Our next adventure - Cycling New Zealand

It was great to paddle all summer, lets now move where it is still summer and play for another 6 months.

November 22, 2009, we are flying to New Zealand for a cycling adventure. Destination AUCKLAND. You can follow our cycling trip adventure at http://pattistevens.blogspot.com/

Off the water

Wow, what a great summer!

We have been away from Victoria for 4 months, and have had a fabulous time exploring the waters of Northern BC. We met many super friendly people along the way which made the trip even better. Of all the summers to be living outdoor, this was the best summer ever!



Summary
- 84 days on the water
- 1 000 miles (1850 km)
- Three diffent areas (Queen Charlotte, Prince Rupert and Kitimat)

Thanks to all the people that assisted us along the way, it definitely made a difference!

We are now back on dry land, planning part II of our year off. Stay tuned, we will keep you posted.

Kitimat - The land of cabins and waterfalls.

Sept 13th to Sept 21st, 2009

Distance: 100 miles

Nine days on the water and nine days of rain! Thank God for the network of cabins provided by the Haisla First Nations. The rocky shoreline and cliffs of the inlets were well worth the paddle despite the rain. Having the hotsprings completly to ourselves was an another bonus. Not many kayakers stop in Kitimat, but it is well worth the drive.

Prince Rupert

August 31st to Sept 9th, 2009
Distance: 80 miles

Patti and I have just returned from a trip in the Prince Rupert area with our friend, Werner Faust from Victoria. We spent 10 days paddling from Rupert to the islands of Lucy, Melville, Dunira and Baron.. What a wonderful place to paddle and to discover. There is so much to see, I am sure we will be back.

Haida Gwaii - The End

After 3 fabulous months and paddling 797 miles in the Queen Charlotte islands, we are now back on the main land at Prince Rupert. We met wonderful people and paddled many parts of the islands. What a great experience!

Masset to Langara

August 18 to 23, 2009

Distance: 89 miles

We experienced a whole new culture on this trip. It is all about the "Sporties" (The Sport Fisherman). Not quite remote, as all we could see were boats, boats and more boats. All along the North Coast, there are float planes and helicopters flying people in and out of Langara's fishing lodges. Catching the big one has its price!

It is interesting to interact with these people, especially when they offered us hot breakfast sandwiches in the morning when we launched and treats at the end of the day when we needed an energy burst. Add to that, Roger, the "on water" security guard for Queen Charlotte Lodge keeping an eye out for our safety on water and on land...as there were heaps of bears roaming the shoreline.

For some, this may have been a turn off but for us, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. On top of this, we stayed 4 nights in a cabin and only set up our tent one night...talk about roughing it!

Gwaii Haanas - The return -

August 3 to 13, 2009
Distance: 165 miles

Patti and I wanted to paddle around Graham Island. Since the weather was so great, it also brought a lot of wind and therfore, a NO GO for the West Coast. Around the same time, our friend Michel Guerard with a group from Victoria also tried but had to bail at Rose Spit. So here we are, the three of us (Patti, Yves and Michel) looking for a place to paddle. We decided to take Michel on a trip to Gwaii Haanas. We paddle 165 miles in 11 days from Moresby Camp to Burnaby Narrows and back. A good time was had by all!

Masset Inlet

July 24 to 29, 2009
Distance: 82 miles

We paddled Juskatla and Masset Inlets parking our vehicle at Port Clements. In Juskatla Inlet, we had more current and wind than on the west coast. We went as far west as Dinan Bay and then back to Port Clements. We spent 6 days paddling this area... A best kept secret as it is not paddled very often. Kayakers seem to skip this part of the island as they don't have the time. As for us, we discovered a great place to paddle. Do not miss it!

North Beach

July 20 to 22, 2009

We spent some time at North Beach in Masset surfing and crabbing. We met great people such as Bryan and Chad from Prince George who went out fishing (crabbing) with Patti. This is a great beach for kayak surfing on a rising tide. On a low tide...less than 21 feet... it is possible to camp overnight on the beach but if the tide gets higher than 21 feet, you may be in trouble. Check the sea state to make sure that the surf won't reach your car. This is a very long beach that is worth the visit.

Rose Spit

July 18 to 20, 2009
Distance: 22 miles

It is Thur July 23. Life is still going great for us in Haida Gwaii. After spending 3 days paddling to Rose Spit, we are back in Charlotte for laundry, shower, and groceries then going back to North Beach (Masset) on Graham Island to do a few days of car camping on the beach catching crabs at low tide and catching waves for kayak surfing at high tide. It's like holidaying from our holidays.

We just bought tickets to the local music festival for the weekend of Aug 7, 8, 9. (http://www.edgefestival.com/) Around the same time, we are meeting up with our friend, Mike from Victoria, for a week. That means we have 2 weeks for a kayak trip in Masset Inlet and Juskatla Inlet. This area will be much less challenging as no outer coast, but should still be heaps of fun.

Hiking Sleeping Beauty

If you have ever dreamed of hiking on Sleeping Beauty, it is in Queen Charlotte where you can do it. It is a great climb to get to the top of the world and throwing snow balls. it is a good change to hike after 35 days of kayaking. We will spend more time discovering the Island...there is so much to do. We'll keep you posted.

Cheers

Yves and Patti

Gwaii Haanas

May 30 to July 3, 2009
Distance: 407 miles

Just returned from 35 days at sea and paddling over 400 miles! We are both healthy and happy and full (just finished having fish and chips at the Sandspit Hotel). We will be in Sandspit for a few days and will start preparing for our next trip. We do not have our computer with us right now, so can't check email much. Will update with pictures soon.

On the water!

We are leaving our internet and phone access Thur May 28, and will be on the water from May 29 to July 10. We will update our blog when we are back in town.

Queen Charlotte, here we are!

Last minute call, Patti and I decided to take the Monday night ferry accross to the Queen Charlotte's Islands instead the one we have booked for Thursday. So we arrived this morning at 5:30 am and kind of visited a ghost town before it wakes up. After a visit at Parks Canada office, we are having our orientation session at 1:00 pm. GREAT! we are 2 days ahead of what was planned so we might get on the water earlier than planned.

May 23rd 2009 - What a day!

Today, we got a flat tire. Of course we had a spare, Patti and I changed it at the Balmoral gas station near Salmon Arm where we visited friends.

We went to the Canadian Tire in Kamloops to get it fixed and the guy said it couldn't be repaired. They contacted the Canadian Tire in Prince Albert where we bought the tires, and apparently we had a replacement warranty. Two weren't looking too good, one was questionable and the 4th was fine. But since we said we would be travelling for the next 4 months, they went ahead and replaced all 4 tires under warranty. We had to wait a while for fax confirmations, and to get the tires balanced and installed. So we didn't get out of Kamloops until 2:30 pm, but we left with 4 brand new tires for $120!

Now we get to Williams Lake at 5:55 and there is a Staples open till 6:00 pm. We went in just to look at our options for replacing our lap top monitor, and left with a new little lap top.

The monitor failed on our "old" laptop. Now, we are in Quesnel at the Sandman Inn where Yves is installing the applications to make sure it is compatible with our existing software and will meet our needs for the next year. We have to do this before catching our ferry just in case we have to take it back (which we can do tomorrow in Prince George if necessary).

Anyway, that's our first update within 12 hours

Vancouver get together

It was great to see you guys. After leaving Victoria, it was the perfect wind down (or wind up) to start our trip.

Cleaning up before the big trip

This is it! Final cleaning of the apartment and we are gone by tomorrow. Patti is working on the food which is a lot, three full big size rubbermate totes...!

As for me, I am cleaning, washing and scrubbing the whole unit. I learned the a little bit of pinesol and a cap of Murphy oil do a great job on wood floor...try it!

The "Camper van" is ready

Thanks to Werner Faust for spicing up our Dodge Grand Caravan. It will be our home for a whole year. Having a bed is great.Thanks Werner.

Getting ready for this summer kayak trip

Patti and I are taking a year off to play! We will begin by spending approx 5 months kayaking in Northern BC in the areas of Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert and Kitimat.

Cheers!

Patti et moi prenons une année de congé pour voyager. Nous allons passer les 5 premiers mois à pagayer les Iles de la Reine Charlotte ainsi que la côte Nord de la Colombie-Britannique (Prince Rupert et Kitimat).

À bientôt!

Yves and Patti