out Bolt Pt.
Kyuquot and the Bunsbys. Launch Fair Harbour. Camped Spring Island, Bunsbys, South Brooks, Bunsbys, Rugged Point, Twin Island (Nuchatlitz) Took out Little Esperanza Inlet (Ian Heath and Barb Brooks, Doug Hurrell, John Gray, Stan)
Desolation Sound and circumnavigation of Cortez Island
Launch Gorge Harbour, camp Smelt Bay, Feather Cove, Melville Island, Teakerne Arm Marine Park, Carrington Bay (Cortez), take out Gorge Harbour. (Louise Hammerlich)
Circumnavigation of West Thurlow and Hardwick Islands and South Johnstone Strait. June 2012. Launch Little Bear Bay, hike Blind Bay, Greene Point Rapids, camp Tucker Point, Whirlpool Rapids, camp Poyntz Island, visit Yorke Island with WW11 fortifications), camp Blenkinsop Bay, camp Johnstone St N50°21.68’ W125°46.22’, take out Bear Bight at logging camp because of weather (shuttled back to Little Bear Bay) (Nainaimo Paddlers Glen Lewis, Mary Logue, Real Emond, Randy Millar, Ted and Margaret Oldham, Claire and Ron Surgenor, Ursula and ?, Ross Turner, Liz Heer)
North Gulf Islands. June 2012. Launch Cedar, south of Nanaimo. Paddled around south end of De Coursey, through False Narrows, Northumberland Strait, lunch at Protection Island Pub, camp at Donseco PP (in dayuse area, on the north end of Gabriola Island). Paddled on outside of Gabriola with the fabulous Galiano Gallery (a wave like sandstone formation on the north end of Gabriola), camp on one of Crown Islets in Flat Islands. Paddled outside of Valdes, camp Donsio Point (day use area again). Outside Galiano, camp ecocamp in Active Pass on Mayne Island. Prevost Island circumnavigation, camp at James Bay on N side. Also there Sally and Brenda and 7 others. West side of Galiano, camp Point on N end of Wallis Island. Paddled around Tent Island and west side of Kuper and Thetis, crossed to Yellow Point and up east side of Vancouver island to take out at Cedar.
Johnstone Strait and the Broughtons. May 2013. Lauch Naca Rec Site, Johnstone Strait. First day weather day. Camp near Pig Ranch. Paddle Baronet Passage, Beware Passage, camp Mound Island. Paddle around area, camp at Owl Islands. Visit Gifford Village, through Fox Group, around east end Broughton Is, camp Cypress Harbour Rec Site. Up Sutlej Channel, through Hopetown Passage, camp Watson Island. Down Wells Passage to Polkinghorn Is., camp Olden Island, Cullin Harbour. Paddled west side of entire Archipelago, camp west side Hanson Island. Crossed Johnstone St. to return to Naka Rec Site. 10 days, 2 weather days + 8 paddling days. 240km.(Charlie Chandler)
Haida Gwaii. June 3-16 2013. Launch Moresby Camp, Louise Narrows, camp just after Narrows. Dana Passage, visited Tanu Watchman Site, camp Kanga Island. Visited Windy Bay Watchman Site, Hot Springs Island (hotsprings dried up since Oct, 2012 earthquake), camped Ramsey Island x2 with weather day. Crossed Juan Perez St., camp Newberry Cove x2 with weather day. Down Burnaby St, through Burnaby Narrows, Skincuttle Inlet, around Benjamin Pt, camp Raspberry Cove. Houston-Stewart Channel to SGang Gwaii, camp Benjamin Pt. Camp Newberry Cove. Camp Gold Pt, Tanu Island. Visited Skedans Watchman Site, Camped Cumshewa. Down Cumshewa Inlet, take out Moresby Camp. 13 days, 3 weather days, PM start first day = 9 1/2 paddling days. (Charlie Chandler)
Cape Scott. June 29-July 11, 2013. Launch Port Hardy, camp Nolan Point, Balaklava Island; Sutil Peninsula x2, Experiment Bight, Hanna Point x5 (weather bound for 4 days of highs and NW winds, hiked to Lowrie Bay and cabin, hiked entire beach with great stream, hiked to Sea Otter Cove, climbed Mt St. Patrick from head of San Josef Bay), Grant Bay, finally paddled out via Quatsino sound because of a 5 day extended forecast of continued high NW winds, to Coal Harbour. Estimated 377km. (Ian Heath, Barbara Brooks)
FAVOURITE KAYAKING TRIPS
1. Kyuquot (Bunsbys, South Brooks), West Coast Vancouver Island, BC
2. Green River, Canyonlands National Park, Utah
3. Lake Powell. (Halls Crossing →Escalente→Wahweep), Utah/Arizona
4. Slocan Lake, West Kootenay, BC
5. Moresby Camp to SKang Gwaii and back, Haida Gwaii. BC
6. Stuart Houston Channel, Queen Charlottes/Haida Gwaii, BC
7. Desolation Sound, circumnavigation Cortez, BC
8. Broken Islands, Pacific Rim National Park, BC
9. Clayquot Sound, Pacific Rim National Park, BC
10. Carmen, Baja, Mexico
11. Arrow Lakes, West Kootenay, BC
FUTURE TRIPS
Deer Group
South Gulf islands
N and S Pender, Mayne, and Saturna
Texada, Lesqueti
Jervis Inlet
San Juan Islands
Nuchatlitz Group, outside Nootka, Nootka Sound
Claoyquat Sound – to Hot Springs Cove.
Espirito Santos, Baja
SE Alaska – Alaska marine highway.
Great Lakes, USA