The Wild Coast of Vancouver Island

I head for Nitinat Lake, which is connected to the Pacific. The narrow connection is called Tidal Papids. Sounds exciting to me and I decide to enter Nitinat Lake. I enter the lake full speed, going with the current. There are a couple fisherboats around here. Their engines migth be their advantage when they go back the other direction. I enter a lake, which is surrounded by forrest. The first thing I recognize is a float on my right side. Four people are sit on it and enjoy a meal.

My nose did not lead me wrong once again. The local natives have a restaurant here and offer crabs or salmon with potatoes plus all kinds of cold beer and soda. Five minutes later I sit at a table next to two older Candian ladies and a young couple from Holland, holding a Canadian in my one hand, waiting for my grilled salmon. The other four all hike the West Coast Trail. The "Floating Restaurant" is pure luxury for all of us. We all get to know new people, while we sit in the middle of a lake, enjoying frech sea foods and a cold beer. How can you not feel happy in a situation like this? When I want to go on I recognize the current still being too strong. I'll have to fight it. I give my very best, not sure whether it will be enough. At times it feels like I am not moving from the spot at all and I am about to give in. But somehow, very slowly I manage to get around the whirls. Finally I am able to get near the shore to use the backcurrents and get past the Rapids.