I took off for my 4 month Canadian summer/early fall on Monday, June 1st from SLC, and drove to Yakima, WA (700 miles)….Donna flew back to Littleton on Tuesday. She joins me up in Canada on June 18th. From Yakima, I drove to Seattle and made it through that traffic disaster with some slow downs initially but then fairly smooth sailing. At the south end of Bellingham, I angled off to the NE, crossing the border just south of Abbotsford, Canada, where I picked up my last addition to my kayak fleet, a Delta 15.5 kayak (better storage capability for a few multi day trips I hope to take this summer up in BC). My four month stay led to a few more questions than usual at the border, but it was still pretty smooth getting across. Picked up the kayak, got it loaded on the car with Western Canoe and Kayak staff help, drove to the ferry terminal, took the ferry to Nanaimo, and drove to Comox to stay the night. Did a 4 mile walk the next morning, and shopped at Costco and Thrifty grocery store before heading to Campbell River and my short ten minute ferry ride to Quadra Island.
Evening Yakima river walk
Evening Yakima River walk
In ferry line with new kayak (who the heck is that old guy driving that car with all that gear?)
Mount Baker taken from the back of the ferry
Mainland BC mountains taken from the ferry
Lighthouse near Gabriela Island with Mount Baker in background
Comox
Pileated woodpecker in Comox
Climbing hydrangea in Comox
First dawn (it comes real early up here at this time of year, around 5 am), and first paddle with my new kayak.
First sunrise from “our” place on Quadra
First sunrise from “our” place on Quadra
First sunrise from “our” place on Quadra
Common mergansers
Common mergansers
Harlequin ducks
Harlequin ducks
Harlequin ducks
Harlequin ducks
Harbor seals
Great blue heron
Our local walk that we do most days, is a roughly 4 mile loop that goes steeply up Wa Wai Kie road to Quadra loop, around Quadra loop, then down Fox road on to Fox Road logging road, and then back along the coast on the Kay Dubois trail. Wood, ocean, lovely local flowers, etc. A good workout and and a beautiful walk.
My set up for kayak storage underneath the new deck for the summer
Our “logo” designed by Kirsten last year
Pacific dogwood
Yellow iris
Foxgloves
Pontic Rhododendron
Stellar sea lions
Stellar sea lions
Pacific banana slug
No false modesty up here
A second kayak, out to Breton island, then Dunsterville Island, Read Island, and some islets off Read Island before returning. Both first week kayaks were around 4 hours long and about 9.5 miles RT.
Leather Star
This guy got out at the same time I did. He told me that he was training for the world championships
Common merganser
Harlequin ducks
River Otter (who lives by the sea - a sea otter is a different species)
Asterid sea star
Crystal jellyfish
Hiked to the top of Beech’s Mountain for the spectacular views (haven’t done this for a number of years). It’s only about 2 miles up but quite vertical…a gain of around 1400 feet in only two miles. It’s particularly vertical at the top, but the views are very worthy. Only one other car when I started out, but a dozen cars when I returned, but didn’t see anyone else on the hike. They must have all been hiking Chinese Mountain, a similar viewpoint hike, also steep, great views, although not quite as nice as Beech’s, and slightly less vertical…perhaps 1100 feet of vertical.
Sooty Grouse (yep, that’s the name of the species - Sooty)
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