The Wild Coast of Vancouver Island

Today I see sealions for the first time. They are something else than seals and do not feel like getting too close to them. Their grunting does not leave an inviting impression on me. I will have to get used to it.

I pitch my tent in Experiment Bay right before Cape Scott to have a good starting point fort he next day's trip around it. At 6 o'clock in the morning I paddle my kayak throught two surging billows, which earns me a cold shower. Wideawake and concentrated I kayak around the Cap and its cliffs in a wide radius.

The weather is perfekt and it seems like everything will be only half a struggle as I thought it would be. Nevertheless I am happy to have left Cape Scott behinf me and I decide to celebrate this moment with a Cohiba and a cup of Canadian Club in the evening.From now on I should have tailwind.

As one of the last supply Stopps for now I reach Winter Harbour, a place which is inhabited by 20 people during summer and 5 during winter. Plus a couple of fishing tourists. Some of them liv in Dick's Last Resort which is the only B&B in Winter Harbour. I rent a room for a night, take a shower, use the washing machine and the dryer, and enjoy Dick's great dinner in the evening.

What more could I ask for? It's suprising to see how much one can enjoy good food. It is all a question of one's perspective. I put nearly everything in the category of fine food, which does not include rice of noodles in any way. The next day Dick also supplies me with a big serving of potato salad.
On Kains Island I visit the keepers and get to know a lot of things about the life on such a little island from Tony and Lucinda. The summer months are fantastic and there are a couple visits off and on. A paddler for example! But winter really shows you, if you are made for this job. Sure not everyone's thing, but I would like to try it for a couple of years.

The next day I find bearmarks again. Who cares... It is so beautiful here, that I quickly decide to stay. Tons of wood, shells, dried out crabs, rocks (some of them end up in my pockets) and many more things are still to discover.

A blackbear visits me again and both of us look pretty confused, when we recognize each other with only about 60 feet between us. The bear quickly crosses the river, which here flows into the ocean and disappears into the woods.

I cicle Brooks Peninsula the next day, another one of my journey's milestones. Brooks stretches out into the Pacific and lies really exposed. This can cause a difficult landing, since the Pacific's waves can become pretty big. A Boomer hits me near Clerke Point and I capsize. Sh...! I get out of the boat and swim for a bout 3 minutes until I reach the shore. I pull my kayak up the rough rocks, fix it between my legs as well as I can and pump the out the water. After that I get back in and back into the water. The whole situation could have become a problem but I was lucky and had the weather on my side. Later on I read "avoid Clerke Point" in my notes. A tip I got from a friend of mine, Rob from Victoria. All you need to do is remember the note with the right page of the map (i had about 40)... However. A new experience I will remember for sure under different circumstances. Still I am in a good mood, since I passed Cape Scott and Brooks, which is half of my trip.