Okeover Inlet, B.C. ….. June 2023

June 2023

We have been staying at home, other than for a few quick trips into Vancouver since returning from France and Italy in late November, so we felt it was time for a bit of a change of pace. Our destination Okeover Inlet is on the Sunshine Coast albeit one ferry ride from our home in Sechelt…for those not familiar with the Sunshine Coast it extends 180 kilometres between Howe Sound (Vancouver) in the southeast and the entrance to Desolation Sound in the northwest. The rugged mountains bordering these inlets cut the Sunshine Coast off from direct road connection to the rest of the province, so even though it’s part of the British Columbian mainland, you can only get to the Sunshine Coast by ferry, private boat, or plane. To view a larger map click on the rectangle in the black map banner below.

The idea is to spend 3 nights just chilling and taking a break from yardwork, projects etc… the AIRBNB is a bit isolated (no TV and limited WIFI), located at the head of Okeover Inlet which itself leads out into Desolation Sound, a well-known kayak and boat cruising area. It is about a 1-hour drive from our home Sechelt to Earl’s Cove, where a 45-minute ferry crossing affording nice coastal mountain views, brings us to Saltery Bay and the road to Powell River and Lund …ie the northern Sunshine Coast. Click on pics to enlarge…

Another 30 minutes and we are in Powell River which is a quintessential B.C. company town and where the Powell River Mill produced its first roll of paper in 1912. In its prime, one in every 25 newspapers in the world was printed on paper from this mill. The mill however has been downsizing, and only three paper machines remain in production, thus laying off hundreds of employees. The town which was in decline however has enjoyed a resurgence due to a diversification of the local economy by an increased focus on ecotourism and the arts while still retaining the traditional industries logging, fishing etc.

After purchasing a few last-minute items we still needed to kill some time as our check-in was not until 15:00 so we stopped in at The Okeover Provincial Park which serves as a gateway to the nearby Desolation Sound. Being Tuesday and not quite summer it is pretty quiet save for a curious mink and some Asians hard at work harvesting buckets full of sea cucumbers…licenses ??? big Mercedes looks like poaching to me, but there is little enforcement on the coast and these folks know it…

Then another 30 minutes to our Airbnb, the last couple of klicks over a pretty bumpy road but nothing we have not seen before. Arriving at our cottage we are welcomed with great fervour by a pack of enthusiastic dogs, accompanied by the three amigos we head for the owner’s house and Jurgen comes out to introduce us to the area and our cabin for the next 3 nights… he and his wife have carved out a homestead some 30, years ago where they have lived an off the grid life e.g. solar power in summer and a water wheel from a creek in the winter, crafting wooden kayaks, breeding dogs etc. ..he is German and Cindy, his wife, is local … nice folk. Our cabin is set back in the woods but only a 2-3 minute walk to the beach, the website said no WIFI at the cabin but lo and behold with two repeaters WIFI is now available via satellite, and here we thought we were off the grid.

This week the tides are extreme and the head of the inlet dries during such tides … the next morning we headed out early….a gorgeous day with no wind as we kayaked up the inlet …ran into a large area of jellyfish which sparkled like diaphanous stars as we glided through them…very cool :

Fished at a few spots along the way…no luck, after we passed an oyster farm… I caught a Squalus suckleyi, otherwise known as a spiny dogfish which is a species of shark > it is part of the commercial fishery in B.C. aimed primarily at the European and Asian markets…about five pounds. I let it go as the fish must be gutted, bled and chilled immediately otherwise the urea remains in the flesh, and an ammonia smell develops …suffice to say doing this on the kayak would be a tad messy. All in all a pleasant outing on a lovely day. Click on pics to enlarge…

After lunch, we had no choice but to relax as the low tide was huge, literally draining the entire bay…so getting the yaks out was not going to happen…the good news was gathering oysters or clams would be a no brainer…all those white shells in the pic below are oysters !!!

The owners had three dogs: 2 Leonbergers (Surfer and Georgia) and a Bernese/St. Bernard cross…these dudes were HUGE and generally ran around as a group of three >> it was great fun to have these dogs around during our visit. Although quite inquisitive they did not bark or jump and would accompany us wherever we went on the property. The owner finds them quite effective at keeping the deer and bears away from their property. Enjoyed a nice relaxing evening meal > beef stew (prepared beforehand), salad and a good bottle of red, early to bed and no TV to keep us aware of the nonsense in the world…Click on pics to enlarge…

The next morning after a serious bacon, eggs & fruit breakfast we hustled out on the water, heading up the inlet on the opposite shore a few eagles overhead and a rather shy seal but nothing major …fish wise we caught several rockfish and a couple of decent sized dogfish which gave a good fight on our light fishing rods. We passed another oyster farm operated by a Vietnamese couple who were hard at work as we passed by…Okeover Inlet apparently has excellent conditions for growing oysters and there are a number of commercial operations. After about an hour of paddling, we reached a fishy-looking point but before we could start fishing in earnest and to our chagrin, the wind started to pick with small whitecaps forming in the middle of the inlet…as both the wind and tide were against us it was time to be prudent and retreat. The wind was steady all the way back, so the calories banked at breakfast were consumed by the time we got back. With the water rapidly draining from the inlet I went out and retrieved the crab pots, alas only 1 keeper, but of decent size. Another quite pleasant kayak outing…… click on pics to enlarge…

Time for lunch and siesta time for the balance of the afternoon…click on pics to enlarge

It’s been a very relaxing, laid-back mini-vacation, two big feeds of oysters and lots of clams and oysters to bring home…

The next morning the weather starts deteriorating as we pack up and head for the ferry and home. Once on the Southern Sunshine Coast, we can’t resist stopping at the Backeddy Pub located in Egmont and the takeoff point for the water taxi to Princess Louisa Inlet and the Skookumchuck Narrows (which if you are ever in this area are both must-sees). In any event today we settle for another type of must-do: Skookum Burgers quite delicious for meat lovers and an hour later we arrive home, before the rain….a very nice mini trip !!!