Hello from Powell River, BC! It seems like just a short time ago we were in Telegraph Cove...because it was! This past leg was scheduled to take 9 nights, but we busted it out in 6! After the long haul (and accompanying struggles) into Telegraph Cove, the paddle through the Discovery Islands and Desolation Sound has felt like a vacation. Every single day has been bone-dry, sunny, calm, and downright HOT. According to the locals, summer has arrived in BC. But a feeling of fall is in the air, too. Bigleaf maples are starting to turn and loose their leaves. The sun is actually set by the time we go to bed, and our headlamps stay on longer in the morning. Summer is winding down, and so is our journey. Nine days are all that remain between Powell River and Orcas Island, making this our last stop of the trip. We are definitely excited to get back, but also already feeling reminiscent and a little sad about this adventure being (mostly) behind us. There's still plenty of adventure, ahead, though, including crossing the Strait of Georgia, paddling though the Gulf Islands, and crossing Haro Strait to re-enter the US.
More from this short-but-glorious leg:
The challenges of this portion of the trip had mostly to do with currents in the channels we were travelling through. Portions of the area can have currents up to 10 knots, and 4 different "rapids" had to be negotiated. Not rapids in the sense of a whitewater river, but more like areas of crazy turbulence, giant eddies, whirlpools, and overfalls. In Cordero Channel, Dent, Gillard, and Yuculta rapids stretch over an area of about 5 miles and are notorously dangerous. We timed our run just right, hit each area at the three successive slacks, and had no problems. A little bit of funky water turned us around on the approach along the shore, but we managed to sneak along through the bull kelp and back eddies as the water approached slack.
Once out of Cordero Channel, we entered a completely different world in Desolation Sound. Oysters are everywhere, and the coastal scenery is scrubbier and more open, with dry grass, shore pine, and MADRONA! Oh, it feels so good to be among madrona trees again...We've also left the wilderness behind and are now in developed areas with lots of recreational boating and designated campsites. The night before Powell River (in the Copeland Islands Marine Park) was the first site we've shared with fellow kayakers, and there was even a pit toilet. We have to be civilized people now. No more peeing freely and shedding our clothes whenever we please.
We still have yet to see a single orca! We spent almost 5 days paddling in and around Johnstone Strait, where we were practically guaranteed to see them, but no. We monitored the whale watching boats on the VHF, and a huge pod was just north of us as we came in to Telegraph Cove, and another big pod has passed through the night before we left. Oh, well...
Speaking of animal sightings, after not seeing a single bear since crossing the border into Canada, we saw 6 in the first two days of this leg. Not near our campsites, though, just along the beach as we paddled by. They're always interesting to watch from afar. Now we're out of bear country though, and we're free to cook in our tent and leave our food out wherever we want! (Kidding...)
Despite the fact we're the only people under 40 (and without an RV), the campground at Powell River is wonderful. Clean, convenient, and close to town, it's a great place to relax and resupply. We'll definitely be enjoying our time here for the next couple days.
The next time we post, it'll be from Orcas Island! We can't wait to see friends and family and share our stories in person. I'm sure there will be plenty more to tell before this trip is over.
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