Burial Island and Benson Point

Day 5
We set off early with the plan to explore the burial caves and paddle onward in wind and currents but with a hot lunch on the menu and sleeping bags packed JIC.
First we checked out the outermost of the triplex group but no evidence was found. Jill and I stopped and the next Island and easily found the caves just as she remembered behind a large rock. The 3 caves were low, deep adn open. One had remnants of planks and wooden boxes, some shells, and bones in disarray. The inside cave was the largest and housed several skulls and bones.

Paddled across Nuchatlitz inlet in moderate swells. Belmont Point had huge breakers so we continued south rounding cave laden coves to sandy but blowing Benson Point.  Brenda hauled out her cooking gear and prepared a hot lunch=turkey sausage and pasta with salad.

Found the stream falling from a rock face on the outside beach where the creek and resulting pools in rock were so tempting I washed and shampooed in the crisp, clean water.

A few of us walked to the east end of the beach and climbed a rock face in an attempt to access the next beach but the tide was coming up so it was kaiboshed.

The wind was still gusting at high tide at 1800hrs but we decided to attempt a return trip to home base. I had fear of having to seek shelter in some hidden pocket cove enroute but once we rounded to the outside of Benson the wind seemed to calm a slightly. It was a steady but not grueling beat against a ‘nor wester'.

After crossing the channel in moderate swells we found shelter amongst the kelp and rock formations where I stopped to watch an eagle dying his wings and spying an otter nursery with crying baby otters. I came across a sleeping otter in a kelp bed and stopped paddling to watch him close up till he woke with a startle and disappeared in a splash.

Once back at camp, dry clothes and a fire were in order to warm or chilled and aching bones. Anna provided some hot miso while we off loaded and tied up boats.

A Brunch to Remember

We climbed to the top to be exposed to SW howling winds.

  

orange sea cucumbers



Day 4
Luxurious lie in awaking to sounds of laughter from the driftwook kitchen. Barb was making her famous Eggs Benny.

mmmmm good!

The wind this am was a fierce 25knots NW. A few of us adventurous souls made a plan to paddle over to burial island and the others remained in camp to rest and do crafts. We paddled to the sea otter raft of about 50 we viewed from the S. end of the island.


Sea otter.....Isn't she sweet

  White caps on the water and no need to paddle the push was so powerful. Unable to brake using a paddle so we grabbed onto kelp branches to slow down and stop. A short distance determined it was too dangerous to continue on the outside coast so we turned around ( a very difficult feat) and sailed down the E. side of Is. 44 whizzing over eel grass.
We steered in the basin inside big Nuchatlitz Is. and found relief from the gale.



Darlene in a kelp bed

 We wound our way deeper into the lagoon past a shoreline of quaint cottages, stopped to admire bat stars and sea cucumbers.

 

We took a break on a grassy knoll, shared a picnic and Jill, Darlene, Anna and I continued to the end of the lagoon while Brenda stayed behind to nap. We disembarked in mud-yuk! tied up the boats and made our way through a little forest path that opened up onto a large outside sandy beach facing East. We waded through stacks of driftwood, finding kelp sculptures, mammal bones and foreign debris. At the S. e beach we climbed over a rocky point onto another beach equally as interesting.



I was fascinated by a large knoll that presented as a lush array of plants dripping down its rocky face.

Lush meadow on the top

In time we retraced our steps back to the inside lagoon and paddled off to collect sleeping Brenda. Since the tide was up we paddled through a narrow outlet to get out in now manageable 10kt winds.



Kokopeli's shadow?



Anna's depiction of a windy scene today



 Arrived back at camp at about 6pm hungry, and exhausted to be greeted by our friends who presented us with hors d'oerves and wine. Kathy's chef night, Italian sausage sauce on penne pasta which we ate sitting in the sun on the South beach.

Day 3 Go West!

5:40 wake up call from Barb. "no wind" as predicted. "Let's go!"  Downed a hot drink while taking down the tent. A gruelling early pack up but on the water by 8:30 on a calm morning.

Kathy raring to go



Lets raft up and make a plan

 



Barb on a calm morning

  


We landed on a small beach on Rosa Island and Darlene had her stove out and whipped up some smoked salmon and caper pitas while Jill made coffee.



 It was a lovely sunny brunch.



We enjoyed the spot but didn't doddle as wind was predicted. We got a taste of it once we rounded Rosa Is and paddled to Island 44.

After we set up camp...



and a kitchen...




Jill, Kathy, Anna and I decided to circumnavigate this little island at high tide.

This boat didn't make it

Hang on and enjoy the ride

I found this sandstone and Kathy found her blue netting 

Jill decked out in kelp





the surf was wild so rock climbing required



 

 









Upon our return to camp we showed off our beach finds, kelp facinators, rocks and shells.

A Bloody Mess

Day 2
A 6 am wake up call, quick coffee and a bite and delivery of kayaks & crew to Little Espinosa a few kliks out of town to load the boats. That is always a daunting task. How to fit it all in???


2 hours to pack boats



1 hour to take vehicles back into Zebellos and get a ride back out to departure site. We were on the water by 10ish.  Lunch break came a couple hours later in a small bay on the East side of the inlet.  During lunch Bobby sliced her palm while closing her knife. It was bleeding actively and she had visions of packing the trip in. But the mob of nurses tuned in, applied pressure, steri stips and dressings.

Darlene came to the rescue with the plan to tow Bobbie across the channel so she could rest her wound for the day.


Darlene and Anna to the rescue as towers extraordinaire.


The wind was gusting in the channel so after crossing we decided to set up camp at Garden Point. I drew the lucky straw this time and got to cook first. Lemon and garlic prawns, rice and veg were on the menu accompanied by Lemoncello shots. Dessert was lemon ginger chocolate. The lemony delights were gifts from my Debora who just returned from Italy.







Anna's sketch

A solo paddler, Jonathan, a physician from Comox with the intention of circumnavigating Nootka Island was tickled to be invited to join us for our exotic meal and for go his freeze dried fare.

The beach was warm and sunny and tent sites were in the forest. Fresh water around the bend to freshen up.

The Big Paddle

June 4, 2011
Departure date of annual Kayak adventure.

8 of us intrepid women made our way up island to the hamlet of Zebellos. We checked into the new Post and Beam hotel that was still under construction. The kayaks provided a colorful view from the balcony.

After checking in and walking around town, meeting Michael the nurse who allowed us to park at his place, we gathered on the deck for wine and hors d'oerves. Barb presented an exotic concoction of goat cheese, pine nuts and pepper jelly to spread on crackers.



My Rav is dwarfed next to the trucks.