Following breakfast, Bob participated in the mandatory kayak orientation session with the other paddlers, learning the basic skills — how to use the boats, how to handle the paddles, and how to get in and out of the boats safely. Then back to camp for a picnic lunch of submarine sandwiches.
The Paddle Begins: A Journey Through Johnstone Strait
Following lunch, he began to pack for his first paddle of the day in a 17-footer that is fast and very stable, a good boat for someone of Bob’s level of skill. The group would be on the water for about three hours, stopping for a short break after an hour and a half, before heading off to finish the paddle, returning that afternoon to the camp that was well-supplied with everything they could need.
Bob sat in his Seaward Passat G3 kayak paddling through the glassy waters of Johnstone Strait, on the edge of the Inside Passage. At 80 years of age, Rein, an active member of the Explorers Club, is still on the leading edge of another expedition. Bob is following a path long used by the peoples who have inhabited the region for thousands of years.
Of the 10 paddlers, two are male, a 17-year-old boy, and the rest are females. There was a real sense of energy when the team set off. Our Kwakiutl guide is Thomas Womiss.
Despite encountering some rapids, the paddling was manageable, allowing the group to float peacefully for a while before forming a raft with their kayaks. This underscored the essence of what these expeditions are all about—connection, both with nature and with each other.
Bob covered 5.82 statute miles in three hours and 28 minutes, starting from the northern tip of Hansen Island and making our way between the smaller islands before heading out into Blackfish Sound, so named for the orcas, or ‘blackfish’, that live there.
The camp, although rustic, is outfitted with everything one needs for an unattended night in the bush. Bob’s tent, where he’ll be sleeping alone, has a raised platform bed with a Therm-a-Rest sleeping pad, sleeping bag, liner, and pillow. Bob sees the tent’s isolation as a benefit. It’s a rare chance to clear his mind and compose thoughts to forward to Tom so that he can add them to his website.
Orcas in Blackfish Sound: A Majestic Encounter
Though the day was typical of this part of the world — grey skies with the occasional appearing sun — it was exhilarating to see a pod of orcas, the glimmer of dark dorsal fins moments before being submerged by the deep blue waters, a reminder of the diverse marine life that flourishes here.
Paul Spong has been studying orcas there (on Hanson Island). Paul set up a monitoring station where we stopped.
And as Bob goes from place to place, he is, of course, an inspiration to us all, and a reminder that there is no excuse for not seeing the most beautiful places in the world.
MN'24 | © Copyright 2023 Reflections Off The Grid | Bob Rein