La Push WA Paddle July 2014

July 2014 La Push WA

Paddled with a group of WKC ( Washington Kayak Club) friends launching at the Quillayute River marina. Paddled to Mosquito Cove some 11 miles to the south which was our intended campsite. Fog... lots of fog and winds in the 15-25k range for this trip with loads of sunshine. Numerous sea caves and arches to explore, rock gardens with a wide variety of sea life, birds, sea lions and seals.

We stayed at Mosquito Creek for four nights, great place to camp with a good water supply and miles of sandy beaches to hike. One day we attempted to hike down to Hon (rain forest) river but three of us turned back after a hour and half of slogging thru mud pits, climbing latter's and ropes, walking over skinny log bridges ect...guess I'm not cut out to be a wilderness hiker! Moved our camp to a site north of Toleak Point for our final night. On the last day we here on the water by 7:30 am and paddled most of the way back to La Push in fog.

Did day paddles down to Hon river, around Alexander Island, up to and down Goodman Creek ( nice river otter population there). The number of brown pelicans was huge, hundreds of their spend time around Mosquito Creek... also saw a large number of puffins, they are just too cool.

Since it was windy, bugs where no problem, tents with lots of sand in em a problem.

 

 

Balaclava Island ( BC ) Paddle July 2014

July 12- 20, 2014

God's Pocket area, are a group of islands northeast of the very top of Vancouver Island. We camped at Nolan Point on Balaklava Island.

Paddled out of Port Hardy around 7:30 am and followed the coast line up to a point across from Duncan Island where we crossed over in a light fog.  Once across we padded past Blyth Island and the Nobel Islets ( one has a light on it ) on our way to Nolan Point on Balaklava. Arrived around noon on this 11 mile paddle. We camped there with a few other folks but all in all it was sunny, peaceful and quite.

Paddled each day, first around Bakaklava, up to Clam Cove ( water source), toured the Light House and chatted with the lighthouse keeps ( east side of the island), visited God's Pocket resort on Hurst Island, paddled around Hurst Island many paddles along Browning Wall on Nigei Island, and Port Alexander. The sea life ( jellyfish, sea stars) along Browning Wall were incredible. You can find culturally modified trees close to the Nolan Point campsite.

We had the opportunity to watch some of BC's finest put out a 'root' fire about a half mile from our campsite. They said the fire probably was burning in the root system for about ten days before the smoke appeared. A good reminder to have your campfires close to the beach and not in the forest.     

We saw Orca's, sea otters, wolves, ton's of sea birds, eagles, ravens some breaching whales from  a 1/4 miles away ( in big swell and 20k winds ). No raccoons or mice visited, deer flies visited occasionally, some mosquitoes but all in all bugs where not a big pain.