This 2 week trip to the Queen Charlotte Islands (now called Haida Gwaii) was the longest, both in distance and duration, kayak trip we did. It also planted the seed in Marcia’s and my head about exploring that long coast between Puget Sound and SE Alaska. There were six people (3 couples) on the trip, Marcia and myself, Craig and Sharon Rowley, and Debbie Wolf and John Wick. We paddled 2 double (Marcia & I, Debbie & John) and 2 single kayaks (Sharon & Craig).
Logistically, it was complex as to get to the put-in point at Raspberry Cove near the south tip of Moresby Island we had to:
- Drive 2 vehicles with 4 kayaks to the Tswwassen BC Ferry Terminal
- Ferry across to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island
- Drive Nanaimo to the Port Hardy BC Ferry Terminal
- Ferry 1 vehicle with 4 kayaks to Prince Rupert (1 vehicle was left in a parking lot and 4 of us walked aboard the ferry)
- Ferry to Skidegate on Graham Island
- Ferry to Alliford Bay on Moresby Island
- Drive to Moresby Camp landing (the 4 “footsies” rode in the van of our water taxi service)
- Water taxi with kayaks and gear a in large Zodiac (i.e., rigid hull inflatable boat) to Raspberry Cove.
This positioning took 2-1/2 days. It was pouring down rain when the water taxi dropped us in the afternoon of day 3. It was then we began to learn the art of erecting tarps over tents and the cook area.
It turned out that the day we landed was the wettest day of our trip. While overcast and occasionally rainy for the first week, the weather improved and we were in sunshine by the end.
The kayaking was not terribly challenging with only a few long (>3 miles) crossings. Otherwise it was mostly near shore paddling. Our take-out/pick-up spot was on Hot Springs Island in Juan Perez Sound after about 10 days of paddling. The trip home was pretty much the reverse of the trip up.
The trip’s high points were the First Nation ruins at Tanu and Ninstints, the camping in old grow forest (the towering trees and thick moss gives it the feel of a cathedral) and the scenic soak pool on Hot Springs Island.
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