We're both getting tired and ready to settle for the day when we round a bend in Gay Passage and the

Here in the remote Bunsby Islands off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, we've been blessed with a string of bluebird days and little wind. Perfect kayaking weather in a perfect place to sea kayak.
alamo car rental While our kayaking trip began with a long paddle from Fair Harbour to the village of Kyuquot, we cheated the next day and hired a water taxi to haul our kayaks and gear out here to the Bunsbys. alamo car rental With limited vacation time, we don't want to risk being weathered out on the 8-mile open ocean paddle north to the islands, as some have been.
As I wrote in my first blog post about this trip , the Bunsby Islands are way up north on the west coast of Vancouver Island alamo car rental in the Checleset Bay Ecological Reserve . The reserve was established in 1981 to provide
of sea otters. I'm happy to say the otters are thriving alamo car rental here now. (I didn't get any decent shots although I saw numerous otters.) The reserve also encompasses tribal lands that are off-limits alamo car rental for camping.
When a large group of kayakers with West Coast Expeditions arrives at the cove, we set off to find a camping spot described by Bill, whom we met and paddled with from Fair Harbour. Although we can't find the place that Bill showed us on the map (which alamo car rental we later discover was actually alamo car rental the beach where we started from), I'm enchanted as we paddle past charming little coves, turquoise tidal lagoons, rocky outcrops studded with colorful starfish (sea stars), and the mostly forested shorelines.
It's hard to resist kayaking into every inlet and small bay we pass, but ultimately we do have to find a place to pitch our tent tonight. We make our way north between the outer Checkaklis Island and the middle and second-largest of the Bunsby Islands, passing many little islets along the way.
We edge out toward the northwestern side of Checkaklis Island , which is exposed to the open ocean, and just float in our kayaks above some tangled brown kelp forests . Looking down into these "forests" is far better than any trip to an aquarium. They teem with marine life, from crabs scurrying across kelp leaves, to schools of small fish darting alamo car rental around, to otherworldly kinds of jellyfish I've never seen in Puget Sound, my home waters.
Rounding the north side of the middle big island (not named on the map), we see the ragged peaks of Vancouver Island and the Brooks Peninsula across the channel in the distance. We're heading over that direction in a couple days.
Some beautiful coves and beaches beckon us as we continue searching for a camping spot, but forest thick with underbrush largely grows right down to the high tideline. (Note: I should have checked my recreation map that indicates camping site locations.)
We're both getting tired and ready to settle for the day when we round a bend in Gay Passage and there it is: a perfect little spot sticking out like a tiny thumb, a teensy peninsula on a small tidal island next to a lagoon.
And then for the next 26 hours or so we just chill on our little island (which we named Bilgo), reading, alamo car rental napping, exploring the tide pools, and taking pictures. We see no other kayakers and only two boats cruising past. This solitude, this quiet in nature, is like a balm after several long days of gearing up and traveling to get up here.
With the sun lowering in the sky, we hop in our kayaks and paddle back to Barney's Island to see if Bill arrived (he has). And the moonrise! Tonight we witness the first of several spectacular moonrises.
Our highlight of the day is hearing the puppy-like whimpering of sea otters echoing across alamo car rental the twilight water as we're midway up Gay Passage. Sirena, one of the West Coast Expedition alamo car rental guides we've met, tells us it's the sound mama otters and their kits use to find each other.
Although there are designated camping alamo car rental sights indicated on marine recreation maps in the Bunsby Islands, they are not well marked or easy to find. We passed several without knowing they were there. In retrospect, alamo car rental I would have looked alamo car rental harder if I knew sites were there.
And of course, we used the "leave no trace" ethic at our campsite (which includes doing your business well below the high tideline). For my next trip to this area, I'll leave a little extra space in my kayak and bring a garbage alamo car rental pack to pick up old plastic bottles and such that have washed ashore or been left.
I had no idea heaven was so close to home! Yet I should have known...what an awesome trip. I would have explored slowly too. You are the right person to ask about the back country in this area! Thanks for the post Jill
Omg! It makes us want to go back to the wilderness again. Just remembering that feeling of luxuriating in the peace and solitude and quiet. I am so thrilled that you got to make this journey. Great post! Can t wait to see the next installment.
Pacific Northwest Seasons features outdoor and urban adventures from the perspective of an insider born and raised in this scenic region alamo car rental of the U.S.A. If you re planning to visit, entertaining out-of-town guests, or just want to get out and explore more, read on!
I m a bi-state Northwesterner raised near Portland and now based in Seattle, with family roots in the region extending alamo car rental back almost 150 years. My love affair with the Cascade Mountains alamo car rental and outdoors in general started with summers at Hidden Valley Camp in the shadow of Mount Pilchuck.