Editorial: The Social Side of Paddling

December 2003 - January 2004

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Alan Wilson

My very first kayak trip many years ago was with a commercial group in the Queen Charlotte Islands, the isolated archipelago lying off the coast of BC. Visiting ‘Haida Gwaii’, home to the Haida people for over 10,000 years, was simply dreamlike. The paddling was incredible, the scenery fantastic, the Haida ruins were otherwordly. But to my surprise, it was the social side of the experience that really stood out.

Living and travelling with strangers thrown together by chance turned out to be the best part of the trip. The fact that we were three fellows and five women may have had something to do with it. Ending our trip in the hotpools on Hotsprings Island was definitely a factor. And being hosted to a feast by the Haida Watchmen at Windy Bay and then again at Hotsprings was a wonderful honor we certainly wouldn’t have experienced on a private trip.

Mealtimes were in fact the highlight of the trip because clients of the company shared responsibility for meals. Being even more of a non-cook then than now, I was terrified by the idea of cooking for others, but I watched in awe at what each in turn pulled out of the culinary bag of tricks (although the sand in the spaghetti on the first night left something to be desired).

Certainly when you’ve paddled with a group for ten days, you form quite a bond. It’s a great way to meet people and you come to really appreciate your guides, as they lead you through space—the wilderness environment of the coast—and through time, by way of stories of the ancients at their village sites.

At one point, the guide on that trip ventured his opinion that the social side of paddling is about 80% of the experience. And he was probably right.

Being a bit of a recluse, I normally prefer paddling on my own, or just with my chosen paddling life partner. But I’ll never forget the group experiences I’ve had, and I recommend you give it a try, whether a commercial or club trip.

© Alan Wilson

PS. For more on paddling the ancient sites of the coast, stay tuned for our special upcoming First Nations feature, ‘Cultures of the Coast–Part II’, next issue.