Made for adventure

Official status to the route along the wildest coast of Vancouver Island will ensure passage through some of the world’s most spectacular scenery and the best kayaking imaginable. It is a route truly made for adventure.

On my first run down the outside of Vancouver Island by kayak, Cape Scott served up a thrashing. The cape is the northwestern-most point of land on Vancouver Island, and it was deceivingly calm as I passed the cape’s resident sea lion rookery at dawn. Rubbery whiskered noses snorted at me as they surfaced beside the kayak. I lingered absently, unaware of how my leisurely approach was working against me. No sooner was I past the lighthouse than the wind picked up from the south. In moments I was fighting vicious wind waves of several feet, coupled with an adverse and growing current. My progress slowed to a crawl, and to make matters worse, the current kept trying to push me towards the cape’s sharp reefs. My GPS kept dropping to a reading of 0.0 kmh – too slow to be measured. By doubling my effort the end of the peninsula slowly crept into view. There the current seemed to release me, and I managed to drop into the relative safety of Lowrie Bay. I did have ample time to recover, though – the next two days were spent waiting out a storm.

My second crossing was more peaceful but eerie. The wind behaved, leaving just a gentle swell. The reefs loomed in and out of view, causing us to constantly second-guess where they were hidden, while a heavy mist made the background surreal.

Both instances left indelible memories, as did most of the rest of the outer coast of Vancouver Island. The run from Port Hardy to Tofino, a distance of about 800 kilometres by kayak, covers the best of the coast of British Columbia in a run remarkable in so many ways. The rugged nature, the isolation, the diversity of scenery and the varied and rich ecology is remarkable. In addition, each region has its own particular attractions and charm. Given that it is so wild and uninhabited the need to formalize a route like this might seem unnecessary – after all, most is Crown land (that is, public) or already protected as parkland. But consider that it might not always be this way.

A wakeup call for the kayaking community in British Columbia was the advent of the Maa-nulth Treaty in 2006. More than a century overdue, the treaty served to right wrongs left over from British colonization that eroded aboriginal rights without legal resolution. The Maa-nulth Treaty was British Columbia’s first coastal treaty, and so provided a glimpse for the future of how coastal native communities will be transformed.

Not surprising, the treaty grants additional land, but in contrast to previous treaty lands the Maa-nulth lands are fee simple: that is, essentially private property that can be bought and sold. And not surprisingly, many of the parcels picked out in the treaty are among the most heavily used coastal recreation areas, such as Spring Island in the Mission Group off Kyuquot Sound, and Toquart Bay, the main launch point for kayakers heading to the popular Broken Group Islands.

In response to this and other changes along the coast, paddling clubs across British Columbia united in 2007 to begin the process of creating a marine trail composed of launch sites, campsites and safe havens to allow travel by paddle along the entire BC coast for generations to come. The result, when complete, will be the largest marine trail in the world. What followed was a lengthy process by volunteers of nine paddling clubs in identifying sites, visiting them, working with the government and consulting with First Nations interests to push forward the goal.

With enough of the preliminary work out of the way, the government has agreed to lift the veil of quiet behind-the-scenes work and announce support for the full trail while officially opening the first two portions: the West Coast Vancouver Island North section from Port Hardy to Tofino and the Gulf Islands Trail Network between Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The official announcement will be made at the Vancouver Island Paddlefest in May, along with a ceremonial group paddle through a portion of the Gulf Islands route to celebrate the occasion. It may well be the most historic paddle in the history of British Columbia.

The changes for kayakers will initially be largely invisible, as site development isn’t part of the equation. At least, not yet. What does change, though, is the designation of the land itself. Once a marine trail site, the designation trumps other possible proposed uses such as fish farms and resorts.

In other words, the trail is here to stay.

John Kimantas is editor of Coast&Kayak Magazine.