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Abbotsford, BC
Canada
1190 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2009 : 5:16 PM
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Our original holiday plan was to spend time backpacking in the Tweedsmuir Park Rainbow Range which we had to cancel as the trails are currently closed so we decided to go paddling instead. Marc had mentioned to us that Sechelt Inlet was beautiful so it was decided to give it a go. We own a Chestnut canoe that Brian will not put in salt water and, since we had been talking about getting a second canoe, we did the plunge and bought a Hellman Prospector from Middletons in North Vancouver.
Day 1 Porpoise Bay
After arriving at Porpoise Bay Provincial Park and setting up camp for the night we headed off to paddle the lower portion of the inlet south of Porpoise Bay. The weather was nice and it was wonderful to dip the paddle. After the paddle Brian spent time getting his fishing gear ready in hopes of catching a fish or two, perhaps something worth eating while I spent time at the beach watching the sunset.
            
Day 2 Tillicum Bay to Kunechin Point
Paddling time: 3 hours
Our launch site for our trip was Tillicum Bay Marina, which offers relatively secure parking. The cost is $5 to launch and $2 per day to park. The marina owner lives on site so the vehicles are pretty secure from vandalism, etc. Charlene at Pedals and Paddles, located at the marina, provided us with lots of suggestions and loaned us a laminated map of Sechelt Inlet. Of course, just as we were unloading the canoe, I wiped out and put a pretty deep cut on my knee. Luckily I had a well stocked first aid kit so I was able to clean and steri-strip the wound myself rather than wasting time heading to the local hospital. Our paddle to Kunechin Point took us past a couple oyster farms and a few other marine parks, namely Tuwanek, Oyster Beach and Nine Mile Point campsites. All these sites look very nice but we wanted to get past Salmon Inlet, if the winds and waves would allow. Sechelt Inlet tends to get late morning/afternoon winds and apparently they can be quite bad at the confluence of Sechelt Inlet and Salmon Inlet. We made it fairly quickly to Nine Mile Point and the water was still very calm and flat so rather than spending a night at Nine Mile we headed to Kunechin Point. The islets just before the point had a number of seals which we surprised and they surprised us. It was very cool to watch about 20 to 30 seals head into the sea. There were also a few mama seals with their pups who definitely did not like us there. There are two tent pads at Kunechin Point which we had all to ourselves. This site is beautiful, allowing you to look down both Salmon Inlet and Sechelt Inlet although, if it is stormy, there would be no protection from the wind and rain. We did explore the Kunechin Bay campsite which is beautiful as well and much more protected from whatever bad weather may be happening but it does not have the views the point provides. It was very easy to forget that we were on an ocean inlet instead of a lake as was proven shortly after arriving at Kunechin Point camp. We unloaded and started to have lunch when Brian said hed better check on the canoe. Of he went and then he was yelling "Sue, oh sh*t! Oh f**k! Sue!" I ran down to the little bay we had landed on and Brian was off on the side on rocks rescuing our canoe that had almost floated away! Another 5 to 10 minutes and I'm sure the canoe would have floated away with the incoming tide and strong currents around the point. Rule of thumb: bring the canoe up above the high tide mark and tie it to something to be extra sure! Arriving fairly early we were able to set up camp and relax, sunbathe and read. Ahh, heaven! As we were told the wind did come up for the afternoon raising pretty good white caps. Wouldn;t have wanted to be paddling on that!
               
Day 3: Kunechin Point to Tzoonie Narrows
Paddling time: 3 hours
We woke to another beautiful day with calm water. After a quick breakfast we broke camp to head a little further up Sechelt Inlet to Narrows Inlet and Tzoonie Narrows. We saw more seals and even had 2 follow us for a short distance. Shortly after rounding Cawley Point we saw one of the 2 lodges on Narrows Inlet, Bird Point Lodge. It was pretty obvious that no one was there so we didn;t stop but continued on to explore Storm Bay which has numerous cabins. We did stop at Tzoonie Outdoor Adventures to inquire about the facilities but unfortunately the owner was out fishing. A short paddle further we came to Tzoonie Narrows camp. After setting up camp we went exploring around as this is the site of both a former hippie commune and logging operation. Here we found old machinery rusting away in the woods as well as fruit trees such as apple and plum. Across the bay there is another beach with apple trees, relics from the hippie commune. There was a lot of bear scat but all of it was pretty old. There was also lots of garbage people had left behind. Unfortunately we did not have any large garbage bags with us to clean it up but hopefully a park ranger will get out that was soon to do so. But Brian did find a perfectly good fish net. We tried our hands at fishing but only caught a couple small perch. We also put out crab traps in hopes of catching a crab or two for tomorrow nights dinner. Again, we were the only ones at this campsite during our stay. Solitude!
                     
Day 4; Tzoonie Narrows and paddle day to the end of Narrows Inlet
Paddling time: 4 hours
We decided to stay another night at Tzoonie so we could explore to the end of Narrows Inlet. I was a little concerned about Tzoonie Narrows as the charts warn of a strong tidal current around 4 knots. So we paddled through it and back while the tide was going out to see what it was like prior to setting off to explore. Not a big issue, but if you are there paddle on inlet left when heading in as the current isn't quite a strong on that side nor are the boils as prevalent. This day proved to be our longest day of paddling as we did paddle to where the river enters the inlet. Along the way we encountered a few cabins and the first running water we had seen. We were warned at Paddles and Pedals that most of the streams were now dry and to ensure we had enough water which proved to be an excellent warning. So if you go, take enough water with you for your whole stay as fresh water is hard to find. At the end of the inlet there is a logging operation and what looks to be a site where they are working on laying down a pipeline. Perhaps it has something to do with the large hydro site at the end of Salmon Inlet? Of course we had a bit of a head wind heading back (Murphys Law!) and Tzoonie Narrows proved to be a lot more challenging with the tide coming in. Stay on the north side and the rapids, boils and current don't seem quite as bad. Also, I would note that you would probably want to ensure that no power boats are going to be going through when you are. After getting back to camp we pulled the crab traps and only one trap had a crab and it was much too small. So much for that idea! After a wonderful dinner of steak, mushrooms, potatoes and gravy we played a bit of crib and then headed to bed after watching the stars come out. That night, around 3:30 am we had a wild thunderstorm hit us. Lots of bright flashes, loud booms, hard wind and heavy rain that pretty much kept us awake until morning. With the inlet being so narrow I'm pretty sure that the thunder sounded much louder with it echoing off the mountain walls.
             
Day 5: Tzoonie Narrows to Cawley Point (Bird Point Retreat)
Paddling time: 2 hours
Fortunately when we got up to break camp and head to Halfway Beach, our next campsite, the wind had died down and it was raining very lightly. We stopped at Tzoonie Outdoor Adventures and managed to fill up one of our water containers as we were running low on water and planned to spend at least one more night out at Halfway Beach. As we got to Sechelt Inlet the wind had picked up and we could see some pretty good sized waves but we thought we could make it. We rounded the corner from Cawley Point and the waves were now large whitecaps with the waves breaking over the bow of the boat. There was no way we could paddle this so, after making a very scary turn in the waves, we headed back around Cawley Point to Bird Point Retreat. No one was at the place but we made use of the dock to wait out the wind, doing a little reading, me taking pictures and doing a little fishing to keep ourselves occupied. Only fish caught was some more small perch! It did not let up so by 6 pm we realized that we were there for the night. There is one very small cabin close to the dock that is not locked; it appears to be there for individuals stuck there by the wind. We camped out in the cabin for the night after we chased a small gecko away with plans to get up very, very early and get the crossing of Sechelt Inlet done BEFORE the wind came up, which could be anytime from mid-morning to early afternoon.
               
Day 6: Cawley Point to Tillicum Bay via Halfway Beach
Paddling time: 1 hour to Halfway Beach
2 hours from Halfway Beach to Tillicum Bay
We got up early, ate a couple granola bars and headed out before the wind picked up. To get to Halfway Beach you need to cross Sechelt Inlet under the high power lines shortly after Cawley Point. We made this crossing and paddled to Halfway Point with no wind. Along the way we saw the remnants of an old cabin, possibly an old logging site. We also came across an Atlantic salmon fish farm. They were feeding the fish when we were there so it was very interesting to see all the salmon jumping in their pens. We reached Halfway Beach in about 1 hour. This is probably one of the nicest sites on Sechelt Inlet. The campsite is large and the beach is beautiful and great for swimming. We quickly unloaded the canoe and proceed to make a brunch of pancakes, bacon and, of course, lots of strong coffee! Brian went to talk to a couple guys about fishing, turns out they had been skunked as well. They also told Brian that there was a storm coming with lots of rain and wind. We debated whether we should stay or not as the plan was to stay at least one night at this site. But given the weather forecast we opted to head out. We paddled back to Tillicum Bay, crossing Sechelt Inlet at Piper Point, which is almost directly across from Tillicum Bay.
      
Total distance paddled was approximately 86 km
Here is Brian's GPS track of our trip:
Upon arriving back to our launch site we decided we really didnt want to head home and deal with the ferry on a Friday afternoon. So with the help of Charlene at Pedals and Paddles we found a wonderful little B&B close to the marina. We ended our day with showers (felt amazing!) and a wonderful dinner at The Lighthouse Pub in Sechelt which overlooks a marina and Sechelt Inlet. A great finish to our adventure!
  
Cheers!
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Edited by - Blucruisin on 09/17/2009 06:25 AM
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Burns Lake, BC
138 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2009 : 6:16 PM
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Great TR Sue! Thanks for posting.
Too funny with the float-away boat.  Been there, done that!
Congrats on the new boat as well!
Canoeheadted.
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1076 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2009 : 9:45 PM
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Nice report. Looks like a relaxing trip. Maybe more so if you had current tables for the narrows  |
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 | Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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 Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2009 : 10:02 PM
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I've done some work up there and it's a beautiful area.
PS your "gecko" is an alligator lizard - geckos are tropical. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1091 Posts |
Posted - 09/16/2009 : 11:23 PM
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Great TR. I hope to do a similar trip sometime. Nice to see pics of the camping spots.
You weren't kidding about lot's of Jellyfish in the area. This is what we encountered near Poise Island in Sechelt Inlet this summer.
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Abbotsford, BC
Canada
1190 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 06:29 AM
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Thanks Dru for letting us know what the lizard was. Are they common on the coast?
Shrubhugger, we tried to find a current table before we left for Tzoonie Narrows but only found ones for Skookumchuck.
Great pic Lupin. I tried to take some pics of the jellyfish but none of mine turned out. Your's definitely captures what we saw as well. I wonder, would a person call them a "school" of jellyfish? 
Cheers! |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1969 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 08:22 AM
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Looks like you guys had a nice trip  |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1076 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 08:42 AM
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| I see. That is good to know. The inlet is so small that slack water probably almost coincides with the turn of the tide, so keeping an eye on that could help. Also, I doubt there is a huge lag between slack water at Skookumchuck and at Tzoonie. |
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| Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
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Langley, BC
Canada
1298 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 11:14 AM
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I've heard the term "smack" in the past.
In a recent documentary on jellyfish from the National Geographic called "Jellyfish Invasion" (an excellent documentary, btw) they referred to large numbers of jellies as a "swarm".
Looks like you guys had a fantastic trip, Blucruisin. |
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challenge seeker, bagless sleeper, bare bones, trail trooper
Abbotsford, BC
Canada
1937 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 12:26 PM
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| What a beautiful trip. You have some wonderful photos to remember this by. Your new canoe looks pretty stylin' and glad the canoe did not escape on you. Nice patch up job on the knee too. |
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Burnaby, BC
Canada
293 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 6:48 PM
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Glad that the maiden voyage of your new canoe was so wonderful!
Here's to many more paddling TR's in your future |
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Abbotsford, BC
Canada
731 Posts |
Posted - 09/17/2009 : 8:45 PM
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| It appears you had a great week on the water. A reminder of the triumph of water trips. Thanks! |
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map hatin', coffee perc totin', garbage collectin', backpacking, action hero wannabe, who loves to hide out in Garibaldi park and will have his scouts sing if you keep him awake at night
Vancouver, BC
Canada
2257 Posts |
Posted - 09/18/2009 : 08:21 AM
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Looks like you guys had fun! Your trip brought back memories of the time I paddled the Inlet. I think our tents were on the exact same spot at Tzoonie Narrows.
Looking forward to the next time we get out for a paddle! |
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Sechelt, BC
Canada
279 Posts |
Posted - 09/18/2009 : 9:49 PM
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What great Pics and trip report, you should be working for coast tourism. If you like cross country skiing you should come up here in winter. Lots of snow and trails some groomed some not. The Tetrahedron park has 4 remote cabins to ski into or snow shoe to.
Good to see you had a good time. I live on west side of Porpoise Bay. Love to see great pics. |
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179 Posts |
Posted - 01/30/2010 : 11:32 PM
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I'm currently doing some research for a new canoe. We have a Royalex Mad River but it is a bit slow to paddle. We are thinking of the Hellman Prospector. Do you have any comments on how it performs in big water and ocean paddling.
Did you go for Kevlar or Duralite and what do you think of it.
Thanks |
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Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5555 Posts |
Posted - 01/31/2010 : 7:03 PM
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| Wow , I don't know how I missed this one. I must have been away at the time. Great report guys and such wonderful pictures. I love that area. |
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Abbotsford, BC
Canada
1190 Posts |
Posted - 02/01/2010 : 10:35 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Fram
I'm currently doing some research for a new canoe. We have a Royalex Mad River but it is a bit slow to paddle. We are thinking of the Hellman Prospector. Do you have any comments on how it performs in big water and ocean paddling.
Did you go for Kevlar or Duralite and what do you think of it.
Thanks
Fram, we bought the Hellman Prospector after renting one a few times including a 9 day trip on the Bowrons and a weekend trip on the Squamish river. We are really happy with how well the Hellman Prospector has handled in every trip we've used it on. We know someone who really tried to convince us on the Clipper Prospector which handles much the same but we found it hard to deal with the owner of Western Canoe in Abbotsford vs. Dave at Middleton Boats in North Van. We bought the Duralite mostly because it was a bit more affordable for us. Middleton Boats rents the Hellman Prospector if you want to try one before buying. Hope this helps.
Cheers! |
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Paddling Sechelt Inlet Aug. 30 to Sept. 4, 2009
