By Darcy Mitchell

A three day camping trip to the Octopus Islands Marine Park was thwarted by poor and deteriorating weather forecasts.  As the weekend approached, it looked as if Saturday and Monday would both be possible, but the day in between promised to be truly ghastly.  And it was.  In the end, two club members took a day paddle from the Discovery Islands Lodge through Whiterock Passage to North Rendezvous Island on the Saturday.  Conditions for paddling were excellent.  The narrow passage with range markers was interesting and views from the Rendezvous Islands toward the mainland inlets were awesome.  On the return, there were Pacific white-sided dolphins playing at the west end of the passage. (23 km; 5½ hours)

After waiting out the Sunday deluge, three of us spent the night at the Lodge to make the early morning slack at Surge Narrows.  We paddled through with no trouble at 7:45 and spent the next six hours in a delightful trip to, and around the Octopus Islands.  The weather was calm and sunny, and the area almost deserted.  Just us, one sailboat, two kayak campers, the birds, the leaping salmon, and the seals.  We explored a few campsite options for next season and visited “Wilson’s cabin” – a venerable wooden structure festooned with mementoes of visiting boaters, where we left an offering given to us by Beth, Lodge host (a gorilla sitting on a small boat labeled “Quadra” – created by whom, and why, who knows?). With the exception of one quick shower as we approached the narrows on our return, the weather was perfect and day a great success.  We’re sorry that some of the usual paddling suspects were hors de combat with injuries or otherwise unavailable, and look forward to a return visit next year (with camping!!). (25.5 km; 7 hours)

Kayaking Octopus Islands 21-23 Sept 2013

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