tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12620759869634664782024-03-05T02:28:45.702-08:00Gecko PaddlerWhat's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.comBlogger246125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-79150131677062951712017-12-30T17:24:00.000-08:002017-12-30T17:24:35.873-08:00Paddling Out 2017Those close to us know how busy we are from mid November thru Christmas. Not much time left for paddling until we do our annual camping trip between Boxing Day and New Year's Day.<div style="text-align: justify;">
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This year we are spending our down time at Pedder Bay RV Resort & Marina and despite the colder than normal temperatures we paddled for a couple of hours on Wednesday. It certainly felt good to be back in the kayaks even if some of our dormant muscle groups protested from time to time.</div>
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It was a good opportunity for bird watching which included a pair of Mute Swans. Looking back to the same time last year we came across a pair of Mute Swans so I'm guessing that they probably are the same ones.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMr_Lq9oAU4L0YuZhYucOImYgsVHOZt6iGwmM2Jbv3F3zomE39ZaR6ZE1IBsMhB4SRnWzfiM2jGA8HXPnCcrsFpzh9e2JL3a5dDanlXDNxHEVglB_BJSqE4q2BX2CHLT_dYFsKGHGe6rl/s1600/2017-12-27++Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1600" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxMr_Lq9oAU4L0YuZhYucOImYgsVHOZt6iGwmM2Jbv3F3zomE39ZaR6ZE1IBsMhB4SRnWzfiM2jGA8HXPnCcrsFpzh9e2JL3a5dDanlXDNxHEVglB_BJSqE4q2BX2CHLT_dYFsKGHGe6rl/s640/2017-12-27++Race.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Race Rocks Light House in the distance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto9AZRLcJ3NNGkncNIbQv-AWI623fHo0_MeOgMQMfrFfyshf4ldlGQdjpCXya9sCONg9emzZvxLiAjkjUopYqIVrY7mXf1TmZ2Tsw3mpyIqTU-zAW4FihWqVMza9fHu_uMdVy300-0f2m/s1600/2017-12-27+Mute+Swans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="925" data-original-width="1600" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhto9AZRLcJ3NNGkncNIbQv-AWI623fHo0_MeOgMQMfrFfyshf4ldlGQdjpCXya9sCONg9emzZvxLiAjkjUopYqIVrY7mXf1TmZ2Tsw3mpyIqTU-zAW4FihWqVMza9fHu_uMdVy300-0f2m/s640/2017-12-27+Mute+Swans.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pair of Mute Swans that we came across heading out of the bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkivPoWuu6IgMqqz3Q88zBk0T1yXvbd3Gt_50L5MhURkfkflyL4gOJtW_Y1zyQIbpdHt2KaZr7Fhc3Z27F_GkCilJJ3hvl8HRno-IhXGm0gSFk0LexsvNLyOJaUSgBMZrDtAKlPqgC8zRS/s1600/2017-12-27+Robyn+Swans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1600" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkivPoWuu6IgMqqz3Q88zBk0T1yXvbd3Gt_50L5MhURkfkflyL4gOJtW_Y1zyQIbpdHt2KaZr7Fhc3Z27F_GkCilJJ3hvl8HRno-IhXGm0gSFk0LexsvNLyOJaUSgBMZrDtAKlPqgC8zRS/s640/2017-12-27+Robyn+Swans.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And there they were again as we were heading back</td></tr>
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Hopefully we'll be able to get back on the water on New Year's Eve to formally say good-bye to the 2017 Paddling Year. If not .... Happy New Year!!!</div>
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Mark & Robyn</div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-17182408265361791872017-10-28T16:31:00.000-07:002017-10-30T16:33:11.684-07:00Endless Summer!!<div style="text-align: justify;">
October 28th and it was 18°C or 65°F in Victoria, BC. I can't remember when I last got a sun burn this late into the year but it happened.<br />
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After a busy couple of months volunteering our time with Santa's Anonymous and the Rocky Point Bird Observatory we managed to finally get back out in our kayaks on such a stunning fall day. Our original plan was to launch out of the Oak Bay Marina and paddle south long the shoreline but as we approached Trail Island the conditions were perfect for us to cross Enterprise Channel and paddle to the lighthouse.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig139wb-x9CSmJjsJs9NjYywm615HyEJ5wNJylNF4bQwwoxE6pASEfc22murvT3GKSWOXIm2HoH19dbSMPYewt5hgxHCvKKuIOqIY3fMslplpWfCA2txOhTO3I08rw9FuVtaR4miMHXXgJ/s1600/2017-10-28+Trial+1-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="806" data-original-width="1600" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig139wb-x9CSmJjsJs9NjYywm615HyEJ5wNJylNF4bQwwoxE6pASEfc22murvT3GKSWOXIm2HoH19dbSMPYewt5hgxHCvKKuIOqIY3fMslplpWfCA2txOhTO3I08rw9FuVtaR4miMHXXgJ/s640/2017-10-28+Trial+1-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddling past the Victoria Golf Club at Gonzales Point</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnGBwrjagDMQv6r0w2yGkgwXKj9AJ20IwuTtkUvktzDqo_EkX0jQSUpcPd9qXBEly_UbyBt87QYok1WkbGreiLTNIvV0PgKirBD_mGtB4MZec_5f-nsUrLmt5-nHyZ9xggVp16Vvvmt2D/s1600/2017-10-28+Trial+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1600" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnGBwrjagDMQv6r0w2yGkgwXKj9AJ20IwuTtkUvktzDqo_EkX0jQSUpcPd9qXBEly_UbyBt87QYok1WkbGreiLTNIvV0PgKirBD_mGtB4MZec_5f-nsUrLmt5-nHyZ9xggVp16Vvvmt2D/s640/2017-10-28+Trial+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trial Island 1 nm in the distance. Inviting to cross over so we did.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWo3C5nIc8CCUigVUHuwsEEDBrr6p6vPjeuwzdeMBiWdWqpeMZEUZa-zDztNaaOuJpZWSsFq0bZIN_5COYSR-Uy1PBbq6oV8guhbnu_I8DIY_5GV7X3LPkN-fevr2zuReVWObC7frKxp6l/s1600/2017-10-28+Trial+1-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWo3C5nIc8CCUigVUHuwsEEDBrr6p6vPjeuwzdeMBiWdWqpeMZEUZa-zDztNaaOuJpZWSsFq0bZIN_5COYSR-Uy1PBbq6oV8guhbnu_I8DIY_5GV7X3LPkN-fevr2zuReVWObC7frKxp6l/s640/2017-10-28+Trial+1-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Trial Island Lighthouse. We didn't see Meredith or her two dogs today.</td></tr>
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Once we reached Staines Point where the lighthouse is located we checked the conditions on the west side of the island as the ebb was beginning to flow. There were no rips developing so we continued our way down the chain looking for a beach to land on below the high water mark but noticed a number of seals sunning themselves on rocks around one of our favorites places to stop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPwcVXp38wPZCv8azdT4GWx2SdkGlK0gZK7IgDdSwEx73FFtAkT1A_a4KYjDLxvDZP6OhuMUZi-_5AnBNXcMoksEX5geLBKlDElEzCyeIe9oHowAQEcpW8dZz4f2Q6p0lZjipe9LCDAWW/s1600/2017-10-28+Trial+1-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="773" data-original-width="1600" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrPwcVXp38wPZCv8azdT4GWx2SdkGlK0gZK7IgDdSwEx73FFtAkT1A_a4KYjDLxvDZP6OhuMUZi-_5AnBNXcMoksEX5geLBKlDElEzCyeIe9oHowAQEcpW8dZz4f2Q6p0lZjipe9LCDAWW/s640/2017-10-28+Trial+1-4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn paddling along the rock wall below the lighthouse. In all the years that we have<br /> been paddling it's hard to believe that Robyn has never circumnavigated Trial Island</td></tr>
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Keeping our distance we decided to continue on back across Enterprise Channel and find a beach around the Victoria Golf Club but due to the high water levels there wasn't much to choose from.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuE7jgOKtIChgXqRfQ4eJ3KSnIIUvEgzvSc_Z6yI-38spIsZMUTmFkaT10hsL7aaaofLCs9EcrJy3uVQNd6NB7vB7adrhh08qa7tVgs8_DAZ5KoPfOnG15Bu9EFBtIbAFuBBF5yqIp-BW/s1600/2017-10-28+Trial+1-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="822" data-original-width="1600" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuE7jgOKtIChgXqRfQ4eJ3KSnIIUvEgzvSc_Z6yI-38spIsZMUTmFkaT10hsL7aaaofLCs9EcrJy3uVQNd6NB7vB7adrhh08qa7tVgs8_DAZ5KoPfOnG15Bu9EFBtIbAFuBBF5yqIp-BW/s640/2017-10-28+Trial+1-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddling back towards Gonzales Point. The golf course was very busy on such an amazing day.</td></tr>
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So we continued on to Mary Tod Island otherwise know as <a href="http://twpaterson.com/will-always-jimmy-chickens-island/" target="_blank">Jimmy Chickens Island</a> and found a wonderful gravel beach that looked out towards Chatham and Discovery Islands with Mt. Baker in the background. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQoM6lpZSI7QpxsLMhbf7bJ8jDpqXFnCmEzpTtaJ0jV72FnuCyb1RH_QJdeDb6NK2pnENSxp8w-BkxvcqIWeKPnj8nvGdvArcaHsT4S-BTixsfPViOzhzRfN6YpGgg5VM_We1ct-_owco/s1600/2017-10-28+Trial+1-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQoM6lpZSI7QpxsLMhbf7bJ8jDpqXFnCmEzpTtaJ0jV72FnuCyb1RH_QJdeDb6NK2pnENSxp8w-BkxvcqIWeKPnj8nvGdvArcaHsT4S-BTixsfPViOzhzRfN6YpGgg5VM_We1ct-_owco/s640/2017-10-28+Trial+1-6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lunchtime view. Ahhhh .... Summer in late October!</td></tr>
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After making note of the birds that we saw (Bald Eagles, Harlequin Ducks, Surf Scoters, Double Crested Cormorants, Pelagic Cormorants, lots of Mew Gulls but still no Buffleheads) we paddled back to the marina put in location and we both completed several rolls which capped off a perfect day on the water. </div>
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Distance: 5.15 nm (9.53 km)</div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-11700226080487765732017-08-22T21:13:00.000-07:002017-08-22T21:26:40.441-07:00D'Arcy Island .... All to Ourselves!<div style="text-align: justify;">
It’s the middle of summer and we haven’t gone kayak camping yet! What the heck? So off to <a href="http://gulfislandsnationalpark.com/gulf-island-parks/darcy-island/" target="_blank">D’Arcy Island (Gulf Islands National Park Reserve)</a> we went last Friday morning, ahead of the wind warning for Haro Strait that was to build in the afternoon.<br />
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We didn’t really have an on the water time but still we managed to get up early and left Amherst Beach at 9:30 am, loading on a low tide which meant that we would be paddling against the incoming flood all the way to D’Arcy. Trying to combine the perfect departure time, correct current direction and good wind conditions always seems to be a problem with one or more of these criteria not being met. In our case, it was the current flowing the opposite direction and so we started the average 2.5 kts paddle towards the island. A quick rest stop at Sidney Spit and we continued to our destination (7.65 nm) arriving at 12:30 pm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Low, low tide at Amherst Beach. Loaded and ready to head out.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pit stop on Sidney Spit</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little D'Arcy on the left and big D'Arcy on the right while Slogging our way down Sidney Channel</td></tr>
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Sidebar #1: D'Arcy Island was once a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/steffani-cameron/bc-leper-colony-darcy-island-bentinck-victoria-chinese-leprosy_b_2834197.html" target="_blank">leper colony</a> for Chinese immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s.<br />
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Just as we were landing, a couple of researchers from the University of Western Ontario were leaving the island after checking up on their deer study which involves tracking the movements of the deer on the island and how recorded sounds affects them. We were a little surprised not to find anyone else in the campsite or any other boats anchored in the small bay and we wondered if that would change later in the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9leF0F8mp3NNfBFJcFKwLX1WLqLypDYNRI2WKbCkYUB49i-Kq7MtkJ66M94QkdOp4_tgCF81tXj6XeZelrJXlUCxJa3xSN-g8LcRtTSI-OhPzgIo_XQOSJnClHhqZiJsFYT25Lrw9jlH4/s1600/2017-8-20+Camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9leF0F8mp3NNfBFJcFKwLX1WLqLypDYNRI2WKbCkYUB49i-Kq7MtkJ66M94QkdOp4_tgCF81tXj6XeZelrJXlUCxJa3xSN-g8LcRtTSI-OhPzgIo_XQOSJnClHhqZiJsFYT25Lrw9jlH4/s640/2017-8-20+Camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our favorite site #2 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP7cjImzokd-Z4cQIq3odPIvBEkt8S9Tb_rlOvh2OWitE8pywAJEftqDEfqK-f1LLHp_bkt51vSYNFxeUIctlbHynDm1Qh-ZLST7qjCyuCIj9-ityrn8CM5RExceuC8NwK4aYpBGdR7RG/s1600/2017-8-20+Camp+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP7cjImzokd-Z4cQIq3odPIvBEkt8S9Tb_rlOvh2OWitE8pywAJEftqDEfqK-f1LLHp_bkt51vSYNFxeUIctlbHynDm1Qh-ZLST7qjCyuCIj9-ityrn8CM5RExceuC8NwK4aYpBGdR7RG/s640/2017-8-20+Camp+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the rest of the sites completely empty!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It wasn’t long before we had our camp established and settled in for some well-deserved relaxation time. For the rest of the day we watched the world go by on the waters between ourselves and San Juan Island (U.S.) only a few miles away. There were lots of cargo and tank ships, a few sport fishing boats and quite a few whale watching boats running at high speed.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv6qj9WWNKtuvOgB7CtR9wIn_4l3tS16Ujpl0wl4cFfeyJaJrC8P-HwddP8IXC32yFWmOfje17RS2XcJam9KMuxMiAdEnI06cJh8fMDznkt_0_Wf7k17OCdiRjYpeRPUdNwQE71IIXVDA/s1600/2017-8-20+Kayaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJv6qj9WWNKtuvOgB7CtR9wIn_4l3tS16Ujpl0wl4cFfeyJaJrC8P-HwddP8IXC32yFWmOfje17RS2XcJam9KMuxMiAdEnI06cJh8fMDznkt_0_Wf7k17OCdiRjYpeRPUdNwQE71IIXVDA/s640/2017-8-20+Kayaks.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kayaks were the only ones on the beach this weekend.</td></tr>
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Sidebar #2: A typical 3-hour whale watching tour out of the Victoria Harbour costs around $120.00.<br />
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As predicted, the westerly winds did increase through the afternoon but we were sheltered on the east side of the island and felt only a slight breeze. Haro Strait was a maelstrom of dark seas and whitecaps which was probably the reason why nobody else arrived during the rest of the day. D’Arcy Island would be all ours for the first night.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yV9JWrpqSW4ZlkZxn5KLzOfGGEhZfDRByj1d1YDxikdL98RUWKoVGf9d-d7HJ1JD57Anzd4JTexwkD7NoVhxYR6hvzWkbNxFd7mc5AX-oNWGU_K36cBVwGK8xLqhBE61B7KZ1BEFomlg/s1600/2017-8-20+Friday+windy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="754" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yV9JWrpqSW4ZlkZxn5KLzOfGGEhZfDRByj1d1YDxikdL98RUWKoVGf9d-d7HJ1JD57Anzd4JTexwkD7NoVhxYR6hvzWkbNxFd7mc5AX-oNWGU_K36cBVwGK8xLqhBE61B7KZ1BEFomlg/s640/2017-8-20+Friday+windy.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wind and current in Haro Strait Friday afternoon.</td></tr>
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<br />
D’Arcy Island sunrises are spectacular and it’s one of the reasons why we love going there. The campsite faces southeast which means on a great day the sun bathes the beach area until around 5:00 pm when it settles in the west and the last of its sunrays sneak through the forest behind the campsite.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrpIDEyLtnLQKKMuXJb9oFQ1ZheN9guateuphoNxYtd7VfWPn9DOSsrasAKkP13WqmTY9TuLSRU9bJlrHi7Bqe4LqOdM4kCXN2SHxXhTi3XAkqXQoKj3CdKKGSjQfkNzd7eywzCOdbvu4/s1600/2017-8-20+Saturday+morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdrpIDEyLtnLQKKMuXJb9oFQ1ZheN9guateuphoNxYtd7VfWPn9DOSsrasAKkP13WqmTY9TuLSRU9bJlrHi7Bqe4LqOdM4kCXN2SHxXhTi3XAkqXQoKj3CdKKGSjQfkNzd7eywzCOdbvu4/s640/2017-8-20+Saturday+morning.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Goooooood Morning from D'Arcy Island. Bliss!</td></tr>
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<br />
The wind forecast was much better for Saturday so we expected we would get some visitors either arriving by kayak or powerboats. Other than a few small hikes to a couple of vantage points we did nothing other than cat nap in our Helinox chairs, read and have a few snacks and happy hour beverages during the day. By the time the sun left the beach area and dinner time had passed so had the opportunity for visitors to arrive at our island retreat. D’Arcy Island would be all ours again for the second night.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSdcBmoentmj7Z0TVWIUJop9U4n4n0-x51rVQELbCGDpqT6kLHWRtyinlnbjEcX3Y4lgoaqrq2R3kvuOGVbYIeUNxyvf73qSVddn9DLuPUM2rILGkQic7R2S07qVb2ZFkbvEgxzOBvlIV/s1600/2017-8-20+Discovery+Island.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYSdcBmoentmj7Z0TVWIUJop9U4n4n0-x51rVQELbCGDpqT6kLHWRtyinlnbjEcX3Y4lgoaqrq2R3kvuOGVbYIeUNxyvf73qSVddn9DLuPUM2rILGkQic7R2S07qVb2ZFkbvEgxzOBvlIV/s640/2017-8-20+Discovery+Island.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the Discovery Island lighthouse in the distance</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFfPTwgrwHgNL3vNgnge5UYlnCAvuYz93kS18A14bfMslRBP1ldxZFdWhc8JX8N6ZuAiNpJNEyj39uzZTpLPOOIgiiIpGptBcPUhqs_l_yE6aBYxG6PX8WE_eXmXdk0mI3V2z_7rPUXd0/s1600/2017-8-20+Lepar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="983" data-original-width="1600" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFfPTwgrwHgNL3vNgnge5UYlnCAvuYz93kS18A14bfMslRBP1ldxZFdWhc8JX8N6ZuAiNpJNEyj39uzZTpLPOOIgiiIpGptBcPUhqs_l_yE6aBYxG6PX8WE_eXmXdk0mI3V2z_7rPUXd0/s640/2017-8-20+Lepar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Fenced off ruins of the buildings for the Chinese </span>immigrants<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span>leper colony from 1894 to 1924 </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sunday morning was another amazing start to the day and it looked like we were going to get all three conditions (time on the water, current direct and wind) for an ideal paddle back to Sidney. There was no rush to leave as slack before the flood was at 11:38 am so we watched the birds playing all around us in the foliage close to the beach, a family of river otters frolicking in the bay, the same four female Harlequin ducks who paddled around the waterline all weekend, a fawn that was around camp all weekend, an elusive Belted Kingfisher who wouldn’t sit still for me to take its picture and when we least expected it . . . a Humpback whale surfacing in our bay!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHLvFJfh5CRaBlUHmYA-6-FiUl2LOSbITlFeZ2uQWsVwY_wOT645FkC_4X8TgW2jDC8l1Z2IyxCFbCNrntVus2wFKg-AMmCXQYE2q6iKNPZDiAxdcnp3cuCefa5VPQlFKGroeRLm8t-n3/s1600/2017-8-20+Orange+Crown+Warbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioHLvFJfh5CRaBlUHmYA-6-FiUl2LOSbITlFeZ2uQWsVwY_wOT645FkC_4X8TgW2jDC8l1Z2IyxCFbCNrntVus2wFKg-AMmCXQYE2q6iKNPZDiAxdcnp3cuCefa5VPQlFKGroeRLm8t-n3/s640/2017-8-20+Orange+Crown+Warbler.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On of the many warblers that we spotted. Here is an Orange-crowned Warbler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AFRkXHonnLui2qCWg0NZcCVF1g-SWTW4zEdVls6dhsZQPbSQL7evnyu6OjI7g_CqVsTD9zqkMNJ3nWU7oiUoXHrk-MjNXmwEuU9xT1JGtwhxOcDPf58AHglPZIeRCCN3UPBqq3y-bAs9/s1600/2017-8-20+Otters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1600" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9AFRkXHonnLui2qCWg0NZcCVF1g-SWTW4zEdVls6dhsZQPbSQL7evnyu6OjI7g_CqVsTD9zqkMNJ3nWU7oiUoXHrk-MjNXmwEuU9xT1JGtwhxOcDPf58AHglPZIeRCCN3UPBqq3y-bAs9/s640/2017-8-20+Otters.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family of River Otters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4lMspS06UMejSvbuEMFrjsGD3AnZlTFsVyIGXJo3f4QzAyqKWdUbQaMI2j_rEjuy-CTfR2yTpoXxVEjEkOgf1yQTl2OzloiH_veNw9jR_lY1h4zZCxr9PPxuWFVylv-UdL9CJXjmQS4w/s1600/2017-8-20+Harlequin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="828" data-original-width="1600" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI4lMspS06UMejSvbuEMFrjsGD3AnZlTFsVyIGXJo3f4QzAyqKWdUbQaMI2j_rEjuy-CTfR2yTpoXxVEjEkOgf1yQTl2OzloiH_veNw9jR_lY1h4zZCxr9PPxuWFVylv-UdL9CJXjmQS4w/s640/2017-8-20+Harlequin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Female Harlequin Ducks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbrvTOIsuNLjR4F_lni-q1necPLa-XQFas2GWafhuEGyxokR9nFaFEllXli43xMX2PUba0qc63mS4-j2uQowgzL7VI-YG59YJW_Gwda0iCuLXhHHVQnXlf8upw5bGs_bm50Ys9HmUMXp8/s1600/2017-8-20+Fawn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1023" data-original-width="1600" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGbrvTOIsuNLjR4F_lni-q1necPLa-XQFas2GWafhuEGyxokR9nFaFEllXli43xMX2PUba0qc63mS4-j2uQowgzL7VI-YG59YJW_Gwda0iCuLXhHHVQnXlf8upw5bGs_bm50Ys9HmUMXp8/s640/2017-8-20+Fawn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A baby fawn deer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhnwwNEyqvMn0BhIS5r8QcJAaq22kMJ5AMh4bgckrlI4Nlfx4069XZjG_-KIHSKygqzIbZnFH0piwSsWJFGqiWn-to4bosS0oQWyd_0SExbJ7hPxFzSsnC-7rQE8cSH5WDcU5ZXPuWxFK/s1600/2017-8-20+Humpback+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixhnwwNEyqvMn0BhIS5r8QcJAaq22kMJ5AMh4bgckrlI4Nlfx4069XZjG_-KIHSKygqzIbZnFH0piwSsWJFGqiWn-to4bosS0oQWyd_0SExbJ7hPxFzSsnC-7rQE8cSH5WDcU5ZXPuWxFK/s640/2017-8-20+Humpback+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Humpback surfaces in the bay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOqq5Sw8ukiPvRwg6ynRQFpRP7FwwZX3w8z4pv6MQ6cNY5Y8ZJ5a8y5MosRpDEnP1g7e2aUNCg392VPBjTtNSI2tsAx5Yj9clRboZH62Kh5mTpzams_2Cjc-YUe0lzGvjjuvg3heZNsCK/s1600/2017-8-20+Humpback+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1600" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVOqq5Sw8ukiPvRwg6ynRQFpRP7FwwZX3w8z4pv6MQ6cNY5Y8ZJ5a8y5MosRpDEnP1g7e2aUNCg392VPBjTtNSI2tsAx5Yj9clRboZH62Kh5mTpzams_2Cjc-YUe0lzGvjjuvg3heZNsCK/s640/2017-8-20+Humpback+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Humpback in between little and big D'Arcy Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We kind of expected that we might see Orca passing by in Haro Strait in the distance but we never thought that a Humpback whale would appear so close to us. We watched the whale as it made its way into our bay and through the shallow waters between ourselves and Little D’Arcy Island only a few hundred yards away. Realizing that the whale couldn’t pass between the exposed rocky islets at the low tide, it turned around and made its way back out and around Little D’Arcy Island and into open water.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/H_YTi2rMEdI/0.jpg" frameborder="10" height="532" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H_YTi2rMEdI?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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While dismantling our camp we did have a couple of visitors in a powerboat on a day trip from Victoria visit us for a few minutes before they continued on their way in search of the Humpback that we told them about. All of the excitement of the morning had put our departure time behind schedule but it didn’t matter as the flood current would assist us home.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-btnAIxgttclR8a_UgHT9c6tYLMhlEV9DAnOVBHLP3zrkkDtInMxn5UkFMUOOjhcx9LArLt-9Ye40_NXuB07mvOGex-mhF_E4HOhb_xGcF5o4MRliQSOHYl5gmnuMhkYjGMJr0TK6Qvz/s1600/2017-8-20+Darcy+Exit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-btnAIxgttclR8a_UgHT9c6tYLMhlEV9DAnOVBHLP3zrkkDtInMxn5UkFMUOOjhcx9LArLt-9Ye40_NXuB07mvOGex-mhF_E4HOhb_xGcF5o4MRliQSOHYl5gmnuMhkYjGMJr0TK6Qvz/s640/2017-8-20+Darcy+Exit.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to head home</td></tr>
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As we made the crossing from D’Arcy Island to James Island we once again spotted the Humpback whale a few hundred yards away and hoped that we wouldn’t get a surprise close-up encounter on our crossing. Yeah right . . . we both wanted it but it didn’t happen. Unlike our paddle to the island, the return transit back to Sidney resulted in an average moving speed of around 5 kts.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdqvgfAe7c1-1Z_ekx5E2m31t0U1Z_nyevLIAukBMieoGh-ifko26qUZcabU3f4CPQKcUzcP1fGmo-8TlgQCNlRTgcQSKlomok_PAmLXMpM7UrhW_xeCnu5cvQiRmOmngz5X9pcMbo0BL/s1600/2017-8-20+James+crossing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="931" data-original-width="1600" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdqvgfAe7c1-1Z_ekx5E2m31t0U1Z_nyevLIAukBMieoGh-ifko26qUZcabU3f4CPQKcUzcP1fGmo-8TlgQCNlRTgcQSKlomok_PAmLXMpM7UrhW_xeCnu5cvQiRmOmngz5X9pcMbo0BL/s640/2017-8-20+James+crossing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing over to James Island after spotting the Humpback again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Arriving back at Sidney wharf in only 2 hours we decided to paddle into Port of Sidney Marina and see if there was any action at the <a href="http://bluedogkayaking.com/" target="_blank">Blue Dog Kayaking</a> dock but there was nobody around. On a nice day like today the crew was probably out giving lessons or touring a group through some of the islands nearby. We paddled to our put-in at Amherst Beach and with a rising tide it meant a relative easy unloading of our gear.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXtQ23gUrT_IhwsOs8HD8tG1XhEyms1ufCqckj-25trip-lF-HPWPRZvh3RWG46vQ3Dtie923ANrjflKCDRWBm9sThyphenhyphenKvjucOHD_V208kUtAy1xEuxX_bITT4ly2V9MDfq4v7v5VHZSSI/s1600/2017-8-20+Blue+Dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMXtQ23gUrT_IhwsOs8HD8tG1XhEyms1ufCqckj-25trip-lF-HPWPRZvh3RWG46vQ3Dtie923ANrjflKCDRWBm9sThyphenhyphenKvjucOHD_V208kUtAy1xEuxX_bITT4ly2V9MDfq4v7v5VHZSSI/s640/2017-8-20+Blue+Dog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Dog Kayaking's Port of Sidney operation</td></tr>
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Sidebar #3: Robyn and I are both Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 3 graduates of Blue Dog Kayaking.<br />
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It was a wonderful weekend of solitude on our very own D’Arcy Island which doesn’t happen very often. See ya on the water!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup! That's us!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkBLAz4Mg6cEHr4OjAln9xXjG92UwFE9otSGMRfwQ-iKEXVJvCKMQmp31fjq4R9Zyq8HhAjdtqNyXKYJurwdsRim-K7KutC56PSz0Y7CDxfublTSWB1iBqrrmHlYAPWCZQULCAS7Qq0sF/s1600/Track.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1003" data-original-width="1002" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYkBLAz4Mg6cEHr4OjAln9xXjG92UwFE9otSGMRfwQ-iKEXVJvCKMQmp31fjq4R9Zyq8HhAjdtqNyXKYJurwdsRim-K7KutC56PSz0Y7CDxfublTSWB1iBqrrmHlYAPWCZQULCAS7Qq0sF/s640/Track.png" width="638" /></a></div>
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Distance: 15.66 nm (29.00 km)</div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-86781660621358602922017-08-15T18:22:00.001-07:002017-08-16T19:31:18.786-07:00Getting Back to Semi Normal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
It's been a crazy last few weeks. Over the long weekend Robyn and I were heavily involved with the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VictoriasLargestLittleAirshow/" target="_blank">Victoria's Largest Little Airshow</a> which the <a href="http://vrcms.asyuler.com/" target="_blank">Victoria Radio Control Modelers Society</a> (which I am a member of) hosts each year. Since its inception the airshow has raised over $289,000.00 for charity and this year we raised a whopping $24,300.00 which will be going to <a href="http://cfaxsantas.com/" target="_blank">CFAX Santas Anonymous</a> which helps families all year round but especially at Christmas. Last year, over 1500 Greater Victoria families received toys for the kids and Christmas hampers . The past couple of years the volunteers of the flying club and CFAX Santas Anonymous have worked hard together at the airshow so it's a great charity to support. </div>
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On the work front, we are in a bit of a slow down for the next few months which means a shorter work week for myself. Financially it has drawbacks but on the positive side I have some personal projects to tackle and of course possibly more paddling .... maybe.</div>
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In late November of last year I had a surgical procedure done to correct atrial fibrillation (A-fib or simply an inconsistent heartbeat) which I have had for the past couple of years. It usually is considered to be successful if there are no further episodes during the first six months after the procedure which for me was in May. Smooth sailing and back to kayaking Robyn and I went. We even did a 10 day trip through the Gulf Islands in late May and had planned a trip to the Broughton's this coming September until ..... a week ago I woke up in A-fib and needed to have another cardioversion done. For those of you who don't know what that is, it is a quick 3 or 4 hour visit to the hospital emergency where they put me out and use a crash cart to correct my heart beat. Just like you see on TV ..... CLEAR!!!! And I'm back into normal heart rhythm. Other than it's inconvenient and takes a lot out of me for a few days I'm used to the procedure (8 to date) and sure appreciate the staff at the Royal Jubilee Hospital ER who look after me. Anyway, it looks like my surgery wasn't totally successful and I was warned that there was a 25% chance that it would have to be repeated and here I am today still alive. All good!!</div>
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Our kayaking multi day adventures are on hold in the meantime but it doesn't mean that I can't kayak. Robyn and I just need to manage the risks associated with having another episode while on the water so we are sticking close to home so that I can get medical attention should I need it again.</div>
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So with that Robyn and I went on a day paddle with our kayak club, the <a href="http://www.siska.ca/" target="_blank">South Island Sea Kayaking Association</a>, on Sunday to Rum Island (Isle-de-Lis of the Gulf Islands National Parks Reserve). David Maxwell was the paddle leader for this outing and as he noted the night before in his email communication, there were conflicting forecasts in terms of wind for Haro Straight. Part of the issue is forecasts tend to cover a huge area and so specific local conditions may be different that what is being predicted. We have found that apps such as <a href="http://www.sailflow.com/" target="_blank">Sailflow</a> or the <a href="http://www.bigwavedave.ca/" target="_blank">Big Wave Dave</a> website are pretty accurate in determining localized conditions but a lot of the time just looking with your eyes helps.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking pretty nice to paddle today</td></tr>
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Launching out of Amherst Beach at 10:00am in Sidney our group of 13 paddlers headed out past the Little Group and Dock Island assisted by a westerly breeze at our backs. I have taken this route to Rum Island several times and each time it's so unique when it comes to tides/currents interacting with the wind. As expected it was a bit chunky passing Dock Island but once we reached Domville Island the sea conditions calmed right down. </div>
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Sidebar #1: Robyn and I arrived at the launch site a little early and paddled out to set our crab trap :-) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gearing up for the paddle with a nice high tide at Amherst Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn paddling past the cliff outhouse on Sheep Island</td></tr>
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Our group arrived at Rum Island just after 11:30am and were greeted by a couple of fellows who work for Parks Canada. To our surprise they said nobody was camped on the island so we had the place to ourselves.<br />
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Several of us went to check out the campsite and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the four tent sites all have new picnic tables. I guess they were allocated to Rum as part of the Canada 150 Parks Canada celebration. Did you know that camping in <a href="https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/admission" target="_blank">Parks Canada is free for 2017</a>??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O3ZCu1BNPAQ4JGX65QJuSQf2OgcQfWes-9tR-ogoMLaZREtHKfQcPE3hq9P0yI5krNPvy-2UcJjHKqoyIm3yyNAWtdJ_E_fu4Q05d70OBvVM4oY0QjuJauifPmdM_Fw_qaCEH540W2tF/s1600/Rum+Beach+sign-1026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="948" data-original-width="1600" height="377" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1O3ZCu1BNPAQ4JGX65QJuSQf2OgcQfWes-9tR-ogoMLaZREtHKfQcPE3hq9P0yI5krNPvy-2UcJjHKqoyIm3yyNAWtdJ_E_fu4Q05d70OBvVM4oY0QjuJauifPmdM_Fw_qaCEH540W2tF/s640/Rum+Beach+sign-1026.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The group having lunch on the tombolo separating Gooch Island which is private and Rum Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Parks Canada skiff heading out</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVMitMUwZw_QbPEnUcTHtjuXT_8PlnNarZ1nQ6CmjjnPoHU8K9fItVJKrN3Vcjocj-lPn0irbTxWGKK2w3ntk_fVgxQW-K5C2jxTthXafTl6SbNcVkxByyQwJCsPWg4dwNFu_GF60h8U0/s1600/Rum+Beach+Camp-1031.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="979" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFVMitMUwZw_QbPEnUcTHtjuXT_8PlnNarZ1nQ6CmjjnPoHU8K9fItVJKrN3Vcjocj-lPn0irbTxWGKK2w3ntk_fVgxQW-K5C2jxTthXafTl6SbNcVkxByyQwJCsPWg4dwNFu_GF60h8U0/s640/Rum+Beach+Camp-1031.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice new picnic tables!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYadyz841FAbNdSu-HLWXuf2I6Q0lrcetQYWKFKA9rpI-9gbobzgJ2Btz7ndU6Hpyr1g9uIu1w5KzD_XK6qO484oOYT40Jau4SGcUCrrzFgdE49kafCPjRj0u8xdR9tr_9AYeOutx2XlR/s1600/Rum+Beach+View-1032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1600" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYadyz841FAbNdSu-HLWXuf2I6Q0lrcetQYWKFKA9rpI-9gbobzgJ2Btz7ndU6Hpyr1g9uIu1w5KzD_XK6qO484oOYT40Jau4SGcUCrrzFgdE49kafCPjRj0u8xdR9tr_9AYeOutx2XlR/s640/Rum+Beach+View-1032.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards the San Juan Islands in the USA. Been there done that on another trip last year</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every time I think ... we should camp here. Never have yet ..... bucket list!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Egilson practices his Greenland rolling during lunch</td></tr>
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After about an hour on Rum Island we started to head back to Sidney via Forrest Island and once again encountered the chunky conditions passing Dock Island. Come to think of it... I don't think I have ever paddled past Dock Island when it has been calm LOL.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHK0TJaW2gH712JVcuTW58i6rJ0WzXKbzqEOcnlQ4lljgrUZQhsPoM5mkfAm2nSsry-Q9NxYbPPxDjxDzcgKq32lt3nyjUr6PnX_nnp6Wqghp6ulDCLgQWTbjy9OpaGbmt0BsC02vsiA5/s1600/Paddle+1-0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="834" data-original-width="1600" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyHK0TJaW2gH712JVcuTW58i6rJ0WzXKbzqEOcnlQ4lljgrUZQhsPoM5mkfAm2nSsry-Q9NxYbPPxDjxDzcgKq32lt3nyjUr6PnX_nnp6Wqghp6ulDCLgQWTbjy9OpaGbmt0BsC02vsiA5/s640/Paddle+1-0002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Nearing Amherst Beach, Robyn and I detoured to pick up our crab trap and sure enough there were crabs in it. A total of 5 red rock crabs and all male and all well beyond legal size but I released the smallest one anyway. Crab salad for dinner anyone???</div>
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To end the day our group gathered at <a href="http://www.roostfarmcentre.com/" target="_blank">The Roost</a> and enjoyed some of their wonderful baked goods like apple pie while we did a debrief. It was then time to head home to clean our gear and cook the crab for dinner.<br />
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Sidebar #2 Many crabbers throw back red rocks in preference of dungeness crabs but Robyn and I actually think the meat of a red rock is a little sweeter although not as plentiful as a dungeness.<br />
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Sidebar #3 Arriving back at Amherst Beach we noticed very little wind but back at home 16km away it was blowing 20-30 kts. The beauty of kayaking on southern Vancouver Island is that there's usually always somewhere you can paddle even when it's windy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1v7_KhBj7NVz-liA0T3XWLGsu2h6Czwbae-D2SR1Uq1bC5SjhgV5bDOrmhm64knb1HL54BXgLYvoiEzRpBi5muobaU6aPX6mKR_VHoSk3n_nLzeBvda41kTefLDEz1OrRXCP_euhyVhJG/s1600/crabs-1042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1258" data-original-width="1600" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1v7_KhBj7NVz-liA0T3XWLGsu2h6Czwbae-D2SR1Uq1bC5SjhgV5bDOrmhm64knb1HL54BXgLYvoiEzRpBi5muobaU6aPX6mKR_VHoSk3n_nLzeBvda41kTefLDEz1OrRXCP_euhyVhJG/s640/crabs-1042.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another successful crab haul. We are getting pretty good ... finally!! LOL </td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwxN23BNiAXdb8XnJWUchAkxoLiUHz5GoZd5r_vnliPQsZNBLd1SGOkPYOsILPLgFOOgg-tAxj-ovmAuGaTBFPfb3PhMgAA1VllWVwA43cJ1CnOrxJFLxAPdCNPITnu_E0zEZWNq48rE0/s1600/Rum+Track.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="698" data-original-width="1599" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuwxN23BNiAXdb8XnJWUchAkxoLiUHz5GoZd5r_vnliPQsZNBLd1SGOkPYOsILPLgFOOgg-tAxj-ovmAuGaTBFPfb3PhMgAA1VllWVwA43cJ1CnOrxJFLxAPdCNPITnu_E0zEZWNq48rE0/s640/Rum+Track.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Distance: 11.12 nm (20.59 km)<br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-66106621119638880332017-07-31T17:26:00.000-07:002017-07-31T17:26:09.518-07:00Pedder Bay Mini Vacation<div style="text-align: justify;">
Robyn and I were able to get away for a mini vacation at the <a href="http://www.pedderbay.com/" target="_blank">Pedder Bay RV Resort and Marina</a> over this past weekend prior to gearing up for the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/VictoriasLargestLittleAirshow/" target="_blank">Victoria's Largest Little Airshow</a> next weekend. Other than just taking it easy for once we planned to do a little birding, hiking, playing in our kayaks and try to catch some crabs. That's our way of taking things easy! LOL<br />
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Unfortunately the winds were averaging 20-35 kts around Race Rocks all weekend and it blew pretty hard in camp too but at least it was sunny and warm. Although we didn't get to do as much kayaking as we wanted to we did manage to set our crab trap a couple of days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguRluU2pPBRjlI75WvBtsNPpyYsi9i0iteKrtKPBPWL5NJiLmAA-bheLBEBjV4dym-wQ86-5pb3PACkZutPyIzEr0BJ5nmw7OqzLI3_zPJDN4hk5wBd7zyrLYSjwwncVRNeLwXsWW1X62/s1600/2017-7-29+Robyn-0505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1090" data-original-width="1600" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiguRluU2pPBRjlI75WvBtsNPpyYsi9i0iteKrtKPBPWL5NJiLmAA-bheLBEBjV4dym-wQ86-5pb3PACkZutPyIzEr0BJ5nmw7OqzLI3_zPJDN4hk5wBd7zyrLYSjwwncVRNeLwXsWW1X62/s640/2017-7-29+Robyn-0505.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn in her Wilderness Systems 155 Zephyr loving the sun.</td></tr>
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Our Friday set produced good results with 2 very large female dungeness which were released but we also had a large male that became our dinner that night. Yum!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8fssX7I0i2hGKin-W3YrzKbiqV8mmcZO__6LEWnNWhpeUmeXKUzx7xmQwhrBGRRjqQGiml6CIVp-bpkBzsaVw6HoX9fGFsZxeSUJqFtq_Ilou_W3sHHVdf25LR_HMyk6WG_xyHdvs7z7/s1600/2017-7-29+Crabbing-0504.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8fssX7I0i2hGKin-W3YrzKbiqV8mmcZO__6LEWnNWhpeUmeXKUzx7xmQwhrBGRRjqQGiml6CIVp-bpkBzsaVw6HoX9fGFsZxeSUJqFtq_Ilou_W3sHHVdf25LR_HMyk6WG_xyHdvs7z7/s640/2017-7-29+Crabbing-0504.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's just say that we are getting pretty good at catching crabs from a kayak.</td></tr>
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Our Saturday set wasn't as successful with only a couple of small red rock crabs which managed to scamper out of the trap on their own. It's not uncommon to see at least 50 traps set in Pedder Bay during the busy summer months which probably depletes the fishery too.<br />
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Birding wasn't as good as we hoped for due to the high winds but we did catch glimpses of the usual suspects such as American Goldfinches, House Finches, Chestnut-Backed Chickadees, Orange-Crowned Warblers and Spotted Towhees. While hiking one morning we tried to stealth our way closer to a couple of Belted Kingfishers but they reacted to the slightest movement or noise and flew away before I could get a good picture.<br />
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While kayaking we did come across a very friendly Pigeon Guillemot that followed close by for a short period of time. Although I didn't have my good DSLR Canon camera our Fuji XP's captured a few good shots for identification purposes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVQUy2W-UkhgqZ3EMiuT8azO5yyzcsMBi-mFIQ6sisNybmZ3waPeqB9Z8HhsxCkF8jZpH7Py2_XALOmTBsvVNlG62X6bdqiDBQmkkcDbVa0VgoPzjQjhylTDwqzV7XmlxDBVg_IGMgZn1/s1600/2017-7-29+Pigeon+Guillemot-0502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBVQUy2W-UkhgqZ3EMiuT8azO5yyzcsMBi-mFIQ6sisNybmZ3waPeqB9Z8HhsxCkF8jZpH7Py2_XALOmTBsvVNlG62X6bdqiDBQmkkcDbVa0VgoPzjQjhylTDwqzV7XmlxDBVg_IGMgZn1/s640/2017-7-29+Pigeon+Guillemot-0502.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Pigeon Guillemot with its bright red legs </td></tr>
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Sitting around camp on Saturday afternoon a couple approached us asking if we were Mark & Robyn (Oh Oh! LOL) and although they looked familiar I couldn't put names to their faces. It turns out that they were Duncan and Joan Barwise who are fellow kayakers based sometimes in Maple Bay, BC and sometimes in Scotland and blog about their adventures at <a href="http://oceanpax.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">Oceanpax</a>. We have been following each other on social media for the past several years but up until this day we had never met in person. It turns out that they were scouting kayak launch locations around Victoria and knew we were at Pedder Bay because of one of my Facebook posts so they stopped by to see us. Nice!! It was great to meet them in person and share stories and if your want to read about some fabulous kayaking experiences in Scotland you have to check out their blog!<br />
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On Sunday we actually did relax spending most of the time around camp reading, composing this blog post, walking to the marina for ice cream and watching the latest episode of Big Brother. Yes we lead a hectic lifestyle! LOL<br />
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Distance: 6.86 nm (12.70 km) -3 crab sets</div>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-34186242964617220372017-07-29T22:01:00.000-07:002017-07-29T22:01:06.588-07:00P&H Aries 155 – Really?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Friday July 28, 2017</u></b><br />
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I recently upgraded my play kayak from a polyethylene P&H Delphin 155 to a composite P&H Aries 155 and something just didn’t seem right with it. Other than the construction of the the two kayaks they do look similar in design but the Aries is considerably more maneuverable, comfortable and faster than the Delphin but there was always something ……..</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTzJZGbgisXCnddlw0wwBpOq5_A2ad7_VPF2Eq3azNWhoV9o2ptoQUfl95HHCsgW3k0HF_Ta9qWyJ3_aLhAdxVBVMKHkdmyIIqiSBBovmY6SlBbFVjVoXp7BzSEUhdGtG3ghr9ijWaDhF/s1600/2017-7-28+Aries1-0772.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKTzJZGbgisXCnddlw0wwBpOq5_A2ad7_VPF2Eq3azNWhoV9o2ptoQUfl95HHCsgW3k0HF_Ta9qWyJ3_aLhAdxVBVMKHkdmyIIqiSBBovmY6SlBbFVjVoXp7BzSEUhdGtG3ghr9ijWaDhF/s400/2017-7-28+Aries1-0772.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's wrong with this picture?</td></tr>
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Today I figured it out when we were getting ready to paddle and my Aries 155 was sitting next to Robyn’s polyethylene Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155. The sterns were aligned perfectly but when I went to the bow ends my Aries extended a considerable distance past Robyn’s Zephyr. Can you picture my face with that look of confusion? OK, I agree that some of you might see the confusion look a lot so stop rolling your eyes. LOL</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzV3WjcW0oC5g5ja_Wp2QS4Da7DHGbJcX3CK6B25EwQd9EXMR6bjy0-XiMI_a0KWxrv25Fascr08mksgpz6dSjYulvPQs2zfj_-AYL2RRitcEWrOZBx2owrFugDPs8G1nQ20utRJyD0Ja/s1600/2017-7-28+Aries2-0771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzV3WjcW0oC5g5ja_Wp2QS4Da7DHGbJcX3CK6B25EwQd9EXMR6bjy0-XiMI_a0KWxrv25Fascr08mksgpz6dSjYulvPQs2zfj_-AYL2RRitcEWrOZBx2owrFugDPs8G1nQ20utRJyD0Ja/s640/2017-7-28+Aries2-0771.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Both the Wilderness Systems Zephyr and P&H Aries are 155's</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, at first I thought that Robyn’s cheaper plastic kayak must be undersized and actually could be a 15 foot kayak. </span></div>
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Sidebar #1: In my kayak world when a kayak is identified with the number 155 it means that it is 15.5 feet long. But …. hold on, that’s only my assumption!<br />
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Robyn being a smarty pants then said “do you have a tape measure?” and I did the rolling eyes as I walked to the truck thinking yeah I carry one of those around with me all the time. To my surprise inside the hidey hole of the console I found a little white unopened box and I brought it back to Robyn knowing what was inside .. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFEnWQaaQyinBr0fPocivAJqsrxp3gVqnb1Wc3agNz0LM29dojZvgSiKfoDxRo53HLy-_TX0gf9UHMuaCaZ0zFpu99tLb6UP5h94YMvsTk26FZNkDNMRRhwjuNPs8BeyvGJsZ5AVnA4b0/s1600/2017-7-28+Aries4-0778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="1600" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOFEnWQaaQyinBr0fPocivAJqsrxp3gVqnb1Wc3agNz0LM29dojZvgSiKfoDxRo53HLy-_TX0gf9UHMuaCaZ0zFpu99tLb6UP5h94YMvsTk26FZNkDNMRRhwjuNPs8BeyvGJsZ5AVnA4b0/s320/2017-7-28+Aries4-0778.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The limited edition Hartley's<br /> Autobody tape measure</td></tr>
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LOL ... Yup, a tape measure courtesy of Hartley’s Autobody that I got probably 10 years ago and totally forgot about until I found it today.<br />
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Sidebar #2: My buddy Hartley Hughson who owns Hartley’s Autobody retired today …. weird coincidence huh?? </div>
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So anyway, we put the Hartley’s Autobody tape measure to work and sure enough Robyn's Wilderness Systems 155 kayak was actually 15.5 feet long or for those of you who still might be confused that's … 15' 6" long! Now I’m thinking WTH (what the heck) and measured my more expensive composite P&H Aries 155 and sure enough it was 485cm / 191 inches or 15'10.9452" (so let's just say it's 15 feet, 11 inches to make things easier) so wouldn't that also make it a 159 in kayak numerology? </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirw0j72wvf-wUdflGTJCD6viAq_hs8ppo91enk4rOx_dIRkbsuWE4o2Aeeh3k0q39qpDS7DQGJr7dlV-C-CBPdpKu29r5aPIkVx_mF7xnTQFv7Ap-C2ouL_d1JIa47PeI3UW9rlCy5wgdt/s1600/2017-7-28+Aries3-0774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1505" data-original-width="1500" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirw0j72wvf-wUdflGTJCD6viAq_hs8ppo91enk4rOx_dIRkbsuWE4o2Aeeh3k0q39qpDS7DQGJr7dlV-C-CBPdpKu29r5aPIkVx_mF7xnTQFv7Ap-C2ouL_d1JIa47PeI3UW9rlCy5wgdt/s640/2017-7-28+Aries3-0774.jpg" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">191 inches or 485cm would make it 15'10.91" or maybe a 159? LOL</td></tr>
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Now I'm thinking this is quite amusing and decided to check out the specs and sure enough the Aries is listed at 485cm in length or 15'9" imperial. LOL Really? 485cm is 15'9"? LOL You try the calculations for yourself.</div>
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In any case, I love everything about my P&H Aries 155 no matter how long it's supposed to be because size really doesn't matter. Time to go paddle!</div>
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Sidebar #3: The Hartley Autobody tape measure is now a collectors item now that Hartley has retired and so I'm taking bids for it. Shipping and handling are the responsibility of the successful bidder.</div>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-65143747656061314612017-07-25T21:11:00.001-07:002017-07-25T21:11:24.161-07:00Twinkle Twinkle Little Star<div style="text-align: justify;">
During the summer of 2014 we saw it happening right before our eyes. Sea stars were dying off from a mysterious wasting syndrome and it was effecting every species of sea stars. The ochre star (Pisaster ochraceus), the most abundant of the sea stars along the BC coastline started to show signs of decay until they totally disappeared. Unfortunately the disease wasn't isolated to our coastline and soon millions of sea stars along the whole west coast of North America from Alaska to California died off. Although there have been similar events during the 70's, 80's and 90's they all seem to be the direct result of warmer ocean temperatures. </div>
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Earlier this year I was paddling around Trial Island and noticed several tiny ochre stars no more than a couple inches across. I was pleasantly surprised and wondered if the sea star populations were making a comeback? This past weekend I was on Thetis Island which is located a few miles off Chemainus, BC and while there I spent some time beach combing during the very low tides of less than 1 foot. Approximately 3 to 4 feet below the high water mark I started spotting that familiar deep purple of ochre stars in every nook and cranny of the rocky terrain. Along a stretch of coastline less than 1000 feet I estimated that there were several hundred ochre stars that were about 7 to 9 inches across and they all looked very healthy. There also was a very good population of leather stars (Dermasterias imbricata) and a few large pink sea stars (Pisaster brevispinus).</div>
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Only time will tell if global warming will increase the regularity of warmer ocean temperatures and what effect it will have on the sea stars. It's a wonderful story of the sea stars recovery and hopefully the next die off event won't be permanent. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB08V5aztGkvrmyk4yYIeaGUcs4UYeHKJ-ZQetGTWNEuBP3yr4QDdKXKlX74OU4nc_h0C3ibV4tADxQQ2c4ZoQTLGg4o5egZWH0_ssWPh2WIn2h_Hq6SiM37wTWVFqb6WKsNtW7W8Ga0um/s1600/2017-7-22+Ocher+Star-0874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1091" data-original-width="1600" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB08V5aztGkvrmyk4yYIeaGUcs4UYeHKJ-ZQetGTWNEuBP3yr4QDdKXKlX74OU4nc_h0C3ibV4tADxQQ2c4ZoQTLGg4o5egZWH0_ssWPh2WIn2h_Hq6SiM37wTWVFqb6WKsNtW7W8Ga0um/s640/2017-7-22+Ocher+Star-0874.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ochre sea stars</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnucQ9bkUYvNyL1Tnks_VHKzfJKLkoSkoivB6kcuLW6k558wsvBx0-YWuMOsl3KKE4mcsurJ5ym_qXw5uJwv85Ev1iVChBq_hWDcXRBSUjadJijBDXvvH_Wiln8UF7Pp7hZyY8pigiHLKJ/s1600/2017-7-22+Leather+Star+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1600" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnucQ9bkUYvNyL1Tnks_VHKzfJKLkoSkoivB6kcuLW6k558wsvBx0-YWuMOsl3KKE4mcsurJ5ym_qXw5uJwv85Ev1iVChBq_hWDcXRBSUjadJijBDXvvH_Wiln8UF7Pp7hZyY8pigiHLKJ/s640/2017-7-22+Leather+Star+%25281+of+1%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leather sea star</td></tr>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-760550866756948722017-07-15T17:20:00.000-07:002017-07-15T17:20:08.391-07:00Chillaxin at James Island and Sidney Island<div style="text-align: justify;">
Today we decided to just chill and relax or a combination of both known as chillaxin and so we did a short paddle from Sidney over to James Island to set our crab trap. Then it was another short paddle over to Sidney Island where we found a nice quiet sandy beach to have lunch, nap and just chillax. It felt really good to soak up the warm sun and watch life go by.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VkTCjQ4f2NYT_wsqkdCrGRRmJTYOItecNDPGxgHSKa1uNY5i9dmbtxuRQ_qn5qc3EA4MJJuuyMQnTFqGsHCiUq6A8en_eOSCWRa4jhQ38R774eprh0ymPIKSKlJ09TwRwkmfkj_a8TMC/s1600/2017-7-15+Robyn+Trap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1600" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VkTCjQ4f2NYT_wsqkdCrGRRmJTYOItecNDPGxgHSKa1uNY5i9dmbtxuRQ_qn5qc3EA4MJJuuyMQnTFqGsHCiUq6A8en_eOSCWRa4jhQ38R774eprh0ymPIKSKlJ09TwRwkmfkj_a8TMC/s640/2017-7-15+Robyn+Trap.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn hauls the "new and proven" larger crab trap out to James Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINQGIQU4WwLDxoBwk7eZv_G206bMUuoXN3I9U_hOFmpIam7-DFCfZWTniEoV5xjfjbTVN7d_pJflHc3Hlrz9JEW5l4DNdUIT-VPksedEmAJbXGXcABgPOHYk6mLLp26IHXYN56BDZuEIo/s1600/2017-7-15+Mark+Ferry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="765" data-original-width="1600" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgINQGIQU4WwLDxoBwk7eZv_G206bMUuoXN3I9U_hOFmpIam7-DFCfZWTniEoV5xjfjbTVN7d_pJflHc3Hlrz9JEW5l4DNdUIT-VPksedEmAJbXGXcABgPOHYk6mLLp26IHXYN56BDZuEIo/s640/2017-7-15+Mark+Ferry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a bit of wind against current action crossing over to Sidney Island</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRN8CkYIlyypbbvR47QLp_XiPzy96Lnh01bA8VMHNhFzPlRmFBOfIBS0avt5JAdwrroNXk-G__6Dj2ZJWe5yRqphZptsN1Bti9FNzguwcyXESmYK2mZBHqKTqw9IzXtEHtSbMQzaN-dJ00/s1600/2017-7-15+Chilaxin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1600" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRN8CkYIlyypbbvR47QLp_XiPzy96Lnh01bA8VMHNhFzPlRmFBOfIBS0avt5JAdwrroNXk-G__6Dj2ZJWe5yRqphZptsN1Bti9FNzguwcyXESmYK2mZBHqKTqw9IzXtEHtSbMQzaN-dJ00/s640/2017-7-15+Chilaxin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chillaxin! Watching the crab run to our trap. LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl17Dru7uNxWY4GpSbz5tq9xJyTJxshzTvcmrGsiNmBAk0vIUImQznY6LJywTnpdDpxPzZShoxhm_HRRR_3vjoEsIxpSuwvWDQOBYuESpXXZIXjI36SnCZUuHDUKv3rlq-FSgQaD96yVcb/s1600/2017-7-15+Mark+Trap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1438" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl17Dru7uNxWY4GpSbz5tq9xJyTJxshzTvcmrGsiNmBAk0vIUImQznY6LJywTnpdDpxPzZShoxhm_HRRR_3vjoEsIxpSuwvWDQOBYuESpXXZIXjI36SnCZUuHDUKv3rlq-FSgQaD96yVcb/s640/2017-7-15+Mark+Trap.jpg" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to check what's in the trap.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfpS5XSCCs6kYYMCnHo776A9JxBWr-heWOh2z5FZikr9YkxeCw8L7rx3br_o0QZ1Ow1onJ9i56s1RkWYXAUqdIp1gGLhT6rKOckI43VLso7D5pvHSTc6F49xHfrdiQnCSgfNvvsYcN3_d/s1600/2017-7-15+Mark+Crab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1163" data-original-width="1600" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXfpS5XSCCs6kYYMCnHo776A9JxBWr-heWOh2z5FZikr9YkxeCw8L7rx3br_o0QZ1Ow1onJ9i56s1RkWYXAUqdIp1gGLhT6rKOckI43VLso7D5pvHSTc6F49xHfrdiQnCSgfNvvsYcN3_d/s640/2017-7-15+Mark+Crab.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's all about location. No dungeness today but a couple of nice size red rock. <br />Steak and crab for dinner tonight!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cxMqCRDftdGQJBMmArfT-Zot7LnltGMu2utURGAc0hiBBpD_PLACYn3xaAIz6w6ubJ3VAz6w1qNzRZpJuFXYaLeJNvjdMzpsrrFY5hv_qOy2ArjQQ3xh_5TrKX6eud63pTRUSv3bN0Gu/s1600/track.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="631" data-original-width="1208" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cxMqCRDftdGQJBMmArfT-Zot7LnltGMu2utURGAc0hiBBpD_PLACYn3xaAIz6w6ubJ3VAz6w1qNzRZpJuFXYaLeJNvjdMzpsrrFY5hv_qOy2ArjQQ3xh_5TrKX6eud63pTRUSv3bN0Gu/s640/track.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Distance: 7.21 nm (13.35 km)<br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-18176212347323651692017-07-14T19:09:00.000-07:002017-07-14T19:09:44.027-07:00Power To Go - Goal Zero<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some might think that having the ability to communicate with the outside world while doing single day or multi-day kayaking trips is just wrong. The fact is, we live in a society that relies upon the rapidly changing technology and social media that has become part of our every day lives.<br />
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Even when paddling off the grid Robyn and I rely upon devices like a VHF radio to receive weather reports and hopefully not send out a distress call. We send <a href="https://www.findmespot.ca/en/" target="_blank">SPOT</a> messages daily to our loved ones telling them that we are OK and once again hopefully not send out a distress message. We record images or video of our adventures on our multiple cameras to share with our followers. We read or listen to music on our Apple devices and we're able to see around camp after the sun goes down using our headlamps. And here is the big taboo for some folks .... engage in social media, chat or answer emails on our iPhones. Guilty as charged! LOL<br />
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The one drawback about our technology is that they all require electrical power and it needs to be rationed carefully ...... unless you have the ability to recharge! For the past 5 years we have been using a couple of 6600 mAh ProLine Universal Portable Power Bank units that I first blogged about in <a href="https://geckopaddler.blogspot.ca/2012/06/power-bank-update.html" target="_blank">June 2012</a>. They have worked great but their ability to hold a charge has decreased over time and once depleted they just become extra weight to carry around.<br />
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On our recent 10-day Gulf Islands trip where we did use social media daily to post our activities and the Power Bank units were depleted well before the last day which made me think about investing in a solar charging set up when we got home. Some of my solar charging "wants" were having the ability to charge directly to a device, charge to a battery which then could charge multiple devices at night or when there is no sun, ease of use, compact and light, expandable in terms of adding on extra features and finally something that wouldn't break the bank account. Having a couple of <a href="https://www.mec.ca/en/" target="_blank">MEC</a> gift cards helped in my case and so I did a little <a href="http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/topics/camping-and-hiking/best-solar-charger" target="_blank">research</a> on the <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/" target="_blank">Goal Zero</a> line of products that MEC carries.<br />
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For our needs I decided on the <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/p/347/nomad-7-plus-solar-panel" target="_blank">Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel</a> ($130 at MEC) that is smaller and lighter than my iPad when folded up. Some of the features listed by Goal Zero include a rugged and modular detachable kickstand providing optimum angle placement, natural shade for charging devices and a vented pocket for temperature regulation. Weatherproof layering easily sloughs rain and snow. Solar Capacity: 7W (8-9V), Power Output via USB 1.4A (7W) and weighing only 12.8 oz.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBZZfESMPiSMbBGFfVhZh0Sl34_pMF-zSzp2et9mPCGDrCGlEtDkqTw6nukZ-FJA_CxRh8ZWGjZX9XRGnjz3hRGqUR9lJSfINKi_StMjVpx5vKjf8iYhsZSl6LLaTVpMgiR8cE3OuKD_Y/s1600/2017-7-8+GZ4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBZZfESMPiSMbBGFfVhZh0Sl34_pMF-zSzp2et9mPCGDrCGlEtDkqTw6nukZ-FJA_CxRh8ZWGjZX9XRGnjz3hRGqUR9lJSfINKi_StMjVpx5vKjf8iYhsZSl6LLaTVpMgiR8cE3OuKD_Y/s640/2017-7-8+GZ4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small, light and well built the Nomad 7 Plus solar panel</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZ7nVNZeIdorNMjnoQy3JobkvTL-yRppKLeAU8ZnZMXeRkFni2AAZii6Yq9aa7yKDJ4uZQB038c4KOTS1kXa2Wa1_CWwcNOrtYfMV0K61RGNynjG5wqBU4pKlhceay1To7SobHvNbiVa-/s1600/2017-7-8+GZ3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1354" data-original-width="1600" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOZ7nVNZeIdorNMjnoQy3JobkvTL-yRppKLeAU8ZnZMXeRkFni2AAZii6Yq9aa7yKDJ4uZQB038c4KOTS1kXa2Wa1_CWwcNOrtYfMV0K61RGNynjG5wqBU4pKlhceay1To7SobHvNbiVa-/s320/2017-7-8+GZ3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 LED's indicate solar strength and charge speed.</td></tr>
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Another great feature is the Solar Intensity Indicator + Junction Box. This is where the brains of the Nomad 7 Plus live. The easy-to-read LED indicator displays strength of solar conditions and I receive immediate feedback on panel-to-sun placement to improve solar charging experience.</div>
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Check out a video from the guys who made it ... yup the engineers <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/solarlife/2016/04/08/from-the-engineers-the-nomad-7-plus/" target="_blank">here!</a><span id="goog_948003639"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_948003640"></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPz3vlKRCBS6xzOYvhRJLaQAJvPQfd1ULCrTv1747mCXtLPvhNNN_UxumS8gIpFk5dJwpDUAqh7eNwgTQICQ6sqOcFOQdZlFHr-piDWOyjUxC0kID3t3J58Oir9AO4i3L3BAPVvX7WFkz/s1600/2017-7-8+GZ2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYPz3vlKRCBS6xzOYvhRJLaQAJvPQfd1ULCrTv1747mCXtLPvhNNN_UxumS8gIpFk5dJwpDUAqh7eNwgTQICQ6sqOcFOQdZlFHr-piDWOyjUxC0kID3t3J58Oir9AO4i3L3BAPVvX7WFkz/s320/2017-7-8+GZ2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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I also chose the <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/p/382/venture-30-recharger" target="_blank">Goal Zero Venture 30 Recharger</a> ($135.00 at MEC) which is charged by the Nomad 7 Plus. It has a battery capacity of 7800 mAh delivering 30Wh (3.6V) through (2) 4.8A USB ports, (1) Micro USB port, weighs 8.8 oz. and has an IPX6 weatherproof rating. Being Solar Ready™ with a Built-in Charging Tip there are no extra cables to lose. During my initial charge testing it took only 4 hours from the USB on my computer and less than 9 hours of full sun for the Nomad 7 Plus to fully charge.</div>
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Goal Zero says to dunk it, spray it, use it in the rain. Power that handles whatever Mother Nature can throw at you. No rubber plugs needed. Sounds kayaker ready to me!!</div>
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Check out another video from the guys who made it ... yup the engineers <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/solarlife/2015/06/02/from-the-engineers-the-venture-30/" target="_blank">here</a>! :-)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZrceNi_-FBlESJONBZRcMFayyKubYLA6TgLOOFaQMQbkSE6tjOGMlvh4OZaGuNh9PLExva1s5RfwfabOqSAvgy0jdrNePLEr-4qFfa0G5Qa6hIetEK_gsaIcTbSARQOy0_3QqZWNu079/s1600/2017-7-8+GZ1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaZrceNi_-FBlESJONBZRcMFayyKubYLA6TgLOOFaQMQbkSE6tjOGMlvh4OZaGuNh9PLExva1s5RfwfabOqSAvgy0jdrNePLEr-4qFfa0G5Qa6hIetEK_gsaIcTbSARQOy0_3QqZWNu079/s640/2017-7-8+GZ1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus solar panel and Venture 30 charging.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBXpW33rKTPmeW6kwVxvCELVd8S1abaVbRtazhHHaPTHIz564M8uXxdBlQ_O2DhaCuoPTBnsY0p3-jrqxsK7Ra9HRZrkAl6TMvNilzhMTkCdDTyZpRMW5NhiyTH2q8zIaCFqNPDUsQMAQ/s1600/gettoknow-n7.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="600" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBXpW33rKTPmeW6kwVxvCELVd8S1abaVbRtazhHHaPTHIz564M8uXxdBlQ_O2DhaCuoPTBnsY0p3-jrqxsK7Ra9HRZrkAl6TMvNilzhMTkCdDTyZpRMW5NhiyTH2q8zIaCFqNPDUsQMAQ/s640/gettoknow-n7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7L_-zXwN7KMaGsjrKNeyfeljrNHNsc_lzC_QcjiAzLUh8JYF8takPVTTggc0cRN6dqPGQ0JmjDUoM2EV-tXkz53BferxwPLWwOXmE9C_b6DUQbzXQ89L62TpZPRZXgWlDN-QdEqYYPMF/s1600/Guide+10.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="183" data-original-width="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH7L_-zXwN7KMaGsjrKNeyfeljrNHNsc_lzC_QcjiAzLUh8JYF8takPVTTggc0cRN6dqPGQ0JmjDUoM2EV-tXkz53BferxwPLWwOXmE9C_b6DUQbzXQ89L62TpZPRZXgWlDN-QdEqYYPMF/s1600/Guide+10.jpeg" /></a></div>
I mentioned expandability as being another "want" and Goal Zero delivers this to the end user. Having the ability to charge AA or AAA NiMh cells to power our GPS's or other cell dependent devices is a big plus. In the past we have used multiple sets of alkaline cells as back ups but we will be purchasing the <a href="http://www.goalzero.com/p/133/guide-10-plus-recharger" target="_blank">Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus</a> to use with our existing NiMh cells.<br />
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Now .... all we have to do is take our Goal Zero products off the grid to do some real testing. Yes ... I will be doing a follow up blog too!<br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-75333638226424570112017-07-10T17:40:00.000-07:002017-07-10T17:40:09.886-07:00SISKA Butchart Gardens Fireworks Paddle<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<b><u>July 8, 2017</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b>This past Saturday night Robyn and I lead a paddle for the <a href="http://www.siska.ca/" target="_blank">South Island Sea Kayaking Association</a> and took 11 other paddlers on an evening tour to watch the <a href="http://www.butchartgardens.com/" target="_blank">Butchart Gardens</a> fireworks from the water in Todd Inlet. It was a perfect evening for a night paddle with just a few clouds and a hint of a breeze.<br />
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Launching at 8:00pm near the Brentwood Bay ferry terminal we made our way through the moored boats led by the pace paddler Gary Jacek around the marinas into <a href="https://www.victoriatrails.com/trails/tod-inlet/" target="_blank">Todd Inlet</a> and checked out the new beach that is part of the CRD restoration project for the inlet. Arriving at our small viewing beach Robyn passed around a big box of two bite brownies as we waited for the show to begin.<br />
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Right on time at 10:00pm we could hear the background music in the gardens followed by the customary glow of the low level pyrotechnics. We have watched the fireworks from this vantage point before and it never disappoints. The thunderous booms of the aerial rockets overhead could be felt in our bodies and echoed through the inlet.<br />
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Once the show ended we turned on our headlamps and Gary led us back out of the inlet towards the put in location next to the ferry dock. We did manage to catch a glimpse of the full moon and I heard a number of our paddlers ahead of me howling (at the moon) as we paddled :-). Robyn and I assisted the group packing up and we were on our way back home by 11:30pm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNFF9vyCwdp8oh6vd3oT989-xnMtRGpr71p17eHlBEijb89ZcrChx-tG_vuLCFpPToG37K3USJdRN1vw2W8IwEAvIAfaXj1MSEGwjbcArwT47TLtVfryAXDisG5cQUFYL_fWKiWdP1npm/s1600/2017-7-8+Group+shot-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="1600" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNFF9vyCwdp8oh6vd3oT989-xnMtRGpr71p17eHlBEijb89ZcrChx-tG_vuLCFpPToG37K3USJdRN1vw2W8IwEAvIAfaXj1MSEGwjbcArwT47TLtVfryAXDisG5cQUFYL_fWKiWdP1npm/s640/2017-7-8+Group+shot-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A group shot at the end of the inlet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eHa4AbFdZ_LMYBKQcL7r5LGu6uC5W-q-kb4xej2ePcTyl_9g7GyAM2O6D7WWhJ1l-l95J4G20oxIoja0w4xX4jrM5oTqtiWV_k4rTE9Cmzzm1Nl736aA4n-G0WJ7BqLO0HAoGYyuJkZp/s1600/2017-7-8+Bella-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eHa4AbFdZ_LMYBKQcL7r5LGu6uC5W-q-kb4xej2ePcTyl_9g7GyAM2O6D7WWhJ1l-l95J4G20oxIoja0w4xX4jrM5oTqtiWV_k4rTE9Cmzzm1Nl736aA4n-G0WJ7BqLO0HAoGYyuJkZp/s640/2017-7-8+Bella-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverely and her sidekick "Bella" came along for the show too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EV1KVJwVxsy6TcdJ4knR3VO3PnQce_28bxDKeYZalIWKlNcCBnY3G8HD8bNDG8gfJkgtMwvUVQeVqRM2qcYyExGVq2AK4DgRxr6E9KlUp35G5ZokuBV_cv8Emu5vi8WZQnA0fiqf223G/s1600/2017-7-8+New+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1038" data-original-width="1600" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5EV1KVJwVxsy6TcdJ4knR3VO3PnQce_28bxDKeYZalIWKlNcCBnY3G8HD8bNDG8gfJkgtMwvUVQeVqRM2qcYyExGVq2AK4DgRxr6E9KlUp35G5ZokuBV_cv8Emu5vi8WZQnA0fiqf223G/s640/2017-7-8+New+Beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick stop at the new CRD beach. Pretty nice place for kayaks to land.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-9rKAAC9tNZnWpYwORW6LLXlVw9t0-ikYITHgpu3oOYKTdRiEFXetO04nJw7lRGeJG6u64QlUrNz-IpIw_cbfTeQGqPNw5zuk1wu5pf-9SpzVJVqlVfOwwel0KDGyHLAriIOupZlH4cc/s1600/2017-7-8+Duck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1600" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk-9rKAAC9tNZnWpYwORW6LLXlVw9t0-ikYITHgpu3oOYKTdRiEFXetO04nJw7lRGeJG6u64QlUrNz-IpIw_cbfTeQGqPNw5zuk1wu5pf-9SpzVJVqlVfOwwel0KDGyHLAriIOupZlH4cc/s640/2017-7-8+Duck.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And ... one big rubber duck was also in the inlet. LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyROkQETAOMmj1P2j5lY9Gm837sd01ZoDpnGrIatyNFcY8p_3Q5ExoZgjcphfYIT-EGvRBZuZ95D0xb4eGYaysSvpavDwesQVryLmai72IJb6zzoU35euiATd85ckEGPZV7hv_otZrfJV/s1600/2017-7-8+Beach+Shot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyROkQETAOMmj1P2j5lY9Gm837sd01ZoDpnGrIatyNFcY8p_3Q5ExoZgjcphfYIT-EGvRBZuZ95D0xb4eGYaysSvpavDwesQVryLmai72IJb6zzoU35euiATd85ckEGPZV7hv_otZrfJV/s640/2017-7-8+Beach+Shot.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting ready for the fireworks at our little beach.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBgB1VMq8U6HcgXwJCDaI2sJLfMLrBlAdHiPihVdEpgUoi2X1CVK8GGOynFNzoBhaUlMfrIyYDO4SELaM7aN9eJVK_Zp_pRX5b2OaQ11HYvin7lTvwbwHCDXm01P-5fvWWKmGBGa6y-sg/s1600/2017-7-8+Firework1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBgB1VMq8U6HcgXwJCDaI2sJLfMLrBlAdHiPihVdEpgUoi2X1CVK8GGOynFNzoBhaUlMfrIyYDO4SELaM7aN9eJVK_Zp_pRX5b2OaQ11HYvin7lTvwbwHCDXm01P-5fvWWKmGBGa6y-sg/s640/2017-7-8+Firework1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty good show from our vantage point.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSOmlD5YMGeaNTLXHp1iYdtMEdeHzoGZ0MoTlWEVsPyV23zROa_Z2qavW7gAIQxxKhnPLGGPr32KgcBQeXfOlRe3cjfBSL17LtViFvW8tTGglukXP0YE42g1jh08bJ-hMwvFvEKVydWti/s1600/2017-7-8+Firework3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="1600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWSOmlD5YMGeaNTLXHp1iYdtMEdeHzoGZ0MoTlWEVsPyV23zROa_Z2qavW7gAIQxxKhnPLGGPr32KgcBQeXfOlRe3cjfBSL17LtViFvW8tTGglukXP0YE42g1jh08bJ-hMwvFvEKVydWti/s640/2017-7-8+Firework3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The low level part of the show looked like a forest fire but of course it wasn't.<br />
An interesting note is that when the show begins a very sophisticated sprinkler <br />
system waters down the trees to prevent any fires.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwV07PJvycVDpfvdUSWpdvhw4Q0SEztTiNfAmws_zkafLssCp4V-PyuwinC1mhH_0v286N-3IfZFfcc0MzrMvWFDlYUWXPhu0zVp98DGqWA7orZa_xUen_Xq4ZBgyIqPrlin8S_BOmq1E/s1600/2017-7-8+Firework2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFwV07PJvycVDpfvdUSWpdvhw4Q0SEztTiNfAmws_zkafLssCp4V-PyuwinC1mhH_0v286N-3IfZFfcc0MzrMvWFDlYUWXPhu0zVp98DGqWA7orZa_xUen_Xq4ZBgyIqPrlin8S_BOmq1E/s640/2017-7-8+Firework2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of very high rockets exploding over our heads followed by loud booms that we felt too!</td></tr>
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Distance: 3.53 nm (6.53 km)</div>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-60478781540186495712017-07-07T11:01:00.000-07:002017-07-07T11:01:33.492-07:00Coastal Fire Warning<div style="text-align: justify;">
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It looks like coastal BC is in for a long hot summer and an open fire ban for 2017 has been implemented earlier than usual. This year's ban is over a month sooner than the 2016 fire ban that was from August 17th to September 1st.<br />
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Effective July 6th and until further notice, no open fires are permitted and for kayak campers like us this means not having a small fire to cook on or to have at the end of the day. The only exception at this time is the "Fog Zone", a 2 km or 1.079 nm wide strip along the west coast from Owen Point near Port Renfrew in the south to the boundary of the District of Port Hardy. Haida Gwaii is also not effected by the ban at this time.<br />
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For cooking purposes, CSA/ULC approved gas stoves such as Jetboil, MSR etc. using either liquid or gaseous fuel with a flame not exceeding 15 centimeters are permitted. For more information check the BC Government link <a href="http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/wildfire-status/fire-bans-and-restrictions/bcws_stovescampfires.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Fines for violating the campfire ban range from $1,150 up to $100,000 for a wildfire that spreads so think twice about where you are before staring a fire.<br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-79112774606844937022017-07-05T17:36:00.000-07:002017-07-10T18:07:03.961-07:00It's Been a While .... So Double Discovery Day!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
When did I last post???? Some time in the summer of 2016?? Ya ... lots of things have transpired since then. My ticker decided that it didn't want to stay in rhythm so I had that fixed in late November and passed my 6 month anniversary of sorts without any recurrences of A-Fib. So it looks like the surgery corrected the problem (Yea!!) and while I was recuperating I also found another new passion in photography. Specifically I love to shoot (take pictures :-) our avian friends and started a Facebook page of my work which you can see here <a href="https://www.facebook.com/markbyrnephotographer/" target="_blank">Mark Byrne Photography</a> </div>
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We did get back onto the water in early April and since then Robyn and I have taken a trip to Surge Narrows on the Easter long weekend with a bunch of friends and Robyn bought me a <a href="http://www.phseakayaks.com/kayaks.php?kayak=Aries%20155" target="_blank">P&H Aries 155 </a>while I was test riding it! We then teamed up with our tripping friends Lynn, Morley and Gary for a Gulf Islands National Park Reserve trip May 12-21. It's been great to get back onto the water and this past weekend we even figured out how to fish for crab after 4 years of frustration. You know what they say .... "Go big or go home" and so we bought a bigger crab trap!!</div>
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<b><u>July 2, 2017</u></b></div>
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This past Sunday morning we launched out of Cadboro Bay and dropped our new crab trap in a secret location (hahahaha) and then made our way across Baynes Channel to the Chatham / Discovery Islands. Arriving at a place known to us as the slot, I said "Hey, a dog" but I knew I was looking at the Coastal Wolf that has made its home on the islands since 2012. So cool!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was great to finally see "Staqeva" watching us paddle by.</td></tr>
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To the Songhees First Nations who govern the islands it is known as “Staqeya” (Wolf) and Robyn and I felt blessed to be greeted by him this morning. As we made our way along the shoreline he followed us and then began to howl as if he wanted us to stay.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4MY6VW7QZ3Q/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="532" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4MY6VW7QZ3Q?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe></div>
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The wolf lay down on a bluff and watched us as we continued on our way and although we felt that it must be lonely all by itself, one thing for sure was that it looked very healthy.</div>
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Our goal for the day was to paddle to the <span style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/discovery_is/" target="_blank">Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park</a> located at Rudlin Bay and hope to see the wolf there but we also noticed that the westerly winds were picking up more than predicted with white caps visible beyond Discovery Island. Since the wolf had already seen us (LOL) we decided to head back to Cadboro Bay via the slot and see how our crab trap was doing. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW-s6OxNviWzitDvD0QNZ7ygd90vCQgY6Od5ubyDwOo4w7Bh-VOCScSHMoIrazAYbtIuevf6vZKUFo0oBTZ9CWZk3i4IiqbcONgah_7I7Tc_aiy69jh-dxT5csbnTbFxqXX2qAu-svGmD/s1600/2017-7-2+Robyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="1600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBW-s6OxNviWzitDvD0QNZ7ygd90vCQgY6Od5ubyDwOo4w7Bh-VOCScSHMoIrazAYbtIuevf6vZKUFo0oBTZ9CWZk3i4IiqbcONgah_7I7Tc_aiy69jh-dxT5csbnTbFxqXX2qAu-svGmD/s640/2017-7-2+Robyn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn enjoying the calm conditions inside the islands</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We heard the wolf howling at us as we approached the slot and then we spotted a bald eagle on a nearby beach looking at something. As I drifted closer I spotted a dead lingcod in the shallow water nearby and figured that the eagle must have been trying to figure out how to get the fish out of the water. I managed to scoop the lingcod up with my paddle but the eagle left just before I could retrieve it. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What is the Bald Eagle looking at?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTDAHs2aE21ZVz7w-pv6c2zwLlMeBDa0hoGmm9qMHOUvFoEt8IJ8cvI0O7utEprgvHeF2cfY9N0l4wXcUjDR-OThQOQF1mlO4GpOFz1PgNRPaQM0CWqe7uAuIwgOHLl45ShvJ6jQHr-5w/s1600/2017-7-2+Fish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1100" data-original-width="1600" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfTDAHs2aE21ZVz7w-pv6c2zwLlMeBDa0hoGmm9qMHOUvFoEt8IJ8cvI0O7utEprgvHeF2cfY9N0l4wXcUjDR-OThQOQF1mlO4GpOFz1PgNRPaQM0CWqe7uAuIwgOHLl45ShvJ6jQHr-5w/s640/2017-7-2+Fish.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eagle dinner!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">Everyone knows that eagles have "eagle eyes" (LOL) and sure enough as soon as I threw it on top of a rocky islet it was heading my way. A couple of passes close by and the eagle came in and took my offering towards the tree tops on Greater Chatham Island. Another blessed moment interacting with nature.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patiently waiting for the lingcod that I managed to scoop up </td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: center;">We crossed back over Baynes Channel and found our crab trap float and as soon as I started hauling it up I had a feeling something might be inside because it was sure heavy. I think I might have even heard Robyn say "Octopus" in jest! LOL To our surprise, after 4 years of no luck while kayak crabbing there were an assortment of dungeness and red rock crabs adding up to 11! We sorted through the legal size ones and released 6 including a single female leaving us with 5 nice size crabs to take home for dinner! Since there was still bait in the trap we decided to set it again and would come back the next day to see what an overnight soak would produce.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yea, we got crab legs!!</td></tr>
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Not a bad way to spend 4 hours of paddling by seeing a wolf, feeding an eagle and catching crab!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyFDU4nN8Cxt9airUgTRKCF1IhPCTO8uuuIlaTGIRgBFswKTul_J2CeJHbqNjsbEFa3UgGpWau9JzGEKC7liYiteFRlb2c8gIR7O2cmvFASELoMaZQcJSCQMpy4uThqe6WhsaCp9uhKZD/s1600/2017-7-2+Track.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="976" data-original-width="1202" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvyFDU4nN8Cxt9airUgTRKCF1IhPCTO8uuuIlaTGIRgBFswKTul_J2CeJHbqNjsbEFa3UgGpWau9JzGEKC7liYiteFRlb2c8gIR7O2cmvFASELoMaZQcJSCQMpy4uThqe6WhsaCp9uhKZD/s640/2017-7-2+Track.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Distance: 7.62 nm (14.11 km)<br />
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<b style="text-align: justify;"><u>July 3, 2017</u></b><br />
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The following morning we were joined by Gary Jacek in his recently purchased Delta 17 and headed out towards the crab trap. The sea conditions were much better than the day before so we decided to paddle to the Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park located at Rudlin Bay and pick up the trap on the way back.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyXIFz5xaecZbRrLtNgffRMnb1qflynwrm3NrniUXLFl6YPfAsKS0Ef5khQJ6ZEg5I7gt0tIlliZ9pE3_2Av8XS0IRMPphIyvc4YkblmaBjXkYLpIsyMAlrPirhFVKx1dcnbXkgn0OFNj/s1600/2017-7-3+Gary.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglyXIFz5xaecZbRrLtNgffRMnb1qflynwrm3NrniUXLFl6YPfAsKS0Ef5khQJ6ZEg5I7gt0tIlliZ9pE3_2Av8XS0IRMPphIyvc4YkblmaBjXkYLpIsyMAlrPirhFVKx1dcnbXkgn0OFNj/s640/2017-7-3+Gary.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary's first sea trial of his new Delta 17</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWjmZb0FHzfmBOF8IjpnGCSzlzpsXonq8jHIEwc4rhnvpGBhCnNd6YB0TGFwj4LDFSsloRz7B3m1PoHhbQpcM8P-Z_vv9RECTpR06sf2T1_flfqKSojFX3g0MzV9BcPDWLvO2px-_Cv44/s1600/2017-7-3+Wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsWjmZb0FHzfmBOF8IjpnGCSzlzpsXonq8jHIEwc4rhnvpGBhCnNd6YB0TGFwj4LDFSsloRz7B3m1PoHhbQpcM8P-Z_vv9RECTpR06sf2T1_flfqKSojFX3g0MzV9BcPDWLvO2px-_Cv44/s320/2017-7-3+Wolf.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New wolf signs at the park</td></tr>
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Although we searched, we didn't spot or hear the wolf on this paddle but enjoyed a relaxing lunch at the park in the amazing warm sunshine. It was only recent that the park was reopened for day use due to family last year who arrived by a powerboat with a dog off leash (prohibited), and venturing out of bounds (prohibited) only to be greeted by the same wolf that we saw the day before. Fearing for their safety they called the Canadian Coast Guard and instead of holding the family accountable for their park violations the BC Government closed the park to all visitors while they could "study" the wolf's activities for the past year. Still ... we are eagerly waiting for the park to be reopened to overnight camping as it is one of the best places to kayak camp so close to home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWo8nEXvi2IxEHnXYX2wPNEhlhgyKYdFAU5fvDdAX50mGyM_jZ-13AdG_AHQyZGSRD9cU2haG-x0n0GVUgXS6HzYsx5GjWNCeyZ2NPxpx_xGVPzj0oWcn30RyQk8mMMvuVKZxTm4F4nHQc/s1600/2017-7-3+Discovery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="865" data-original-width="1600" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWo8nEXvi2IxEHnXYX2wPNEhlhgyKYdFAU5fvDdAX50mGyM_jZ-13AdG_AHQyZGSRD9cU2haG-x0n0GVUgXS6HzYsx5GjWNCeyZ2NPxpx_xGVPzj0oWcn30RyQk8mMMvuVKZxTm4F4nHQc/s640/2017-7-3+Discovery.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park ... such a spectacular view</td></tr>
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We were assisted by the 3.05 kt flood along Discovery Island and past Chatham Island on our way across Baynes Channel to where our crab trap was. I was thinking of those full crab pots you see on Deadliest Catch that are left to soak for more than 24 hours as I started to haul up ours. It felt heavy but once it came into view the extra weight was nothing but a big piece of bull kelp wrapped around the line and only two small crabs in the pot. The strange thing was that the 3 chicken legs that were in the bait bags were gone except for two small bones. Did the bait get eaten by smaller crabs who escaped the pot or was the trap possibly poached? Either way we know the crab trap works and we look forward to more crab feasts!<br />
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So our Monday paddle may not have been as exciting from a wildlife perspective as the day before but it still was a great paddle to one of our favorites places.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Qc-236H5UNKXgJGaUgsqcjm6F5CDfmZ8MSCUHp1q_Utgpit366B1Ms_oQDrvqCXvOIn9xuD8y2Ba1_-4VqaipmujQxfRb-QKzZWbhSgWNeCvp9jAxDq1yeKcTMGYireO9XBuY_d_gT5/s1600/2017-7-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="1200" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh3Qc-236H5UNKXgJGaUgsqcjm6F5CDfmZ8MSCUHp1q_Utgpit366B1Ms_oQDrvqCXvOIn9xuD8y2Ba1_-4VqaipmujQxfRb-QKzZWbhSgWNeCvp9jAxDq1yeKcTMGYireO9XBuY_d_gT5/s640/2017-7-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Distance: 8.18 nm (15.15 km)What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-31351889555000667602016-09-25T19:58:00.000-07:002016-09-25T20:21:52.896-07:00Hesquiat 2016 (Part 2)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>July 14th - Tofino</u></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-mKUhPPGN2_RK19u3gI2O3gVcYjXaFThBy78ynzcyfqHe0nmc6vFAiq8e8p0Gg87xEuwaXRfsK3a65nsnJO3QpCK99QsOF3xNWVWi6T07_HO7cJKH0GfkNAGKdNxTiF6-mQrNoqp8Q4L/s1600/tp-hesquiat-001.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-mKUhPPGN2_RK19u3gI2O3gVcYjXaFThBy78ynzcyfqHe0nmc6vFAiq8e8p0Gg87xEuwaXRfsK3a65nsnJO3QpCK99QsOF3xNWVWi6T07_HO7cJKH0GfkNAGKdNxTiF6-mQrNoqp8Q4L/s640/tp-hesquiat-001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our group arrived in the Tofino area throughout the day and after checking into various motels we met up at Jack’s Pub for dinner. Overlooking Duffin Passage we were able to watch the activities of the busy little harbor as charter fishing boats brought their catches of the day in to be weighed and kayaks were returning from day trips in the area. The weather forecast was looking pretty good to start our trip and it wasn’t hard to get excited looking at the beautiful scenery.<br />
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<b><u>Heading Out - Friday July 15th (Day #1)</u></b><br />
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We were up early to be on the water for 0800 after staying at the <a href="http://www.mearesvistainn.com/" target="_blank">Meares Vista Inn</a>. We have stayed here a few times before and the hospitality is amazing. Mandy and her husband own the Inn and she kindly allowed us to park our vehicles in their lot while we were gone saving us the new implemented parking fees ($25 for 7 days, $5 for 24 hours) in <a href="http://www.tofino.ca/news/pay-parking-municipal-lots" target="_blank">Tofino municipal lot</a>. She even shuttled our drivers from the Inn back to our put in at the foot of the government dock!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MUzAPk3eDKMnYmUcGjagDIFVmJVmZZQ2BwI-WNJsdFiKA5TTmMlEeTYyT6Uu8EmWCW2Neb11kfN8aX5zz2MBW2T4Vwk14ySVip0pkhnceZqAHnB5ePA5TbOJC4qyCFu0azlScFFimCks/s1600/DSCF0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4MUzAPk3eDKMnYmUcGjagDIFVmJVmZZQ2BwI-WNJsdFiKA5TTmMlEeTYyT6Uu8EmWCW2Neb11kfN8aX5zz2MBW2T4Vwk14ySVip0pkhnceZqAHnB5ePA5TbOJC4qyCFu0azlScFFimCks/s640/DSCF0002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once again ... how does all this stuff fit inside our kayaks?</td></tr>
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Right on schedule we launched with overcast skies from the overnight marine layer with no wind and we headed towards the exposed outside of Vargas Island to meet up with Reale and Jeff who had stayed overnight on Medallion beach. Our original plan was to maybe head directly to Cow Bay on Flores Island but as we paddled past Ahous Bay the offshore swells became much larger and the thought of making a beach landing there for lunch was impossible. It was however nice to see three sea otters plus a number Surf Scoters in the area as we searched for a place to land.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are actually 5 paddlers in this photo but with the swells some just disappear. :-)</td></tr>
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Nearing noon we decided to head to Dick and Jane's Beach for a lunch stop and it was then decided that we would stay the night there since we were starting to notice a slowly rising brisk NW wind. The beach was fairly protected from the swells so landing wasn’t a big issue but unfortunately the tide was a fair way out and we had to haul our gear and kayaks in multiple stages up to the area that we would setup camp. Note to self … take a set of kayak wheels next time :-)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUyK1R681QCf2J4_ESG9h55DkOtjsKR33mWp-ZmFt0FysXkuKRn34k5CD9KT0JY-532ldcbJitIw-qtFzpW0efpNbGEGQJHEEP8s46lp1BTWrcdsynA-bbFH2FrOZXuoFjAQ_GTXeiZGL/s1600/tp-hesquiat-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggUyK1R681QCf2J4_ESG9h55DkOtjsKR33mWp-ZmFt0FysXkuKRn34k5CD9KT0JY-532ldcbJitIw-qtFzpW0efpNbGEGQJHEEP8s46lp1BTWrcdsynA-bbFH2FrOZXuoFjAQ_GTXeiZGL/s640/tp-hesquiat-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading towards Dick & Jane's Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tide was waaaay out when we landed. Time to haul gear!</td></tr>
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Other than a few people located at the north end of the beach we pretty well had the whole little bay to ourselves so space wasn’t an issue. Robyn and I went to work setting up our brand new, never used Marmot Tungsten 3P tent. Normally we don’t like to use new gear on a trip like this without testing it on a weekend excursion first but we had researched and read many positive reviews about the tent. One thing for sure, it was easier to set up than our old tent and has a bit more usable space due to it’s side wall configuration.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVosgPwEJilHtgGqZhI7glUcGtabFkoNv7sXK7x4uS2dxGtn72HjHWDoc2pL5e4OW31MdsXfHv1xLPiP4HKM6HHTib-OWvtU0VkdFK22PLCP0cwHDM-rpJ5BfO2rui0aoWlJ8_e-mD-ph0/s1600/IMG_0512a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVosgPwEJilHtgGqZhI7glUcGtabFkoNv7sXK7x4uS2dxGtn72HjHWDoc2pL5e4OW31MdsXfHv1xLPiP4HKM6HHTib-OWvtU0VkdFK22PLCP0cwHDM-rpJ5BfO2rui0aoWlJ8_e-mD-ph0/s640/IMG_0512a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our trusty rides and our new home away from home Marmot Tungsten 3P tent</td></tr>
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As we all went about setting up our little areas Tony found a bear / wolf food cache close by and Robyn discovered a nice green throne in the woods just behind our camp. There also was signage to keep an eye open for the wolves that have become famous on Vargas Island.<br />
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After camp was established Tony headed out to do a little fishing (none on this attempt) while the rest of us just chilled around camp. Beverely had told us that there was lots of fish where we would be paddling so we were excited about the possibility of supplementing our dehydrated meals with fish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan1BFPPu3aUEdiLVTlCXsjMXMTKKiyaBZMcZ5ASolCOeBDDzEPzkVT2unPnKVCmzOdGGCJXl0Y6eOnQbCHiOiPHbWZMrZCH4Hk9P4HrWkcY6htUfRChRBV75LcsmhKLrP4vmGeBoyipD1/s1600/IMG_0587a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgan1BFPPu3aUEdiLVTlCXsjMXMTKKiyaBZMcZ5ASolCOeBDDzEPzkVT2unPnKVCmzOdGGCJXl0Y6eOnQbCHiOiPHbWZMrZCH4Hk9P4HrWkcY6htUfRChRBV75LcsmhKLrP4vmGeBoyipD1/s400/IMG_0587a.jpg" width="400" /></a>The steady wind allowed me to do a little kite flying. Robyn and I were really happy I brought it along. As the afternoon passed we watched an Osprey come and go from somewhere in trees behind the beach. Searching the surf, it would dive into the water to catch its prey before launching back into the air, shudder to shake off the water and head back over the trees.<br />
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Robyn and I explored the north end of the beach and found another established kitchen area with a bear food cache and a green throne tucked into the woods. It was nice to see that such a popular camping location had these amenities. Thanks BC Parks!!<br />
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As the sun was starting to set Robyn, Beverely and I prepared a fire as the others went for a walk to find a trail to the bay to the south of us. Upon returning they told us of meeting young man who lives in one of the nearby cabins and he warned them of a lone wolf that had been causing damage to kayak hatches during the night. Recently there have been videos posted on You Tube of the wolf causing the damage and it so happens that it was at our location. He recommended putting all of our food into the bear cache which we did and leaving our hatches empty and open or even turning the kayaks over on the sand which we also opted to do. It was just before 11:00pm after a great first day that we headed into our tents and as I was writing my blog entry for the day I wondered if we might get a visit by the lone wolf tonight??<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first Clayoquot Sound sunset ... pretty nice!</td></tr>
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2016 Paddle #27 - Tofino to Dick & Jane's Beach<br />
Distance: 8.65 nm (16.01 km)<br />
Trip: 8.65 nm (16.01 km)<br />
YTD: 247.56 nm (458.48 km)<br />
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<b><u>Exploring Blunden Island - Saturday July 16th (Day #2)</u></b><br />
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And …. the wolf never came. I actually woke up in the middle of the night with the moonlight and wondered what it would be like to see a wolf’s shadow cast upon our tent. Quickly I had second thoughts about that and closed my eyes. LOL<br />
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So other than the wolf in the back of our minds, the first night in the new tent was great as we finally woke up at around 07:30 to a misty marine layer of overcast skies. With the tide out I decided to find a spot of hard sand and do some yoga and stretch out some tender spots in my back. Breakfast was a lazy affair as the group decided what they wanted to do for the day. The evening before we decided that we would spend another night at this location before heading towards Cow Bay so today we would explore around the area a bit.<br />
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The plan was to paddle to nearby Blunden Island and check out some of the surge channels and possible camp site locations. The swells were considerably less than the day before and along the way Reale, Jeff, Beverely and Tony spent some time fishing. Jeff managed to catch a Black Sea Bass on his hand line and so it looked like maybe the fishing would be promising on this trip after all.<br />
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Just big rolling swells to contend with on the way to Blunden Island.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great lunch stop / camping location on the north end of Blunden Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnsqn6ZUUsD7XtAfjjJVkWIH9eKbf4qU1HQxU-XBmvU7pu2ZSgA7MbUdcftSPJlfjGuFcjvsgBNJHLzQfJ2HdaKtg0KeUmx3bKQvO00u-Yudmj7TQ1WLaCVmBWlIiL7yCTie01foqWzCh/s1600/hesquiat-019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnsqn6ZUUsD7XtAfjjJVkWIH9eKbf4qU1HQxU-XBmvU7pu2ZSgA7MbUdcftSPJlfjGuFcjvsgBNJHLzQfJ2HdaKtg0KeUmx3bKQvO00u-Yudmj7TQ1WLaCVmBWlIiL7yCTie01foqWzCh/s640/hesquiat-019.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And another location on the little island (44 on chart) east of Blunden Island</td></tr>
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After arriving back at camp Robyn and I found the trail to the bay south of us where I harvested some nice fresh mussels which were so good as an appetizer before dinner. Throughout the afternoon we watched a number of kayak groups pass by the beach with a group of 7 finally stopping to set up camp north of us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXt2NzF4MX65VTgw30H3Um60VPWXuf85XVIBQyFKDT_HICeqkOOONC694-5W_tvUwgM5e8RZOQiCaYvBp1OhHr20lJS8GkmGHOmpHntYNQS7YupRLWnLKyICG-IXH4IKDZ6MvjlAW-HkX8/s1600/IMG_0815.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXt2NzF4MX65VTgw30H3Um60VPWXuf85XVIBQyFKDT_HICeqkOOONC694-5W_tvUwgM5e8RZOQiCaYvBp1OhHr20lJS8GkmGHOmpHntYNQS7YupRLWnLKyICG-IXH4IKDZ6MvjlAW-HkX8/s640/IMG_0815.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey! I know that guy! Yves Aquin of <a href="http://www.gokayak.ca/" target="_blank">Go Kayak</a> way out here. LOL</td></tr>
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After dinner Robyn, Katelyn and I went for a walk to see what they were up to and it wasn’t long before I recognized a certain black beanie cap and body language. It turned out to be Yves and Patti of Go Kayak who were just returning from the Hot Springs Cove area with a small group of family and friends. Small world huh?? LOL They told us the camping area at Hot Springs Cove included an outhouse and cooking shelter and that they had had the whole place to themselves. Definitely something we would need to check out when we go there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXB6nJdg3h2poDTrsK-k4PaoEVDzDWkLx-lehdVn8T-dAlqaqqfu9DsIxv6UxKSYGHbXLK1vuH4FF0SOyv2MDHgn4vTuF5g_e7Rtdy7-B0ovlaw2JFlEvmyHXcwJK6LBZ5Adla8qYyTc7/s1600/IMG_0827.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXB6nJdg3h2poDTrsK-k4PaoEVDzDWkLx-lehdVn8T-dAlqaqqfu9DsIxv6UxKSYGHbXLK1vuH4FF0SOyv2MDHgn4vTuF5g_e7Rtdy7-B0ovlaw2JFlEvmyHXcwJK6LBZ5Adla8qYyTc7/s640/IMG_0827.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another nice sunset but with a marine layer starting to form</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reale gathered the group for the evening talk about the plans for the next day. <br />
She would be the group leader on our way to Cow Bay</td></tr>
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We were treated to a wonderful sunset and we made plans to be on the water by 08:00 which meant it would be an early rising to dismantle camp and haul our gear down to the water at low tide. Once again we took precautions in case the wolf decided to pay us a visit during the night.<br />
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2016 Paddle #27 - Blunden Island</div>
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Distance:4.52 nm (8.37 km)<br />
Trip: 13.17 nm (24.39 km)<br />
YTD: 252.08 nm (466.85 km)<br />
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A special thanks to Heather Jones and Tony Playfair for letting me use some of their pictures in the writing of this blog.<br />
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For more pictures of the Hesquiat trip you can check them out <a href="https://plus.google.com/+RobynByrne/posts/Q35wVEdfHaX" target="_blank">HERE</a> </div>
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Or more taken by Heather and Tony <a href="http://padlr.net/PhotoGallery/#*" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-74600988149056717942016-09-10T06:37:00.002-07:002016-09-10T06:37:54.461-07:00Hesquiat 2016 (Part 1)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Introduction</u></b></div>
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Welcome to the blog post(s) of our recent 2016 Hesquiat trip. As a blogger I have been trying to juggle the time to write posts of our multi-day trips upon returning and think I may have come up with a workable solution. Believe me, blogging takes a considerable amount of precious time and on a few occasions after returning home from trips or paddles I have seriously thought about stopping writing altogether. But then I look at the blog page view counts which is now at over 84,000 visits and I find myself torn about shutting the blog down. </div>
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In the past I would write notes and then hopefully sometime in the future start sorting through the thousands of photos that Robyn and I take and try to piece together the story line from memory. It was simply becoming ….. Arrrrggggh!</div>
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However, for this trip I decided to actually write the daily posts (without editing) in MS Word on my iPad each night while the events of the day were fresh in my mind. Robyn helped out tremendously by putting together a Goggle album of a few hundred of the several thousand pictures that we took when we arrived home and posted them via Facebook to give our followers a little visual of our trip. And so, as I open my Word document from the trip I am so pleased to see that the most of the work has already been done. All I need to do is a little bit of editing, update some items and add a few photos. </div>
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So with all that said … Welcome to Hesquiat 2016!!</div>
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<u><b>Planning</b></u></div>
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Earlier this year Robyn and I were invited by Beverely Hipolito to join a trip that she was planning from Tofino to Hesquiat Peninsula during the summer. So we gladly accepted and the planning process began with a paddle / planning session that was held in April at the Genoa Bay Cafe. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMeseDMLXmdcoiFKzAxnvX-g1HKt0e543Kgjvmy8pXS4IEN5mHP4NRsASwJKh2-67diQGKrx0bvPN0kdEXuu2fVt9ajz7JLmqFic646jPnvV2_7n4cOVubPkedSR27bfkbHNrgbR1eos9/s1600/Beverely.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMeseDMLXmdcoiFKzAxnvX-g1HKt0e543Kgjvmy8pXS4IEN5mHP4NRsASwJKh2-67diQGKrx0bvPN0kdEXuu2fVt9ajz7JLmqFic646jPnvV2_7n4cOVubPkedSR27bfkbHNrgbR1eos9/s640/Beverely.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beverely describing the route that she would like the group to take on the trip.</td></tr>
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On this trip there would be a total of eight paddlers including Heather Jones, Tony Playfair, Reale Emond, Jeff Follis. Our eighth paddler Katelyn Porter would join the group at a later date.</div>
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The plan was pretty simple. We would be departing Tofino on Friday July 15th and be returning on Sunday August 1st. For 16 days we would head north on the exposed outside of Vargas and Flores Islands and make our way towards Hesquiat Peninsula and maybe make it around Estevan Point if the condition’s were right. Visiting Cougar Annie’s Garden was definitely on the bucket list and up to the planning session I had only heard the name before and knew nothing about her. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TsMla4pg6VRT2_65QouFkvEmVIJ6mhsxpDFevxjzKJYPs3AmsQr0HXht8X_cjpnZ3m-zNM4TvQYYBnttpvU54qbpoV6ZDB2xV4RwiJ3BdOMu0bZGozcQjhyphenhyphenuVz5XbmQwM9Q02cfj7hEp/s1600/Genoa+Bay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TsMla4pg6VRT2_65QouFkvEmVIJ6mhsxpDFevxjzKJYPs3AmsQr0HXht8X_cjpnZ3m-zNM4TvQYYBnttpvU54qbpoV6ZDB2xV4RwiJ3BdOMu0bZGozcQjhyphenhyphenuVz5XbmQwM9Q02cfj7hEp/s640/Genoa+Bay.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hesquiat 2016 paddlers from L to R: Reale, Beverely, Heather, Tony, Robyn, Jeff and Mark (me). <br />Katelyn would be joining the group closer to the departure date.</td></tr>
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Along the way we would by spending multiple nights at locations to explore on foot, fish, do day paddles or basically just spend the time relaxing. Of course it would all be weather dependent and on the West Coast of Vancouver Island that means you can pretty well get a little or a lot or everything thrown at you. </div>
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Now .... time to start dehydrating food and research Cougar Annie's Garden</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeszAhbUVGtgLrfHqRLx1mQCfrTFgHEZJ5uuwGsBsUBJnwP4Uv1_15P-oNy_bSRb4IcGf8CTRf7xPCoPBYywA1P7Xbg8pWx9KaXTU7klvzbJRAocm9sO7vzgCQbWwR0mrR36EIUInH6w3/s1600/Planning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSeszAhbUVGtgLrfHqRLx1mQCfrTFgHEZJ5uuwGsBsUBJnwP4Uv1_15P-oNy_bSRb4IcGf8CTRf7xPCoPBYywA1P7Xbg8pWx9KaXTU7klvzbJRAocm9sO7vzgCQbWwR0mrR36EIUInH6w3/s640/Planning.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A short paddle from the kayak dock in Cowichan Bay to Genoa Bay for the planning session in April</td></tr>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-90610969046567141132016-09-02T06:03:00.000-07:002016-09-02T06:03:32.290-07:00Glamping At Pedder Bay<div style="text-align: justify;">
After a busy summer of tripping and volunteering with a couple of organizations that mean a lot to us we decided to unwind a bit by spending a weekend in the RV at Pedder Bay. With the recent heat wave, it was kinda nice to crank up the air conditioning when we arrived on Thursday afternoon and spoil ourselves with good food, drink and catch the latest episode of Big Brother on the TV. Ahhhh … Glamping!<br />
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Friday morning, we decided to head out in our play boats and spend some time in the water doing rescues and to see how our rolling was after using out touring boats for the past couple of months. We went through a number of self, assisted and finally a few rolls before heading out to circumnavigate Bentinck Island. It’s not often that we get conditions so perfect like on this day and seeing Race Rocks so close was tempting even with the ebb starting to build. No problem … we’ll head there tomorrow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpEAlyoLKpNA5OQ3grJ1PZ0GpMtzlecKJODdreJIlTRyRMIzbsBVHhBOnyE5PmZ4z6_OI63234DYRz8WKXihoJAO-nIilRqbqbkKIHkLA8Q3kc-AuC0pPJSqxQ24_IsvOUwd2Z0Hz3Y-R/s1600/DSCF0352a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicpEAlyoLKpNA5OQ3grJ1PZ0GpMtzlecKJODdreJIlTRyRMIzbsBVHhBOnyE5PmZ4z6_OI63234DYRz8WKXihoJAO-nIilRqbqbkKIHkLA8Q3kc-AuC0pPJSqxQ24_IsvOUwd2Z0Hz3Y-R/s640/DSCF0352a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Rocks less than 1 nm away. No wind, hot, and the sound of sea lions barking. :-)</td></tr>
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No we won’t! Later that afternoon the first indication of a change in our summer weather pattern arrived with increasing westerly winds arriving from the Sooke Basin and through the RV park during the night. The next morning it was pretty obvious that we wouldn’t be making a run out to Race Rocks as it was blowing 35+ kts out there.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiletmRwhdDv35NP9VTLp8X-oBxHDPMipKfkNB57RuvVbtIFjAhWetnIOW649c2Gi73gx10_9Ohi_ptYvZKB0Ve691MZ-dnGWxubJAmHzSiqaf2YEVqGl-v__8FxIEcyQC0KFlgM-PRrs1c/s1600/RPBO+Race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiletmRwhdDv35NP9VTLp8X-oBxHDPMipKfkNB57RuvVbtIFjAhWetnIOW649c2Gi73gx10_9Ohi_ptYvZKB0Ve691MZ-dnGWxubJAmHzSiqaf2YEVqGl-v__8FxIEcyQC0KFlgM-PRrs1c/s640/RPBO+Race.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race Rocks from the RPBO site. Quite a difference from the day before. <br />Photo courtesy of Rocky Point Bird Observatory on Facebook. </td></tr>
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Instead we grabbed our camera gear and went for a hike (birding) around Pearson College UWC via the Galloping Goose Trail and finally back to Pedder Bay via the road leading to the RV park. As we were walking along the road we noticed a number of small traffic cones at trailheads and decided to follow one in hopes of maybe spotting a few birds. To our surprise we came across a very fine netting strung up between two poles and immediately we knew what it was. It had been placed there by the Rocky Point Bird Observatory (RPBO) and sure enough further along the trail we came across a number of their volunteers collecting migrating data and banding birds that happened to find their way into the nets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tNOnrTOH1m6CJJEDY-xJBtYDoQUQ2sOv77vs_6makJZmhVHKzz7X7tdaSCp-qGPuryMk73mup2cwEZ-rBgDWSmcWyTkw3sIJ6Mm1e4SulFRId0m34VWDbhy8hNVomHyX7lkbV61OowMa/s1600/Yellow+Warbler.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5tNOnrTOH1m6CJJEDY-xJBtYDoQUQ2sOv77vs_6makJZmhVHKzz7X7tdaSCp-qGPuryMk73mup2cwEZ-rBgDWSmcWyTkw3sIJ6Mm1e4SulFRId0m34VWDbhy8hNVomHyX7lkbV61OowMa/s640/Yellow+Warbler.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow Warbler about to be released</td></tr>
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Intrigued by what was going on we were welcomed to stay and watch the process and it wasn’t long before a couple of stunning yellow birds were brought to the station to be processed. It was really interesting to watch how the handlers took care of the birds while carefully weighing, determining the age, sex and applying a band before releasing them. The following morning, we stopped by for another visit and we had the opportunity accompany the Bander in Charge to check the nets and I positively identified one as a Fox Sparrow. Pat myself on the back!!<br />
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Long story short …. After arriving home, we checked out the RPBO website, joined their organization and will be volunteering some of our time in the near future. It actually works out well since they are located Pedder Bay and Rocky Point and we stay at the RV park several times a year so it’s a good way to experience birding on a different level.<br />
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Fore more about the Rocky Point Bird Observatory check these links out<br />
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<a href="http://rpbo.org/">http://rpbo.org/</a><br />
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<a href="http://rpboblog.blogspot.ca/">http://rpboblog.blogspot.ca/</a><br />
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2016 Paddle #36 - Pedder Bay<br />
Distance: 6.36 nm (11.77 km)<br />
YTD: 318.49 nm (589.84 km)</div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-14627065283361775752016-08-26T09:04:00.001-07:002016-08-26T09:04:54.750-07:00San Juan Expedition Part 5<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Oh It’s Good to Be Back Home Again – Friday May 6th (Day #8)</u></b></div>
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Oh Canada! Surprise, surprise ….. howling NW winds coming through the Narvaez Bay campground as we woke up. LOL Before deciding about when to start heading towards Bedwell Harbour on Pender Island we decided after breakfast to hike up the Monarch Head bluff and assess the wind before making a decision.<br />
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The view from the bluff was pretty spectacular and it was great to get a panoramic of where we had traveled over the past several days. I think for me personally this was the first time that I looked at the San Juan Islands and didn’t think of them as some mysterious paddling destination of many unknowns. They had been our home, place of refuge and I knew that some day we would return to further explore their waterways and islands that are so close to Victoria.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RV-lbP4SP2OqZEkzxUsHyZglTGx_8ejwrfsE3Q8RK4M78BxOoHab1oyf0pZBjKW_EUC_OqhgyO1AOwj1F1apJgYRw97hiKK6_htCQyeEVDtRqCmWHrw5Lnzeyt2tsZ3DcDXEpXfjtbnK/s1600/IMG_6014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RV-lbP4SP2OqZEkzxUsHyZglTGx_8ejwrfsE3Q8RK4M78BxOoHab1oyf0pZBjKW_EUC_OqhgyO1AOwj1F1apJgYRw97hiKK6_htCQyeEVDtRqCmWHrw5Lnzeyt2tsZ3DcDXEpXfjtbnK/s640/IMG_6014.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> We were just there ... L to R Patos Island, Mt. Baker and Sucia Island and ...<br />
a ship that we didn't have to play Frogger with LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking towards Sidney Island with a freighter rounding Stuart Island. Some pretty good rip tides too! </td></tr>
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From the bluff the winds off shore were still blowing fairly decently but we felt that we could paddle along the shoreline towards Taylor Point before crossing Plumper Sound to the Pender Islands. On the way back to camp we stopped at the picturesque point near the campsite and spotted our first humpback whale on the trip surfacing several hundred feet away. We also managed to locate one of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve's Top Ten Caches (GC2XHJK - Best place to meditate) that the GINPR staff activated back in 2011.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIp2JHcOfdtYV-noifbyfZ4lGA55iEBnsX4cIdhPtaQJAdAZ9TQuKiAt0IFksjEUc77SPoJ0dWspI2EDyJhpQUWqEqCjscJVbaWI656o8-PLh5z3tMaa1t8L84RtPKGDyr-2PJbAlnU-E/s1600/IMG_6025a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfIp2JHcOfdtYV-noifbyfZ4lGA55iEBnsX4cIdhPtaQJAdAZ9TQuKiAt0IFksjEUc77SPoJ0dWspI2EDyJhpQUWqEqCjscJVbaWI656o8-PLh5z3tMaa1t8L84RtPKGDyr-2PJbAlnU-E/s640/IMG_6025a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A humpback whale in Narvaez Bay</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKKo_OKTfZw5Oc8Ynd5M8zumrkXvdYlDO-Fa_Sjbld4LUHVpDKVeKwEADnKncc7fMEgU0HmJTl9alHVB7UvmE3ee3IwyGS8iKzngQpH6DjZ5Zn9tzdoHhMA1PsHNuh9LVNJZ3z4t2UPGv/s1600/IMG_6044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKKo_OKTfZw5Oc8Ynd5M8zumrkXvdYlDO-Fa_Sjbld4LUHVpDKVeKwEADnKncc7fMEgU0HmJTl9alHVB7UvmE3ee3IwyGS8iKzngQpH6DjZ5Zn9tzdoHhMA1PsHNuh9LVNJZ3z4t2UPGv/s640/IMG_6044.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The San Juan Expedition crew L to R: Mark, Kari, Robyn, Michael and Lynn</td></tr>
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Launching at noon we rounded Monarch Head and found ourselves slogging our way through a strong head wind and with a flood current as we passed Cactus Point. Only less that 100 feet from the shoreline it became obvious that we weren’t getting anywhere fast as the wind gusted stopping our forward progress. Michael decided to tow Lynn and they started to make good progress so I decided to in-line tow Kari and Robyn and slowly we started making some head way towards the little sheltered beach at Taylor Point. Out of all the paddling that we had done up to this point on the trip I found this to be the most challenging from a physical perspective. Traveling at just about 1nm per hour we finally reached Taylor Point almost 2 hours later and I was totally exhausted.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYi_7jNhIwj2_f-UfhGJfgKmMi_CLt3rqNTw-bIn1mqVxDH0GaJ19hdGIngNd4d2qsEBZZna0u7wU0CuPxWMWp850L6XSfIkHWlVKF2cu_bl_2KphUnebdyt1njGzFLIOTEazy8iJg0_q/s1600/DSCF0278a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcYi_7jNhIwj2_f-UfhGJfgKmMi_CLt3rqNTw-bIn1mqVxDH0GaJ19hdGIngNd4d2qsEBZZna0u7wU0CuPxWMWp850L6XSfIkHWlVKF2cu_bl_2KphUnebdyt1njGzFLIOTEazy8iJg0_q/s640/DSCF0278a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at Taylor Point. Only 2 nm away is Cactus Point and it took us 2 hours to get here.</td></tr>
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While the group was resting on the beach Michael paddled around the point to check out the conditions in Plumper Sound and returned with good news that the winds weren’t as bad. Continuing on our way we crossed the sound and into Port Browning, through the cut and to the Poet’s Cove Marina / Resort & Spa to check in with Canada Customs. We let Robyn make the call to the customs officer by telephone (who knows where) advising the gentlemen on the other end of the line that we were 5 kayakers returning into Canada. His only comments were if we were bringing anything illegal back into the country and then provided his badge number to us as our form of clearance into the country. It was that easy!! LOL<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kcgDK1VAENEHHg3JoEWsaHXIW3vb43liZJZEPnO2zlZkdH8jT2dWlXEm9TXEX-Iop2ulLaFvwTmPyM9KNpqdoRqPYcFCCHxtihcGYKjJf8wlivcvQLrJuIciOQ2vXlp5mb98Isu-16hK/s1600/DSCF0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kcgDK1VAENEHHg3JoEWsaHXIW3vb43liZJZEPnO2zlZkdH8jT2dWlXEm9TXEX-Iop2ulLaFvwTmPyM9KNpqdoRqPYcFCCHxtihcGYKjJf8wlivcvQLrJuIciOQ2vXlp5mb98Isu-16hK/s640/DSCF0287.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading towards the cut between South and North Pender Islands</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsdiX5djisBg71vWjT-6DEdGaB4jH2sCL-xI3klgQ6NUGTDFeRHFMK4fSWLJV66mc6GPiNKJFl233vhwZ1u_s6ZR4bLUYyAmBPuUQ3Im3UfwEa8SzylV5tLc7xLqLMQMyRvGzPK7nqAu7/s1600/DSCF0292.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSsdiX5djisBg71vWjT-6DEdGaB4jH2sCL-xI3klgQ6NUGTDFeRHFMK4fSWLJV66mc6GPiNKJFl233vhwZ1u_s6ZR4bLUYyAmBPuUQ3Im3UfwEa8SzylV5tLc7xLqLMQMyRvGzPK7nqAu7/s640/DSCF0292.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynn points out a Canada Customs sign or just common sense?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFKp27s4JY8yva8isW5K9dVat86KspaLpPrlke1wZmojWXc2vGAE9sncpeR_j_a89APwpz6o8KeSP2fQdqlqLfCU1K0AN1xumf_SvLFarvpv8qaUpeJnoyhMOIOUwyfOOohWhX8fuT3ka/s1600/DSCF0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFKp27s4JY8yva8isW5K9dVat86KspaLpPrlke1wZmojWXc2vGAE9sncpeR_j_a89APwpz6o8KeSP2fQdqlqLfCU1K0AN1xumf_SvLFarvpv8qaUpeJnoyhMOIOUwyfOOohWhX8fuT3ka/s640/DSCF0291.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poet's Cove Marina and Syrens Marine Pub close by to calling Canada Customs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5VhuQ2HhiSNhlq1ZhETCb7y2FzXp4cMbH1XM3WVk-IEw-Wf8hZR3KGkwG4i0TFvssdrjuT9S7MVlj4mnrGbNJ9SvauXIALChBoSEZyi3ilHdACenBR4H4QJOIQwQukgKlCZYt1TG4cc1/s1600/dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho5VhuQ2HhiSNhlq1ZhETCb7y2FzXp4cMbH1XM3WVk-IEw-Wf8hZR3KGkwG4i0TFvssdrjuT9S7MVlj4mnrGbNJ9SvauXIALChBoSEZyi3ilHdACenBR4H4QJOIQwQukgKlCZYt1TG4cc1/s640/dinner.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing tastes better than the first meal back in civilization!</td></tr>
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Since we were already at the marina we decided to have dinner and drinks at Syrens Marine Pub, bought some off sales beer and then proceeded to head across the cove to Beaumont Park to set up camp. Beaumont was a nice surprise as it is situated in a little protected bay and there was only one other couple there. We set up camp in a clearing in the trees while defending ourselves from the hungry mosquitoes. Sleep came easy that night not a breath of wind to disturb us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNs6nZQu5N5twwgxx-zgLs8vDj3AFrg6RDAcvCwTlAlHUoU4UIf7uCtEzicF-3ttYgVPgvkfvBALVLbxDYCiiBMGVSbF5Pipr-5Zz7ruFtJwz3SkThzgrbGNa5t-rD1mRrWpWaZ4mhoOc4/s1600/May+6th.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNs6nZQu5N5twwgxx-zgLs8vDj3AFrg6RDAcvCwTlAlHUoU4UIf7uCtEzicF-3ttYgVPgvkfvBALVLbxDYCiiBMGVSbF5Pipr-5Zz7ruFtJwz3SkThzgrbGNa5t-rD1mRrWpWaZ4mhoOc4/s640/May+6th.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #23 - Narvaez Bay (Saturna Island) to Beaumont Park (South Pender Island)<br />
Distance: 10.00 nm (18.52 km)<br />
Trip: 69.23 nm (128.21 km)<br />
YTD: 215.12 nm (398.40 km)<br />
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<b><u>One Last Stop - Saturday May 7th (Day #9)</u></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacn_45dCpPsyjDioLB2NY13qkMuCyU0mnwjRz5-RG5lAx7dTJDDkL5BH_bRDAiFocDKMP_JSyaZc8hArIF7ZutDfhbbnZAtwKkDN158PkHRbv_BoQW-n3AcFZLei-nWQuHbdkkAmUy7EA/s1600/IMG_6159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhacn_45dCpPsyjDioLB2NY13qkMuCyU0mnwjRz5-RG5lAx7dTJDDkL5BH_bRDAiFocDKMP_JSyaZc8hArIF7ZutDfhbbnZAtwKkDN158PkHRbv_BoQW-n3AcFZLei-nWQuHbdkkAmUy7EA/s640/IMG_6159.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp set up in the trees at Beaumont Park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9K5xbGc3ruXcdHEtmm-BnwMHtL8oi22S5xKrGikQE7lbCiEREcFVWaKl49HjPm3fsARtKUG4k44vXIq_nIH6aLWenELpT-8so1cvT9hfW-cHW-KWvlhT05vrUuVisbEAfIjkzlma50i4/s1600/IMG_6170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9K5xbGc3ruXcdHEtmm-BnwMHtL8oi22S5xKrGikQE7lbCiEREcFVWaKl49HjPm3fsARtKUG4k44vXIq_nIH6aLWenELpT-8so1cvT9hfW-cHW-KWvlhT05vrUuVisbEAfIjkzlma50i4/s640/IMG_6170.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice shell beach to leave our kayaks</td></tr>
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The next morning, we woke up to another beautiful day with no wind and I found the huge composting outhouse that is set back in the forest and spotted a Pileated Woodpecker nearby.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6QPjU0P33Aj7tH4VNJKF17s8aELczaddvvPTnWCOv2Iy8nx6T7ocw1otmzIk1KE_TyJgZnwpcwEvx8jDccKndBwp2Kogfine9Oo7cOOqnMCiG6ODi4tGeRzM2pytvxM05uJ7ieL0Zmpp/s1600/IMG_6179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE6QPjU0P33Aj7tH4VNJKF17s8aELczaddvvPTnWCOv2Iy8nx6T7ocw1otmzIk1KE_TyJgZnwpcwEvx8jDccKndBwp2Kogfine9Oo7cOOqnMCiG6ODi4tGeRzM2pytvxM05uJ7ieL0Zmpp/s640/IMG_6179.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The nice composing outhouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXBnPpvWXnXL9vT2GD57BjPJblw7em5J1ijMJ5QlgMF5rk5ILhXF19zw8m08eo_yDA6YhY_g_hBbCXJNwrBidnya19LmogQqiVFDcb_SiXSjCVWEQEFqImPP_3z0QUZzU6SSEa2F2I8la/s1600/IMG_6250a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqXBnPpvWXnXL9vT2GD57BjPJblw7em5J1ijMJ5QlgMF5rk5ILhXF19zw8m08eo_yDA6YhY_g_hBbCXJNwrBidnya19LmogQqiVFDcb_SiXSjCVWEQEFqImPP_3z0QUZzU6SSEa2F2I8la/s640/IMG_6250a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pileated Woodpecker searching for grubs in a nearby log</td></tr>
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The plan was to launch at 10:00am and since Lynn and Michael were ready early they headed out about half an hour ahead of Robyn, Kari and myself with a plan to meet up with them somewhere at Moresby Island.</div>
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As Robyn, Kari and I headed around Wallace Point it became evident That we would not be able to hug the shoreline due to the ebb current running around the point so instead we cut across the eddy lines and out into open water and started heading across Swanson Channel towards Moresby Island. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxL4zqoZWaEOVIX-mtVqMxy0hyphenhyphenbDe94R0JYwNQWyVn6s6vVLkeBorNsPQKz9Px7TZiIpwPXJw6Ya64XjWU-hxRTTz3PiHsyj1T89ScjM2P9ozQeB7TOYfvUK-ONnZ9OutdO8GpzAlW5a7/s1600/DSCF0304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxL4zqoZWaEOVIX-mtVqMxy0hyphenhyphenbDe94R0JYwNQWyVn6s6vVLkeBorNsPQKz9Px7TZiIpwPXJw6Ya64XjWU-hxRTTz3PiHsyj1T89ScjM2P9ozQeB7TOYfvUK-ONnZ9OutdO8GpzAlW5a7/s640/DSCF0304.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We must be close to home if we have to wait for BC Ferries</td></tr>
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We spotted Lynn and Michael near Pelorus Point (Moresby Island) and upon reaching them we waited for a BC Ferry to pass before continuing onto to Arbutus Point on Portland Island where we set up camp for our last night. To our surprise there was only one other kayaker who was visiting from Washington State. After establishing camp we hiked the trail through the middle of the island to Princess Bay completing the loop on the coast trail back to camp. Since we had an excess of water still with us Robyn and I decided to set up the shower above the high water line which was an amazing treat!! At least we would be heading home the next day smelling half decent. LOL<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N0iMBu1w8WaIr4POEI6fd0NgzQuYx9R8LJWyBkPPO0WuUkRksnmy7C3M6ANM_kXSEQds9jD74u6nmQH74P5FovJmHr83GAFXqjI2BzostsT1Ok-SZkgc5YSb-2vZSDrct8i-Un-8vtuT/s1600/IMG_6267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N0iMBu1w8WaIr4POEI6fd0NgzQuYx9R8LJWyBkPPO0WuUkRksnmy7C3M6ANM_kXSEQds9jD74u6nmQH74P5FovJmHr83GAFXqjI2BzostsT1Ok-SZkgc5YSb-2vZSDrct8i-Un-8vtuT/s640/IMG_6267.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing around camp on Arbutus Point</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mlKRXfsrlGZhozo3WVQhpmWuKaE-osJgiBjUtCMa9ehgtIIhcutPdl1VbJkLJLsfZj7c2jSDPGknAlx6LS4HqjVoQcbydPKb8BDM-mRT8BzTYG6pnQfx_o-ERelM875sd-Z-tB04RZ0y/s1600/IMG_6301a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-mlKRXfsrlGZhozo3WVQhpmWuKaE-osJgiBjUtCMa9ehgtIIhcutPdl1VbJkLJLsfZj7c2jSDPGknAlx6LS4HqjVoQcbydPKb8BDM-mRT8BzTYG6pnQfx_o-ERelM875sd-Z-tB04RZ0y/s640/IMG_6301a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari enjoying the calm blue ocean.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj300EtYmEnyLCeLEFjrIgWQxc9GCHBRusW37ttKc6qzTjf0ArBhvdOuYjXUJF6NSp9ScqYx0uzvxz2Sl-ssNtrPvUn85dUsErXigasCISxKT_5C3gMYk1HsLrVd2PiWjtuPBzhuCXshFrC/s1600/IMG_6281a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj300EtYmEnyLCeLEFjrIgWQxc9GCHBRusW37ttKc6qzTjf0ArBhvdOuYjXUJF6NSp9ScqYx0uzvxz2Sl-ssNtrPvUn85dUsErXigasCISxKT_5C3gMYk1HsLrVd2PiWjtuPBzhuCXshFrC/s640/IMG_6281a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a view that we have seen before from Arbutus Point only this time we can say that we<br />have been there. Mt. Baker in the background, South / North Pender Island on the left, just to the<br /> left of the red marker light is Sucia Island (USA) in the distance, to the right of the marker is <br />Waldron Island (USA) an Moresby Island on the right.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Lq5K7gSKDwoErsW1IaIcpdUp8brZ1z3W39II7tszVWKOxW9a2QMgvk68Y4SBh4AGAvzS7LdmBG1LxZqx_Dx64R-pHzWPM3D0WRn9_6pcimcxRVMXiqUernYgL91udXdAZayAP8en1nka/s1600/May+7th.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Lq5K7gSKDwoErsW1IaIcpdUp8brZ1z3W39II7tszVWKOxW9a2QMgvk68Y4SBh4AGAvzS7LdmBG1LxZqx_Dx64R-pHzWPM3D0WRn9_6pcimcxRVMXiqUernYgL91udXdAZayAP8en1nka/s640/May+7th.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #24 - Beaumont Park (South Pender Island) to Arbutus Point (Portland Island)<br />
Distance: 7.19 nm (13.31 km)<br />
Trip: 76.42 nm (141.53 km)<br />
YTD: 222.31 nm (411.71 km)</div>
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<b><u>Homeward Bound - Sunday May 8th (Day #10)</u></b></div>
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Our last morning of the trip we woke up to ….. wait for it ….. a little bit more wind but at least it was going the right direction towards Sidney. Michael had to leave a little bit ahead of schedule to meet his arranged ride and the rest of us followed a couple of hours later enjoying a nice leisurely paddle back to Sidney arriving at Van Isle Marina just after noon. </div>
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Our 10-day trip to the San Juan Islands is now in the books so to speak we’ll return sometime soon. Our first visit to the San Juan’s really was an expedition to see what was there and we learned a lot on this short trip. One thing for sure is that the water through the San Juan Islands seems to be always moving (currents) and if the wind comes up if can get a little interesting. We only touched the tip of the iceberg regarding places to visit and would like to see what is south and east of Grays Harbour. Our next trip will probably be direct to Grays Harbour via the Washington State ferry from Sidney which will save paddling across the potentially busy shipping lanes. We’ll take at least 2 weeks to further explore these islands so close to home yet not on most kayakers to do list. Until next time …</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM0DeY6YndWMAVhLx6PLcdoROUYGe9PRHilHqFmLaqvafcfoeEbQ6OEl0Xggjw0uK0dzxAcPscwLZY2EM0qyIBe8Ejy0XNh1HKuwDsV5mhcZLXvZHv9rDB6NoLQWzwZ9k6D-HjrtsbkkH/s1600/May+8th.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFM0DeY6YndWMAVhLx6PLcdoROUYGe9PRHilHqFmLaqvafcfoeEbQ6OEl0Xggjw0uK0dzxAcPscwLZY2EM0qyIBe8Ejy0XNh1HKuwDsV5mhcZLXvZHv9rDB6NoLQWzwZ9k6D-HjrtsbkkH/s640/May+8th.png" width="638" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #25 - Arbutus Point (Portland Island) to Van Isle Marina<br />
Distance: 5.41 nm (10.01 km)<br />
Trip: 81.83 nm (151.55 km)<br />
YTD: 227.72 nm (421.73 km)<br />
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Note: More pictures of the entire San Juan Islands trip can be found by following the link <a href="https://plus.google.com/+RobynByrne/posts/ihiT14LGsEu" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-42283599431780791442016-08-05T06:59:00.000-07:002016-08-24T17:33:49.832-07:00San Juan Expedition Part 4<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>The Patos Island Waiting Game - Thursday May 5th (Day #7)</u></b></div>
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The one thing about wind forecasts is that they usually tend to be correct around here and sure enough ours was. After finally falling asleep after a long day I woke up in the middle of the night only to hear the winds starting to rustle the trees around our little protected campsite. Great ..... Not!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGQ8dzcSRCjqtu277RR3WwuB_ofoY-ysvOqIUOBJ0rXPoYOYLOmJhnN93iTXjs6yibOmbF12n4Y-Xe4CSJKMdTsl0-T4PHnFMUHrhCDa69-eXJr9dQSJhpyNfTXaL42oj2f42UUtcwb5w/s1600/IMG_5484a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGQ8dzcSRCjqtu277RR3WwuB_ofoY-ysvOqIUOBJ0rXPoYOYLOmJhnN93iTXjs6yibOmbF12n4Y-Xe4CSJKMdTsl0-T4PHnFMUHrhCDa69-eXJr9dQSJhpyNfTXaL42oj2f42UUtcwb5w/s640/IMG_5484a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Holland America Rotterdam passes by Patos Island</td></tr>
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Although we had nice clear skies the NW wind was blowing 25-30 kt which meant that we weren’t going anywhere this morning. Instead we decided that we would hike around the island and go visit the Patos Lighthouse National Park Monument and do a little geocaching too. We did watch a cruise ship come up Boundary Passage heading towards Vancouver through some pretty big seas. We even saw a BC Ferry on the Swartz Bay to Tsawwassen route detour around Saturna Island as we heard the conditions near Active Pass were pretty bad on this day.<br />
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Sitting around camp after breakfast we were watching the interaction of the wind and water when Lynn called out “whales”. Sure enough just off shore a pair of mature orca and a baby were passing by and the little fella put on a bit of a show breaching every so often. After paddling so far through the San Juan Islands we were a little disappointed not to have seen any whales up to this point so this was a special treat for us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr_YDdMu2iKcQWJX5yjtbymZTupZH5857TaqvAQXZ4nJ2r3h0rl9R3j_x_hdG4bG0TyUEXWT7u6OPNqVC0Jk5V5SaQSHG1UJgRIi6tbV_zavlx1U_tKkG_2gyX1jBz8jAzgi3kq3qZRCi/s1600/IMG_5650a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQr_YDdMu2iKcQWJX5yjtbymZTupZH5857TaqvAQXZ4nJ2r3h0rl9R3j_x_hdG4bG0TyUEXWT7u6OPNqVC0Jk5V5SaQSHG1UJgRIi6tbV_zavlx1U_tKkG_2gyX1jBz8jAzgi3kq3qZRCi/s640/IMG_5650a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and baby</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5F8vT_8GHMD0H5bs8nmwzsH6OR2XFHUKEPIoPi7gkWYLDQbUX3sgkMZz3sLSjwu4H72-2nR4BfyDaJm7alH9FUb6unts7ZqzNHCL4Z6l_Oq5tb0mW5hcyu1WZbuglxpzD4S_x4Luh0_4/s1600/IMG_5667a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD5F8vT_8GHMD0H5bs8nmwzsH6OR2XFHUKEPIoPi7gkWYLDQbUX3sgkMZz3sLSjwu4H72-2nR4BfyDaJm7alH9FUb6unts7ZqzNHCL4Z6l_Oq5tb0mW5hcyu1WZbuglxpzD4S_x4Luh0_4/s640/IMG_5667a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom tail slapping</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZQXiubTM0sAbJcxgPLUFh2iN76g9PrpcnYIzS6bNtm-iQ_3KoZhme4JC3jesUM3lFy_YQSVD1fXZG9mZCFAXckHksIZFzRsysOugHdwfyB-92Xhs88Yd-pZhQCkqP94mHFV3IubmQ8L6/s1600/Orca.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZQXiubTM0sAbJcxgPLUFh2iN76g9PrpcnYIzS6bNtm-iQ_3KoZhme4JC3jesUM3lFy_YQSVD1fXZG9mZCFAXckHksIZFzRsysOugHdwfyB-92Xhs88Yd-pZhQCkqP94mHFV3IubmQ8L6/s640/Orca.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The baby puts on a show.</td></tr>
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After the whale show we headed to the lighthouse to check out the buildings and to see what the conditions were like off Alden Point. Walking through the forest we arrived at the lighthouse passing by the old foundations of buildings that once were the home to the lighthouse keeper and his family. By the time we reached the point we had the full force of the winds blowing in our faces as the flood tide was interacting with the wind creating a huge tide race. One thing for sure was that we wouldn’t be paddling in these conditions any time soon and we started thinking that we might be staying on Patos Island for a few days.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpTsrCv9RG3DVNoeKwSt_d8u-YrHKomfgGBHoGsK-i-BVA92UcvpaVIK1oJjTVAhqixdcNPdx2QrlrfVLy2EMI5rdBB1gMyXJuXw6MMchiDu-ClkFE0D4T3zq_5xqwdGXlltX1ySBvYP_/s1600/IMG_5739a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizpTsrCv9RG3DVNoeKwSt_d8u-YrHKomfgGBHoGsK-i-BVA92UcvpaVIK1oJjTVAhqixdcNPdx2QrlrfVLy2EMI5rdBB1gMyXJuXw6MMchiDu-ClkFE0D4T3zq_5xqwdGXlltX1ySBvYP_/s640/IMG_5739a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking the trail to the lighthouse</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuTzuGCmlkgBr20WZGkwomMNOc9Ay29YX5YSABOxPu9Kc1TjULJsDrScqOXJ4wPUVSoRef4JVyndxGqS_ze6wzYNdA0QHOeHgisvfUPxTyIYt1PBzB8wBNRjVfosDsr3GXNhhVt2O_SJH/s1600/IMG_5745a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsuTzuGCmlkgBr20WZGkwomMNOc9Ay29YX5YSABOxPu9Kc1TjULJsDrScqOXJ4wPUVSoRef4JVyndxGqS_ze6wzYNdA0QHOeHgisvfUPxTyIYt1PBzB8wBNRjVfosDsr3GXNhhVt2O_SJH/s640/IMG_5745a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An enormous tide race off Alden Point</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5bOkkWXoXXLBWMS3pNw3vQnOT48BR5B0bvXpNG79xcVaIRRqU05pEPKfOdZRBflFlE9TvoLVkOJKHX4h8BGUuqM1V74qp-4uCcLf5GqfZbkKP37jcjNJdQEIeaI6o4AMwr8oSOL2vcjo/s1600/IMG_5765a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5bOkkWXoXXLBWMS3pNw3vQnOT48BR5B0bvXpNG79xcVaIRRqU05pEPKfOdZRBflFlE9TvoLVkOJKHX4h8BGUuqM1V74qp-4uCcLf5GqfZbkKP37jcjNJdQEIeaI6o4AMwr8oSOL2vcjo/s640/IMG_5765a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls capturing a selfie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1mEdGbOTmPDQVZzA1LDB0dYoUznZqeDSH47tX5RZv2ae_dQZ75ZrdUESk9Et2l4fLcpnj3_lARptGL0_0JaG2PxHDd7O42vlRlTTONZJFi2_vBuX53Cei0HWPcKNhrB8z1s3jG93sYiX/s1600/IMG_5785a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV1mEdGbOTmPDQVZzA1LDB0dYoUznZqeDSH47tX5RZv2ae_dQZ75ZrdUESk9Et2l4fLcpnj3_lARptGL0_0JaG2PxHDd7O42vlRlTTONZJFi2_vBuX53Cei0HWPcKNhrB8z1s3jG93sYiX/s640/IMG_5785a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the distance a container ship enters Boundary Passage</td></tr>
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For a little bit more history on the Patos Island Lighthouse please visit this link <a href="http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=103" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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Continuing on our way we completed the hike around the east side of the island and located one of the geocaches and then followed the trail through dense under growth that took us back to our campsite on the west side of the island. Lunch and siesta time was enjoyed in the warm sun as we sheltered ourselves under a rocky shelf at the campsite.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLc11CBqliNG5e6BhJtjUaHRvyi-JUkmtq3e4733gHYFvf3ZeiN4LFmXvIpkgZj4g5nE64ISB7N0EnUpSuKGydWISqPyxTQ-WVO73Ml1YAo5NV0307ShlRsCNVitpx_A9fUwRLlUQDYFbG/s1600/IMG_5868a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLc11CBqliNG5e6BhJtjUaHRvyi-JUkmtq3e4733gHYFvf3ZeiN4LFmXvIpkgZj4g5nE64ISB7N0EnUpSuKGydWISqPyxTQ-WVO73Ml1YAo5NV0307ShlRsCNVitpx_A9fUwRLlUQDYFbG/s640/IMG_5868a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari finds the geocache</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbS1inaLqLort5RSCQ4I7S0UtQsyURIF_vwJLybW8Y-UWAGBssbIa0B2-TKc474ruSRne3eGwntc0TSDEwC3BNPYfDp53HbbWdhEgIrUFpC6GGQMIffSdD6vp30LEaGwHD9sXBFqURf6W/s1600/IMG_5871a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPbS1inaLqLort5RSCQ4I7S0UtQsyURIF_vwJLybW8Y-UWAGBssbIa0B2-TKc474ruSRne3eGwntc0TSDEwC3BNPYfDp53HbbWdhEgIrUFpC6GGQMIffSdD6vp30LEaGwHD9sXBFqURf6W/s640/IMG_5871a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael checks out one of the items in the cache. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUwipc1E30_QpQui4riyF_eyACzsfqlbOEu8xDdcS5RIdvPM1ARPtYCDPmZoH8VhTm3zwqByIGXiNfqDPoQjmqOVuUujwTNqlRwDVWsPgRyYYQHbUBjJ8vUwkEHy7rFpiLUF2_wLHvsls/s1600/DSCF0268a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUwipc1E30_QpQui4riyF_eyACzsfqlbOEu8xDdcS5RIdvPM1ARPtYCDPmZoH8VhTm3zwqByIGXiNfqDPoQjmqOVuUujwTNqlRwDVWsPgRyYYQHbUBjJ8vUwkEHy7rFpiLUF2_wLHvsls/s640/DSCF0268a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at camp Michael does some reading</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTKRjNGnpgasK3kIqoyIgnOBLS2dhM3wfgfVnerqDz0T68PVDO1AhzPhG74ej2R4yHEbFAAV-iU50I-C4MJN-MszWfK7wgSjHvkeznejv1zhcPlEZMS_XLb9O1Lk3qQwyiiAzBGP5-ELD/s1600/DSCF0269a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtTKRjNGnpgasK3kIqoyIgnOBLS2dhM3wfgfVnerqDz0T68PVDO1AhzPhG74ej2R4yHEbFAAV-iU50I-C4MJN-MszWfK7wgSjHvkeznejv1zhcPlEZMS_XLb9O1Lk3qQwyiiAzBGP5-ELD/s640/DSCF0269a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari reading while I'm fast asleep LOL</td></tr>
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Later in the afternoon we decided to head back to the lighthouse for another look at the conditions because the long range forecast was calling for the winds to diminish late in the afternoon. What we were really looking for is how the slack tide would start to look like as the winds dropped near dinner time. With any luck …..<br />
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Sure enough the wind was dropping and after checking all available information via the internet and VHF radio we decided to break camp and be ready to leave at around 5pm. One last check of the 4:30pm Environment Canada Marine Report and we decided to head out and make a run across Boundary Passage towards Saturna Island.<br />
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Our original thoughts during the trip were to maybe make it to Tumbo Island off East Point but with the NW winds and the slack just starting to turn to an ebb it clearly became evident that this wasn't possible. Even though the winds were becoming lighter we did experience some significant rip tides which made the crossing a little interesting but thankfully we didn’t have to contend with any tanker or container ships. I stuck with Robyn and Kari while Michael stuck with Lynn through the bumpiest part of crossing and we even had a pod of porpoise playing in the rips that we paddled through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vf3n-3qPtG-CFJLbUJ991BuRrfubuwylH4HU37rpMxQOsOLjghp0ku6xEE50sIjotOJiY6KAy5Ls5MCUXw2KDBOyokIlJHbE3IpvUkIqF0OgrozUrq_Kyxg5I24_j68rWlHeTAtuljrB/s1600/DSCF0252a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_vf3n-3qPtG-CFJLbUJ991BuRrfubuwylH4HU37rpMxQOsOLjghp0ku6xEE50sIjotOJiY6KAy5Ls5MCUXw2KDBOyokIlJHbE3IpvUkIqF0OgrozUrq_Kyxg5I24_j68rWlHeTAtuljrB/s640/DSCF0252a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the protected water of Narvaez Bay </td></tr>
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Finally, in the wind shadow of Saturna Island we paddled into Narvaez Bay just before 7:30pm and began hauling our gear up the trail to the campground. After being spoiled with the Washington State Park system of well serviced campgrounds I felt a bit shell shocked establishing camp at this Parks Canada Gulf Islands National Park Reserve. This was the first time that Robyn and I had come to this campground that is situated on a really pretty point in Narvaez Bay but the camping area is placed well back from the point. We found three tent designated areas right near the visitor kiosk and for some reason there are also two picnic tables jammed right up to it. All this open space in the park yet the camping area is packed together like a mini tent city. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMMI_7gMvti4RwVK_kzM330P1oFYzbZvCFUY3-vr8z38ITetCmbebsprPMvzE0T3fy7rmBS9NOSVkKwZ3wlD-8hJLJTwPmPk2NgDs_jf86-kf1ruKpj9tl2PfZH6DmJSMEpioFUjn-NKy/s1600/IMG_5985a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnMMI_7gMvti4RwVK_kzM330P1oFYzbZvCFUY3-vr8z38ITetCmbebsprPMvzE0T3fy7rmBS9NOSVkKwZ3wlD-8hJLJTwPmPk2NgDs_jf86-kf1ruKpj9tl2PfZH6DmJSMEpioFUjn-NKy/s640/IMG_5985a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 3 tents in sites and the picnic tables at Narvaez Bay that are crowed around the visitor kiosk. <br />
One has to wonder what the PCGINPR was thinking when establishing this site??</td></tr>
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After establishing camp Robyn and I went to work on making the group dinner which we enjoyed as the last bit of sunlight left our camp. As for the outhouse …. Well it certainly had a lot to be desired compared to being spoiled the past week but it was an outhouse (less toilet paper) but it still beats digging a cat hole anytime. LOL After another long day I think we all slept very, very well that night back home in Canada! Hey! .... We still need to check in!!<br />
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2016 Paddle #22 - Patos Island to Canada<br />
Distance: 6.20 nm (11.48 km)<br />
Trip: 59.23 nm (109.69 km)<br />
YTD: 205.12 nm (379.88 km)<br />
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Note: More pictures of the entire San Juan Islands trip can be found by following the link <a href="https://plus.google.com/+RobynByrne/posts/ihiT14LGsEu" target="_blank">HERE</a><br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-87529112917081429252016-08-01T20:59:00.000-07:002016-08-23T19:35:05.813-07:00San Juan Expedition Part 3<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Sucia Island Touring - Tuesday May 3th (Day #5)</u></b></div>
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We woke up to cloudy skies after a few showers during the night. After breakfast Robyn, Kari and I decided that we would spend the day hiking around the island looking for some of the geocaches on the island. Michael and Lynn decided that they would circumnavigate the island by kayak and hopefully we would see them while we were hiking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4aW21eRKAWtSuTxLRTFh2UAuPYp6kz3pv9pAr4f3ePUJvcoaxUX_RW18sgIQwbDc_VFSCaRTvYDbdJy9mOwVkH24ouvPrxtbUopI3WVYztYatSD0vW-F0EFkAdX1QFx6oIAC3Qd61idl/s1600/IMG_4739a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4aW21eRKAWtSuTxLRTFh2UAuPYp6kz3pv9pAr4f3ePUJvcoaxUX_RW18sgIQwbDc_VFSCaRTvYDbdJy9mOwVkH24ouvPrxtbUopI3WVYztYatSD0vW-F0EFkAdX1QFx6oIAC3Qd61idl/s640/IMG_4739a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's hard to imagine that this jewel of an island only cost $25,000 back in 1960.</td></tr>
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Sucia Island has over 10 miles of hiking trails weaving along the shoreline or through the forest that covers most of the island. Like we do on most of our trips, Robyn uses her GPS to find any geocaches that might be in the area so we decided to head towards Ewing Cove locating several caches along the way with the last one giving us a view of the Cluster Islands. One of the great things about Sucia Island is that it has over 60 campsites spread out through the 564-acre marine park and we soon found out that we were the only ones actually camping on the island during our stay.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRZjNR7722hV5oxk1qQqx4qjAHbyRJFw00bbyHwwhyphenhyphenOLdPqKSt4spl_L7ph7tkC1kNOVZmFpNtL2Og90IaPwnrGB1IyPvcdDWNn_p6BleChnY0seL_6zQKcOBghl7HoefSdNVo44ta2Dj/s1600/IMG_4762a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwRZjNR7722hV5oxk1qQqx4qjAHbyRJFw00bbyHwwhyphenhyphenOLdPqKSt4spl_L7ph7tkC1kNOVZmFpNtL2Og90IaPwnrGB1IyPvcdDWNn_p6BleChnY0seL_6zQKcOBghl7HoefSdNVo44ta2Dj/s640/IMG_4762a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the two privately owned Finger Islands and Matia Island<br />
3 miles in the distance from the Echo Bay campsites</td></tr>
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Walking along the shoreline trail high above the water near Wiggins Reef we spotted Michael and Lynn paddling into Echo Bay. From our vantage point we could see Matia and Clark Islands and all the way down to Lawrence Point several miles away.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTUsj77OHUf30C0_x6oblQBgYGVcdAJy1P7xio90r-CA69rSx-joAG-6PFCnTckKxjyy3hP5whyj2N299r80_HMYEdcI0OWKxHQeIY5orA4L7JKK2QGpXHn19OrEfMJF-tiRerRhGDrmc/s1600/IMG_4813a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghTUsj77OHUf30C0_x6oblQBgYGVcdAJy1P7xio90r-CA69rSx-joAG-6PFCnTckKxjyy3hP5whyj2N299r80_HMYEdcI0OWKxHQeIY5orA4L7JKK2QGpXHn19OrEfMJF-tiRerRhGDrmc/s640/IMG_4813a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We spotted Lynn and Michael while hiking to Ewing Cove</td></tr>
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We came across several of the Washington State Parks composting outhouses that I consider to be 5 star in terms of camping amenities and the one at Ewing Cove just might have been my favorite on the whole trip.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW9QsBSXp0mq1tpppqSePpZtcfziWUcNL5aeVtcll_VtvsSZoUSgjPOrjWOUczqO5gakVa9sBdRjNK_8JghkhDJHtNugFFLyPlcNJRgycjnOo8o0VxBVPVj9ArVjHoig_o7TjBvj02E-G/s1600/IMG_4852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWW9QsBSXp0mq1tpppqSePpZtcfziWUcNL5aeVtcll_VtvsSZoUSgjPOrjWOUczqO5gakVa9sBdRjNK_8JghkhDJHtNugFFLyPlcNJRgycjnOo8o0VxBVPVj9ArVjHoig_o7TjBvj02E-G/s640/IMG_4852.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never thought outhouses would be so attractive to visit and look at.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja5jyBg_d7O4bPVhEiz6PIlJeP_3_iZwRt2hGHPh0LNzKJOeQBZb4JX6usbiERl7TIZV5NmhW0KkqID0iEMS0woJ2vS5B2bUJMIQ-ZWKB7enQ5AmPilOt3ENIhD6ry63Ii1k9Z7dyuPl8/s1600/IMG_4858.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhja5jyBg_d7O4bPVhEiz6PIlJeP_3_iZwRt2hGHPh0LNzKJOeQBZb4JX6usbiERl7TIZV5NmhW0KkqID0iEMS0woJ2vS5B2bUJMIQ-ZWKB7enQ5AmPilOt3ENIhD6ry63Ii1k9Z7dyuPl8/s640/IMG_4858.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the usual thing that one finds in a geocache. LOL</td></tr>
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Our return route was via Shallow Bay which was home for many of the Chinese workers who were illegally imported as laborers in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. Contrary to the name, the Chinese hid in the forest and not in the China Caves that can be found at Shallow Bay.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN4MU89WA_g0wNuxJTijV2Ek7jN76ODtecYbGXJ2Cu8XtmPQp88HRc89m4wh537Ir36W_cSCd8gKA3N-Td0ixSMDNuEk3R-xxQVCEiNA5cAfqWeE97JO5LMwrQNydq3HUE4IaFktPYQsg/s1600/IMG_4977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvN4MU89WA_g0wNuxJTijV2Ek7jN76ODtecYbGXJ2Cu8XtmPQp88HRc89m4wh537Ir36W_cSCd8gKA3N-Td0ixSMDNuEk3R-xxQVCEiNA5cAfqWeE97JO5LMwrQNydq3HUE4IaFktPYQsg/s640/IMG_4977.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shallow bay offers a big sandy crescent moon beach with several campsites</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQAQ9A3cvr6zj485kz-5P1b_wKeuyYwBAqEnAVvfp5MPjJjEPCse_1MJc5vDWGj5zaup-ywZTT1ucKR121dgB2fyLlAqKUY5OsIXUk0rAucXnzy-dBiUCfa7i_TJX7EiETmtx1f3joONj/s1600/IMG_4945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQAQ9A3cvr6zj485kz-5P1b_wKeuyYwBAqEnAVvfp5MPjJjEPCse_1MJc5vDWGj5zaup-ywZTT1ucKR121dgB2fyLlAqKUY5OsIXUk0rAucXnzy-dBiUCfa7i_TJX7EiETmtx1f3joONj/s640/IMG_4945.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The China Caves that weren't actually used by Chinese workers to hide in. Still, pretty cool to see.</td></tr>
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Returning back to camp I spent some time setting up my hammock for a much needed nap and then went to work rigging up a shower area in a vacant campsite nearby.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEeZWEJ-B8-Nr2ksqkNdlziKGY_oICBunkpqfzuLcbUEi8EkZR6zzFgWp3hOtj8qM5C7tKetgluH77phOYu7OEbD63j1aH3PS0O6uNX7ETi7DY7VjVAoiLcu_7w09SjE0_xxVTiDpkdpu/s1600/IMG_5046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEeZWEJ-B8-Nr2ksqkNdlziKGY_oICBunkpqfzuLcbUEi8EkZR6zzFgWp3hOtj8qM5C7tKetgluH77phOYu7OEbD63j1aH3PS0O6uNX7ETi7DY7VjVAoiLcu_7w09SjE0_xxVTiDpkdpu/s640/IMG_5046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I rigged a tarp to provide privacy in our shower area near the edge of a cliff in the site next to us.</td></tr>
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We noticed a large group of people walking up the trail from the Echo Bay marina and they turned out to be part of a Sucia Island tour from Orcas Island. As we watched them look around Fossil Bay we noticed a couple with Geocaching patches on their packs and talked with them for a bit. They told us that on the way to the island they spotted a pod of orca not far from shore close to our location and as luck would have it, we were out hiking during that time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpubgKlDB7eEcb0Lz0zOgNtutEJf1kaeLW1_sou-_yAEolk84QcbhavHB5cxRJyt7CDBhVXp8D3pRYWzwd9HrHic3fQvGd4dmHR6-XKAitnDIWRt-Y6ZzQe6vadU6vDjLklR3m7D7OaPi/s1600/IMG_4608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpubgKlDB7eEcb0Lz0zOgNtutEJf1kaeLW1_sou-_yAEolk84QcbhavHB5cxRJyt7CDBhVXp8D3pRYWzwd9HrHic3fQvGd4dmHR6-XKAitnDIWRt-Y6ZzQe6vadU6vDjLklR3m7D7OaPi/s640/IMG_4608.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of fossil on the cliff side near our campsite.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSpofkOPeaCvW74P3DJVj3afCBY-FwVHl4_oJbejtQdXqCZSalA1x0-NJ0Mkqdp8DuMmS5UYT-BmeUQYEULdyEt_YgZQXzmaHSKp-3jBQzbhC3OvU0P-03NnDFmncXDeNWTMBqEPCjqkk/s1600/IMG_4594a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxSpofkOPeaCvW74P3DJVj3afCBY-FwVHl4_oJbejtQdXqCZSalA1x0-NJ0Mkqdp8DuMmS5UYT-BmeUQYEULdyEt_YgZQXzmaHSKp-3jBQzbhC3OvU0P-03NnDFmncXDeNWTMBqEPCjqkk/s640/IMG_4594a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spent the rest of the day checking out the fossils on the cliff near the camp or just lounging around camp as Kari spotted what looked to be very large sandpipers with long curved beaks on the beach below us. Checking my bird book, we figured out that they were migrating Whimbrels which we had never seen before. After dinner we sat around the campfire and checked the 9:30pm forecast only to be surprised by a building NW 20+ knot wind forecast that was supposed to happen during the middle of the night.</div>
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<b><u>Waiting for Patos Island - Wednesday May 4th (Day #6)</u></b></div>
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Right on schedule just around midnight the NW 20 knot winds came up fast and started rattling our little camp. After having very little wind at all on the trip it was a bit annoying trying to sleep while our tarps and tents took the brunt of the gusts that came through our little tombolo campsite.<br />
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When we finally woke up in the morning the skies were overcast with a little drizzle and the winds were continuing to blow pretty good. Listening to the extended forecast it looked like we might see the winds start to diminish later in the day and we decided that might be our opportunity to head towards Patos Island only 3 miles north of us.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaQLJZZ6WJxibuGfvOOsuc2mM0OvrpS2bphb89unnFkdZzuiST-FWWwvWPNSxjj1SDxSgka-myVmfWqTHmwGD0VgIPUk1c45MRXMq2r43Vzu_xT9podaxoG5jHnZkpGQw4VDZmFAjT3vB/s1600/DSCF0228.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzaQLJZZ6WJxibuGfvOOsuc2mM0OvrpS2bphb89unnFkdZzuiST-FWWwvWPNSxjj1SDxSgka-myVmfWqTHmwGD0VgIPUk1c45MRXMq2r43Vzu_xT9podaxoG5jHnZkpGQw4VDZmFAjT3vB/s640/DSCF0228.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riding out the drizzle Kari's does some reading and I work on a taut knot that Michael showed me.</td></tr>
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In the meantime, we suited up in our rain gear and all went for a little hike to EV Henry Point to locate a geocache and get some great views of the area from high up on the cliffs above the fossil beds.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29NRnqlcGVikJhvLWYxwM7q3GQiAsZgNFTLjvrx_y7zKLHlnTG3DjNOCAOSNMzCWM1-hZKdHyJSfT1vpoEqj_gAV6shNlVJTPg8owLjq6fDyeHGh3wnE0b25ZwEw2qRFxPghg484dywM7/s1600/IMG_5088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg29NRnqlcGVikJhvLWYxwM7q3GQiAsZgNFTLjvrx_y7zKLHlnTG3DjNOCAOSNMzCWM1-hZKdHyJSfT1vpoEqj_gAV6shNlVJTPg8owLjq6fDyeHGh3wnE0b25ZwEw2qRFxPghg484dywM7/s640/IMG_5088.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael, Robyn, Kari and Lynn</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgah6ffwFN_NyfyqUS1AI5rHFZ90idctK7ECylGNTMQBgo9Ie1sWa6pTCqJZks5ydeWUxRqzyiBB22rk3jXW24c3CH91QC4AhQ7LmUdQAqUE-VI0XU2H1VhFONHZMipi5pnT7xO8TtKF3q7/s1600/IMG_5117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgah6ffwFN_NyfyqUS1AI5rHFZ90idctK7ECylGNTMQBgo9Ie1sWa6pTCqJZks5ydeWUxRqzyiBB22rk3jXW24c3CH91QC4AhQ7LmUdQAqUE-VI0XU2H1VhFONHZMipi5pnT7xO8TtKF3q7/s640/IMG_5117.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great view from EV Henry Point. Saturna Island way in the distance and our little campsiteon the<br />
tombolo under the trees. From this location wecould see how the current was interacting with the <br />
NW winds.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp0E1HEjm3OdRe8hZuK8F4puBSm_pprvSPyaW9HHI9XVxc8h9ldf7FpqCKwkqkE0yqd_O9QIp6CAD-DGb0Lh_l-m8SCF30Oxx13buqtZZm6S7ueVnAplAPxwOblfVLSW7iuMTUMR9C8pG/s1600/IMG_5123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYp0E1HEjm3OdRe8hZuK8F4puBSm_pprvSPyaW9HHI9XVxc8h9ldf7FpqCKwkqkE0yqd_O9QIp6CAD-DGb0Lh_l-m8SCF30Oxx13buqtZZm6S7ueVnAplAPxwOblfVLSW7iuMTUMR9C8pG/s640/IMG_5123.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had no idea what the heck this trail marker meant other than maybe "You are here" LOL</td></tr>
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Returning to camp we made lunch and decided to head out on another hike to Johnston Point but half way there the sun started to come out and the winds slowly started to reside. We had a little group discussion and decided to head back to camp to pack up and wait for an opportunity to head to Patos Island.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLixElD6fGHdVmnzxfoWAxh37XYB1POhiwfLARdQvN7TiR1SveUWbrQIn2inTT9yEQQ8aU_EGcIIwKXa8P1gV6DGNvtKfBGouay4Yimy1h3Yzi3Sl97oncf3-cwVbYUPbynXYiKf8nN4yc/s1600/DSCF0248a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLixElD6fGHdVmnzxfoWAxh37XYB1POhiwfLARdQvN7TiR1SveUWbrQIn2inTT9yEQQ8aU_EGcIIwKXa8P1gV6DGNvtKfBGouay4Yimy1h3Yzi3Sl97oncf3-cwVbYUPbynXYiKf8nN4yc/s640/DSCF0248a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Launching towards the sunset for Patos Island. <br />
We had a window of opportunity to make a run for the island and off we went.</td></tr>
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Just after 5pm we took to the water and paddled in choppy conditions due to the wind and current working against us but we managed to land on Patos Island at around 7pm.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYN4Z7EOAIvQ90mffTmlnV35WoF9nFqafH4CUQ1w2zXIHuwWG0NufjzCvsX4Q7xyTP8qB2916olwdkU_xAPDO3tQ5LLRtIQzZ5BZgaljAmHJ9zQl6fH6nV4VVoUQaaDeMLrrGe_V0qLpVS/s1600/IMG_5185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYN4Z7EOAIvQ90mffTmlnV35WoF9nFqafH4CUQ1w2zXIHuwWG0NufjzCvsX4Q7xyTP8qB2916olwdkU_xAPDO3tQ5LLRtIQzZ5BZgaljAmHJ9zQl6fH6nV4VVoUQaaDeMLrrGe_V0qLpVS/s640/IMG_5185.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our kayaks tied up for the night near the campsite kiosk</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main camping area that is exposed to the elements. </td></tr>
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The camping area was on a nice little point that offers views of Sucia Island to the south and Saturna Island to the north but we found a site protected from the wind in the trees.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Hypuo_ne9kW01s1xgxyN5sJoHC66I0Hn5q37n9ExO2eNO6Zy-S8TxhPM55HtYgKU1Fa2wz4ZsR99kvz8cQHY3WHQmYsplfbGMs1wZk-trP6Nc0l4NiE2IJcqE7QTu0143QwW1MkPzJ7T/s1600/IMG_5244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Hypuo_ne9kW01s1xgxyN5sJoHC66I0Hn5q37n9ExO2eNO6Zy-S8TxhPM55HtYgKU1Fa2wz4ZsR99kvz8cQHY3WHQmYsplfbGMs1wZk-trP6Nc0l4NiE2IJcqE7QTu0143QwW1MkPzJ7T/s640/IMG_5244.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What might be home for the next couple of days. Nice and cozy if the winds keep howling.</td></tr>
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The winds continued to decrease a bit and we were blessed with one of the most amazing sunsets that I have ever seen as we sat around a campfire on the point to watch the sun go down. Just before heading to bed we checked the forecast for the next day and it wasn’t looking good with the NW winds stating to blow again overnight. It was beginning to look like we might be staying on Patos Island for a couple of days.<br />
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2016 Paddle #21 - Sucia Island to Patos Island<br />
Distance: 3.09 nm (5.72 km)<br />
Trip: 53.03 nm (98.21 km)<br />
YTD: 198.92 nm (368.40 km)<br />
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Note: More pictures of the entire San Juan Islands trip can be found by following the link <a href="https://plus.google.com/+RobynByrne/posts/ihiT14LGsEu" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-52780105573969826022016-07-10T20:00:00.000-07:002016-08-28T14:14:51.525-07:00Running Out to Rum<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even though we still have lots to do in preparation for our upcoming 16-day trip to Hesquiat, Robyn and I decided to join Kari and her friend Rhea for a paddle out to Rum Island today that we put together late last night.</div>
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Perfect conditions consisting of sun with a few clouds, light winds until later in the day and just a bit of current to contend with on the way back in. Launching out of Amherst Beach at 8:30am our route took us past Dock Island, between Sheep and Domville Islands and over to Gooch Island where Robyn and I rolled to cool off a bit. We did manage to spot several flocks of Heermann's Gulls, a family of Oyster Catchers with two young (no orange bills yet), Cormorants, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, Rhinocerus Aulets and lots of Canada Geese. <br />
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It was just after 10:00am when we arrived at Rum Island seeing another couple just departing with them commenting that we had the whole island to ourselves. Nice but we didn’t bring our camping gear…. again!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYg4YiAtY5O2PXiP7B2j8Bo9VcvN_rsOXv4Cz_J3xsDhYl64rfxYHQkiCl3edcBefAKcQjADq4s7INd6JJ0jOmanX6na11t1i6JYojPo6-w8JmydRSNGpAH9OrnD1GodmSUWPsIKqr2wj/s1600/Kari+Rhea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYg4YiAtY5O2PXiP7B2j8Bo9VcvN_rsOXv4Cz_J3xsDhYl64rfxYHQkiCl3edcBefAKcQjADq4s7INd6JJ0jOmanX6na11t1i6JYojPo6-w8JmydRSNGpAH9OrnD1GodmSUWPsIKqr2wj/s640/Kari+Rhea.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love Rhea's color coordination!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhei91y-vvMT11P3VTPYtCLDxlCS5KUlFXPLoh8u0-HWG01yuFVvJl12l2yZ-4NMFyJCchZqXVJJarv7fSDeHFxCc5s6_8YVMDiu3Zy-48P3wgMqqnptVFl6u5BXxuaX3ESjVcGV5-RzX/s1600/domville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvhei91y-vvMT11P3VTPYtCLDxlCS5KUlFXPLoh8u0-HWG01yuFVvJl12l2yZ-4NMFyJCchZqXVJJarv7fSDeHFxCc5s6_8YVMDiu3Zy-48P3wgMqqnptVFl6u5BXxuaX3ESjVcGV5-RzX/s640/domville.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari, Mark and Rhea on the east side of Domville</td></tr>
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We decided to check out the camping area and the first thing I noticed was how rough the 3 tent pad areas looked. After just coming back from the pristine San Juan Islands, the Parks Canada Gulf Island National Park Reserve (GINPR) on Rum Island sure could use a little maintenance especially around the tent pads, trails and the picnic tables that need to be repaired or replaced. It’s really sad that our federal government doesn’t allocate enough funds to maintain the GINPR properly yet they promote the National Park system as being one of the best in the world.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90QTLkFs9FC5o7yH3YawThyphenhyphen62EkmQIzP97kK7rM-hKEpduEduB94dtfWL73mkUP1kgmcg3Kg-j7B30j-ghyHuwm_Nsxp3ESMHxV-ryPZYkAZWr9Vwxfkv2ysZ4A9tTeX-OxK1kd9kaoov/s1600/rum+camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi90QTLkFs9FC5o7yH3YawThyphenhyphen62EkmQIzP97kK7rM-hKEpduEduB94dtfWL73mkUP1kgmcg3Kg-j7B30j-ghyHuwm_Nsxp3ESMHxV-ryPZYkAZWr9Vwxfkv2ysZ4A9tTeX-OxK1kd9kaoov/s640/rum+camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking a little worn out ... the camp area could use some attention.</td></tr>
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Since it was too early in the day to have lunch we hiked around the small island finding it difficult to locate the rough trail at times but never the less we made it to Tom Point and watched a couple of huge container ships rounding Turn Point towards Vancouver. In the distance, the San Juan Islands no longer looked like some uncharted land since we recently paddled and camped throughout the islands.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9X9rLlgZlyHxBOhxOnOpA1ecd1IAk5o2SKF1qJysCY-FOE8BWRj7HK-agWPBBmXvAlsp1erPxOUOrlX4onr5jkNXsd7AfBdIFpfrCNcS-qa_gG41JQdni4T1C0pHUM3jJGlAKqfiUOgr/s1600/cargo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ9X9rLlgZlyHxBOhxOnOpA1ecd1IAk5o2SKF1qJysCY-FOE8BWRj7HK-agWPBBmXvAlsp1erPxOUOrlX4onr5jkNXsd7AfBdIFpfrCNcS-qa_gG41JQdni4T1C0pHUM3jJGlAKqfiUOgr/s640/cargo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big freaking cargo ships passing between Rum Island and the San Juan Islands.</td></tr>
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Checking the tide and current data we thought about making a run towards Mandarte Island to check out some of the many bird species that nest there and then over to Sidney Island. However, with an increasing ebb flow we decided that trying to make it around Sidney Spit might be difficult and opted for a return route via Dock Island where we would have lunch.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZz04Ia1FGUmG-Xc6zn7w2v_sBpufTQyzUB2XRkBMRZp2jtGiGuyL0a1MlwuXooDfk2HEMwvedFsRoaOtKHdMxDucA2QlctO8Kn1ga8U1RS1UFKJH7jZzQMv977wAoK3JY4yJY3WQswAN/s1600/Kari+Rhea+log.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZz04Ia1FGUmG-Xc6zn7w2v_sBpufTQyzUB2XRkBMRZp2jtGiGuyL0a1MlwuXooDfk2HEMwvedFsRoaOtKHdMxDucA2QlctO8Kn1ga8U1RS1UFKJH7jZzQMv977wAoK3JY4yJY3WQswAN/s640/Kari+Rhea+log.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of laughs today and a few jabs at Kari to keep her smiling LOL</td></tr>
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The ebb flow was beginning to build as we hugged the south shoreline of Gooch Island and west shoreline of Domville Island letting a back eddy pull us along. We did have to do a little ferry angle paddling to reach Dock Island but once there enjoyed lunch in the sun and watched how the currents changed by the minute through the little islets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t2YNMWKZRGRkEYhjIsTs5MKF8E2qzZEAYPzUczgN-JOrjOMXDTnQH4PRiqqR0d2KWjblyv6AVCXVoHFM-GzIepAT6z0RfrqIyX1rXuDkRK8KagQOJAuEvOmKIEl_cSbzXqU9QRr66lZA/s1600/dock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t2YNMWKZRGRkEYhjIsTs5MKF8E2qzZEAYPzUczgN-JOrjOMXDTnQH4PRiqqR0d2KWjblyv6AVCXVoHFM-GzIepAT6z0RfrqIyX1rXuDkRK8KagQOJAuEvOmKIEl_cSbzXqU9QRr66lZA/s640/dock.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dock Island lunch stop.</td></tr>
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Paddling back towards Little Shell Island was uneventful but the crossing back over towards Amherst Beach became a bit lumpy as unpredicted SE winds came up fast to interact with the ebb flow creating small white caps. Still, it was another great day to be on the water in our kayaking playground close to home.<br />
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Next up …. Off to Tofino on Thursday to go off the grid for 16 days paddling on the west coast.<br />
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2016 Paddle #26 - Rum Island<br />
Distance: 11.19 nm (20.72 km)<br />
YTD: 238.91 nm (442.32 km)</div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-784220620725003292016-07-09T20:07:00.002-07:002016-07-09T20:07:28.446-07:00San Juan Expedition Part 2 <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Turning the Corner (Blind Island to Clark Island) - Sunday May 1st (Day #3)</u></b></div>
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After a fitful sleep on Blind Island due to our site not being level we woke up to another day of sunshine and no winds. Our plan was to be on the water by no later than 9:00am and head east through Harney Channel towards Obstruction Pass 4nm in the distance. We really didn’t have a particular camping destination planned for today but knew that there were a couple of sites to check out before we would turn the corner at Lawrence Point towards Clark, Matia, Sucia and Petos Islands.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Blind Island only the Washington State Ferries were on the water with us this morning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lynn and Michael as a ferry leaves Orcas Island</td></tr>
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Other than several Washington State ferries crossing between the islands there wasn’t any marine traffic to speak about as we crossed East Sound and located the state recreation site just before Obstruction Pass. Feeling pretty good about ourselves Michael and I got into a rendition of the theme from Gilligan’s Island and the wreck of the S.S. Minnow just as we about to land at the state park. Sure enough I ran up onto a rock and heard an unfavorable cracking sound somewhere below the waterline of my kayak. Karma?? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at Obstruction Pass park</td></tr>
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After the rest of group landed I rolled over my fully loaded kayak for a quick inspection and thankfully saw no signs of damage. I came to the conclusion that it probably was a few barnacles that I crunched while running aground. In any case I would do a proper inspection at our next camp location hoping that my front hatch wouldn’t be taking water on.</div>
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The Obstruction Pass park is situated high above the water on a bluff with campsites nicely spaced offering views of Lopez Island and the Olympic Mountains in the distance. If it wasn’t for San Juan Island blocking our view, we would have been able to see Victoria only about 18nm SW from this location.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great view of the Olympic Mountains in the distance.</td></tr>
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Since it was still early in the day we decided to take advantage of the last of the slack and make our way through Obstruction Pass towards the next possible campsite located on Doe Island about 3nm NE of us. While paddling through the pass, which was starting to show the beginning of an ebb flowing against us, we came across several NDK kayaks playing in the rock gardens and sure enough we discovered they were part of a group from Body Boat and Blade, Eastsound, Orcas Island.</div>
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Leaving Obstruction Pass we spotted a few tankers in Rosario Strait as we were carried on a back eddy towards a campsite situated in Doe Bay. The Doe Island State Park has limited landing areas due to the steepness of the island but does have a few primitive campsites facing south east. We decided to make this our lunch stop and press on towards Clark Island to make camp for the night.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch stop on Doe Island</td></tr>
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As we approached Lawrence Point we noticed that the water was very confused as a number of power boats were coming close to the headland churning up the water. Rounding the point, we were a little surprised to feel a very brisk NW headland wind which, combined with current, created a bit of a rip tide. A couple of sea lions seemed to enjoy playing in the waves as they swam around and under us as we tried to punch through the confused water. For several minutes we made absolutely no head way at all and the thought crossed my mind a few times that we might just have to head back to Doe Island for the night. Once we moved away from the point we slowly started making progress towards Clark Island but it was a slog to say the least taking over two hours to make the 2nm transit from Lawrence Point. It was a long day on the water as we finally landed at the campground a few minutes before 4:00pm and went to work setting up camp on the smooth gravel beach facing east.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLcDacWzur2pEC6anftDlF2oK-qD2A9ZwSK6RVeL3ltIyjcd0V3TsTicKGdsIg56ftzcuVZuQ2If9kmZIf4NaKhERnX3QlzPplOxZco0hUZLpeSG6nQjCFows1hXeKfMwfrYAJScRZ9cc/s1600/IMG_4533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizLcDacWzur2pEC6anftDlF2oK-qD2A9ZwSK6RVeL3ltIyjcd0V3TsTicKGdsIg56ftzcuVZuQ2If9kmZIf4NaKhERnX3QlzPplOxZco0hUZLpeSG6nQjCFows1hXeKfMwfrYAJScRZ9cc/s400/IMG_4533.JPG" width="266" /></a>That evening we decided we would head towards Matia Island in the morning but would give ourselves a later start as the forecast was favorable and we could take advantage of the currents. From our campsite on Clark the view of Mt. Baker was spectacular but there was a constant drone of noise coming from what we thought was the Cherry Point refinery on the mainland USA. As the sun set we watched the Seattle to Alaska ferry heading north and then a huge oil tanker heading south towards Rosario Strait. Oh, yeah ... the outhouse is typical of many of the Washington State Parks we visited. Pretty nice huh?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clark Island camp on the beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view from the beach of Mt. Baker at sunset ... stunning!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1c4JL6vMmM1KIUuToxTEHwhcHHcLnSPh4b0LRNWZzpqDpkWzSNmS-YPZEPpIsjvzxE9Aoylvse7i3irHIPOJ7gNozVL5gaaqzWPn4V4dZyd6p6GHbB51bVG2wl3JigES_XSuTblZUUU_/s1600/May+1st.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="564" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA1c4JL6vMmM1KIUuToxTEHwhcHHcLnSPh4b0LRNWZzpqDpkWzSNmS-YPZEPpIsjvzxE9Aoylvse7i3irHIPOJ7gNozVL5gaaqzWPn4V4dZyd6p6GHbB51bVG2wl3JigES_XSuTblZUUU_/s640/May+1st.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #19 - Blind Bay Island to Clark Island</div>
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Distance: 14.59 nm (27.02 km)</div>
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Trip: 40.54 nm (75.08 km)</div>
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YTD: 145.89 nm (270.18km)</div>
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<b><u>Emerald of the San Juan's (Clark Island to Sucia Island) - Monday May 2nd. (Day #4)</u></b></div>
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We woke up to brilliant sunshine and no wind and the ever present constant drone from Cherry Point. Since we were waiting for the slack time, Michael headed out to explore the island a bit while Robyn, Kari and I went searching for a couple of geocaches and the group sites that were supposed to be around here somewhere. As we were zeroing in on our first cache we came across the group sites located at the southern tip of the island nestled in the forest with views southeast towards Lawrence Point. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning from Clark Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And yes we even found some geocaches on the trip. Kayaking Kare Bear and RVTraveller</td></tr>
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Just after 10:00am we were on the water heading towards Matia Island in absolute glassy conditions. We managed to spot a few porpoises along the way and a number of sea birds such as rhinoceros auklets, guillemots and gulls. Receiving a gentle flood push we completed the 4.5nm transit to Puffin Island just off the south end of Matia in less than 2 hours but sadly didn’t see any puffins at this time of year.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perfect conditions heading towards Puffin and Matia Islands</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael checking the rocky slopes of Puffin Island.</td></tr>
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The terrain of both Puffin and Matia Island was very steep making landing virtually impossible except for Rolfe Cove on Matia where the campsite is located. We decided to check out the campsite which faces NW and found that even by noon it was just starting to receive sunlight on the beach. The campsite itself is nestled just above the beach in the forest but we felt that we would be better off heading towards Sucia Island only 1.5nm in the distance rather than spending a night here.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking like several islands, Sucia Island consists of many fingers of land and a few smaller islands.</td></tr>
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Paddling towards Sucia from the SE you realize how expansive the island is with its many bays, finger islands and noted 10 miles of hiking trails. As we approached the island we decided to head along the west side of the island towards the Shallow Bay campsites but as we got closer to Fox Cove we could see a campsite situated on a grassy tombolo. We paddled into Fox Cove which is protected from the open water and after checking out the campsites there decided that this would be our home for the next couple of nights. It didn’t take long for us to discover that Sucia was indeed the emerald of the San Juan’s with over 60 mooring buoys, dock facilities for pleasure craft, over 60 campsites situated all over the island and several fossil beds which we explored. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Fox Cove campsite on the tombolo just ahead and nobody was there!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWYzKUm_TMCsK4MdkjMHsfhIIpMBdCQwTc6aJfaqB1blzmihbT2gH5ou_wZk0Gr2UKmLvWKcjBQiQiPOz2U2gECFMf7FS-84pcJVlBhmDEZ4lobbUe7Tn37eEWJURb4DqmcPVU5XCzh3Z/s1600/sucia+arriving2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpWYzKUm_TMCsK4MdkjMHsfhIIpMBdCQwTc6aJfaqB1blzmihbT2gH5ou_wZk0Gr2UKmLvWKcjBQiQiPOz2U2gECFMf7FS-84pcJVlBhmDEZ4lobbUe7Tn37eEWJURb4DqmcPVU5XCzh3Z/s640/sucia+arriving2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paddling into Fox Cove</td></tr>
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We set up camp in a site that had to be at least 75’ x 75’ and at bargain price of only $12 for all 5 of us. As the day progressed we checked the forecast and although it was sunny it was calling for possible thunder showers later in the evening so just as a precaution we set up our tarps in the warm sunshine. Later in the evening the clear skies started to give way to clouds rolling in from the west and it wasn’t long before we heard the rumblings of thunder somewhere in the Cascade foothills as we sat around the campfire. Just before bedtime that we felt the first raindrops. There’s something magical about listening to rain falling while you're bundled up in your tent.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVHMFTVVxl9_mQPJbTlGST5P2MRpDWRQiUUzkMMmLVcG6RkN2-EvkvARJjtMQRaU31mnzmtG3k6ROisHBq4qbTF_yAD6BrDulE8oUykV62Fvd7Gnx-abOgp5sgEoRqAv9a0lcyBm3DlLn/s1600/sucia+camp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVHMFTVVxl9_mQPJbTlGST5P2MRpDWRQiUUzkMMmLVcG6RkN2-EvkvARJjtMQRaU31mnzmtG3k6ROisHBq4qbTF_yAD6BrDulE8oUykV62Fvd7Gnx-abOgp5sgEoRqAv9a0lcyBm3DlLn/s640/sucia+camp.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yup ... all this for $12 per night for up to 8 people.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collecting driftwood for our fire later in the evening.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The clouds start to arrive as the sun starts to set.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPvJS8iDnSdDdSCHARyVQ06g97mYjkJgXSR6PtG4CTFKsplvS5FTN7p1_xRIeG-RJhLhP7RN6F2dTzw3AqSiKacc1aw5MuqJGEwXvaRQcrb3POhTvzgJ1_GNGbYXi76hikzn56dYgQ6ev/s1600/IMG_4666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPvJS8iDnSdDdSCHARyVQ06g97mYjkJgXSR6PtG4CTFKsplvS5FTN7p1_xRIeG-RJhLhP7RN6F2dTzw3AqSiKacc1aw5MuqJGEwXvaRQcrb3POhTvzgJ1_GNGbYXi76hikzn56dYgQ6ev/s640/IMG_4666.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who brought the marshmallows?? </td></tr>
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2016 Paddle #20 - Clark Island to Sucia Island<br />
Distance: 9.40 nm (17.40 km)<br />
Trip: 49.94 nm (92.48 km)<br />
YTD: 195.83 nm (362.67km)<br />
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Note: More pictures of the entire San Juan Islands trip can be found by following the link <a href="https://plus.google.com/+RobynByrne/posts/ihiT14LGsEu" target="_blank">HERE</a></div>
What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-44405320627918287802016-07-04T18:04:00.000-07:002016-07-04T18:04:14.457-07:00San Juan Expedition Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Heading Out (Sidney to Roche Harbour)- Friday April 29th (Day#1)</u></b></div>
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The San Juan Islands .... so close to home but why is it that we haven't heard of many people going there by kayak? Robyn and I got talking with Kari Challenger and we thought why not, let's do it so we put the word out that we were going and Lynn Baier and Michael Egilson decided to join our little paddling expedition at the end of April.<br />
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Only a mere 3.5 nm crossing from Rum Island (Canada) to Stuart Island (USA) the San Juan Islands were just too tempting for us to pass up. Maybe it's the fact that the border is involved and you have to paddle to the nearest customs location and possibly run the risk of having all your dehydrated foods confiscated. Maybe its the fact that to get there you have to cross a major shipping channel dodging 900 foot freighters and oil tankers not once but twice if you plan on coming home. Maybe it's the fact that you can't simply land where ever you want to because the land owners have property rights right to the water line. Maybe its the fact that we heard there are lots of currents there. Maybe its the fact that we would have to drink American beer and wine. LOL<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W2_w2hRehzOS_ww-uIAx0Jxxr7BqUmmmynmGjAxN19izrhClGInzKO5k2sIwEuwx9A0-J_1uiHojoLoq_cKLFh2E6YjSkoDPZOT6vpygxkB2DGbBoRJaHg6cx2k8Wk2j-BSwJ6Fv2RYP/s1600/Launching+Van+Isle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-W2_w2hRehzOS_ww-uIAx0Jxxr7BqUmmmynmGjAxN19izrhClGInzKO5k2sIwEuwx9A0-J_1uiHojoLoq_cKLFh2E6YjSkoDPZOT6vpygxkB2DGbBoRJaHg6cx2k8Wk2j-BSwJ6Fv2RYP/s640/Launching+Van+Isle.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Packing the kayaks at Van Isle Marina</td></tr>
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Our little band of 5 paddlers launched out of Van Isle Marina at 06:45am to try and take advantage of a double slack that was being predicted for the morning. You see, if there was going to be a game of Frogger with big ships in the shipping channel we thought no currents would be in our favor to get a high score. Oh yeah I forgot to mention ... none of us had ever been there before either so we were really being explorers venturing into uncharted territory. But at least we had a couple of charts. LOL<br />
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To get there we decided that we would leave Sidney and head to Rum Island which would be our "Go, No Go" decision point before making the short run across to Stuart Island. After checking the Marine Traffic app on my iPhone and saw no big ships for miles and mile and miles we made the decision (08:30am) to press on towards the USA. Talk about anticlimactic! No big ships edging hard around Turn Point towards us and nothing heading our direction from Discovery Island.<br />
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The paddle into US waters was totally uneventful and it felt more like crossing over to Sidney Island from Sidney except we needed to find where Roche Harbour was on San Juan Island to check into customs. Remember, no landing until clearing customs..... even for a pee break! Checking our charts we could see where the entrance to Roche Harbour should be so we adjusted our course to paddle past a small islet called Battleship Rock and then we experienced our first taste of San Juan Islands currents. From a distance I started to notice that we weren't making very good progress towards the rock and no sooner had I figured that out I noticed the increasing ebb current flowing around the island. So it was early into our expedition that we got to experience how the water moves to and from the Georgia Basin through the San Juan Islands.<br />
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Arriving just a little bit behind schedule we paddled into Roche Harbour past spectacular waterfront homes some with their own de Havilland Beavers tied up to their docks and started searching for the customs dock. We had heard about Roche Harbour being a get-away destination and it was obvious by the multi million dollar yachts in the marina. Robyn had done a little recon the week before and actually called the US Customs Office at Roche Harbour and found out that we had to check in no later than 11:30am before they closed for a couple of hours. <br />
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We located the Harbormasters building and managed to climb out of our kayaks at 10:45am onto the dock which was about 3 feet above us. There was a sense of accomplishment having paddled from Canada to the USA even though it is a relatively short crossing and not having big ships issues.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JT-_Tz-7PumxviK2sP1cFr0-XSh6K1q348iyUCc4OAO_gdEl4-6ye2o8aYElIUUOxYttrVlFR0-ERt2wO7Kn_RvrmuSLkkLXf3jxj73K80CUILKG930YKwudT194R563vZDO1b-E42jM/s1600/Roche4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0JT-_Tz-7PumxviK2sP1cFr0-XSh6K1q348iyUCc4OAO_gdEl4-6ye2o8aYElIUUOxYttrVlFR0-ERt2wO7Kn_RvrmuSLkkLXf3jxj73K80CUILKG930YKwudT194R563vZDO1b-E42jM/s640/Roche4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tied up and waiting to clear customs</td></tr>
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We let Robyn make the call to the US Customs using one of the dedicated telephones on the outside of the Harbormaster building. We were in luck as Robyn spoke to the young lady that she spoken to a few days earlier and before we knew it the young lady came down to the dock to check our passports. Looking like a group of honest kayakers (which we are) there was no checking our kayaks or even our dehydrated food that we brought with us. We each received a US clearance number just in case anyone asked us for proof of being allowed in the US and then it was time to get some much needed supplies ..... beer and wine!!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP7C0taFhJrsyeSUY33Aj7UNBw1t3FvQHXzYGLhvsI6-VKVIwhfXPcm7Kjr4v5m5hZQpU2zIypwV8AdIWvPrs5cFCzypAs3X4YIK1ZNs2R3QxrVLzt5inrQ78Gne13Ib1q3q6xzd7BUk3/s1600/calling+usa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCP7C0taFhJrsyeSUY33Aj7UNBw1t3FvQHXzYGLhvsI6-VKVIwhfXPcm7Kjr4v5m5hZQpU2zIypwV8AdIWvPrs5cFCzypAs3X4YIK1ZNs2R3QxrVLzt5inrQ78Gne13Ib1q3q6xzd7BUk3/s640/calling+usa.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn makes the call to US Customs to let them know we are on the dock. </td></tr>
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The harbormasters office told us where we need to move our kayaks to before heading to the Roche Harbour Lime and Cement Co. general store for provisions. After picking up some fresh essentials such as fruit, soda, beer, wine and only one bag of Lays chips we headed to Posey Island State Park that we had passed paddling into Roche Harbour.<br />
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The one thing I regret is not exploring the town of Roche Harbour but we needed to get to Posey Island to ensure that we had a campsite to stay at. Posey Island is a small, one-acre marine camping park with 1,000-feet of shoreline for the exclusive use of boaters arriving by human or wind-powered watercraft.<br />
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Most of the state marine parks can be reserved ahead of time but we were visiting the San Juan Islands two weeks before reservations could be made so we just had to hope for the best at every place that we would make camp. Fingers crossed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRA_U3x8AeBCXH0LOBo-TDDAjc-9KaLjcIxlsYcca56mV_c8-qkztj_SgvUfg0F1NrcKkhwzQoHwwnIDL_RKT-bUUC8-Fr9NEoRP-M5ADa_zwqGDk2sD2li2C_sswuTmt0YqXbdmNJahS/s1600/Posey+Beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvRA_U3x8AeBCXH0LOBo-TDDAjc-9KaLjcIxlsYcca56mV_c8-qkztj_SgvUfg0F1NrcKkhwzQoHwwnIDL_RKT-bUUC8-Fr9NEoRP-M5ADa_zwqGDk2sD2li2C_sswuTmt0YqXbdmNJahS/s640/Posey+Beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campsite from the water. A very beautiful place to spend our first night</td></tr>
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We landed on Posey just after 1:00pm and were totally blown away by how well maintained it was. Being a very small island it only has two available campsites (both empty) which can have a maximum of 8 persons each but there are no designated tent areas other than the abundant freshly cut grass to set up camp. The island also has a very clean and well stocked composing toilet and our first impression of the state park was pretty good. The other thing to note is that each campsite has a fire ring and the parks promote burning driftwood. Best yet ... the whole campsite is only $12 per night. What a great place to make camp after an early start to the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cbkQpOH2GFgwaOqPhxlhq3yP-EJs-BnpxtevVbpCuMEjfpJYnCr-siEbzH0l_1CbUEVmYUHrtlv6-XEacx3rmQi_gv1Zw6hnF9xf4klf-r3XAFmD7x4-EIdWayUscD9Wj3kFre9fpepn/s1600/posey+camp+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cbkQpOH2GFgwaOqPhxlhq3yP-EJs-BnpxtevVbpCuMEjfpJYnCr-siEbzH0l_1CbUEVmYUHrtlv6-XEacx3rmQi_gv1Zw6hnF9xf4klf-r3XAFmD7x4-EIdWayUscD9Wj3kFre9fpepn/s640/posey+camp+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does a campsite get any better than this???</td></tr>
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We spent the rest of the day just taking it easy, planning for our next day of paddling and hiking around the island which took maybe a whole 10 minutes if you were lucky. The forecast for the next several days was warm temperatures and nothing but sunshine.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQslL8SXALg5TEOanKQj4riTqbP_cICYfCca1_LJTi7VjBdobhCOseKV0E25TQ1IpNcHkJMoK5ZVn8siDMJnDIZ1g-mmXGSCTjw3HkH5ZGtj_mUqJ-orPvrYYocnOEY63FfLnQr67vLG_Z/s1600/Posey+sunset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQslL8SXALg5TEOanKQj4riTqbP_cICYfCca1_LJTi7VjBdobhCOseKV0E25TQ1IpNcHkJMoK5ZVn8siDMJnDIZ1g-mmXGSCTjw3HkH5ZGtj_mUqJ-orPvrYYocnOEY63FfLnQr67vLG_Z/s640/Posey+sunset.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset over Vancouver Island.</td></tr>
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Talk about getting lucky with late April early May weather!! We watched the sun set over the Gulf Islands and it was just after 8:30pm when we all climbed into our tents. It was a great day 1.<br />
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2016 Paddle #17 - Sidney - Roche Harbour</div>
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Distance: 13.13 nm (24.31 km)</div>
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YTD: 118.48 nm (219.42 km)<br />
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<b><u>Exploring (Posey Island to Blind Bay Island) Saturday April 30th (Day#2)</u></b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfc14J1qV_q1HMnK-bvm9AjbYhoe_fNcEjFgghnDB7N-x_W4sugh0QqhYu8c4qDO7QznBtsZ7byi7YDB1KH9CEpsMBDYOkVDijrdoP4sGrEqug23evUg4BM7Szq8tcup2VxlwwI0cMBkI/s1600/Posey+Sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIfc14J1qV_q1HMnK-bvm9AjbYhoe_fNcEjFgghnDB7N-x_W4sugh0QqhYu8c4qDO7QznBtsZ7byi7YDB1KH9CEpsMBDYOkVDijrdoP4sGrEqug23evUg4BM7Szq8tcup2VxlwwI0cMBkI/s640/Posey+Sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before sunrise on day #2</td></tr>
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Robyn and I were up early 5:30am on day 2 and oh my what a beautiful sunrise that was greeting us as we climbed out of our tent. Our plan for the day was to be on the water for 9:00am so that we could take advantage of the slack in San Juan Channel which would be our only major (2nm) crossing for the day. Keeping in mind that we had never been here before and we were trying to avoid any potential water features marked on the chart like whirlpools and standing waves. Arriving at Limestone Point we were relieved to see nothing but calm water and a couple of Washington State ferries heading down towards Friday Harbour in the south.<br />
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Our first port of call was the north campsite on Jones Island State Park. We paddled into the sheltered cove that had a dock with pleasure craft tied up. Landing on the nice gravel beach we explored the campsite that was once again beautifully manicured with two composting toilets and several campsites. We stopped to talk to the pleasure craft owners who were all middle aged men belonging to a group known as the Dogfish Derby fishermen. They actually didn't do any fishing anymore but instead their annual gathering was more of a "man party" for the weekend and they kindly warned us if we were going to stay here for the night it might get a little loud. LOL<br />
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We had other plans anyway so we headed on our way to the south end of Jones Island in our kayaks even though we could have walked the half mile trail through the middle of the island. Arriving at the south Jones Island State Park we found a beautifully manicured expansive grassy meadow and several Adirondack huts that could be used (and reserved) and lots of space to set up camp. We were now begining to see the pattern of how well the Washington State Marine Park system is maintained and operated and something our Gulf Islands National Parks Reserve should considering looking at as an operating model.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2Mi8v9d-aF2SbNtwR4uNRhKje1ysAsu9jMh1lmUd1PaZ3hBgxxII2qroJV_sCEYt_k6dnryD7v4cuhrFcUrvR7xicToHqdcC0hfGK0vnje2myicylBsCmx1irbP8Y7IIUO_IRtpd2fU3/s1600/jones+beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2Mi8v9d-aF2SbNtwR4uNRhKje1ysAsu9jMh1lmUd1PaZ3hBgxxII2qroJV_sCEYt_k6dnryD7v4cuhrFcUrvR7xicToHqdcC0hfGK0vnje2myicylBsCmx1irbP8Y7IIUO_IRtpd2fU3/s640/jones+beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach at the Jones Island south campsite.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_BU7XLJeflB5IWQyjOniomPeoldaj1b6FQ1-zIUNlor5JxEMr2bCHLrtQjeLjlc7jqnNx7kl0Ac6Vqe5Zi4Vd-or4cGbm7Me-UUWzCsoXoIPhC_qBiQyhPkwLMTNsCBfUWJIz2ZGDJ0C/s1600/jones+meadow+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy_BU7XLJeflB5IWQyjOniomPeoldaj1b6FQ1-zIUNlor5JxEMr2bCHLrtQjeLjlc7jqnNx7kl0Ac6Vqe5Zi4Vd-or4cGbm7Me-UUWzCsoXoIPhC_qBiQyhPkwLMTNsCBfUWJIz2ZGDJ0C/s640/jones+meadow+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautifully manicured meadow with several campsites around the perimeter</td></tr>
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Less than a mile south from the park we could see a very green grassy looking island and by checking our handbook (Kayaking Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands) we found out that it was called Yellow Island which is a Nature Conservancy. I could envision how yellow it could become during the summer months. We headed towards it to do a little exploring carried along with the presence of a gently building ebb. The island has limited access, no camping or restroom facilities and is open to the public to visit from 10:00am to 4:00pm year round. Another regret of not stopping to spend some time on the island but that will have to wait for another trip as we need to make way towards our next overnight location in Blind Bay 5 nm east.<br />
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Our route took us past Cliff and Crane Island and then we followed the northern shoreline of Shaw Island against a building ebb until we reached Blind Bay and our next campsite on Blind Island at 2:00pm. From a distance the Blind Island State Marine Park didn't look anything more than a steeply sided mound rising out of the bay but once we got a bit closer we could make out a few picnic benches. The 3-acre island is located off Shaw Island near the entrance to Blind Bay and is part of San Juan Islands National Monument, which was created in 2013. It has about 1,280 feet of shoreline but due to the steepness you can't really walk along the waterline.<br />
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Searching for a place to land we located a small rocky landing area (not really a beach) on the west side and took turns landing and lifting our kayaks up onto dry land so that they could be unloaded. Once again we had the whole island to ourselves and after checking out the several campsites we settled on site #2 because it was the largest and flatest site on the island. However, each site nestled in the tall grass was manicured beautifully, each with a fire ring and very clean composting toilet all for $12 per night for up to 8 persons.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCLbCkE0Y7_Tonbh5PHze_lYG02I0PwI2J3m_f0GRmVYcf_jwQeQBuGwXweVaPKykQFcLENqiQMjanEu-BmgfyD6PHLJ9s4mzlty51k24bShUSVbkGzh8Xi3jcG79e3RQjhjr9qXFHl2c/s1600/blindouthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCLbCkE0Y7_Tonbh5PHze_lYG02I0PwI2J3m_f0GRmVYcf_jwQeQBuGwXweVaPKykQFcLENqiQMjanEu-BmgfyD6PHLJ9s4mzlty51k24bShUSVbkGzh8Xi3jcG79e3RQjhjr9qXFHl2c/s640/blindouthouse.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not your average outhouse. Very clean, well stocked and some even had tile floors!!</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">We unloaded all the gear that we would need and Michael and I decided to make a run across Harney Channel to the town of Orcas less than a half mile away. After a nice afternoon of relaxing on Posey Island the day before, Michael and I did a little math and figured out that our beer supply might not make it before the trip was over so off we went to get more provisions. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloSHqYKrGrYyk0RZjZNe3Fv7aV-Uq8LPlIB-9D3Hhmtn0ytPKMHo3yFhFewvTwOrlNZPUGwJtTbvHqrelk0xuL0amY5WAAJ4igUuqtJ29Q_c9zvCt_fsHwwKcTYWvY2iZQXSIrNUTQGaq/s1600/blindontop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloSHqYKrGrYyk0RZjZNe3Fv7aV-Uq8LPlIB-9D3Hhmtn0ytPKMHo3yFhFewvTwOrlNZPUGwJtTbvHqrelk0xuL0amY5WAAJ4igUuqtJ29Q_c9zvCt_fsHwwKcTYWvY2iZQXSIrNUTQGaq/s640/blindontop.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying the sun on top of Blind Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view to the west from the top of Blind Island</td></tr>
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After dinner we explored the little island, lit a small fire in site #1 and watched the sun set on our day 2 adventures. Tomorrow our plan was to be on the water at 09:00am and head further east around the bottom of Orcas Island.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj724mESD23FuinXoTsg2JD0qAnxP1sxnatw5Ww1uoiC5dMJj_7k1MVbySrCOsd-S20nzkN1RboHu50aTW7z5kJi0qqHiBuepOzxmwfrp89L5NmFVmHtueRrraIefkx2dYBYFbCZ3ZRLPrb/s1600/April+30th.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj724mESD23FuinXoTsg2JD0qAnxP1sxnatw5Ww1uoiC5dMJj_7k1MVbySrCOsd-S20nzkN1RboHu50aTW7z5kJi0qqHiBuepOzxmwfrp89L5NmFVmHtueRrraIefkx2dYBYFbCZ3ZRLPrb/s640/April+30th.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #18 - Posey Island to Blind Bay Island<br />
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Distance: 12.82 nm (23.74 km)<br />
Trip: 25.95 nm (48.06 km)</div>
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YTD: 131.30 nm (243.16km)<br />
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<b>Not</b>e: More pictures of the entire San Juan Islands trip can be found by following the link <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/+RobynByrne/posts/ihiT14LGsEu" target="_blank">HERE</a></b> </div>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-16057346397035145892016-07-01T21:22:00.000-07:002016-07-03T22:36:30.155-07:00Canada Day at Pedder Bay<div style="text-align: justify;">
WOW!! 6 weeks since the last time we were on the water. I guess after 5 years of paddling almost every other weekend I think we deserved a bit of an unplanned break. During the down time we have done a little RV'ing, spent a weekend in Vancouver and done a fair bit of hiking while combining geocaching and bird photography / watching which has become a passion of ours.<br />
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If you are on Facebook you can check out some of my photographs by following this <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mark.byrne.52/media_set?set=a.10206615444046527.1073741839.1285032574&type=3" target="_blank">LINK</a><br />
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This weekend we are back at Pedder Bay RV Resort for a 4 day super long weekend and although we have been experiencing high winds of +35 kts since Friday night we did manage to paddle on July 1st Canada Day. Our original plan was to simply get on the water and play for about 30 minutes but after putting in some really good rolls we took advantage of the early calm conditions and headed out towards Bentinck Island.<br />
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It felt great to be back on the water blending strokes while interacting with nature and identifying the creatures above and below the surface. Sometimes taking a break from something your love to do helps re-energize the soul. Yup ... we're back!!<br />
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2016 Paddle #25 - Pedder Bay Canada Day<br />
Distance: 6.17 nm (11.42 km)<br />
YTD: 193.34 nm (358.06 km)<br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-45924838507110952402016-05-25T15:45:00.001-07:002016-05-25T17:01:40.153-07:00Gecko Goes Blue<div style="text-align: justify;">
When I first started kayaking coming up to 5 years ago, I never would have thought where it would take us and what I would be doing with it now. Some of you who know me well enough might have guessed pretty close but I can honestly say that I didn't see it coming.</div>
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The Gecko Paddler blog has been primarily our personal kayaking journal right from day one back on September 12, 2011 and my goodness we have done a lot since then. Looking back it makes me wonder how the heck we found the time and money to make it all happen. No regrets at all .. none! But now ... it's time to give back.</div>
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This past weekend I was asked to be the head instructor for a <a href="https://www.paddlecanada.com/" target="_blank">Paddle Canada</a> Sea Kayak Skills Level 1 course for <a href="http://bluedogkayaking.com/" target="_blank">Blue Dog Kayaking</a> based at the Mill Bay Marina. Blue Dog Kayaking is owned by David Nichols and I received my Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Skills Level 3 and Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Instructor Level 1 certifications over the past 18 months from him.</div>
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So this blog post really isn't about another one of our adventures but really is about 3 people who decided to start or enhance their own sea kayak journey like Robyn and I did a few years ago.</div>
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Talk about a small world .... Sandra and Kevin live on the mainland and decided to take a Paddle Canada course with Blue Dog Kayaking while visiting her parents nearby. Where did they find out about Blue Dog Kayaking? None other than the Gecko Paddler blog so they were really thrilled to have "the" Gecko Paddler as their instructor for the weekend. LOL The only kayaking experience they had up to this weekend has been using Delta Kayaks 10's a few times. </div>
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Katelyn is a SISKA member who just joined the club after having relocated from the interior where she has done some lake paddling and kayak camping. Her goal this weekend was to work through the Level 1 skills to prepare herself for a Level 2 course with Blue Dog Kayaking at the end of June.</div>
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Tagging along for the weekend was Robyn who also is Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Skills Level 3 certified and she fulfilled the role of demonstrating some of the in the water rescues with me. She also partnered up with Katelyn which allowed our students to do more instead of sitting back and watching.</div>
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The <a href="https://www.paddlecanada.com/sea-kayak/867-sea-kayak-level-1-skills.html" target="_blank">Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Skills Level 1</a> course is jam packed with lots of different paddle strokes and rescues that need to be completed on day 1. Day 2 is really about using the skills learned on day 1 while planning and going on a day paddle. Being my first full hands on course I needed to keep a close watch on our timeline to ensure that we would complete the skills requirements. Time management was key and I prepared well in advance the week before by having my flip chart, waivers and schedule ready to go for 9:00am on Saturday.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sandra, Katelyn myself and Kevin ... time to get to work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakQoN3ObZSPNeUVxQAQIgT_RqDIYkgCgjBUX6QgRUxRS4UvkuUDa8VAUKqDbREq6Bkjo_xarW2KuvaPFzHcj2dptazD_PLrrnVge3K1DSbIA4cKIiis-4op7zn9jYf4GLlRSfK-iy6b3d/s1600/GP2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhakQoN3ObZSPNeUVxQAQIgT_RqDIYkgCgjBUX6QgRUxRS4UvkuUDa8VAUKqDbREq6Bkjo_xarW2KuvaPFzHcj2dptazD_PLrrnVge3K1DSbIA4cKIiis-4op7zn9jYf4GLlRSfK-iy6b3d/s640/GP2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checking out different types of paddles. I think Kevin likes the twig one. LOL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6VUJ8kDCVYEj1y3wcFwAtFGxmhdR3L12WNV5LABynh3_m6PrnggxcdS3mYPe1FUZfLhDiKgY0Hd5ouDN7uXGrn1C1L0XCL70o7D5IIPG2xlxF9rRihG9K4lxETQljYaqUN9aBhxoyFeT/s1600/gp5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig6VUJ8kDCVYEj1y3wcFwAtFGxmhdR3L12WNV5LABynh3_m6PrnggxcdS3mYPe1FUZfLhDiKgY0Hd5ouDN7uXGrn1C1L0XCL70o7D5IIPG2xlxF9rRihG9K4lxETQljYaqUN9aBhxoyFeT/s640/gp5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saturday morning was all about paddle strokes with an emphasis on the forward paddle stroke.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh50NWNCxJrk0eszF45ZK12Hvg2ZCjuiqIGbWPO2XJVQfgYo1OTZoYIsYp-7ywxUFotOObu9o4vxfouFc7X9QmRsQ1ywsRjwEHlILSCZ2DWq2t-rudZO77VZKqJw4RZMbaUSZMxOJ7uRh/s1600/gp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmh50NWNCxJrk0eszF45ZK12Hvg2ZCjuiqIGbWPO2XJVQfgYo1OTZoYIsYp-7ywxUFotOObu9o4vxfouFc7X9QmRsQ1ywsRjwEHlILSCZ2DWq2t-rudZO77VZKqJw4RZMbaUSZMxOJ7uRh/s640/gp3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming back to the dock for lunch Sandra uses her newly learned draw stroke.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was really amazing to see the paddle strokes skills progression during the morning. From the time our group left the dock until we returned for lunch it was like night and day. For me that is the reward I seek because during this short period of time they learned to purposely maneuver their kayaks in a manner that they were dictating what the kayak was doing instead of the kayak dictating where it wanted to go. And the smiles .... Oh my!!!</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
During lunch it was time for me to present short Seamanship, Weather and Navigation lectures that would prepare them for Sunday. Once again my preparation paid off as I didn't need to write on the flip chart while speaking and I found the students to be like sponges soaking it all in.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovl7I2LGGnA8HDOxRu8SNXUbqlqJ-orb61nviKXMNPnPHDfg4WnnFbqJcFBn-Tfld2z7xJKCCtWBJUF56N5zzAj_jSe0mw5CtkTiYhY8SUHkagcv2fZFqu97LStC_xKmhk_4stx08QfJ4/s1600/gp4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhovl7I2LGGnA8HDOxRu8SNXUbqlqJ-orb61nviKXMNPnPHDfg4WnnFbqJcFBn-Tfld2z7xJKCCtWBJUF56N5zzAj_jSe0mw5CtkTiYhY8SUHkagcv2fZFqu97LStC_xKmhk_4stx08QfJ4/s640/gp4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Utilizing time well ... lectures while having lunch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
After lunch it was time to get wet and for Sandra and Kevin they would get to experience their first wet exit which probably is the #1 apprehension of most new kayakers.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bvPCXDQxkBEbkUpwc7oa7YLB7x5Ai2Heteca_i8wheTDmPcWkx4O83I-LKZGjKqomGnKWYKMZYywyuNVQgSzRD0f1VhZrrKC1tPkKesrWYiBGgwJB4hziEa7wKI3nhQC87HK6A4TNY_x/s1600/gp6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bvPCXDQxkBEbkUpwc7oa7YLB7x5Ai2Heteca_i8wheTDmPcWkx4O83I-LKZGjKqomGnKWYKMZYywyuNVQgSzRD0f1VhZrrKC1tPkKesrWYiBGgwJB4hziEa7wKI3nhQC87HK6A4TNY_x/s640/gp6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time to get wet. Nervous .... heck no!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvTop_xois7KgNy-iDp8y_XfiN5qOyiIvZWPmsls67Q_xH4vR9Y0z4cwj-k6PdVFUcXW0rnMm9VcVmuxQEG5KL30prYsjqkIhG7Nda9ZtSsxGZAQ7PsthM6bzfbgPgobaAYQLyO3Gf9GR/s1600/gp7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvTop_xois7KgNy-iDp8y_XfiN5qOyiIvZWPmsls67Q_xH4vR9Y0z4cwj-k6PdVFUcXW0rnMm9VcVmuxQEG5KL30prYsjqkIhG7Nda9ZtSsxGZAQ7PsthM6bzfbgPgobaAYQLyO3Gf9GR/s640/gp7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin went first and Sandra preformed the Assisted Rescue with him.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABRrVqaSJCYPMuCqxudjaa7Owz1CWp9tViWdBMMKoeM-60I72SGXAJlzKnfp1CyPRt5b0e4AFGPhZ0HXyUbl9OvDQHzJ8E8J4nYTmj4LIaKYhFx_RLVJKzJTA253IP4svQc8c0ejF_vYD/s1600/gp8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgABRrVqaSJCYPMuCqxudjaa7Owz1CWp9tViWdBMMKoeM-60I72SGXAJlzKnfp1CyPRt5b0e4AFGPhZ0HXyUbl9OvDQHzJ8E8J4nYTmj4LIaKYhFx_RLVJKzJTA253IP4svQc8c0ejF_vYD/s640/gp8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then it was Sandra's turn!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiG4nbcafHxb1mh49CPd5yUr8HiOYn-Y6DIaHyOEgRT86WzTRwoTQ05ERhV-b8po5Uvd8dLJUZ1YOYpeUNFYDYX4M2mrM__vvKJtiF_7PRz714L6msVNbhKRTBXXRKb3EpJbS6WJVfOwU/s1600/gp10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghiG4nbcafHxb1mh49CPd5yUr8HiOYn-Y6DIaHyOEgRT86WzTRwoTQ05ERhV-b8po5Uvd8dLJUZ1YOYpeUNFYDYX4M2mrM__vvKJtiF_7PRz714L6msVNbhKRTBXXRKb3EpJbS6WJVfOwU/s640/gp10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See! Big smile!! Not so bad huh??</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZCa9SprzVK0WMuDQLa9NMurOTdHnhUxR9ocG8tDtVC-rUEgGgOnE7MoEyH_3A9zyLxLolzkD9uXcTO1FZiX6oHE31nA-prmuEbqYoc-Yh4pGwt0YT00PBkokSsUqLlh736YKILkWsX7z/s1600/gp11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixZCa9SprzVK0WMuDQLa9NMurOTdHnhUxR9ocG8tDtVC-rUEgGgOnE7MoEyH_3A9zyLxLolzkD9uXcTO1FZiX6oHE31nA-prmuEbqYoc-Yh4pGwt0YT00PBkokSsUqLlh736YKILkWsX7z/s640/gp11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I demonstrated a paddle float Self Rescue</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZIhC_fH9skbwjNMxJfn9kTSd3gFi9VomKQeKXtj6G2_hiT9zt-XARjbhj7ry8lSrjosSDELBlHDzxHM78gXxGJHTQyXZ-yv2T1vDk3anrz5UEGECasIFB2cN7hP731vAEmZwuiEODbvY/s1600/gp12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbZIhC_fH9skbwjNMxJfn9kTSd3gFi9VomKQeKXtj6G2_hiT9zt-XARjbhj7ry8lSrjosSDELBlHDzxHM78gXxGJHTQyXZ-yv2T1vDk3anrz5UEGECasIFB2cN7hP731vAEmZwuiEODbvY/s640/gp12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin completing a Bow Rescue on my kayak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49A3ZgdQQglKZy8YYYMdhgRD7ZNmsFU9gwJqsepKmORYYnSFqgzmTUyCDPVxxf0FMzeFtkaBNDNegpapzyWSV5Q2XQQlYW2Wuh2RjyG91AehNm7Fp7YFSFG_UchCRDJb8Agj8pHVlU5GW/s1600/gp13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj49A3ZgdQQglKZy8YYYMdhgRD7ZNmsFU9gwJqsepKmORYYnSFqgzmTUyCDPVxxf0FMzeFtkaBNDNegpapzyWSV5Q2XQQlYW2Wuh2RjyG91AehNm7Fp7YFSFG_UchCRDJb8Agj8pHVlU5GW/s640/gp13.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being a relatively small paddler Katelyn performed an Assisted Rescue on Kevin and <br />
worked through the expected issues of helping a larger paddler.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPiITNC7jGseSWA05Ha0V-PZoFOCH3ie-h62Y4lCEWdhBVQWXxIIk1jdYOV4B-_PXdltB6M7PtuiPqI2JEvZTjLXYu5rGcQzTuSr8k6DKBXIA3hLRVX6gEyQPEt37SGsLqWnR7ktVTWvc/s1600/gp14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJPiITNC7jGseSWA05Ha0V-PZoFOCH3ie-h62Y4lCEWdhBVQWXxIIk1jdYOV4B-_PXdltB6M7PtuiPqI2JEvZTjLXYu5rGcQzTuSr8k6DKBXIA3hLRVX6gEyQPEt37SGsLqWnR7ktVTWvc/s640/gp14.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin back in the kayak. It's not about strength but more about technique and Katelyn figured it out nicely!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sunday morning they were back at it at 9:00am and started working on their day trip planning. This involved getting the latest weather report via VHF, internet (since we had connectivity) and I also introduced a few apps that I like to gather information from. Then it was onto looking at the local chart, discussing tides and currents, how weather interacts with the water to create the sea state and then look at a float plan for the day. Lots to cover before we headed out but the lesson was that this is something that needs to be done every time before taking to the water.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNVSySvjHvSlUvzYwNPzq6XUtNbEKZx7flUqZMf72Km5xsigl3iDKCZ9QIGraU19xOmFtb3m7nJY6DbF_8r7YOGSaHmCleMW3miQ6CEH-sERtzigbcOX28K9FKK-0PQxe_fKVG-T3xiMy/s1600/gp15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvNVSySvjHvSlUvzYwNPzq6XUtNbEKZx7flUqZMf72Km5xsigl3iDKCZ9QIGraU19xOmFtb3m7nJY6DbF_8r7YOGSaHmCleMW3miQ6CEH-sERtzigbcOX28K9FKK-0PQxe_fKVG-T3xiMy/s640/gp15.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the chart we could determine where we were going, how long it should take us and when we <br />
should be returning. And ... how the weather, tides and currents might impact the paddle or change during the day. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDzxLwnPVTI9BgukCY5VXOkWaUZDhMirriX68PMyZE9T1haQYro8npDxFQUVlqAvj_sXaMQYqupYBEvYuWoojeuYriz6v_qtnE1eqITGbM0VlHeTpguCfaTuUuSV-dMotpFEuszl9SZ_o/s1600/gp16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDzxLwnPVTI9BgukCY5VXOkWaUZDhMirriX68PMyZE9T1haQYro8npDxFQUVlqAvj_sXaMQYqupYBEvYuWoojeuYriz6v_qtnE1eqITGbM0VlHeTpguCfaTuUuSV-dMotpFEuszl9SZ_o/s640/gp16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big smiles on day #2.... Like!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBZEX-iQw2DhtAfU5WrjUW96MMuHNspO2KzWZHCz2D0JkM7_WHw-0CZlnToA9k19x1qL5XvtjttpjQZuiAe81TmxfxdMvMcsU7Tv74YMakMPj7-BDglOfXZ91dNX7ZGmtKQplrWZqWpUn/s1600/gp17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNBZEX-iQw2DhtAfU5WrjUW96MMuHNspO2KzWZHCz2D0JkM7_WHw-0CZlnToA9k19x1qL5XvtjttpjQZuiAe81TmxfxdMvMcsU7Tv74YMakMPj7-BDglOfXZ91dNX7ZGmtKQplrWZqWpUn/s640/gp17.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a slight breeze with an incoming tide allowed for a leisurely pace to our destination. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4i50-v2_ojGonoe9ddcHOuL-Arf0JxKYJuh0psfZF5HBUOr7E11qI33_eH12tBIeB1nNbJ-njH1xL4AjnW7VtZFU2Bfyy2QwQT2CQ8Q2oFp02F1L8y3tinUsfqAcZTPu1xp4ASw_Ww1b/s1600/gp18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ4i50-v2_ojGonoe9ddcHOuL-Arf0JxKYJuh0psfZF5HBUOr7E11qI33_eH12tBIeB1nNbJ-njH1xL4AjnW7VtZFU2Bfyy2QwQT2CQ8Q2oFp02F1L8y3tinUsfqAcZTPu1xp4ASw_Ww1b/s640/gp18.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before stopping for lunch we did a little boat management. This is a skill helpful in performing rescues.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvSpqxuG6xlb6Hpw-WywRldh6fc_mdhR482ZDFeH2Ar5aYCac8OjdS0PW6mcftEosGwyMK77xlugx65Lf9ewrDNKMCdpnrIhd0Y66EjAnZ5eoEYqEpPq_SkzG-KkfzOmkoOg3hw24g0Cv/s1600/gp19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCvSpqxuG6xlb6Hpw-WywRldh6fc_mdhR482ZDFeH2Ar5aYCac8OjdS0PW6mcftEosGwyMK77xlugx65Lf9ewrDNKMCdpnrIhd0Y66EjAnZ5eoEYqEpPq_SkzG-KkfzOmkoOg3hw24g0Cv/s640/gp19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And communicating from a distance. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2iXd5WPxTB6G_3A6HkXDaveg-V_Mu9vJYna2FSmzIFg0ujSbq5x2NEk_XTWWI6TRFjeZY8U6j94BVR_CZuFytRD-5zjU_TSMJJVkWU6jeUj9Fo9qxHzbhFp_f7RsC8NXD1jf9eOXP0v6/s1600/gp20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2iXd5WPxTB6G_3A6HkXDaveg-V_Mu9vJYna2FSmzIFg0ujSbq5x2NEk_XTWWI6TRFjeZY8U6j94BVR_CZuFytRD-5zjU_TSMJJVkWU6jeUj9Fo9qxHzbhFp_f7RsC8NXD1jf9eOXP0v6/s640/gp20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During lunch I talked about <a href="http://www.leavenotrace.ca/home" target="_blank">Leave No Trace</a>, the environment and a little bit about the history of the areas we paddle in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJ1ji89ASxdk4hiwvvq9xITtt21MFocHTBCVpZz6aeu6sJOxibr3nvybCDHXlVQvx4q_PQcunA6fYCaKtKGa3VZ41lu2g6jiDuiq-J_5JrZHxYgWpTVSCa4UXTNmvFghEwEx-QBpZFEiq/s1600/gp21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGJ1ji89ASxdk4hiwvvq9xITtt21MFocHTBCVpZz6aeu6sJOxibr3nvybCDHXlVQvx4q_PQcunA6fYCaKtKGa3VZ41lu2g6jiDuiq-J_5JrZHxYgWpTVSCa4UXTNmvFghEwEx-QBpZFEiq/s640/gp21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also covered off contact towing without ropes and towing using tow release systems</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxh6NWP8_phhIbTmLl2qDeL_smbtsziWPYiDV4eRSgcf6jDIRf_C-HiTHNF-gpk-8IjQruDvjDd_ULmMF8sM01edDftlak208GYji72CZjXx4kZSLhYJ7mvRXRtv5Wkt76hnOJbs9ITdyN/s1600/gp22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxh6NWP8_phhIbTmLl2qDeL_smbtsziWPYiDV4eRSgcf6jDIRf_C-HiTHNF-gpk-8IjQruDvjDd_ULmMF8sM01edDftlak208GYji72CZjXx4kZSLhYJ7mvRXRtv5Wkt76hnOJbs9ITdyN/s640/gp22.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These students were F.A.T. - Flexible, Accessible and Trainable which made my job easy.<br />
Congratulations to the newest Paddle Canada Sea Kayak Level 1 certified paddlers.<br />
Thanks Dave at Blue Dog Kayaking for letting me join your team of instructors!<br />
A big thanks to my wife Robyn for being the scenario / support paddler ... loved having you along</td></tr>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-90686785100698907142016-05-15T07:41:00.001-07:002016-05-15T07:41:19.886-07:00Thetis Island Retreat April 14-17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's been a busy few weeks having just returned from kayaking to the San Juan Islands. That blog post will be coming over the next couple of weeks but here is a post of a recent long weekend spent on Thetis Island.</div>
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Our friend Kari Challenger invited us and Morley Eldridge to stay at her family cottage located near Pilkey Point on Thetis Island. So the four of us headed there Thursday evening by taking a BC Ferry from Chemainus arriving just after dark. This trip brought back many fond memories for Robyn and I as her parents used to have places located on the cut between Thetis and Penelakut Islands. </div>
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Friday morning we headed out on a day paddle to Porlier Pass with a stop at the BC Parks Dionisio Point campground. The forecast was for calm seas and for mid April it was unseasonably warm but perfect conditions for many of the wildflowers to be in full blossom. We couldn't have asked for a better weekend to explore the area by kayak. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-v7ZNQ9RUB3LgrgesRej8HdT2wUpAsC9YAiGw-S6UHAJWnmIy9z5SnYPf4JAoGEl9gooXUJdjyXqeN5IoYLqhP7u3tTlCUQ11Ywc1To2e0bwc8dMOy85o86GXlDexwuNsvXkvRqmYuTi/s1600/DSCF0067a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF-v7ZNQ9RUB3LgrgesRej8HdT2wUpAsC9YAiGw-S6UHAJWnmIy9z5SnYPf4JAoGEl9gooXUJdjyXqeN5IoYLqhP7u3tTlCUQ11Ywc1To2e0bwc8dMOy85o86GXlDexwuNsvXkvRqmYuTi/s640/DSCF0067a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting the kayaks ready. The waterfront cottage has been in the Challenger family since the <br />
early 1950's and provided us with easy launching and amazing views of Trincomali Channel. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EQLIaOihsPF34UT8Rc3XWcIqdLkxMi1iBqFYOP-lAJirgDsZLFyWpmwRHPZuvKujWSu20upGcIapNTI6G-gx1pFPq7_r3jAeuztO4KkJGU6mXYS8G9jHPz7hMsZVDJmtbCx6mBh7vIMC/s1600/Porlier2a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EQLIaOihsPF34UT8Rc3XWcIqdLkxMi1iBqFYOP-lAJirgDsZLFyWpmwRHPZuvKujWSu20upGcIapNTI6G-gx1pFPq7_r3jAeuztO4KkJGU6mXYS8G9jHPz7hMsZVDJmtbCx6mBh7vIMC/s640/Porlier2a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On our way to Porlier Pass via Reid Island</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLtmjZOAU7O7kBMOcqG2QfIzaOvhBFABwrP5Yp9hutJ_qBmm8cv7wFANe6SAJhmNC07hPIAPtMQLKeaXaS47S28GR0kU0TUL1XIStGyEkrRTDxv1WnkjcZJ9yeA665WgPivZ4e8R_s9Rb/s1600/Dionisio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLLtmjZOAU7O7kBMOcqG2QfIzaOvhBFABwrP5Yp9hutJ_qBmm8cv7wFANe6SAJhmNC07hPIAPtMQLKeaXaS47S28GR0kU0TUL1XIStGyEkrRTDxv1WnkjcZJ9yeA665WgPivZ4e8R_s9Rb/s640/Dionisio.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We landed in Coon Bay (Dionisio Point) on Galiano Island after paddling through Porlier Pass on the slack.<br />
A wonderful almost white sand beach with a small islet connected by a tombolo. Like many of the places we<br />
visit by kayak this park had no other visitors when we arrived.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7LTo_0YT8zPYxhhI36Uc3hedF1QBaoHLeph32WTyINwIG432bo-1vgGJVe8zqBmPsOa9u12a7q9a9kRMXKu-4n9IzMnXvuY1kM-ka5B2zi6NVqDK4NPwGrWMw_32ZRwD2pwRYeMbOU7J/s1600/Lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7LTo_0YT8zPYxhhI36Uc3hedF1QBaoHLeph32WTyINwIG432bo-1vgGJVe8zqBmPsOa9u12a7q9a9kRMXKu-4n9IzMnXvuY1kM-ka5B2zi6NVqDK4NPwGrWMw_32ZRwD2pwRYeMbOU7J/s640/Lunch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First things first ... lunch before exploring the park.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvKOmzfE6m1zkgJlooBWuNQcIcwO5Lbx0BLR9ArfMWNSe4zk9zE0fYMj6YFwkBi8c1GXgfbI8f3iO7n5z71OuXZhu1C-M6wI255Rt88s0Hh0wefTup7WTBd5n5EFVXH7TzJuJQi0JlhwZ/s1600/Porlier+Pass+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvKOmzfE6m1zkgJlooBWuNQcIcwO5Lbx0BLR9ArfMWNSe4zk9zE0fYMj6YFwkBi8c1GXgfbI8f3iO7n5z71OuXZhu1C-M6wI255Rt88s0Hh0wefTup7WTBd5n5EFVXH7TzJuJQi0JlhwZ/s640/Porlier+Pass+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Porlier Pass seen from the small islet. Not much current running here today but it can reach nearly 10 knots at times<br />
so caution is advised when paddling through the pass. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmRoZ04NSj1HIvgr2j0ZSAFrT32lYQtvXWJjuiOFJCK3yeJb3h7IR4BD_-HsNT3gDCBsgAsk2gGy8FEsG4qAuB1YWyjICkdtKeLnWIiiW2tays-5HLKqwl_B617q4oCBQg-f0Rgc90oQl/s1600/Islet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmRoZ04NSj1HIvgr2j0ZSAFrT32lYQtvXWJjuiOFJCK3yeJb3h7IR4BD_-HsNT3gDCBsgAsk2gGy8FEsG4qAuB1YWyjICkdtKeLnWIiiW2tays-5HLKqwl_B617q4oCBQg-f0Rgc90oQl/s640/Islet.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The small islet (no camping allowed) has a few established trails offering great views.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLIK9fTnhQ-XMljsYrDL_KE61E1oLlZzcOjRHLZwGvzdLYxXoUBGu1dx_FSy5fR4jxfcOyhmkY3nCaikEya_8J15cQUD5b_ZYq8gfRtD7LRiTQ18E31zM54uvEESlED8_UtpuRsElSkd4/s1600/flowers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLIK9fTnhQ-XMljsYrDL_KE61E1oLlZzcOjRHLZwGvzdLYxXoUBGu1dx_FSy5fR4jxfcOyhmkY3nCaikEya_8J15cQUD5b_ZYq8gfRtD7LRiTQ18E31zM54uvEESlED8_UtpuRsElSkd4/s640/flowers2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wonderful colors of spring were everywhere to be seen.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirM8XhKaOmGex4Z4GmystA2s-L12Loz86wo1dJClM6_TnjV2MDrI0FreDp2hv7XfCEz34mIH5Qboi8cwKgSDnmHJtaMazjLL-9i6RAbHpgWW_28ttVspYMvlU0ED2tq_FPYObBLKHJ33U8/s1600/Kari2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirM8XhKaOmGex4Z4GmystA2s-L12Loz86wo1dJClM6_TnjV2MDrI0FreDp2hv7XfCEz34mIH5Qboi8cwKgSDnmHJtaMazjLL-9i6RAbHpgWW_28ttVspYMvlU0ED2tq_FPYObBLKHJ33U8/s640/Kari2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari looking back towards Porlier Pass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0irZheHP1AJ13q9vWX7ocqlv_dm45aNrtKco0EWWYBk__UL2PAS1MlKTIBBbx0aR9TuF2V-9NckkyO85649F5CfrGgcYr17VbhCEADs2Ev-PkJh1wcKrr27oaQKGmqBshSs_FBMOg3sM/s1600/Big+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0irZheHP1AJ13q9vWX7ocqlv_dm45aNrtKco0EWWYBk__UL2PAS1MlKTIBBbx0aR9TuF2V-9NckkyO85649F5CfrGgcYr17VbhCEADs2Ev-PkJh1wcKrr27oaQKGmqBshSs_FBMOg3sM/s640/Big+Tree.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's always great to have Morley along on paddles or trips. Being a well know archaeologist his knowledge of the<br />
area is amazing. Here we have Kari and Morley talking about one of the big fir trees on the islet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOb4OUXID9psT0hXRiJQoCP2m1OxpA7UahKguYRANSkDJXxCi6KAW15mO6qkPbi-GFw13M12qB8esBJ0xDXyhURmxNdYLZixMrv5mW_iKU8pwY46lrHH__iUnYScCbTlDLMVPEuzexPKH/s1600/flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpOb4OUXID9psT0hXRiJQoCP2m1OxpA7UahKguYRANSkDJXxCi6KAW15mO6qkPbi-GFw13M12qB8esBJ0xDXyhURmxNdYLZixMrv5mW_iKU8pwY46lrHH__iUnYScCbTlDLMVPEuzexPKH/s640/flowers.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were careful to stay on the established trails as all around us the blossoms were beautiful.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiido8boNLHvz8L6bIItUS1D_2jEf3VpLfUEqbTZXU3VOGJPN1hO9FUq2npgvaGnLV-6l4k6kSztvDNjO4262RoQXa8u9-ipbSWo1YYtalhTHurF4y0eZWo9uqykpqkuiFTcn2JysSNoa3t/s1600/camas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiido8boNLHvz8L6bIItUS1D_2jEf3VpLfUEqbTZXU3VOGJPN1hO9FUq2npgvaGnLV-6l4k6kSztvDNjO4262RoQXa8u9-ipbSWo1YYtalhTHurF4y0eZWo9uqykpqkuiFTcn2JysSNoa3t/s640/camas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blue Camas (Camassia quamash) were very abundant. It was a good opportunity to us my new Canon 70D camera<br />
to capture some of the amazing colors and scenery.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq88JiGyywlsF1E7x30BXG5ecoLCCpCJ4O_Vth9aO3G7RMqb1CS9a8AhMTDL3np85Jg-mnfZIS1vK_LhoZGIMCsSVc2PVe5kCnqs-hciITz7Loh9GfVYMHXQN-3IfGipomDrNV7fNCatN1/s1600/Kari.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq88JiGyywlsF1E7x30BXG5ecoLCCpCJ4O_Vth9aO3G7RMqb1CS9a8AhMTDL3np85Jg-mnfZIS1vK_LhoZGIMCsSVc2PVe5kCnqs-hciITz7Loh9GfVYMHXQN-3IfGipomDrNV7fNCatN1/s640/Kari.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari in her "Happy Place". Actually we all were as nothing beats exploring by kayak.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yWZgCdogw7PcJCC_W88CBfGG0-TtXcqKz7Z4cpElONRY1_HnRG6PgT8ousxaf-zKsbKE6-Y_l78swhMSg996RQhdUTcH6K35qzFg5NvOA9cvTY0hOO1Spg9gadnxfZzLCUT9D-3zBftq/s1600/immature+bald+eagle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yWZgCdogw7PcJCC_W88CBfGG0-TtXcqKz7Z4cpElONRY1_HnRG6PgT8ousxaf-zKsbKE6-Y_l78swhMSg996RQhdUTcH6K35qzFg5NvOA9cvTY0hOO1Spg9gadnxfZzLCUT9D-3zBftq/s640/immature+bald+eagle.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of bald eagles were around the park too. This is a juvenile was checking us out while we were exploring on land.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4-xxnf8na0SsA7x8q2XSWVzmzgjOLblqadFsg41BeBb3ubfDCoGN2_8C3Ta51lqDWd8rUCf_v_WURkMZIM3cMi8qbvcXy6TlZ35-fP8SjKi2aUcQAxiWlp9HT3dg75xPlcPC2my1MpY2/s1600/Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4-xxnf8na0SsA7x8q2XSWVzmzgjOLblqadFsg41BeBb3ubfDCoGN2_8C3Ta51lqDWd8rUCf_v_WURkMZIM3cMi8qbvcXy6TlZ35-fP8SjKi2aUcQAxiWlp9HT3dg75xPlcPC2my1MpY2/s640/Trail.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trail from the Coon Bay landing area leading to the campground. A bit of a walk but relatively flat.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvA4T4grLYP1SW4rEa5tFuT_BjTk_kFt5BrGEIuTTSfUZ_EpJ4obSU2xRWF-cP99Issql1YXRXq7yn-44njvxps7xWDrYRs6BC6U_GJHu04YS78LK-E6EMNL1EMy49XqiNnOt585zoZm2/s1600/Morley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvA4T4grLYP1SW4rEa5tFuT_BjTk_kFt5BrGEIuTTSfUZ_EpJ4obSU2xRWF-cP99Issql1YXRXq7yn-44njvxps7xWDrYRs6BC6U_GJHu04YS78LK-E6EMNL1EMy49XqiNnOt585zoZm2/s640/Morley.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morley checks out the interpretative sign about first nations plankhouse that existed here 700 - 1000 years ago.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KEhqv1qG9sfCzkOkwZxNjSnlkG6mZKj3hffIipMOyw_KcQHEk1YHc9yOWycKB2E5PiiNJqjYSRVES1nGaA1SHI-GYLU3oXT4y5lM7DaTqv3ouhSqNl4wHWZyQKq9KeZUGQTaKzmrbRHZ/s1600/site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0KEhqv1qG9sfCzkOkwZxNjSnlkG6mZKj3hffIipMOyw_KcQHEk1YHc9yOWycKB2E5PiiNJqjYSRVES1nGaA1SHI-GYLU3oXT4y5lM7DaTqv3ouhSqNl4wHWZyQKq9KeZUGQTaKzmrbRHZ/s640/site.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nestled back in the forest the campground is like most other BC Parks sites.<br />
No fire rings but plenty of places to set up camp.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDXUh77BzcQOetiGlK9shOmzsRtNyyCXYtWXZwmJmQdyXmS20nPOyI8lctJesBUp48YoIJIvbLAjGGhWDW_A2mH5aWfo_504Jmfzos5Q_2QPaRqafFELoxZciHDc-nKLVuuM-EjGycFiH/s1600/Pump.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyDXUh77BzcQOetiGlK9shOmzsRtNyyCXYtWXZwmJmQdyXmS20nPOyI8lctJesBUp48YoIJIvbLAjGGhWDW_A2mH5aWfo_504Jmfzos5Q_2QPaRqafFELoxZciHDc-nKLVuuM-EjGycFiH/s640/Pump.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dionisio park is noted to have water and we found the pump close to the visitor kiosk. However, there was<br />
no handle to make the pump work. Maybe the BC Parks disables it over the winter?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2CA7DTC0PnEz1FjucYB7fQdlJSHeNePCo3I30ajTxaOub-fvNipXiSyPwhtZ-N8rJYKL8egHP-1O0s1OryeLPpQyaUcFunCM7MmEZwJONenh2MGFeZrUH84WUoFeYiCzf2NuZHuOWaCg/s1600/geocaching.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2CA7DTC0PnEz1FjucYB7fQdlJSHeNePCo3I30ajTxaOub-fvNipXiSyPwhtZ-N8rJYKL8egHP-1O0s1OryeLPpQyaUcFunCM7MmEZwJONenh2MGFeZrUH84WUoFeYiCzf2NuZHuOWaCg/s640/geocaching.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari and Robyn located a geocache located within the park. BC Parks allow <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">geocaches </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">in their parks which encourages visitors to the area. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjma53UDo0Hw7sRGEaFe9hk9D1HHH0Sbbydq9Qy5G8VNJeXkDX-iLI7URBY6HVX6TwXi5l7iSEuNluPvwDNZf1qAX7Mn87Wl_UIMYbrhS69YEFfaBKI5naMcCOyN9xGmgmZZ8ndiEg0e1pr/s1600/Playing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjma53UDo0Hw7sRGEaFe9hk9D1HHH0Sbbydq9Qy5G8VNJeXkDX-iLI7URBY6HVX6TwXi5l7iSEuNluPvwDNZf1qAX7Mn87Wl_UIMYbrhS69YEFfaBKI5naMcCOyN9xGmgmZZ8ndiEg0e1pr/s640/Playing.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After exploring the park we started heading back to the cottage and Porlier Pass was just starting to ebb.<br />
Of course Morley and I had to play a bit at Race Point before continuing on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWuy-KiHWa53oLd05inReRxYjcEG4gGheTTfshC5RvQ9ttVRxnDHie41FI_pR6hgoaU48kFgo-ByLs8LfQHFwAQEsNahSCJh6sbvQv3r3G_ag-QqnqNBoXCU6yulr-RyG3k8M0aNRbk-n/s1600/Old+Gas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkWuy-KiHWa53oLd05inReRxYjcEG4gGheTTfshC5RvQ9ttVRxnDHie41FI_pR6hgoaU48kFgo-ByLs8LfQHFwAQEsNahSCJh6sbvQv3r3G_ag-QqnqNBoXCU6yulr-RyG3k8M0aNRbk-n/s640/Old+Gas.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old gas dock in Lighthouse Bay. Robyn remembers when she and her dad used to come here for boat gas when<br />
they lived on Thetis Island. It looks like it hasn't been in operation for some time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It's interesting how forecasts and conditions can change so rapidly. Leaving Porlier Pass we could see and hear the confluence of the currents in Trincomali Pass and knew we would have to paddle through it to reach Reid Island. What we didn't expect was a sudden wind squall to develop from the SE which made the crossing to Reid Island somewhat lumpy. Wind interacting with current makes paddling interesting especially when it is abreast of our direction. From Reid Island however it did provide a welcomed push back to the cottage even though we were paddling against a gentle ebb current.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1c2sIrzqQ6xBeSsPD3QfyyFJ4jioBDHO9TYa1DPauPcj3kOYzDpAbGNaupEtbk6jids-CC-UIHI7tNolrb5npkoZT61S69NwbQvTvHoblcAx96Upzzped1kum5djJwkFCfsBQ4HUMpJN/s1600/Porlier+Pass.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1c2sIrzqQ6xBeSsPD3QfyyFJ4jioBDHO9TYa1DPauPcj3kOYzDpAbGNaupEtbk6jids-CC-UIHI7tNolrb5npkoZT61S69NwbQvTvHoblcAx96Upzzped1kum5djJwkFCfsBQ4HUMpJN/s640/Porlier+Pass.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #13 - Porlier Pass</div>
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Distance: 12.40 nm ( 22.96 km)</div>
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YTD: 90.22 nm ( 167.08 km)</div>
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<br />
The plans for Saturday were to circumnavigate Thetis Island and locate a few kayak accessible geocaches and also visit the cemetery. I awoke early and captured the sunrise colors greeting us this morning. I never get tired of sunrise or sunsets.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioT-Xr5uIfpvGrINsIYcosFNe2PvRvhcGJ-7Z7_XCvIYwp7FfC3xHUDr0geSwbzsEABXPoE1lXbu_znnddnl_BVX-Clli3HlbLNznYVmNb4VWeqCyj7LElEfKfb0KyqJPkgLFbcxcXrqhI/s1600/Saturday+Morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioT-Xr5uIfpvGrINsIYcosFNe2PvRvhcGJ-7Z7_XCvIYwp7FfC3xHUDr0geSwbzsEABXPoE1lXbu_znnddnl_BVX-Clli3HlbLNznYVmNb4VWeqCyj7LElEfKfb0KyqJPkgLFbcxcXrqhI/s640/Saturday+Morning.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good morning ... time to start the day!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0o_k4OfvYLCXzrughxVFViVcbRWDQsOeSJNh_tERBkY-jgQf9xmTGuIJPomMHZMClXQuc9i5Wn9yPgIZlpCWc_2qD7tqw3itxBLS_5Es5QCsbnMcPxPTF1iRF7r6ReGD-t__H7p9YlVI/s1600/cabinn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU0o_k4OfvYLCXzrughxVFViVcbRWDQsOeSJNh_tERBkY-jgQf9xmTGuIJPomMHZMClXQuc9i5Wn9yPgIZlpCWc_2qD7tqw3itxBLS_5Es5QCsbnMcPxPTF1iRF7r6ReGD-t__H7p9YlVI/s640/cabinn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking north from the beach at the cottage towards Ragged Islet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymHm80tj7EfRsG_91NHI-UaJ-ayP9aRsx6jTQQqKQcXW2qoTWGNWyZ_R9R7b9QWuWCrL80IVNugOIMc4OJAl2ihuRbT_qpcORrVZWWShT3W_1_nju7WFzmv6lzajDDPuA2JVV4kN8nILP/s1600/cabins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymHm80tj7EfRsG_91NHI-UaJ-ayP9aRsx6jTQQqKQcXW2qoTWGNWyZ_R9R7b9QWuWCrL80IVNugOIMc4OJAl2ihuRbT_qpcORrVZWWShT3W_1_nju7WFzmv6lzajDDPuA2JVV4kN8nILP/s640/cabins.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pilkey Point is well populated. The cottage is the one at the far right and has a nice small gravel beach<br />
that makes launching relatively easy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK4j6L-nHam75XG3z3ulB1IXpbqoOqzbE9uyRlCVNBpbdw5BKcLZOw6S6AzVfyQSN_s1rZxMiSbWbzJYeALWHh2hGYLtt8mWGWxiEo9nkjEyiulwbAILFmH6p-r1OWXWk5_CrvPqHIWn9/s1600/tic1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpK4j6L-nHam75XG3z3ulB1IXpbqoOqzbE9uyRlCVNBpbdw5BKcLZOw6S6AzVfyQSN_s1rZxMiSbWbzJYeALWHh2hGYLtt8mWGWxiEo9nkjEyiulwbAILFmH6p-r1OWXWk5_CrvPqHIWn9/s640/tic1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off we go. Lots to do today and this weekend I committed to use my Greenland paddle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dKICnseaqILznYvFfVIHZULl4Y7IH5S0K7hLMPodTyruFlYRaOVkGNUv4j3Vyp0SGiXTdWzVk4fk4YNMHlsdmGMa5AI2SDOcNMV999ZdSc4UCNRTMHnP7i_3fsdlmrJJkeS5M8EFKjnB/s1600/tic2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6dKICnseaqILznYvFfVIHZULl4Y7IH5S0K7hLMPodTyruFlYRaOVkGNUv4j3Vyp0SGiXTdWzVk4fk4YNMHlsdmGMa5AI2SDOcNMV999ZdSc4UCNRTMHnP7i_3fsdlmrJJkeS5M8EFKjnB/s640/tic2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those of you who know about our crabbing adventures will get a kick out of this. It seems that crabs will<br />
easily grasp a Greenland Paddle when you put it in front of them. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNkhY6XvK9lf6N8cskJoajPqzLcefaGRXxnvxauAPkrR9oxzE_MXuSElSphNDqC6X2vvYqPNO-HIR3hhCzukM1d-IaWIEl9F4TSblJ-zWfwoJ0aSXhELq_q5XsFOdGNSeHG3XriOSNJoP/s1600/tic12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNkhY6XvK9lf6N8cskJoajPqzLcefaGRXxnvxauAPkrR9oxzE_MXuSElSphNDqC6X2vvYqPNO-HIR3hhCzukM1d-IaWIEl9F4TSblJ-zWfwoJ0aSXhELq_q5XsFOdGNSeHG3XriOSNJoP/s640/tic12.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only thing is that the crabs kind of make a mess of your nice old growth cedar Greenland paddle when they<br />
crunch it with their pincers. Still ... might be much easier that using a crab pot. LOL</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QTEruDj2IVXvlboyVG7JNJfNyv9I_lBGBaPVTIu65GsaWlscDzPPfKglzNA0Lwx28QalMNccf2Mej338O1ZUVtDJ5GkUPF_PMRw-b2Atbzk7bdJGkzF3NXJYTWMXil9tSYNcZTOXG8Tu/s1600/tic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QTEruDj2IVXvlboyVG7JNJfNyv9I_lBGBaPVTIu65GsaWlscDzPPfKglzNA0Lwx28QalMNccf2Mej338O1ZUVtDJ5GkUPF_PMRw-b2Atbzk7bdJGkzF3NXJYTWMXil9tSYNcZTOXG8Tu/s640/tic3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You are not allowed to feed the wildlife but another kayaker? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5gcOtRR-qRonRbjOOEhPZR-AE6hCWWAAZTklGmtr8yMLebmW1jgqO9rPfAEK8x7z4PN-EugwUL6NsHJ81UZgKh69Srve7F16V2l8oy_OJBLzaZWlyXVxSBqXBdFHrWZc6KpZge3zkA0y/s1600/tic4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj5gcOtRR-qRonRbjOOEhPZR-AE6hCWWAAZTklGmtr8yMLebmW1jgqO9rPfAEK8x7z4PN-EugwUL6NsHJ81UZgKh69Srve7F16V2l8oy_OJBLzaZWlyXVxSBqXBdFHrWZc6KpZge3zkA0y/s640/tic4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped on Burial Islet near the south end of Thetis to locate another geocache.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S8BkEtyYFL-Y9koKss4GuhBldsY1g4CbB7WND26R0XHywlN78u_GgkSyKBo1n1_kxXIpaRA-G0MW7D4KYnOBUhqZZSsxQSWWS6Y_RLBavA6k2tJ5KwhVLJDkxp7KuYrUlJCStrUc6hJ8/s1600/tic5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-S8BkEtyYFL-Y9koKss4GuhBldsY1g4CbB7WND26R0XHywlN78u_GgkSyKBo1n1_kxXIpaRA-G0MW7D4KYnOBUhqZZSsxQSWWS6Y_RLBavA6k2tJ5KwhVLJDkxp7KuYrUlJCStrUc6hJ8/s640/tic5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Although not designated an ecological reserve it does have a great diversity of plants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvDHFj-SPY2G9F0x3NDBF78PEbc30EYuJAAn7iLYxAMhyD4bydXAB5MJIKxl9LnPvgnBwHcw2l8Z_5IJDYUYJwcIRAVtbAJOIKspo2Xa5ISLN9ubFWK6nOlwND16c-bWyiUtEVnv-WgaL/s1600/tic6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisvDHFj-SPY2G9F0x3NDBF78PEbc30EYuJAAn7iLYxAMhyD4bydXAB5MJIKxl9LnPvgnBwHcw2l8Z_5IJDYUYJwcIRAVtbAJOIKspo2Xa5ISLN9ubFWK6nOlwND16c-bWyiUtEVnv-WgaL/s640/tic6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morley checked out the islet's many wildflowers and also had an archaeologist interest too. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQoZS9j_Rc1JQu26pNiFky8kakJx1eOqhto0bpKEaelQVutj2Z9qMFjnc5qEjPI8oF2h3XW7ZiVz8aeSrVv7W_CplRrXnHnOZrAiSWgwgre4K3vuHitz_4qltd0_snTrYSPFfR2a7AyNp/s1600/tic7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrQoZS9j_Rc1JQu26pNiFky8kakJx1eOqhto0bpKEaelQVutj2Z9qMFjnc5qEjPI8oF2h3XW7ZiVz8aeSrVv7W_CplRrXnHnOZrAiSWgwgre4K3vuHitz_4qltd0_snTrYSPFfR2a7AyNp/s640/tic7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I checked out a few Oyster Catchers close by. Amazing color contrast of their black plumage, orange beak and pink feet.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgbEjGZH_WuwayOopnwdMjcyvlQhU3N8VwsgK1w0ixst-7NRYDqDpFRrBySOIpnfXtwK39DSspfHR_NFfSyZ1UrO68dbv09x_GYRFRfxPF8Jh-sl8QI-9nZUkRZFRALHiUyFVokA9A08D/s1600/tic8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgbEjGZH_WuwayOopnwdMjcyvlQhU3N8VwsgK1w0ixst-7NRYDqDpFRrBySOIpnfXtwK39DSspfHR_NFfSyZ1UrO68dbv09x_GYRFRfxPF8Jh-sl8QI-9nZUkRZFRALHiUyFVokA9A08D/s640/tic8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We landed on a small beach on the south end of Thetis in Preedy Harbour and walked up a small trail to<br />
the St. Margaret's Cemetery. Many of the island's earliest settlers are buried here. <br />
There was also another geocache located nearby so we found that one too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4q56yh4JZRQaZ3lLsikpyHpi41Uon4w3hJhjNekJcd6G0xkCIXkfEor7h5qa3nESZbUvCxbBHsQP-VS2d0V-rLooPmYBOiPMfA7Ofny8iTeL2HB2JQxFzDil4nCYTQiKEO5YVcOVQlpx/s1600/tic9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG4q56yh4JZRQaZ3lLsikpyHpi41Uon4w3hJhjNekJcd6G0xkCIXkfEor7h5qa3nESZbUvCxbBHsQP-VS2d0V-rLooPmYBOiPMfA7Ofny8iTeL2HB2JQxFzDil4nCYTQiKEO5YVcOVQlpx/s640/tic9.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It also gave us a chance to visit the resting place of Robyn's dad <br />
Paul Raike and his second wife Lillian (Lil).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGji5OjUUWqlXp8QUbK2B_BGztK4Nb7of70bK-BIU3BHBjxCdGGRkqefeAhWr86I2apSMkDG1V7qpG1aoah3D7wMUR39v0mBx1fa1iI3xkPylv7jvejiEbE9P4npapR4V7v8Zbx5eHG2D7/s1600/tic10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGji5OjUUWqlXp8QUbK2B_BGztK4Nb7of70bK-BIU3BHBjxCdGGRkqefeAhWr86I2apSMkDG1V7qpG1aoah3D7wMUR39v0mBx1fa1iI3xkPylv7jvejiEbE9P4npapR4V7v8Zbx5eHG2D7/s640/tic10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We carried on around to the Thetis Island Marina and stopped in for for some refreshments and found another geocache. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEFbd0nLM2KKBhJ_aeMaCCbQv6LNlihuwNkbYyNyw4g0lRDhBmwqyt3vNfEZGPlvYFepLipETx8BcjABCoAU1ffa7MEqemnDhP3T1AY6P3-LJ4SZbg1Oy8rWK5cmyM1Ve3lZ4nO3WWnIO/s1600/tic11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijEFbd0nLM2KKBhJ_aeMaCCbQv6LNlihuwNkbYyNyw4g0lRDhBmwqyt3vNfEZGPlvYFepLipETx8BcjABCoAU1ffa7MEqemnDhP3T1AY6P3-LJ4SZbg1Oy8rWK5cmyM1Ve3lZ4nO3WWnIO/s640/tic11.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those of you who have paddled through "The Cut" before know how low the tide can get leaving expansive mud flats<br /> and very little water between Thetis and Penelakut Islands. Near the east end of The Cut is where Robyn's dad and Lil<br /> used to reside and operate the Thetis Island Post Office. In the past you could see their house from the <br />water with its beautifully manicured lawn and gardens but it now looks to be run down a bit. <br />Robyn and I have fond memories of this place.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
We paddled back to the cottage and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and prepared dinner. One of my favorite things about the cottage was its spa which Kari, Morley and I used a bit during our stay. After dinner we went for a short walk to the end of Pilkey Point where we could see Ragged Islets which would be our paddling destination the next day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ksQOKz9eDkw-1PC9gGk6A5R_bwhN8Tmse8rI4Y9wYJIKeE1i8R8q8JNrwM9wsfBam7E0c5W7y3bg6-qiPRrGD24ikH-AojR7AW1COrxYNmgMJ75vB8-xPm6ddAiMsiwTvEDUiShvIPNq/s1600/Thetis+Circumnav.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ksQOKz9eDkw-1PC9gGk6A5R_bwhN8Tmse8rI4Y9wYJIKeE1i8R8q8JNrwM9wsfBam7E0c5W7y3bg6-qiPRrGD24ikH-AojR7AW1COrxYNmgMJ75vB8-xPm6ddAiMsiwTvEDUiShvIPNq/s640/Thetis+Circumnav.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
2016 Paddle #14 - Thetis Island Circumnavigation </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Distance: 13.22 nm (24.48 km)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
YTD: 103.44 nm ( 191.57 km)</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<br />
Although we were leaving on Sunday there was no rush to head home. Once again another beautiful sunrise to start the day.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5wdZJg-UwvwhGMYsSdv6GWQcSSjtDUCBDqYeS9DDine6iEEY-ywKQvBzzmCOF4ijWy_MCXLThtxw9ta1V9_ymj6oNU19txiOfpfS3h3XAIQxVMZoImWAhht5S5mwY8V5HtXBGZ3Zkevu/s1600/Sunday+Sunrise.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5wdZJg-UwvwhGMYsSdv6GWQcSSjtDUCBDqYeS9DDine6iEEY-ywKQvBzzmCOF4ijWy_MCXLThtxw9ta1V9_ymj6oNU19txiOfpfS3h3XAIQxVMZoImWAhht5S5mwY8V5HtXBGZ3Zkevu/s640/Sunday+Sunrise.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise looking east across Trincomali Channel towards Valdes Island. You can just see Mt. Baker near the far right.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwNqK0QyGVSEHouGllczmdcEFUwYbTvtPgBqzsQ-0BsT5q6rz5vShIWACsRRn5tbiSTL7pwYdat00l_aXcaKwWRseXszVH7rKk-_Uv7CCrcruZGA7yH8lggW8_jr0uA7bBsxOzQdmh8jM/s1600/s1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwNqK0QyGVSEHouGllczmdcEFUwYbTvtPgBqzsQ-0BsT5q6rz5vShIWACsRRn5tbiSTL7pwYdat00l_aXcaKwWRseXszVH7rKk-_Uv7CCrcruZGA7yH8lggW8_jr0uA7bBsxOzQdmh8jM/s640/s1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For this paddle to the Ragged Islets I decided to give Robyn's Wilderness Zephyr a test ride. I have to admit that<br />
it was a good kayak to paddle in and was much more comfortable that my P&H Delphin although not<br />
quite as maneuverable.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0v2TdingwS4DCr-znjAOsmhOq7rJbcF0dM0VMyei6xO5t0wWi5RjeaFdNCatrR5xcDr4r0L3MREKbRLLpsvkX7XXfRNz7Hwe9UqpmWpcZMQD1al3GhNgWck7Jqp08-pK6W2jLDHVvk_7/s1600/s2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0v2TdingwS4DCr-znjAOsmhOq7rJbcF0dM0VMyei6xO5t0wWi5RjeaFdNCatrR5xcDr4r0L3MREKbRLLpsvkX7XXfRNz7Hwe9UqpmWpcZMQD1al3GhNgWck7Jqp08-pK6W2jLDHVvk_7/s640/s2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ragged Islets are only less than a mile from the end of Pilkey Point.<br />
Once again great conditions to explore above and below the waterline.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1h3hlny-BLJrCnyMeNGHg1VLigIFZeRZE3nklsCUCnegCHEmtC7DUjfsLxI9Vf2omdRydUBJdTpl4s5lP6kgrrCFJZ8C9rOu29iPvwOUyz7jEQGxRVsi7In8oCZjoMeVU-36YVZCkjcX/s1600/s3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh1h3hlny-BLJrCnyMeNGHg1VLigIFZeRZE3nklsCUCnegCHEmtC7DUjfsLxI9Vf2omdRydUBJdTpl4s5lP6kgrrCFJZ8C9rOu29iPvwOUyz7jEQGxRVsi7In8oCZjoMeVU-36YVZCkjcX/s640/s3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The low tide was perfect for observing the marine life which was very diverse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7urw06xOiORKudzKV_7RuTYFysQske6vh8uA6L9G3Hlxdtek23DDP3URntKp5j6mQ9hIbPa4UbyW1dBHd3fNhTbTmugFyc3V_3zLKj7qJSDsc379uaWr1vXWn1Co2n6G9mtnzRV9dAHN/s1600/s4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG7urw06xOiORKudzKV_7RuTYFysQske6vh8uA6L9G3Hlxdtek23DDP3URntKp5j6mQ9hIbPa4UbyW1dBHd3fNhTbTmugFyc3V_3zLKj7qJSDsc379uaWr1vXWn1Co2n6G9mtnzRV9dAHN/s640/s4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looked after by the Ragged Islet Protection Association of Thetis Island, visitors are welcome to<br />
stop and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH7CuYtrEsb0b6z0MB5zYN5ija5pX75sk79yr43DjopHF23LdjwUMnfzK-GF6pDp5Em4AN4zYNQNOnNhC7tas9SyIb6wufj5e2ivfv7WpJsaltWU7bDMsFnnrdCAO-YmTeHtFpg3dgbCF/s1600/s5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH7CuYtrEsb0b6z0MB5zYN5ija5pX75sk79yr43DjopHF23LdjwUMnfzK-GF6pDp5Em4AN4zYNQNOnNhC7tas9SyIb6wufj5e2ivfv7WpJsaltWU7bDMsFnnrdCAO-YmTeHtFpg3dgbCF/s640/s5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easy landing opportunities to visit the islet. Not far to the north is Miami Islet and the resting place of<br />
the wreck of the Robert Kerr. The remains of the ship are surprisingly intact for being under water since 1911.<br />
(Much of the what remains is in only 20 to 30ft, 6-9m!) I had the opportunity to dive on the wreck when<br />
we used to visit Robyn's dad and Lil and found it to be abundant of marine life.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzlDaw0F_QvJQXIHmiyRIj91TjlWJFARk8nwZT9G9xyb7mlBO_ASy7LludR3EYG3HkSccvN820_qfSWQ8FClBdTwUAk-oCfppo4Z15jhcAHeREwJFI3Yx6f4yUAFr4N0n5BFEq0Y2axPW/s1600/s6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzlDaw0F_QvJQXIHmiyRIj91TjlWJFARk8nwZT9G9xyb7mlBO_ASy7LludR3EYG3HkSccvN820_qfSWQ8FClBdTwUAk-oCfppo4Z15jhcAHeREwJFI3Yx6f4yUAFr4N0n5BFEq0Y2axPW/s640/s6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we were there several Oyster Catchers were letting us know that we might be around their<br />
nesting areas so we were very careful as to where we stepped.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMxJVUls-4KSt2evDK_vfg7eogR3mNIVusnjpZ-YYVu5y3U-g5W3tP1NJRl7kDS9dQT09nTab56lFB_xWCRpRTeOea2TiUOQd_sXNDEF58OEQWSGaXZoRkb67AtLUqJTozifmSwF-rl7E/s1600/s7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKMxJVUls-4KSt2evDK_vfg7eogR3mNIVusnjpZ-YYVu5y3U-g5W3tP1NJRl7kDS9dQT09nTab56lFB_xWCRpRTeOea2TiUOQd_sXNDEF58OEQWSGaXZoRkb67AtLUqJTozifmSwF-rl7E/s640/s7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this might have been a Ostrich Plume Hydroid but might be wrong. Any guesses?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHGYsRxVOJEXiL86focUjNuOchNmmTVN-xjs9t47VRfir0QpyMSUq-IcVmeQh0huPq049_50Mgi-j3-wNlqGVOLojLW5KGW_7VXELErYKxH2GxxXYSU-KZ8r_cW2GR488uDc6vLYMDqKk/s1600/s8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoHGYsRxVOJEXiL86focUjNuOchNmmTVN-xjs9t47VRfir0QpyMSUq-IcVmeQh0huPq049_50Mgi-j3-wNlqGVOLojLW5KGW_7VXELErYKxH2GxxXYSU-KZ8r_cW2GR488uDc6vLYMDqKk/s640/s8.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of Kelp Crabs everywhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCqunoSqzZ3XWbQY9ft4TIhGMzNdTgqueho2HBkHqenzqGVFS4L8d0QYJRddCbApnDdRsMwYmZhvQ6rdXOEcMRb2fOAZ4WKulOJzO93X00e0xspOrMYmCN48dy6QzYbq-MNQjsufXX9Us/s1600/s9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJCqunoSqzZ3XWbQY9ft4TIhGMzNdTgqueho2HBkHqenzqGVFS4L8d0QYJRddCbApnDdRsMwYmZhvQ6rdXOEcMRb2fOAZ4WKulOJzO93X00e0xspOrMYmCN48dy6QzYbq-MNQjsufXX9Us/s640/s9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leather Stars and even a few Ochre Stars that seem to be making a comeback on the south island.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7wHTRhxXnkvMOXNyqqwsk5s77Yty6MQVn6Lc2OK8X6SMMvWMyj1_cZkBrrixhs14UiRIYTIKG0Pa7bE0nJ1ri_mCd3shT7jRblVnviGWmtzNJClxXxAPCJ1Bxy8xD2xmf_S9CYZGCUm_/s1600/sp1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7wHTRhxXnkvMOXNyqqwsk5s77Yty6MQVn6Lc2OK8X6SMMvWMyj1_cZkBrrixhs14UiRIYTIKG0Pa7bE0nJ1ri_mCd3shT7jRblVnviGWmtzNJClxXxAPCJ1Bxy8xD2xmf_S9CYZGCUm_/s640/sp1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the cottage it was time to do a little rolling practice. But first, Kari's little buddy Otis had to go for a ride.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuRsCWHDC5pfCquIgBFkTpWHwgrS9NkyFGhp5YYERSOTH5iqFWLzaH9Sgf_IrSCR_7i2oaX2W5C2DtUf4ul6q5tX9t06Ij_mss0dFa5fX8aIjnYxYVF8oP10BtIOfT0RKoeFB_oQPb7Dm/s1600/sp2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJuRsCWHDC5pfCquIgBFkTpWHwgrS9NkyFGhp5YYERSOTH5iqFWLzaH9Sgf_IrSCR_7i2oaX2W5C2DtUf4ul6q5tX9t06Ij_mss0dFa5fX8aIjnYxYVF8oP10BtIOfT0RKoeFB_oQPb7Dm/s640/sp2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What?? You want me to jump that far?"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRF6AhBafAZOOiPMkpXR4CWIBWbKjYDHwZxCHsDSgPJZCQYI01qlX24pUd5Okefwhvf3o0IRViopkXyOqvhIGUY2Bak2qQj8Hc_Muqtwj_3pxgwMYVaHVHXEm-4ePQPK0hSjTUGVcDrxW/s1600/sp3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRF6AhBafAZOOiPMkpXR4CWIBWbKjYDHwZxCHsDSgPJZCQYI01qlX24pUd5Okefwhvf3o0IRViopkXyOqvhIGUY2Bak2qQj8Hc_Muqtwj_3pxgwMYVaHVHXEm-4ePQPK0hSjTUGVcDrxW/s640/sp3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kari working on her low braces</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhCv0cpZs_b_9Lzxt1RupOiB03eZwMYFsfqfeNf_4Tp8XoHn93eWzUp0MtSVqrVs7KLcCyAxYo9Uuq-vE3IwrH9TKkVGEL-PRRhOwTwROb5Mrx6CWu4aPcUYX3xlFJ9k5naf77qTJA2DJ/s1600/sp4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhCv0cpZs_b_9Lzxt1RupOiB03eZwMYFsfqfeNf_4Tp8XoHn93eWzUp0MtSVqrVs7KLcCyAxYo9Uuq-vE3IwrH9TKkVGEL-PRRhOwTwROb5Mrx6CWu4aPcUYX3xlFJ9k5naf77qTJA2DJ/s640/sp4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robyn rolling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcute5ayhjmNUS8Utv0MKZpyJuQo2v4d9kSCvz3eGyNIp5tyBelattjWj_ZukgkIHFcjz7a-WVx4rnzUj4VomjPOj_nwKboR_UABZRrDR-fBdgttSHlxvcl5GynZbNZnuV_MepEKyN1vd/s1600/sp5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVcute5ayhjmNUS8Utv0MKZpyJuQo2v4d9kSCvz3eGyNIp5tyBelattjWj_ZukgkIHFcjz7a-WVx4rnzUj4VomjPOj_nwKboR_UABZRrDR-fBdgttSHlxvcl5GynZbNZnuV_MepEKyN1vd/s640/sp5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morley rolling</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoGSmmQ1hqBhjyK_JsOv02D3_8NiSHBRNki__4Dw96JhjZZE-4qapj8m4y_s0ax3c_gVYX79dS3mjsofL4YFXka4SMzpoj7EP7qOJDsA3mC2CrAydR3bVO-u_x4G8yxn2ajaMVWMQenaT/s1600/sp6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIoGSmmQ1hqBhjyK_JsOv02D3_8NiSHBRNki__4Dw96JhjZZE-4qapj8m4y_s0ax3c_gVYX79dS3mjsofL4YFXka4SMzpoj7EP7qOJDsA3mC2CrAydR3bVO-u_x4G8yxn2ajaMVWMQenaT/s640/sp6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally Kari rolling</td></tr>
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Then it was time to see if all three could do it at the same time. Surprisingly this only took one take as on the count of three they made it happen.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='532' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxVf8YKWimff1l_Vk_CTQScaCC-F7qTLlbBw5VpiHYsQM0AnqK_umEMfLzAMTptGuKI6Itd0IOpAtgnspVUNA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Then it was my turn to try it in Robyn's Wilderness Zephyr. Wow!! Does that kayak ever roll nice!!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='532' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw2YHazRn5ia_q2YcakiebXmZbBEg9CKY_CuOkq-2YJMX8tKna8zpI4Xr2fmAOWjSNryla7MYOocunIhpTiSA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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A fantastic weekend of relaxing, friendship bringing back fond memories for Robyn and I. Thanks Kari and the Challenger family for letting us use the cottage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7ENqiJf2hKWsZo2j6mrYu2-nXsNCSQVln8ZEs7DGWcluEh2UsufhbJ4NLNM5lc-LjrqmQ_2Gf4Ogdydg9UMbU00uWLGmGH2Lx5F-9Gf_LNOCs5yUfGMi9w0uwCHg_VPA_vmu6kXcKuLI/s1600/Ragged+Islet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ7ENqiJf2hKWsZo2j6mrYu2-nXsNCSQVln8ZEs7DGWcluEh2UsufhbJ4NLNM5lc-LjrqmQ_2Gf4Ogdydg9UMbU00uWLGmGH2Lx5F-9Gf_LNOCs5yUfGMi9w0uwCHg_VPA_vmu6kXcKuLI/s640/Ragged+Islet.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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2016 Paddle #15 - Ragged Islet</div>
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Distance: 1.91 nm ( 3.53 km)</div>
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YTD: 105.35 nm ( 195.10 km)<br />
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<b>NEXT UP: 10 days and 9 nights - Our San Juan Islands adventure.</b></div>
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1262075986963466478.post-21177769726497138732016-04-21T20:27:00.000-07:002016-04-21T20:27:47.118-07:00SISKA Instructors Instructing<div style="text-align: justify;">
Over the April 9-10th weekend I participated in a couple of <a href="http://www.siska.ca/" target="_blank">South Island Sea Kayaking Association (SISKA)</a> events and both were related to being an instructor. </div>
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On Saturday, the first SISKA Instructors "Peer Day" took place at Trial Island and as a new Paddle Canada Sea Kayaking Level 1 instructor I was invited to attend. With the recent warm spell on the west coast, the morning fog has been developing and sure enough when the 6 of us arrived at the McNeill Bay beach it was a little "soupy". </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkA8doyqKRVzOU3dbUqKBDPFI6i20kVMoDfT9coYDQ7yFMLYq70BI2q37fmvcWzEf83DhLul1ZF1k51brz7_ifbIlH4pMJ4fPd0Ts5S63p1VpNHr9yuhMGdZc9Je_QWAx8X_B6cQGYPgoq/s1600/Prelaunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkA8doyqKRVzOU3dbUqKBDPFI6i20kVMoDfT9coYDQ7yFMLYq70BI2q37fmvcWzEf83DhLul1ZF1k51brz7_ifbIlH4pMJ4fPd0Ts5S63p1VpNHr9yuhMGdZc9Je_QWAx8X_B6cQGYPgoq/s640/Prelaunch.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can anyone see the Trial Island Lighthouse????<br />L to R: Jennie, Michael, Mike, Dorothea (sitting) and Jo</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UQdBzhh7MhpqQHb-NM9pyvK10M2KVGCmSSt3Subsv4_kmSrwk6Xm1N6fIQ4YH5RQ3dH4zzNKZRNmwW18WQiX9ziUZcCMFqG7LXd-KqZ75iEA1Ux2WH5t6b3FD1pdMtwx3psamt86dBkB/s1600/fog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UQdBzhh7MhpqQHb-NM9pyvK10M2KVGCmSSt3Subsv4_kmSrwk6Xm1N6fIQ4YH5RQ3dH4zzNKZRNmwW18WQiX9ziUZcCMFqG7LXd-KqZ75iEA1Ux2WH5t6b3FD1pdMtwx3psamt86dBkB/s640/fog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's out there somewhere .... but where??</td></tr>
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We went about our business preparing our kayaks and then had a discussion about heading out towards Trial which was eerily just starting to show itself. With the improving visibility, calm conditions and a few of us having GPS's on board we decided to head out across Enterprise Channel.</div>
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By the time we reached the main island where the lighthouse is located the sun had burned through enough that we were able to get down to business. The purpose of the day was to share teaching methods, skills demonstration ideas and practice any skills as a group that we might use in the future.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RrhviDnSOa8hH6rOxbiR9lZo0LexkTyEy3fyl-f_mrqMNG1lxd4lD9LRJheRbJUzalsKlpSJgejvBGGvmevySdhg0dePYya4KK57XF4YIebF6QPNvsaMs4I9MzpqOgiNXtEXTzOGZxa_/s1600/Jo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9RrhviDnSOa8hH6rOxbiR9lZo0LexkTyEy3fyl-f_mrqMNG1lxd4lD9LRJheRbJUzalsKlpSJgejvBGGvmevySdhg0dePYya4KK57XF4YIebF6QPNvsaMs4I9MzpqOgiNXtEXTzOGZxa_/s640/Jo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jo and the Trial Island lighthouse</td></tr>
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We were also fortunate to have a pretty decent low tide and Mike Jackson taught us a little bit about the inter-tidal zone life we were able to see. It was great to see pisaster ochraceus, generally known as the purple sea star or ochre sea star just above the waterline. In recent months starfish around here have been dramatically reduced in numbers due to Sea Star Wasting Disease. Mike also explained the differences between surf and eel grass, black chiton and mossy/hairy/woody chiton as well as dire whelk and frilled dog winkles.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8qvVpmFeZpmfpgdNlPW1Hd5DFYMVq-9uAl4Tws2Dg1PzmyIGSuenEeSxbT24q-dC5wKQhGZPMQwBjotKMqG-ZhSwr_-I0yd1d8wG0rXk9Z1bI5ixi13t7g77cbpbf8uM9Ous7hcGjY4j/s1600/DSCF0057a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8qvVpmFeZpmfpgdNlPW1Hd5DFYMVq-9uAl4Tws2Dg1PzmyIGSuenEeSxbT24q-dC5wKQhGZPMQwBjotKMqG-ZhSwr_-I0yd1d8wG0rXk9Z1bI5ixi13t7g77cbpbf8uM9Ous7hcGjY4j/s640/DSCF0057a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Once again the fog rolled in and the lighthouse disappeared. .... time for lunch!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8ATMd4-kG2-wx2DMN3R_0WYGJKsU3e4p3aifvcgD7yT_vMV6kjVFSLd11GsIw3EZJKuCpoIwHSPhFdUdMuOUnoVxWj7X_4YH0sSPS2FqlPzkoCdRDdfjkjWFJ6kzOeOXjhSy8NrWLLN0/s1600/beach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8ATMd4-kG2-wx2DMN3R_0WYGJKsU3e4p3aifvcgD7yT_vMV6kjVFSLd11GsIw3EZJKuCpoIwHSPhFdUdMuOUnoVxWj7X_4YH0sSPS2FqlPzkoCdRDdfjkjWFJ6kzOeOXjhSy8NrWLLN0/s640/beach.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fog again lifted as we enjoyed lunch on a small pebble beach below the high water line.</td></tr>
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During our lunch break, Mike Jackson also gave a short lecture on the pros and cons of using a Greenland paddle and how to paddle with it effectively. I was intrigued enough that once back on the water Mike kindly let me use his carbon fiber Greenland Paddle to head back to McNeill Bay. I have to admit that crossing Enterprise Channel which was now flooding at about 3-4 knots made me feel a little uneasy as the "stick" I was using felt that I didn't have any bracing capability at all. However, once we crossed the channel I started to experiment with the paddle by doing extended paddle bracing in a small flowing channel between a couple of islets. I kinda liked it ;-)<br />
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Back in McNeill Bay we worked on the Hand of God rescue with yours truly being the victim. I have actually seen it done a couple of times when a kayaker became disorientated under water and couldn't locate the "holy *hit" strap on the spray skirt. Since that time I have been working on it with Robyn and Kari and although difficult for ladies to do, if the mechanics are correct they too can bring up a big guy like myself. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2BkLnEp4FkBX59OIforwh7OmMJ4R8mSgzo16X9H1KXV0uuFuIgEJAdlBbd_bNHPUwNzEI6byDINdRCrIrMXwnN7CDL4-8J6kV-j3ZQr5-lh5reD6old93V0B81YlQmE_Vw0yYicY5Vwl/s1600/DSCF0064a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM2BkLnEp4FkBX59OIforwh7OmMJ4R8mSgzo16X9H1KXV0uuFuIgEJAdlBbd_bNHPUwNzEI6byDINdRCrIrMXwnN7CDL4-8J6kV-j3ZQr5-lh5reD6old93V0B81YlQmE_Vw0yYicY5Vwl/s640/DSCF0064a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Egilson trying to hand brace. It worked pretty good!!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk395Y45p7wnldl8C-v6Qi2_es45AlVV7E1PtRi7DgnsMzsbDGvUGb59SSuETv2qyDmWyiYBQ0QNmacahsw03fZrMRYN6jFr_XHNsn3OapZdLe15gYI6xXpkmKma4WzP2vBEKkHXsaZny/s1600/Trial.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguk395Y45p7wnldl8C-v6Qi2_es45AlVV7E1PtRi7DgnsMzsbDGvUGb59SSuETv2qyDmWyiYBQ0QNmacahsw03fZrMRYN6jFr_XHNsn3OapZdLe15gYI6xXpkmKma4WzP2vBEKkHXsaZny/s640/Trial.png" width="353" /></a></div>
It was a great day of sharing ideas and trying a few things and I look forward to doing another instructors day in the future.<br />
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2016 Paddle #11 - Trial Island<br />
Distance: 3.17 nm (5.87 km)<br />
YTD: 77.82 nm (144.215 km)<br />
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On Sunday morning I assisted Jennie Sutton (lead instructor for the day) on a SISKA beginner / intermediate currents clinic at Cadboro Point. To take advantage of the conditions our group of 8 students launched from Cadboro Bay (Gyro Park) at 07:30am and headed out towards a small channel that we hoped would have enough water for us to play in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAramVg7pRbS4Sfi0NhhMT2iX1iFlCw6qWUFz-54p5Lx926rujr2scqDDJaE5iy5wF_LEir3sN_jML2iMwkY53NHLhaDwp_Xgvt-5kR6154imnzXxWpNdtzSJmo4KJZfnzfNmmS0SHynbd/s1600/DSCF0067a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAramVg7pRbS4Sfi0NhhMT2iX1iFlCw6qWUFz-54p5Lx926rujr2scqDDJaE5iy5wF_LEir3sN_jML2iMwkY53NHLhaDwp_Xgvt-5kR6154imnzXxWpNdtzSJmo4KJZfnzfNmmS0SHynbd/s640/DSCF0067a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennie leads Janet, Willi, Dana, Wendy, Tim, Deb, Julie and Dave through a beach talk about what to expect out there.</td></tr>
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Arriving at the channel we found a wonderful ebb flow and Jennie and I were able to demonstrate low brace turns and ferrying across the current. As the assistant instructor I located myself a little bit downstream and coached the students to exit the main flow and into the back eddy where I was located. I also was there just in case one of them happened to edge the wrong way and ended up in the water. I was pleasantly surprised that not a single one of them edged the wrong way enough to go swimming. I like to think of them as being FAT (Flexible, Available and Trainable) that day because they watched and listened to what was being taught by Jennie and myself and then simply did it for themselves. So awesome to see their progression throughout the clinic and of course to see their big ear to ear smiles!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcm3Ibnr90dK6omNmYzDkJe6e3zqaSEEvfh5owV4IcyGcX0rJIFUPtMhOuI7xsvFqXUczyWckQ314Licz2NwbkxWFUcjXGlFUtB-eJxfA0GLBplnxyrNkyh0nq63wEuxkJ5F4OiW14Hv7s/s1600/DSCF0096a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcm3Ibnr90dK6omNmYzDkJe6e3zqaSEEvfh5owV4IcyGcX0rJIFUPtMhOuI7xsvFqXUczyWckQ314Licz2NwbkxWFUcjXGlFUtB-eJxfA0GLBplnxyrNkyh0nq63wEuxkJ5F4OiW14Hv7s/s640/DSCF0096a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy working in the current</td></tr>
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Then, as the conditions started to increase, the students got to explore their comfort level a bit more by hanging out in mid-current looking for little eddies that would allow their kayak to remain in place. We also taught them how to paddle upstream using eddies behind rocks as we leap-frogged against the current.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSazGxbfHFj68GOz9-sXWsVjuYxq85wKZh-TdCMstRIuHro3MCHUh1OfEb4cknKOPsNBLC2udLc8HHtJubEM3eWoqRo3Q2LwBv3Oht0LtmvhnqxRnHmkglI5d1O_7wBoIAzgV2_U-G64li/s1600/DSCF0080a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSazGxbfHFj68GOz9-sXWsVjuYxq85wKZh-TdCMstRIuHro3MCHUh1OfEb4cknKOPsNBLC2udLc8HHtJubEM3eWoqRo3Q2LwBv3Oht0LtmvhnqxRnHmkglI5d1O_7wBoIAzgV2_U-G64li/s640/DSCF0080a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jennie keeps a close eye on Janet who really did quiet well being her first time in currents.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHVLYqrxr5gdHXkh0IluuKLOFULn7xXCaiYr0y82HLOXqPTMUEmsF63Jus3xzlL1BIlLEOMS-HWaJ01xyLkstFICCWj4VeBwCiLrCRWNmmdKahnOfvTX8FTcyfhkSOV4Y5LBXVdmHyY2y/s1600/DSCF0078a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAHVLYqrxr5gdHXkh0IluuKLOFULn7xXCaiYr0y82HLOXqPTMUEmsF63Jus3xzlL1BIlLEOMS-HWaJ01xyLkstFICCWj4VeBwCiLrCRWNmmdKahnOfvTX8FTcyfhkSOV4Y5LBXVdmHyY2y/s640/DSCF0078a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deb showing that resting in the currents can be fun too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmaSw-L0uCDRWvKzU5fGjGOvbVp_n0DJraTS6inuUI2EiJ7oBYGdxclR-Dh8YceEvYRopE-Hvi8VBE4QJf2_hzPJ9c6zG7mNWPQfXvj709LntxjiGGFLZNFsCLxCcAE6n9we1o7CSIsqD/s1600/DSCF0083a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmaSw-L0uCDRWvKzU5fGjGOvbVp_n0DJraTS6inuUI2EiJ7oBYGdxclR-Dh8YceEvYRopE-Hvi8VBE4QJf2_hzPJ9c6zG7mNWPQfXvj709LntxjiGGFLZNFsCLxCcAE6n9we1o7CSIsqD/s640/DSCF0083a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave can't stop smiling. Think he likes currents??</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9orDyrKcr1y2YDR-mZNCFUsZeYi7-gw1ZoinI6LzcfxZ8W9cjY5VmieiLFk4Lp59_B6-HhQR3W_xKhR9g5cKeLrGYH5FcyH5HAx7urpY6tjNJmgedZOdz-p5GG2Qli-uljGmqp7w_6-6/s1600/DSCF0089a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9orDyrKcr1y2YDR-mZNCFUsZeYi7-gw1ZoinI6LzcfxZ8W9cjY5VmieiLFk4Lp59_B6-HhQR3W_xKhR9g5cKeLrGYH5FcyH5HAx7urpY6tjNJmgedZOdz-p5GG2Qli-uljGmqp7w_6-6/s640/DSCF0089a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tim also having fun just hanging out in the currents.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYxKqRk_xCfmJZHs3oj-pzrmx4jk_8UdgLDGB_g5OCoNRAnYfuwB7o-UZg7O-SSvoB9AzzWyZ9-xg2DlmcJ70engczfLYgv0rGImVWzb2Iaj3-8mSHC5cFdfUeP9uyyQSOXOAB8tXHVE7/s1600/DSCF0105a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisYxKqRk_xCfmJZHs3oj-pzrmx4jk_8UdgLDGB_g5OCoNRAnYfuwB7o-UZg7O-SSvoB9AzzWyZ9-xg2DlmcJ70engczfLYgv0rGImVWzb2Iaj3-8mSHC5cFdfUeP9uyyQSOXOAB8tXHVE7/s640/DSCF0105a.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the students playing in edge of the Baynes Channel flow. </td></tr>
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Nearing the end of the clinic the ebb conditions started to decrease and many of the features that we used a few hours earlier simply vanished. However, a few of the students ventured out into the edge of the Baynes Channel flow once again pushing the envelope just a little bit further. Still, nobody went swimming!<br />
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We were off the water just before lunch and by the comments we received it seems like everyone had a really good time, learned some new skills and hopefully overcame some nerves about paddling in currents. <br />
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What's That Birdershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13827677994495825534noreply@blogger.com0