Heading out on Day One from Shearwater: Seaforth Channel
Bella
Bella
Summer 2002
Date:
June 23 - July 7, 2002
Preparation:
Our
team consisted of Jim Burke and April Gerlock, Chuck and Kelly Hinds, and
ourselves, Gary Knudson and Martha Scoville.
In addition to arranging land accommodations, we conducted two planning
meetings and several individual and group “wet paddles” to tune up solo,
assisted, and group rescues, rolling, and bracing.
Getting
There:
On
Sunday, June 23rd we
caravanned to Tsawwassen, ate an early dinner, and stayed overnight.
We caught the first ferry to Nanaimo on Monday morning and started up
Vancouver Island. We arrived at the
Pioneer Inn in Port Hardy at about 6:00 p.m. Monday evening and prepared to
embark on the Discovery Ferry leaving around 6:00 a.m.
On
Tuesday morning the ladies drove the heavy lifters to the ferry landing with
boats and huge duffels of gear and shuttled our vehicles back to the Pioneer
Inn. The motel shuttle returned
them to the ferry landing in time to observe the last of the boats and bags
being secured on the baggage trailer.
At
first light we embarked on a 12 hour journey to our destination, Shearwater,
B.C. Our boat, The Queen of Chiliwack, is one of the smaller ships of the line and
gave lively response to every wave and swell.
Once
clear of the rough weather, north and south of Cape Caution, the captain invited
us in groups of 15 or so to visit the bridge.
We get a detailed look at the navigation of the vessel and we gained
insights into the motivation of the captain and officers on this run. In general they are senior people with a fair amount of say
as to their desired assignment. As
the captain stated, there are so many nooks and crannies to explore along here,
the north and central coast cannot be seen in a lifetime. And further he said that “most of us retire here and spend
the rest of our days exploring this same coast.”
In
the late afternoon the captain pointed out a small pod of humpback whales and
altered course to allow all passengers a view of the shy, playful animals.
After
a brief layover in Bella Bella, we proceeded the last 5 miles to Shearwater and
disembarked at 11:00 p.m. onto a
spartan dock, dimly lit in the black rainy night.
We followed the baggage trailer with our boats and gear down a soggy dirt
road around a corner, through a large crowded boat yard and down a narrow
driveway where we off loaded everything into a large wet pile on the broad open
lawn. We had arrived at The
Shearwater Inn, a collection of
lightly built modular buildings perched above a portion of the Shearwater Marina
and a haven for private boaters and sport fishermen who patronize the extensive
charter fishing services of the Shearwater complex.
As
we prepared to launch we were informed that the potability of the tap water at
Shearwater could not be guaranteed
and that the constant orange color indicated more than rusting pipes.
Therefore we were advised to purchase or filter our water in order to
fill our water containers. This was
an unanticipated expense and inconvenience which should be noted by future
visitors. We later discovered that
fisherman routinely drink the water available at the floats with no ill effects.
The
Trip:
A
steady soaking drizzle greeted us as we packed our boats under all the shelter
we could find and hauled them to the Shearwater boat ramp.
We were on the water by 11:00 a.m. Our
first stop was to be Kynumpt Harbor, our true starting point after a chance to
test our gear and review weather conditions against the paddling options which
we had outlined for ourselves.
Heading out on Day One
from Shearwater: Seaforth Channel
The
drizzle persisted as we traveled out of Shearwater through the protected waters
between Meadow and Saunders Islands.
However, at Dryad Point the shore changed from broad gravel beaches to
steep monolithic rock ramparts capped with dense vegetation and overhanging
trees. Within the first three miles
landing spots were already becoming scarce.
The soft gray silence enveloped us as we paddled through varied land
formations. We hugged the shore of Campbell Island, passing inside Song,
Thorberg, and Nevey Islands on the way to Kynumpt Harbor.
Kynumpt
Harbor is protected from prevailing winds with steep shingle beaches ringed by
the dense upland vegetation which flourishes right to the high tide line.
Our first landfall would be made at during the spring tide of about 16
feet, and the selection of a camp-able beach required considerable calculation.
Several attractive spots were rejected upon discovery of tell-tale
seaweed fronds. We wound up
selecting our site by closely consulting our watches and tide tables and using
our paddles as range poles to survey the projected height of the day’s high
tide.
Here as
elsewhere there are no established camp sites, only camp-able beaches.
In all cases we were apparently the first visitors of the season and had
to look carefully among the woody underbrush to find last year’s tent sites
beneath a 2 foot growth of grass and spring shoots.
Some judicious clearing and grubbing was always part of establishing the
tent site and even so, the high tide commonly reached within a foot of our tent
floors. At our selected site
salmonberry, Nootka Rose, and small deciduous trees filled in between cedars and
hemlocks to form a dense barrier at the water’s edge.
We
came prepared for bear visitations but the season was early for the berry crop
and we calculated that we may have beat the bear season by one or two weeks.
Ruins
of old rock and stone structures were set into the undergrowth and supported
with timber piles and rock foundations over the water’s edge.
After
surveying the entire harbor, we noted that no sites would accommodate any more
than our three tents and that larger parties would need to divide in order to
pitch camp in comfort and safety. We
turned in as darkness enveloped us and the radio reported a storm with gale
force winds heading our way.
Day
Two: June 27
We
awoke to weather reports of the impending storm. Overnight numerous large sail and power yachts had joined us
in the harbor and lingered during the prime sailing hours of the day.
The day continued gray and eerily still, but no storm struck.
Having
passed by our paddling window, we explored the uplands.
We followed a trail through the underbrush into a large camp area under
the canopies of the interior trees spread out like several large rooms.
This is clearly a local gathering spot and it was probably used as a fish
camp. The trail through the
opposite side of the camp area opened on to the boulder beach of Norman Morrison
Bay. This bay would be a suitable
destination with camping just inside the tree line.
In contrast to our narrow beach this site would involve some portaging to
get to high ground at any but the highest tide.
Day
Three: June 28
The
day dawned clear and calm and we were anxious to get on the water.
Our destination was Cree Point at the south tip of Dufferin Island.
Our intended route lay westerly along the southern shore of Seaforth
Channel across the mouth of Raymond Passage to Hose Point on Horsfall Island.
As we paddled across the north coast of the island and south into
Dundivan Inlet the weather remained calm and the vastness of the region opened
up to us.
Dundivan Inlet opens into a bay of many coves and islands offering picturesque and sheltered anchorages for yachtsmen. Our immediate objective was Rait Narrows. The first identified “tidal rapids” of the trip were barely 100 yards wide and walled by steep rock embankments, and we approached it with some trepidation. The tide was filling at this point and we expected to be opposed by a northerly flow consistent with the prevalent flood direction.
After
a brief rest stop at a steep beach we prepared for a quick decision on the
water. We were pleasantly surprised
to have been whisked through the narrows on flat water at about 2 knots in our
intended southerly direction.
For
this location as for other narrow passages on the trip we had no local current
predictions and virtually no local knowledge to assist in planning as most of
the local boatmen pilot larger craft and avoid these constricted passages.
For our own predictions we interpolated tide data for the Goose Group and
Bella Bella which we had downloaded from the Environment Canada website.
After
Rait Narrows we paddled south through light wind, under broken skies.
We passed many small islands and keyhole lagoons carved into the steep
rocky shore. The first possible
take out was at a small island near Quinoot Point at the north tip of Potts
Island. A cabin here on First
Nation land was built for tribal youth groups and for use by the public. While
the location is sheltered and charming, lack of meticulous maintenance by users
has led to obvious rodent infestation and we paused only briefly for a snack and
to adjust our gear.
From
Quinoot Point we passed through a narrow passage overhung with sweeping tree
limbs forming a long vaulted tunnel of foliage spanning between neighboring
islands. We continued to paddle
along un-landable sheer rock shores interrupted occasionally with lovely but
equally inhospitable small embayments and lagoons.
With
about one and a half chart miles to paddle, we were becoming anxious and less
appreciative of our gorgeous surroundings as the sky was darkening and an
opposing south wind was beginning to raise considerable chop.
At this point our barometer – watches were showing an 800 millibar drop
over the last two hours and we had yet to identify our landfall.
Cree
Point is a button-hook of rock capped by timber and salal which encloses a
protected tidal lagoon. We were
fortunate to enter and land near high tide, for we were to find that the bay
drained to acres of sandy tide land exposing over 100 yards of sand and mud to
the nearest navigable water. The
beach terminates abruptly at a mud bluff. A short steep climb led us to a small
open area suitable for a single large tent and a little work space.
We pitched Jim and April’s tent here and quickly tarped the kitchen and
common area. We pitched the two
other tents in a small grassy area wedged between some trees and a salal
thicket. With no beach at all at
high tide we hauled the boats up the bluff and lay them in grassy patches
between the tents and salal thickets.
We
ate as soon as possible after pitching tents and raising tarps.
Just as we downed the last bite an eerie stillness interrupted the
freshening breeze of the late afternoon. Then
without further warning a hammering wind slammed in from the open ocean at full
force. This was the gale predicted at the outset of our trip.
With each day’s delay the predicted winds grew stronger and we were now
looking into the full 50 knots of wind that Environment Canada had promised.
We turned our attention to securing the main tarp and actually took down
a smaller tarp over the tents which could not be secured against such force.
After guying our tents to the ground we turned in early to a night of
constant buffeting by wind and pelting rain.
Days 4
and 5: June 29 & 30
There was
no need to have a group meeting this morning as the wind had not backed off at
all. The rain buckets were
overflowing with over two gallons of tarp water collected overnight.
To this point we had gathered nearly all the water needed in camp from
careful draining of our tarps. Basically
we had only used our precious store-bought water for hydration en route.
The storm
front had passed over us but trailing winds and unstable weather persisted with
appropriate gale warnings for several days afterward.
Two days were spent exploring the uplands, settling into camp life, and
committing to a revised plan for the remainder of the trip.
Jim and April’s camp oven kept us supplied with hot biscuits, coffee
cake, and brownies. We took
the time to explore our embayment which dried completely during low tide.
We discovered a stream which provided water for filtering and secluded
tidal pools for bathing.
In the
afternoon of the 30th, Chuck and Gary launched their kayaks to
explore some of the small islands and lagoons around Potts Island to the east of
the campsite. One lagoon in
particular was accessed through a passage barely as wide or deep as a kayak with
water moving swiftly through the narrow opening. The lagoon was shallow yet crystal clear and teeming with sea
life of every kind. Small fish,
shellfish, sea urchins, and lush sea weeds could have satisfied a day’s worth
of exploration. Of particular note
were large orange sea cucumbers with long conical bright purple horn-like
spines. This tiny bay provided as
much rich color as any single spot on our entire trip.
With more time and cooperative weather the small islands, passages, and
open water surrounding Cree Point would provide for days of satisfying
exploration and challenging paddling. On
the way back, Chuck and Gary tested the choppy waters of the northern tip of
Thompson Bay to the west of Cree Point, a likely part of our journey home.
Wind waves of 18 to 24 inches seemed a constant occurrence here and were
found to be manageable due to their regularity.
At this
point in our trip we were presented with less time than should be prudently
allocated to cover the maximum anticipated scope and more time than we would
probably need to comfortably need to return to the take-out.
However, this period of unstable and severe weather had us agreeing that
with our limited available time the conservative course would be the best. We
had three options available for making the return trip.
We could go south and then north up Raymond Passage committing ourselves
to a major weather path with few opportunities for shelter.
We could explore the area for a bit longer and simply retrace our steps
to go back the way we came. Or we
could travel up the west side of Dufferin Island through narrow passages and
chance the unpredictable currents of identified tidal rapids.
Lured by the intimate scale of the small islands and inlets, seeming
protection from weather, and encouraged by our benign experience in the tidal
rapids of Rait Narrows we elected to complete the circumnavigation of Dufferin
Island by way of Gale Passage.
Day 6:
July 1
We got up
at 6:00, had a quick breakfast of coffee and instant oatmeal, packed the boats,
and paddled away from Cree Point at 8:45 a.m. bearing right into the north arm
of Thompson Bay. Here we
encountered wind waves of about two feet at maximum ebb but with a tidal
exchange of only 6 ½ feet we weren’t too concerned.
Passing the first of several small groups of un-named islands we entered
a narrowing passage to find ourselves confronted first with upwellings, then a
whirlpool, tangent to one another and covering the width of the passage.
After
passing this turbulence with some difficulty, we stopped for a breather and a
snack at the tip of a long un-named island dividing the water between our
position and Gale Passage. To the
west lay a narrow pass enclosing a tidal rapid with about a one foot gradient at
the water’s surface. Our
strongest paddler was not able to climb it, even with supposedly decreasing
water flow, and, over most of an hour, we saw no apparent decrease in velocity.
We chose
the easterly path around the island and found a quiet estuarine environment
notable for long marshy beaches which stood in contrast to the inhospitable rock
buttresses that had defined our path for so much of the trip.
While the chart indicated a drying beach at the north end of the island,
we guessed that with nearly six feet of water it should be passable.
Our assumptions were wrong by over two feet. From this point we faced a portage of about 100 yards over
terrain which varied from boulder beach to rocky mussel beds.
With our boats once more in navigable water, and after a welcome break
for lunch, we were nearly on schedule to reach the entrance of Gale Passage at
or near slack water, but we had expended a fair amount of energy in getting to
this point.
After a
quick lunch we paddled off to find the entrance to Gale Passage, a true “hole
in the wall,” which, due to heavy foliage, we actually missed on our first
attempt. The bays leading to
Gale Passage were ringed by lush, low-lying shores with tall grass and some
deciduous trees. Immediately upon
entering the passage, a narrow gap of no more than 100 feet, we encountered our
first chute de mare’e running 3 to 4
knots over a stretch of perhaps 50 yards. Almost
immediately upon clearing the first rapid, the second, swifter and more
constricted rapid posed a greater challenge. The rock buttresses on the right side of each of these rapids
permit one to scramble on foot while leading the kayak with a bow painter.
After this workout we stopped again at a quiet cove for rest and
refreshment. From this point on
Gale Passage provided a serene paddle punctuated with small islands and pleasant
shorelines, campable in a pinch, and manageable water.
At around
4:00 p.m. we were relieved to see Gale Passage break into the open water of
Seaforth Channel. Weathered,
exposed bedrock marked the entrance to the channel and the start of a different
intertidal environment. We
immediately began looking for hospitable beaches and after several exploratory
landings discovered potential tent sites about a mile to the east.
As with
previous beach sites, there was no sign of visitation and the previous year’s
tent locations had to be rediscovered in the year’s new undergrowth.
Chuck and Kelly graded a platform out of the gravel at the uppermost edge
of the beach while Jim and April and Gary and Martha edged their tents back into
the fresh foliage. After pitching
our separate tents and setting the kitchen tarp we were greeted with a dinner of
“Sausage Plunder” thanks to Chuck and Kelly’s ability to do two (or more)
things at the same time. As
we slurped down a dessert of canned peaches, the gentle mist turned to pelting,
stinging hail. We held our dishes
out to the hail for a quick scouring and immediately turned in for the night.
Day 7:
July 2
We spent
the day in camp enjoying hikes and rewarding beach combing.
We also enjoyed close encounters with a pair of sandhill cranes which had
stopped to join us during their southern migration.
The dark brown bedrock, glaciated and weathered, rose out of the beach at
low tide in fascinating shapes and provided the home for interesting intertidal
life.
Day 8:
July 3
Today’s
paddling would take us all the way back to Shearwater, about 14 NM, with an
option to stay out one more night, weather permitting.
For the first time on the trip we were nearly eaten alive by small black
flies as we trod the beach in sandaled feet while packing for an early start.
The morning was clear and calm with high clouds but the radio warned of a
strong system moving in from the ocean. Now
the tidal exchange was down to only six and a half feet and currents were
negligible although we were given a pleasant lift as we hugged the shore along
Seaforth Channel. The sun beamed
through heavy cloud formations to illuminate the striking rock formations and
dense green foliage of the buttressed shore.
As we crossed the mouth of Raymond Passage we were literally racing the
leading edge of the weather system blowing in from the open sea.
We lunched in Kynumpt Harbor, the place where the trip had begun in
earnest.
As we
packed up, the mist became a thick unrelenting rain which would fall steadily
until nightfall. The thick weather
had reduced our visibility to less than half a mile and imparted a whole new
character to this previously traveled route.
Options for an additional night’s camping began to appear as we picked
our way between the islands which protect Shearwater. Without formally discussing it, the group found itself in
agreement that pressing for home was preferable to pitching and striking camp in
this unrelenting dampness.
As we
rounded the last point and the town of Shearwater was again brought into view,
we approached the dock, newly reconstructed since our departure, and one by one
tied up our kayaks, satisfied that we had done all we could with the time and
conditions allotted us.
We sought
out our trusty concierge and informed her of our early arrival.
She had our rooms ready in short order and in record time we had our gear
unloaded, stowed, and drying. A hot
meal and cold beer never tasted so good. Although
we landed a day early, we relished the opportunity to explore the community of
Bella Bella, which may not have been possible with the full use of our sea time.
Day 9:
July 4th
Today’s
agenda included a hike to explore the uplands surrounding Shearwater and a sea
bus trip to Bella Bella. After
stretching our legs around some upland roads and lakes and the old military
installation near Shearwater, we boarded the sea bus for Bella Bella.
Our objective was to eat lunch at Alex’s Restaurant and to look around
town.
After the
sea bus ride back to Shearwater we donned our best polypro for what we thought
would be our last dinner at Shearwater. We returned to our rooms to pack and prepare for the voyage
home.
Day 10:
July 5th
At
breakfast we were greeted by our concierge with the daunting words, “don’t
pack.” It turned out that the Queen
of Chiliwack, which we had seen departing upon our return, had ruptured its
hull and was on an emergency trip to a shipyard in Vancouver.
This meant that the only Canadian vessel serving the B.C. coast between
Port Hardy and Prince Rupert was the Queen
of the North, a cruise ship-type ferry designed to take passengers in
leisurely comfort all the way to Glacier Bay.
People in Bella Bella and Bella Coola would be stranded indefinitely. The initial word to us relayed through helpful staff at
Shearwater was that B.C. Ferries could not get us a boat out for almost a week.
After some serious phone time with B.C. Ferries, horse trading our
pre-reserved tickets and arranging sea bus connections, she was able to secure
passage on the Queen of the North after only one additional day.
Day 11:
July 6th
Rather
than simply board the charming little Queen
of Chiliwack at Shearwater, we faced a special charter of the sea bus to a
floating ferry dock at McLoughlin Bay, three miles south of Bella Bella, in
expectation of a rendezvous with the Queen
of the North.
The Queen
of the North was nearly three hours late, and we spent the only sunny day of
the entire trip baking, along with our gear, on a griddle-hot concrete ramp.
When the Queen of the North
arrived we were among the last to load, and although we had to haul all our gear
back down the ramp with not so much
as a baggage cart, we felt relief to be on the boat at all.
The trip
south was to last 5 hours as opposed to the 12 hour voyage coming north.
As we finished dinner the sunset gave way to a clear starry sky.
Day 12:
July 7th
The Queen
of the North docked at Port Hardy at 1:30 a.m.
As our boats and gear were buried among vehicles and other cargo on the
boat, the ladies disembarked with the foot passengers and hopped a cab back to
Pioneer Inn and our awaiting vehicles. The
ferry was not yet completely unloaded when our spouses reappeared with our
vehicles at the loading ramp. As by
this time all of the vehicles and cargo had been removed we convinced the crew
to allow our drivers to re-enter the ship and load our gear where it sat.
This done, we said brief groggy good-byes and drove off into the damp
island night.
The scope,
nuance, and true appreciation of what we had undertaken took several weeks to
lodge in our collective memories. As this is written we marvel at the remoteness
and quiet wild beauty of the north coast. Our photographs remind us of what we saw but mostly we relive
our sense of awe at being at large in so vast and wild a place.
Postscript:
The
Discovery Ferry is a travel experience not to be missed.
The boat is small, the crew are clearly from the places the ship visits
daily. Passengers who take this
trip are not the same people who crowd the routes of the lower mainland and Gulf
Islands. To one degree or another
all the Discovery passengers are on their way to a little more adventure than
the average tourist. There’s a
special sense of this fact conveyed in the camaraderie exhibited by officers and
crew. All service is personal in a
way not possible on the larger vessels.
We had
heard that the B.C. Ferry Corporation is considering limiting or eliminating
this service within the next few years. This
would be a loss not only to the traveling and adventuring public but to the
province as it seems to us that this route opens up the true nature of the B.C.
landscape. The Discovery run
routinely provides wet launches for kayakers plying the Hakai Recreation Area.
Coast
Recreation Map of Bella Bella, Coastal Waters Recreation, Victoria, B.C.
Canadian Hydrographic Service Chart #3787
Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Peter McGee, Ed.
Sea Kayaking Canada's West Coast, John Ince and Hedi Kottner
Canadian Tide Tables from Canadian Hydrographic SVC web site.