Destination: Bamfield, Vancouver Island

August-September 2000

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

by Liz Richards

If you haven't been to Bamfield yet then you're missing a true West Coast experience. This village of 250 souls is nestled in a protected inlet five kilometres east of Cape Beale, on Vancouver Island. Residents are very proud of the native history of the area with hundreds of years of habitation by the Huu-Ay-Aht nation.

As you drive up the logging road from Youbou or Port Alberni your first stop should be Pachena Bay, a splendid campground developed by the native band, and the bay itself is so breathtaking that it's a 'must see' on your agenda. This is also the northern head of the West Coast Trial, for you hikers out there.

Paddling from Bamfield is suitable for the beginner as well as the expert looking for new challenges and a new wilderness. Bamfield and Grappler Inlet offer protected waters with miles of shoreline to explore. Otters, seal, salmon, ducks, geese, black bear, osprey and the ever-present bald eagle can be spotted on a morning paddle. Or you may choose to head west out of Bamfield inlet along the spectacular Mills Peninsula where you will feel the swell of the mighty Pacific rolling up Trevor Channel.

If the tide is flooding, the blowhole near the white sand beaches and rock pinnacles of Brady's Beach, will be spewing water 30ft in the air like a mighty whale. The next three white sand beaches are Indian reserves; the third beach is Keechan, the ancient village site of the Huu-Ay-Ayt people and now a world heritage site. Public access is prohibited but the Huu-Ay-Ayt people hope to have this site open to tours this summer.

Execution Rock is an important landmark at Keechan. This rock towers more than one hundred feet above you, topped with trees that tall again (ask a local the story of Execution Rock). Be sure to take a wide berth of nearby Whittlestone Rocks (unless you have strong white water skills). The whole of this coastline is spectacular with rock formations, caves, and pinnacles topped with complex bonzaied ecosystems that only the westerly exposed temperate rain forest can provide.

You can hike to Tapaltos from Bamfield in an hour and camp for a change from paddling. This is a good point to paddle over to the Deer Group islands or continue out to Cape Beale. Head for Edward King Island and then around the north coast to one of the many little beaches tucked into secluded bays. This area is rugged, exposed and on the wild side (as we say here in Bamfield) so bring your VHF or GPS and all that safety gear you thought of leaving behind.

Fog is common in August but so is hot sunshine, so bring both your sunscreen and your fleece. Camping on Haines-where Captain Cook stopped in every time he was here-requires a visitor's pass from the Huu-ay-ayt band office at Pachena Bay and is well worth it. From there you can do day trips out to the sea lion colony at Folgers, the most westerly and exposed island of the Deer Group. The sea lions are the islands' sole inhabitants, so please respect their island.

Explore the many sea caves and surge channels that hang with intertidal life at low tide. Bring your reference books so you can identify the multitude of sea life that grows only on exposed coastlines where the wave action surges with nutrients and oxygen, feeding this other world. Come see why Barkley Sound boasts one of the richest, most diverse intertidal ecosystems in the world.

Liz Richards is now the owner of Bamfield Kayak Centre, offering day tours, instruction, rentals and free advice to those wanting the inside scoop on paddling the Deer Group. Liz also operates Logan's Bed & Breakfast in East Bamfield which has been a lodge retreat for hikers and fishermen for 16 years. Now Liz opens her doors to the paddling population, offering B&B/Kayaking packages. The lodge has a hot tub and sauna to enjoy after a long day on the water or hiking the rain forest trails. Contact her at 250-728-3535, toll free at 877-728-3535 or deer_paddles@hotmail.com