Environment: Gifts of Geography

June-July 1995

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

Touring the top of Georgia Strait

by Robyn Budd

Mount Denman and Desolation Sound

The northern reach of Georgia Strait is a gift of geography to the coastal kayaker. A hundred miles and about a thousand light years north of Vancouver, paddlers abandon the rigours of the road for the spell of the coast mountains and the marine parks of Desolation Sound. Here, at the north end of Georgia Strait, known for its protected waters and the warmest summer sea temperatures in BC, a network of waterways offer paddlers a choice of circle routes.

To the north, a host of small islands and channels await exploration as Georgia Strait funnels into the `Inside Passage' on its way to rejoin the Pacific Ocean at the north end of Vancouver Island. The impressive tidal currents here encourage a profusion of marine life, and add an exciting dimension to the paddler's trek.

Kayakers can expect a range of wild company no matter where their paths take them. The cast of thousands includes loons, murres, mergansers, murrelets, eagles, vultures, harlequin ducks, cormorants, pigeon guillemots, oyster catchers, phalaropes and all manner of confusing shorebirds. Both harbour and Dall's porpoises, seals and sea lions to the south may share the waters; the occasional minke whale and transient orcas have also been sighted. Closer to shore, the intertidal zone is home to octopus, sea cucumbers, starfish, anemones and scatterings of multi-coloured seaweeds, some of which have made a palatable addition to a kayaker's dinner.

DESOLATION SOUND

The waterways of Desolation Sound are some of the best known among boaters on the coast. They wind through islands big and small before they become long fjords penetrating deeply into the continental Coast Mountains.

Paddlers seeking a week or two of true wilderness kayaking will be amply rewarded by heading up Waddington Channel between East and West Redonda Islands. Pendrell Sound splits off east of Waddington, bisecting East Redonda, and is known for its warm, clear summer waters. Footpaths and old logging roads along these routes make for excellent hiking, and some great views. Trails from Roscoe Bay on West Redonda lead to the summit of Llanover Mountain and to freshwater Black Lake. From Teakerne Arm a short trail takes you to Cassel lake with its spectacular year-round waterfall.

Although Desolation Sound is widely promoted as a sailor's and yachter's paradise, the area can still afford a wilderness haven for kayakers, especially those drawn to spring and fall adventures. Boaters usually congregate in the larger inland bays where they raft together like so many floating RVs. This is a seasonal bloom, afflicting the highest of the summer months.

The good news is that kayakers don't have to avoid Desolation from July 1 to mid-August. By seeking the less-traveled solitudes of the coastal seascape (and there are many), they'll leave the traffic far behind. Well-cared-for campsites are reported on most routes, and there is no need for a multi-day paddle to find that magical place called far away.

There are three departure points for Desolation Sound that offer paddlers a fine choice of rental equipment, camping and lodge accommodation, home-cooked meals and kayaking instruction. Each possesses a distinct local flavour, yet all combine to introduce paddlers to Desolation's scope and diversity as a paddling destination.

Read Island's Coast Mountain Expeditions, operated by Ralph and Lannie Keller, offer guided trips of varying lengths as well as instructional workshops. Paddlers can also opt for day trips, returning to the well-appointed lodge at day's end.

On the mainland coast, a new outfitter has recently opened her doors in Powell River, Helga Sheppard of Powell River Sea Kayaking, offering lessons, rentals, sales and tours over a 60-kilometre area from Saltery Bay to the town of Lund.

T'ai Li Lodge, on Cortes Island, is situated midpoint between the two in a northwest/southeast line, and is another portal to the inland coastal splendour of Desolation.

CORTES ISLAND

Cortes Island lies at the junction where the waters of the Strait diverge to head off toward the Pacific and away into the mainland inlets.

Paddling from Cortes Island's southeast side, a good day on the water can take you north past Kinghorn Island towards West Redonda at the foot of Lewis Channel. The Martin Islands off Redonda's south point are an enticing diversion before you head up to Refuge Cove, where you encounter the comforts of coastal civilization: a post office, general store, and Judy and Peter Gazard's Upcoast Summers which sports a prominent Starbucks sign and serves up sweet delectables for the carbo-starved paddler.

For those who would combine wilderness kayaking with treats for the tummy, another option is to follow the east flank of Cortes north into Squirrel Cove. The protected waters here, though, are a haven for boaters, so paddlers are advised to deke in, fortify their supplies with homemade bread, cinnamon rolls, muffins and cookies from Bill Rendall's cabin bakery, and flee with their booty north toward Teakerne Arm. For those who indulge these culinary passions inside the Cove, a brisk hike may defer unwanted body ballast. An easy walk on the Cove's northeast side takes you to Squirrel Cove Lagoon; on the southeast a longer jaunt brings you to Von Donop Inlet, a narrow finger of ocean that reaches halfway across the top half of Cortes. The inlet is accessible by kayak from the northwest side of the island, and is a well-protected shelter for paddlers circumnavigating Cortes.

Von Donop Inlet has recently become a provincial marine park, protecting an important anchorage for boaters and recognizing the cultural significance of the area -- known as Hathayim -- to the Klahoose First Nation. Hathayim, rich in shellfish, wildlife and native legend, sustained the Klahoose people for centuries. Despite its present-day popularity, the Inlet still resonates with the presence of its earliest inhabitants.

Robyn Budd lives on Cortes Island.