Broughton Archipelago August 2020 ….Paddlers Inn

After recently visiting the Pacific Coast side of  Vancouver Island (Ucluelet and Tofino), we thought about where should we go next… with the summer passing quickly and after a glass of wine or three we thought …Why not the Broughton Archipelago? This is a world-famous kayaking destination best visited via a multi-day kayak camping expedition…..at this stage, we felt this could be a tad ambitious for us. Undeterred and after some research we happened on the Paddlers Inn which serves as a base camp from which the area can be explored.

Some back and forth with the owner and we got offered a last-minute “special”….of course, that meant we had to get our act together quickly. Although only about 360 kilometres from our home in Madeira Park…in these parts it is always a little further than one thinks, as this involves 2 ferries…With the car packed, and kayaks lashed to the roof we were on the road by 05:30 to catch the 1st ferry at 06:30 ….

…the weather looks good and we are on our way, on time…

….arriving at Powell River at 08:35, we appear to be on time for our reservation for the 2nd ferry at 09:00

…..hmm, not so fast, we are told we missed the reservation cutoff …..major panic attack >>> if we don’t get on we will miss our water taxi connection in Telegraph Cove….we anxiously watch as cars are loaded, we are near the end of the last lane…..finally, we are waved on, WHEW !!!

In Comox a few last-minute items to be picked up, lunch is sandwiches at the wheel and by 13:45 we are in Telegraph Cove ….some running around to find the right dock and voila our ride is waiting for us….all the stuff out of the car, kayaks on the boat, and Bruce, the owner of the Paddlers Inn, advises us to have a nature break as the ride in will take a minimum of 2 hours.

Our route will take us through the meeting of Queen Charlotte Sound and Johnstone Strait via the Canoe islets and Fox Islands into Cramer Passage and our home for the next  3 nights at Paddlers Inn… click to enlarge the map…

No time to look around the surprisingly cute town as we load the gear, provisions and kayaks…. the water taxi diesel rumbles to a start and we bid adieu to Telegraph Cove…

Bruce, the owner of Paddlers Inn, points out some humpback whales in the distance but they are elusive and there is no chance for a pic, the seas are calm as we delve deeper into the wilderness of the Broughton Archipelago. A fisher here and there, some campers on a lovely island,  a native village and sea lions which have heaved out on some rocks….click on pics to enlarge…

By 16:30 we arrive at Paddlers Inn under sunny skies…..

…we are lucky as the three days prior were blessed with torrential downpours !! We are in the Floathouse Cabin which is pretty funky…. hot & cold running water, LED battery lanterns, a private adjoining bathroom with toilet and shower > yes, you do need to go outside in the night, and, a covered outside sitting area and BBQ as well as bonus sauna room, with a wood fire heater. It was very cool sitting in the sauna whilst looking out on the bay as the sun set…..click on pics to enlarge…

….dinner will be al fresco with the sea gurgling below our feet but first I cannot resist the urge…..gear up and jump into the kayak for a quick fishing outing….

….90 minutes and some 30 fish later (this is called catching and not fishing !!) >>> I return happy as a clam and as dinner has been pre-prepared > no fish cleaning…clearly, I am optimistic about tomorrow’s supper. We are the only guests and it is wonderful to sit there enjoying our wine and waiting for darkness to envelop us…a long but sterling day!!!

 

Breakfast is the customary camp fare: eggs, bacon, toast and coffee >> hearty fare for the work ahead. The morning is cloudy, misty and somewhat spooky but with calm seas, the sun comes through as the day progresses as does the wind…..we see quiet shorelines, bays, deserted float homes (this area had some 300 residents but now reduced to 6 persons including our hosts, Bruce & Josee who have owned the property for forty years raising their children here), sadly we see no whales but some seals come around to check us out as did one lonely sea lion who did not want to have his picture taken and departed the scene with a significant splash……..click pics to enlarge…

 

Dinner is freshly caught fish as we enjoy another pleasant dinner ….a super day!!!

The next day we head north checking out a nearby marina owned by U.S. interests and just sold to the local nation then onwards to Shoal Bay where there is ongoing timber extraction, (Bruce who had a siviculture business and is vehemently opposed to logging tells us of the horrible way these companies have misled Canadians about these operations…but more about this and some other observations in another post which I am thinking of calling > Mark’s Musings)…click pics to enlarge…

This is truly an area to be visited in order to appreciate what Canadians have (at least for the time being) …. another super day ….tomorrow we head home earlier than we thought as the departure has been pushed up by a few hours…a bit bummed as this eliminates a last fishing outing.

The morning dawns calm with a brooding sky as we finish packing and have a last look around before Bruce picks us up at the door to our cabin…

The voyage back was pleasant with quiet seas, lovely views and distant whale sightings…. click on pics to enlarge…

 

…arriving at Telegraph Cove we said goodbye to Bruce and repacked the vehicle….also took a few minutes to tour the town, which looked a bit forlorn as the docks were almost empty, some restos closed and very few tourists. This is a stark reminder of how Covid has affected tourist-dependent destinations…

 

We then retraced our steps however electing to stop for the night in Campbell River. Below are a few pics of logs being brought on shore from booms such as we saw in Shoal Bay for processing……click pics to enlarge…

Since we love the ferries so much, the next morning we elected to take a short tour of Quadra Island (a 10-minute ferry ride from Campbell River) as we have not been there for some twenty years…click pics to enlarge…

 

Then back to the mainland heading for Comox, ferry to Powell River, then ferry to Earl’s Cove and home…click pics to enlarge…

 

…a wonderful trip which we were glad we did…would have liked an extra day or two at the Paddlers Inn…maybe next time. The question now is where to next?