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.
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).
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.
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.
Robyn hauls the "new and proven" larger crab trap out to James Island
Just a bit of wind against current action crossing over to Sidney Island
Chillaxin! Watching the crab run to our trap. LOL
Time to check what's in the trap.
It's all about location. No dungeness today but a couple of nice size red rock. Steak and crab for dinner tonight!!
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.
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 SPOT 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
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 June 2012. 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.
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 MEC gift cards helped in my case and so I did a little research on the Goal Zero line of products that MEC carries.
For our needs I decided on the Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus Solar Panel ($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.
Small, light and well built the Nomad 7 Plus solar panel
4 LED's indicate solar strength and charge speed.
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.
Check out a video from the guys who made it ... yup the engineers here!
I also chose the Goal Zero Venture 30 Recharger ($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.
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!!
Check out another video from the guys who made it ... yup the engineers here! :-)
The Goal Zero Nomad 7 Plus solar panel and Venture 30 charging.
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 Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus to use with our existing NiMh cells.
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!
July 8, 2017 This past Saturday night Robyn and I lead a paddle for the South Island Sea Kayaking Association and took 11 other paddlers on an evening tour to watch the Butchart Gardens 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.
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 Todd Inlet 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.
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.
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.
A group shot at the end of the inlet.
Beverely and her sidekick "Bella" came along for the show too!
A quick stop at the new CRD beach. Pretty nice place for kayaks to land.
And ... one big rubber duck was also in the inlet. LOL
Getting ready for the fireworks at our little beach.
A pretty good show from our vantage point.
The low level part of the show looked like a forest fire but of course it wasn't.
An interesting note is that when the show begins a very sophisticated sprinkler
system waters down the trees to prevent any fires.
Lots of very high rockets exploding over our heads followed by loud booms that we felt too!
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.
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.
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 here.
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.
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 Mark Byrne Photography
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 P&H Aries 155 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!!
July 2, 2017
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!
It was great to finally see "Staqeva" watching us paddle by.
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.
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.
Our goal for the day was to paddle to the Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park 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.
Robyn enjoying the calm conditions inside the islands
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.
What is the Bald Eagle looking at?
Eagle dinner!
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.
Patiently waiting for the lingcod that I managed to scoop up
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.
Oh yea, we got crab legs!!
Not a bad way to spend 4 hours of paddling by seeing a wolf, feeding an eagle and catching crab!
Distance: 7.62 nm (14.11 km)
July 3, 2017
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.
Gary's first sea trial of his new Delta 17
New wolf signs at the park
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.
Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park ... such a spectacular view
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!
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.
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.
Heading Out - Friday July 15th (Day #1)
We were up early to be on the water for 0800 after staying at the Meares Vista Inn. 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 Tofino municipal lot. She even shuttled our drivers from the Inn back to our put in at the foot of the government dock!
Once again ... how does all this stuff fit inside our kayaks?
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.
There are actually 5 paddlers in this photo but with the swells some just disappear. :-)
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 :-)
Heading towards Dick & Jane's Beach
The tide was waaaay out when we landed. Time to haul gear!
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.
Our trusty rides and our new home away from home Marmot Tungsten 3P tent
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.
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.
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.
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!!
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??
Our first Clayoquot Sound sunset ... pretty nice!
2016 Paddle #27 - Tofino to Dick & Jane's Beach
Distance: 8.65 nm (16.01 km)
Trip: 8.65 nm (16.01 km)
YTD: 247.56 nm (458.48 km)
Exploring Blunden Island - Saturday July 16th (Day #2)
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
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.
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.
Just big rolling swells to contend with on the way to Blunden Island.
A great lunch stop / camping location on the north end of Blunden Island
And another location on the little island (44 on chart) east of Blunden Island
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.
Hey! I know that guy! Yves Aquin of Go Kayak way out here. LOL
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.
Another nice sunset but with a marine layer starting to form
Reale gathered the group for the evening talk about the plans for the next day.
She would be the group leader on our way to Cow Bay
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.
2016 Paddle #27 - Blunden Island
Distance:4.52 nm (8.37 km)
Trip: 13.17 nm (24.39 km)
YTD: 252.08 nm (466.85 km)
A special thanks to Heather Jones and Tony Playfair for letting me use some of their pictures in the writing of this blog.
For more pictures of the Hesquiat trip you can check them out HERE
