Broken waters

From the Summer 2010 issue of Coast&Kayak Magazine. Read the entire magazine online.

It was just another day at the office for us at Coast&Kayak Magazine (or so we’d like to think): a photography assignment to the outer limit of Barkley Sound. The Coast&Kayak Magazine office closed and, with the help of friend Carey Lockwood, we headed out on the water on a sunny spring day.

(We’re lucky in that we can do that here: consider us one of the privileged few that can paddle the Broken Group Islands as a day trip, let alone call that a day’s work – an advantage of being located on Vancouver Island.)

So maybe the trip was a bit self-indulgent. It is, after all, no secret as the top kayaking destination on the British Columbia coast, popular long before the 1993 logging protests put Clayoquot Sound on the map.

The popularity shouldn’t be surprising, as the islands offer two completely different worlds side by side.

The one is the idyllic and peaceful channels that twist and turn through the various island clusters. When in these waters be sure to look down. The strong winds and currents bring in ample nutrients, creating a strong marine ecology reflected in the plethora of sea life best viewed at low tide.

On the other hand there are the outer shores: a wind and surf battered environment of rocks, shoals, kelp, reefs, caves, blowholes and other attractions. Here you’ll most likely find the larger marine life: the humpback whales, sea lions and grey whales.

Protected since 1970 as one component of the sprawling Pacific Rim National Park Reserve, the Broken Group Islands is undergoing an evolution that reflects a long history of occupation, a time past when as many as 9,000 people called this area home.

That was before European contact, of course, when 23 diverse native groups held traditional territories within 21 main village sites. Together these groups comprise much of the sprawling Nuu-chah-nulth peoples. A key tribe was the Tseshaht, which for generations was centered out of Benson Island, with the native name ćišaa, while the territory extended as far as the Somass River at Port Alberni, once home to one of Vancouver Island’s largest salmon runs.

A key change for the park in 2009 was the closing of the Benson Island campsite. The closure coincided with the repatriation of bones removed during the 1970s by kayakers from a burial cave. That cave has since been sealed to ward off further disturbance, but the message remains – that we are visitors through traditional territory, much of it sacred, and that we should do so with a light step and an eye to preserving the few heritage sites that remain, be they stone fish weirs or middens.

The closing of the Benson Island campground leaves seven within the park, all accessible by small boat or kayak only. The area can be busy during peak season, but we had the park pretty much to ourselves this picture-perfect early May day, only bumping into other kayakers at the large Dodd Island campsite. Park permits aren’t collected until May 1; in one trip a bit earlier this year we avoided fees altogether. The downside was not nearly as pleasant weather. On this day it was fabulous, although the wind became brisk in the late afternoon and we encountered choppy wind waves on the final leg, until at 5 p.m. it died as if a switch was tripped, and within moments the water became flat for a leisurely final paddle to our launch at Toquart Bay. It was a 50 km day – a good start to the summer season, and a particularly fine day at the office.

If you go:

Because the Broken Group Islands are a popular destination, the best time of year to go is May-June or September-October when crowds are more scarce. The tradeoff is cooler and less predictable weather. The main launch is Toquart Bay, a recreation site where fees apply for parking. Another option is a boat trip on the MV Frances Barkley from Port Alberni down Alberni Inlet to Sechart Lodge near the Pinkerton Islands, where a launch and/or accommodation is possible. See the ad on the opposite page for more information.

A launch from Ucluelet at the north entrance to Barkley Sound is possible, but due to the distance, the exposure on a large open water crossing and the possibility of fighting prevailing winds on the return journey, it is not recommended. Instead Ucluelet offers a myriad of day trip options and services. See the Spring 2010 Wavelength issue for details.

The wind is a major factor in these islands, and can make crossings uncomfortable and even hazardous. Time your trips in the early morning before the day’s winds rise. Many of the island clusters have sheltered waters, but the channels between these clusters are prone to funneling winds and can mirror the exposure of open water. Swell is generally only a factor outside the islands, though, which hosts the most magnificent shoreline. Expect fog at any time, making GPS navigation a wise idea, if only as a backup. For tour options in this region, see the listings on page 32-33.