October 6th - Campania Island (#58)

On my second trip we managed to get out for a lovely morning paddle in McMicking Inlet on Campania Island. Conditions were beautiful and we were joined by eagles and seals. In the zoomed in picture, note the "bog forest" behind the rim of conifers at the waters edge. Lots of cool plants there like Labrador tea, clubmoss, juniper and sundew!

zoomed out a bit - click to enlarge

zoomed in - click to enlarge

really zoomed out to show the whole area - click to enlarge

5 km, YTD 450 km

September 27th - Khutze Inlet (#57)

While I was on a Maple Leaf Adventures trip in the Great Bear Rainforest this fall I took some guests on a short paddle up the Khutze Inlet Estuary. The tide was quite low, so we could not get up too far! Later in the day we had great views of grizzly bears.

close up - click to enlarge

zoomed out a bit - click to enlarge

6 km, YTD 445 km

June 18-28 Haida Gwaii (#s 41-43)

While on board MV Swell as naturalist for Maple Leaf Adventures, I managed to get out for 3 paddles. One in Hutton Inlet on the first trip, one in De La Beche Inlet in the second trip and one at Moresby camp in the evening of our changeover day. 3 nice little paddles in a beautiful area!

Hutton inlet - 3 km - click to enlarge

De La Beche Inlet - 5 km - click to enlarge

Moresby Camp - 4 km - click to enlarge

South Moresby Island overview - click to enlarge

12 km, YTD 327 km

September 29th - Cameron Cove (#70)

While I was on a Maple Leaf Adventures Great Bear Rainforest trip from Bella Bella to Kitimat, we managed to squeeze in a short paddle on one of the nice calm days. Cameron Cove was a great spot for a paddle and can be a place to see wolves and bears as well as many birds. As I was returning to the MV Swell, I spotted whale spouts outside the cove which eventually led us to a magnificent display of bubble net feeding!

Cameron Cove - click to enlarge

click to enlarge - zoomed out to see the location

5 km, YTD 601 km

10 paddles in Alaska (#s 51-60)

I spent July 16 to August 12 aboard MV Swell in southeast Alaska working as a naturalist for Maple Leaf Adventures. During that time I was able to lead ten short paddles with guests. Not too much details about each paddle, but all were fun!

overview of paddle sites as red dots - click to enlarge

#1 - Windham Bay - July 18th - 2 km

Windham Bay click to enlarge

#2 Gambier Bay - July 21st - 5 km

Gambier Bay - click to enlarge

#3 Warm Springs Bay - July 22nd - 2 km

Warm Springs Bay - the tide was right for getting into the salt lagoon!

#4 Magoun Islands - July 24th - 4 km

Magound Islands - click to enlarge

#5 Magoun Islands - July 25th - 2 km

Magoun Islands - July 25th - click to enlarge

#6 Warm Springs Bay - July 28th - 6 km

Warm Springs Bay - click to enlarge

#7 Gambier Bay - July 29 - 6 km

Gambier Bay -click to enlarge

#8 Good Island, Gambier Bay - August 1st - 6 km

Good Island Gambier Bay - click to enlarge

#9 Gambier Bay - August 8th - 5 km

Gambier Bay - click to enlarge

#10 Stone Island, South Etolin - August 10 - 4 km

Stone Island - click to enlarge

42 km total for Alaska - YTD 513 km

July 29 to August 14 - Alaska (#65-74)

While in Alaska as naturalist aboard Maple Leaf Adventures' MV Swell, I managed to get in ten paddles in several spectacular locations.
I will follow up with detailed  blog postings for each paddle in due course - but first I have to pack for leaving for PEI this evening!
28 km, YTD 636 km

June 26-July 7 Haida Gwaii (#s 51-55)

I was up in Gwaii Hanaas working as the naturalist on board MV Swelll with Maple Leaf Adventures again this year. Over two weeks, I managed to get out for five short paddles

overview

#51- June 26 - Skaat Harbour - 2 km
I went for a short paddle with the group in Skaat Harbour befoire heading off to Burnaby Narrows later in the day.

Skaat Harbour - click to enlarge

#52 - June 29 - Anna Inlet - 1 km
Another short paddle. A few seals

Anna Inlet - click to enlarge

June 30th - Cumshewa Head - 1 km
I went for a last short paddle of the trip in a bay by Cumshewa Head. We saw some river otters.

Cumshewa head - click to enlarge

July 4th - Burnaby Narrows - 3 km
After a wonderful shore trip at Burnaby Narrows we went for a paddle in the bay near Bag harbour. Though we had seen several bears earlier, we did not see any paddling! I went over to the kayak camp to say hi to Sarah who was leading a multi-day paddling trip.

Burnaby Narrows - click to enlarge

July 7th - Anna Inlet - 3 km
For my last paddle of the trip we went to the mouth of Anna Inlet. The walls are steep here and have great intertidal life. Lots of sea cucumbers, urchins, turban snails and some yellow dorid nudibranchs.

Anna Inlet - click to enlarge

Total for th 5 trips 10 km, YTD 539

August 23rd - Kynoch Inlet (#72)

I went for an early morning paddle with Steve under the dramatic cliffs of Kynock inlet. Gazing up at these 2000+ foot cliffs, etched by glaciers was quite something...

click to enlarge

2 km, YTD 561 km

Here is a map showing all four trips:

click to enlarge - 1400 pixels wide

I saw so many places that would have been wonderful to spend days exploring by sea kayak on these trips! Must go back!

August 22nd - Khutze Inlet (#71)

I went for a morning paddle with Steve into the estuary of Khutze inlet. There were many seals lined up on the bank like sausages!

click to enlarge

4 km, YTD 559 km

August 20th - Barnard Harbour (#70)

My second short paddle while on our Whales and Wild Islands trip. This time I went out with Stuart. Saw a bear in the estuary.

click to enlarge

2 km, YTD 555 km

August 19th Campagnia Island (#69)

While acting as naturalist on board MV Swell, I was able to get out for a few paddles on our North Coast trip. We were so busy on the Alaska trip that I never found time to get out.
This trip was in McMicking inlet on Campagnia Island. A beautiful protected area on the outer coast. I went for a short paddle with Sue.

click to enlarge

zoomed out view -click to enlarge

3 km, YTD 553 km

June 28 - July 2 Gwaii Hanaas (#s 58-61)

While I was working on MV Swell as a naturalist in Gwaii Hanaas, I managed to get out for 4 short paddles in one of their cute little Delta 10s. We had amazing weather and conditions throughout the trip and it was great to putter about in our anchorages in the kayaks.Looking forward to Alaska and the North Coast in August.

overview, click to enlarge

Ikeda cove - June 28 - 2 km - click to enlarge

De La Beche Inlet June 30/July 1 - 4 km - click to enlarge

Anna Inlet - July 2 - 1.5 km - click to enlarge

7 km, YTD 517 km