A winter trip to Discovery Island

The sea kayak is the most elegant and civilized means of navigating our pacific northwest coastlines, but is it worthwhile in winter? 

After 4 months of relentless work, I have finally made it to my 2-week holiday. Most would relish this amount of time off but for me, a holiday is only as good as its birding potential. Unfortunately for me, I can no longer look forward to holiday lifers. Trip ideas for Guatemala, Costa Rica and Guyana have been axed. I've been researching the possibilities for winter wildlife by means of the sea kayak, but there is much less cool wildlife at this time of year, making the endeavor less appealing. Nevertheless, I convinced a friend and my mum to spend one frigid night on a local island. Some careful consultation of the weather forecast and the current tables made for a smooth trip. Following the rocky coastline of that island, basking in the evening sun and watching countless Harlequin Ducks and Black Turnstones was enchanting. 

Ancient Murrelets were popping up right next to the kayak

We made a small detour through some islets to check for some Rock Sandpipers that I'd seen there for the past 2 weekends. The first trip, I hadn't brought a camera and the second, the light was terrible, so I made it my mission to finally get a good photo of these nimble-footed beasts of the surf. It is safe to say that I CRUSHED the pictures, coasting in on my kayak in stealth mode without flushing the flock. 

Surfbird

Black Turnstones

The tidal rapids were picking up so it was time to finish our journey. We had to make it in reasonable time because at this time of year, the sun sets at about 16:20. Another reason not many people spend the night here at this time of year! 

Harlequin Ducks

Harbour Seals

Belted Kingfisher

Mink

After some hot chocolate, mum and I wanted to circumnavigate the island but the ebb current was making it difficult for us to get around the bend. We could have followed the shoreline but there was a fortress of male Stellar's Sea Lions blocking our path. We could hear them and smell them before we saw them. Attempting to the long way around them got us in a powerful current which proved too much for mum to handle, and aside from that, the Stellar's were now onto us and some of them were swimming toward us. It was best to turn around and save this battle for tomorrow. 

Stellar's Sea Lions

Just as the sun set, a fierce cold set in. There had been some motorboaters earlier who had a campfire on the beach earlier in the afternoon, but with the strict rules in place and heavy fines, we decided it would be best not to take the risk of getting caught - or worse. Last spring, some campers (quite possibly kayakers) accidentally started a small forest fire on one of the undesignated beaches. Luckily it got put out before it could do any major damage. 

We went to sleep early but it was a wretchedly cold night. The part I didn't enjoy was packing up the tent around 7:45am when everything was still frigid, especially the metal tent poles which robbed my fingers of their their life energy. 

sunrise

At last the 2 slowpokes were finally packed and ready, so we hit the water, having no trouble circumventing the eastern shore of the island. It was high tide so we could weave a course through the small islets close to shore, a comfortable distance from the Stellar's Sealion fortress. Weaving in between the easternmost islets with views of mountains, taking in the crisp winter air with a chorus of Long-tailed Ducks in the background, it was simply enchanting. 

The easternmost islets

Long-tailed Ducks

We rode the current back to our launch site to round off a very pleasant mid-winter paddle highlighted by scintillating views of Rock Sandpipers and a stunning sunset paddle. It was highly enjoyable but it made me think twice about planning a winter expedition further afield. The days are too short and the nighttime/morning temperatures too unpleasantly frigid. 

Kayaking in winter - is it worth it?

Winter paddling sucks but sucky paddling is still far greater than no paddling at all. Just about the only unique wildlife for this forsaken season is the Rock Sandpiper. That is enough motivation for me!!! These little guys migrate down from Alaska and spend the winter on the northwest coast, but they seem to have a special preference for offshore islands (and rarely, long jetties it seems). Therefore, the sea kayak is the preferred means for finding these guys. A sea kayak costs about the same as a good spotting scope. I have only seen Rock Sands them in two locations in my life (the jetty at Ocean Shores, Washington and the Oak Bay Ecological Reserve off Victoria). Last weekend I watched four in perfect evening light but hadn't packed my camera, as I was wary of the rough waters. I was keen on getting some pics so I returned with mum yesterday. We had a great adventure paddle around Chatham Islands, negotiating the tidal rapids in between the islands. The Rock Sandpipers were there but the light was poor and it was raining. The tidal rapids made things quite difficult, constantly weathercocking me (hehe...). My new Nimbus paddle with the white blades wasn't helping either, the birds didn't seem to like the colour. I added a two-meter long fresh scratch on my hull from a submerged rock. Anyway, these are the shots I got...

A Hell of a Weekend

I enjoy my work but lately things have been relentless. Six classes and countless additional duties have left my soul in dire need of a soothing remedy. I was summoned by the sea...

To self-medicate, I have been fixated on the procurement of a Telkwa Sport, the narrower, better tracking version of the Telkwa which I've been paddling since last spring. An expensive self-medication method...

I narrowly missed out on a fine specimen last month because our car broke down, but found out that Majestic in Ukluelet was having a fleet sale. I had found a suitable distraction. Not having the correct funds for this, I went entirely against the philosophy I'd stood for when teaching grade 9 financial literacy: buying a depreciating asset for my immediate gratification. I dipped into my line of credit. "Do as I say, not as I do" as the saying goes. Who says that, you might ask? You know, people say that...

I left work on Friday afternoon with an empty roof rack and the ambition to paddle all weekend. I camped at a clandestine roadside spot for my 8am appointment Saturday morning. Both boats were gorgeous. Was it vanity that I paid an extra $112 for the green one instead of red? Pure vanity, yes, but look at it, it is epic! It will be a head turner for sure. 

Having procured myself a map of the local area, I ventured out alone with a few supplies and my wits. 

Black Oystercatchers and Black Turnstones

Sea Otter

I encountered this solitary sea otter. He allowed me to glide past him, then curiously followed me for about 10 minutes. They are surprisingly fast for such stout fellas! Eventually he got bored with that and went back to his nap amidst the kelp. Crystal clear water, calm ocean swells lowering and gently raising you up as you glide over them. Look down, and marvel at hundreds of bright green anemones interspersed with bright orange sea stars. From a sea kayaker's perspective, this was a paradise of the gods. 

A maze of tiny islands, each more scenic than the last, gave way to an expansive bay bordered by sand beaches. There, I came upon two great beasts which were feeding. About every six minutes they would come up for 4 or 5 breaths, blowing a great column of water which produced a tiny rainbow in the afternoon sun. I laughed with wonder at this glorious sight! They were Gray Whales, laboriously building up their fat stores for their migration to Mexico. The smell of decomposing kelp, the salty spray and the fresh ocean breeze were a feast for the senses. Life is a sum of all the moments one experiences, the mundane, the painful, the shameful, the tedious...but true living, this is but a minute collection of fleeting moments in one's life, moments of glory that slip too easily from one's grasp. I was in the midst of one such rare moment and was determined to savour it to the last drop. I sought a clandestine campsite where I could retire, and be alone with my senses for the night. As I approached the beach in shallow water, my admiration of a flock of Surfbirds (in the correct habitat) was interrupted as a breaking wave cocked me sideways, spilling over my bow and nearly tipping over. Had I been in a lesser craft, it may have. 

2 Gray Whales were feeding in the area

The night was frigid and featured the dog-like breathing sound and distant howling of a wolf. Was it a dream or was it really a wolf? I will never know, but when I got up there was a set of wolf tracks in my camp. All my bags were coated in a thick layer of frost. I boiled some water for coffee (an addiction I've developed in recent years) to warm myself up and lazily began packing up camp, a difficult task when one's digits are completely numb with cold. The call of the sea motivated me to break camp. The Telkwa Sport pierced into the surf like a hot knife through butter. Truly this must be the finest touring kayak ever crafted. 

Paddling to the outer islands, I passed the pair of Gray Whales on my way as they fed close to shore. 

I came upon a Sea Otter with her large plump baby floating on the kelp forest. I did not notice them until I was quite close, and she appeared spooked, swimming away with surprising speed. I was content with the lousy photo I was able to get, not wanting to disturb her further. I stopped in a secluded cove to remove my thermal layer - I had become viciously sweaty beneath my drysuit from paddling. This surely seldom visited cove, facing the Pacific Ocean, was littered with plastic bottles and other junk that had washed up on shore, even a plastic buoy with Japanese markings on it. My temporary illusion of wilderness was interrupted by a bleak reminder of our over-populated Earth which we are abusing, casting our objects into the sea like our great garbage dump. I remedied the feeling of despair by filling a large black garbage bag with all the objects I could fit in it, then made use of the ample storage capacity of the Telkwa Sport to remove at least a tiny speck of this desecration from the sea. 

Rounding the small island, I spotted a solitary otter (this one much more skittish), a single Black Scoter and a couple White-winged Scoters among dozens of Surf Scoters, and 3 species of loons (Pacific, Common and Red-throated), a pair of both Marbled and Ancient Murrelets and a curious California Sea Lion. The wildlife had waylaid my journey. In order to get back before the currents turned against me, I would have to paddle at a strong and steady pace, counting my strokes to a hundred over and over again. Real moments of living do not come for free, they must be worked for. At last I could see Tofino around the bend, giving me motivation for the final push. I packed the car then drove to long beach where I made and devoured 3 well-earned PB&J sandwiches like a raging Glaucous-winged Gull and began the long drive back to Victoria, my acquisition proudly strapped to my roof rack with extra straps. 

Marbled Murrelets

Ancient Murrelet

California Sea Lion

Rockies Roadtrip pt.2: Jasper, Yoho, Mt. Revelstoke

Tonquin Valley Trail (4 days)

To complete this 46 km horseshoe, you need to park your car at one end, then get dropped off at the other end. We planned to add some off-trail exploration to our hike as well. The objective was of course the fabled Rocky Mountain Caribou which Dom and I failed to find back in 2013 during a quite intense 2-day hike. Falling shy of Wolverine, is is almost my Holy Grail of BC wildlife. This time we had 4 days to look for them. 

Source: Parks Canada

Day 1

We got dropped of mid-day and hiked the 7 km to Astoria campground, a sensible choice having already hiked 11 km earlier that day. There was a Three-toed Woodpecker there (and loads of mosquitoes). 

Day 2

We got up pretty early and hiked the longer route via Chrome Lake and Surprise Point. We came across some almost definite Grizzly dropping with fish bones in it, and passed by prime moose habitat but didn't see any moose. We did find 3 confiding Spruce Grouse though. It rained a lot and the trail was a river of mud. Further down, we passed several very pleased fishermen (and a few fisherwomen) returning from the backcountry lodge with tales of spawning Rainbow Trout practically jumping out of the river, and a large Black Bear who was getting in on the action. We looked forward to seeing that! By the time we got to Surprise Point, it as raining so heavily that we were getting soaked. Our rain coats were suitable but neither of us had brought rain pants and our hiking boots were not waterproof either. Some gentlemen invited us to drink tea under their tarp. We put on all our extra clothing because we were quite cold! I jokingly asked them if I could buy their tarp (since they'd decided to leave that day). The guy actually was willing to part with it for whatever I had in my wallet (about 30 bucks). However, they told us that we might instead want to pitch our tent in the horse stable up by the ranger station, just shy of Clitheroe where we had our reservation. We decided to do that. When the rain stopped, we made a go for it, lingering by the bridge to watch the amazing Rainbow Trout spawning and hoping to catch a glimpse of the elusive large Black Bear that was seen there earlier. We found only his droppings. We trudged through a soggy moorland to reach the ranger cabin where the the horse stable afforded us some respite from the rain which was picking up again. It was somewhat biblical. In the evening, we hiked back to the bridge to try again for the Black Bear but didn't see it. I did get a very fleeting glimpse of what I am 95% sure what a Northern Pygmy Owl atop a spruce behind the ranger cabin. There was a couple from Canmore there with her son who were also taking advantage of the shelter. They were going to turn back in the morning but we offered them a ride to their car if they could meet us in the parking lot in 2 days' time, enabling them to complete the full horseshow and not miss the spectacular Maccarib Pass. 

Grizzly droppings! At the end of the hike 3 days later, a family showed us pictures of a mom and 3 cubs taken the same day as this photo, on a footbridge very near this spot on the Astoria river

Male and female Spruce Grouse

Rainbow Trout spawning in the Astoria River

Day 3

We packed up and headed toward Amethyst Lake campground, our next camp a short 4.5 km away. Just before passing the Tonquin Valley Adventures Lodge, Matas immediately recognized the form of 4 Caribou resting in the subalpine meadow. I was so juiced!! To me they looked like a pile of branches! We proceeded along the trail toward their area. They then got up and started walking around on both sides of us, feeding on vegetation. They were all 4 of them males. It looked like they too were shedding winter fur just like the Mountain Goats we'd seen earlier. They seemed very comfortable around humans, which made me wonder if this was a behavioural adaptation to avoid wolves? My favourite moment was when the little one walked up to me until he was staring at me from 4 meteres away. Sharing this moment with these highly endangered Caribou was quite surreal. Decided we were satisfied with our encounter, we moved on to camp. We spent the afternoon hiking off-trail in the moorlands beyond Tonquin Valley Backcountry Lodge (visible on the above map). We'd heard this area can have Caribou as well but didn't find any there on this particular day. But the alpine scenery was really spectacular and felt like one of the most remote and undisturbed places I've ever been. Matas was reluctant to drudge through the saturated bog, adamant about keeping his boots dry - a foolish wish. But I stubbornly refused to turn back because I had a feeling we were gonna see something crazy. Eventually we both gave up the notion of preserving dry boots after precariously dodging puddles all morning. We hiked up the rocky moraine at the base of the 'Ramparts' mountain range for a commanding view of three different valleys. It was the most Pikas I've ever heard from one spot. 

The area behind Tonquin Valley Backcountry Lodge - supposed to be good for Caribou

What we reckon is a Grizzly track (on the main trail between Amethyst camp and Maccarib camp)

Day 4

On our final day, we got up early because we had about 23 km ahead of us (+ whatever off-trial we were gonna do). We passed the family from the ranger cabin who said they were still game for a ride. Virginia Rails, Lincoln's Sparrows and Marsh Wrens provided the soundtrack for our hike. We broke off from the main trail somewhere near the highest part of the pass, hiking north. We then followed the ridgeline east and then a bit south to link back with the main trail. We didn't find any Ptarmigans but did get some ridiculous 360 views. 

After you pass Portal Creek camp there are 8 km to go and they are the longest 8 km you can imagine. Despite passing the family long before, they caught up with us less than 10 minutes after started organizing the car. We were gonna try and fit all 3 of them in but decided it would be more cautious to give the dad a ride over to his car and then he could just go back for his wife and son. It is always satisfying to do some strangers a favour. 

We camped at Wapiti campground by the highway that night and rested up for our hike of Mt. Edith Cavell the following morning, bright and early. Too bad the showers were out of commission for the season! We could really use one by this point! At least there are always alpine lakes and waterfalls! While driving over the the charging station to get my camera battery, I had to be careful not to collide with these massive Elk that walked around the campground like they owned the place! Their deranged screams could be heard early in the morning. 

We got to the parking lot very early on July 15th so that we would be the first hikers on the trail, eager to see any of the shier wildlife. To our surprise, the alpine section of the trail was till cordoned off, despite it being advertised as opening "early to mid July." Our best guess is that basic tourists tend to walk around the snow patches, trampling the alpine plants in the process. We skipped the barrier and enjoyed the trail to ourselves, careful to walk over the snow patches and not to step on any of the alpine vedge. It was quite cold, misty and a bit rainy and I think still too early in the season to see much wildlife up there. We think it must liven up later toward August and September. No wildlife of note (other than a couple rosy finches flying over) but we saw a seriously cool rainbow from the top. We hurried back down to avoid running into any trouble for our clandestine hike. 

We'd planned on chilling in the campground for the rest of the day and then doing another hike the next day but it was not even noon yet so we figured we could easily squeeze in Wilcox pass that same day. But before we did anything else we wanted to go into town to find a badly needed laundromat and get gas, more of those craft beers (Folding Mountain - soooo good!) and some overpriced but very good pizza from Northface. Then we headed south for Wilcox Pass. A suicidal bighorn sheep darted across the highway just before we reached the Icefield tourist area. It took some effort to find the trailhead for Wilcox Pass trail (there are 2) but eventually we found it. Evidently it is an extremely popular trail, judging by the overflowing parking lot. The abundance of people didn't seem to matter because they were spread out quite a bit on the trail (it is 8 km long but continues as a 'wilderness route' well beyond that. Furthermore, the wildlife on this trail are so used to people that they are actually much more tame and easy to observe. Take this Bighorn Sheep for instance: 

Columbian Ground Squirrel

The main reason we came here was because I wanted to see the big Bighorn Sheep rams, but it is an outstanding trail for scenery alone. Check this out: 

Mount Athabasca viewed from the Wilcox Pass trail

We spotted 4 Bighorn rams resting quite far off the trail, but didn't want to go off-trail for photos due to all the other hikers around. We continued till the end of the trail then turned around at the 4 km mark. We played with the idea of continuing but we were pretty hiked out at this point and didn't see the prospect of seeing much more wildlife so we headed back. On the way back, those 4 Bighorn rams were no longer there. To our delight, they showed up further down the trail and then walked right in front of us; one was 3 m from me at one point while we sat on the ground taking pictures. They made some funny faces! 

Least Chipmunk

Clark's Nutcracker

We returned triumphantly to the car and debated our next move. Should we leave Jasper and move on after only 1 day of day hikes? Should we hike Parker Ridge? Or will it just be more of the same? We didn't think we could get views any more epic than what we'd already seen. We called Revelstoke and Glacier NP to ask about the backcountry conditions. The guy said that most routes are still snowbound so that kind of eliminated that option. I suggested going into Alberta to look for Great Gray Owls and Yellow Rails near Cochrane, but Matas wasn't keen on the idea as it was fairly out of our way. But a serious group of old timers (some kind of hiking club) spoke very fondly of a certain Iceline Trail in Yoho National Park. It is a 22 km loop. Neither of us had ever been there, so we decided to go for it, despite the fact that our bodies were worn out and the last thing we wanted to do was another knee-crusher. We said "lets just go there, check it out and then decide." When we got to Yoho, we drove up a winding road up a spectacular valley flanked by glaciers and waterfalls on both sides. Halfway up, there was a Grizzly Bear walking on the side of the road! My camera went full machine gun. But it was a bit sad because the bear looked starving. It walked up the the back of our car and sniffed around the back hatch (where all the food was stowed). Up at the campground, a couple told us that 1 hour earlier they'd seen a similar-sized PURE WHITE Grizzly Bear with it along the road! They must have been siblings. We couldn't find any more bears despite trying. 

The upper campground at Yoho is absolutely epic. You have to park your car then use a wheel barrow to tote your stuff about 200 m to the camping area which is equipped with bear lockers. The lack of cars gives it a backcountry feel but without hiking a huge distance to get there. A huge waterfall dumps glacier water into the Yoho River. What a setting to camp in! 

Needless to say we did hike the 22 km Iceline Trail (what else was there to do?). There wasn't much wildlife but the views were breathtaking. We'd seen so many glaciers and mountains that we were ready to go home by that point. Our bodies were broken. 

Little Yoho Falls

Audubon's Warbler

American Dipper

These avalanche slopes are very characteristic of Yoho National Park - they are everywhere

Gray-crowned Rosy-finch - the only alpine bird species we spotted on our long hike

Beyond the treeline, the alpine zone is barren rock. Not really conducive to wildlife but quite scenic

The edge of the treeline goes straight from forest to rock barrens

Yoho has a certain rugged beauty

These are the falls near our campsite but viewed from above

View from the road, hiking back to camp

The meadows atop Mt. Revelstoke

Mt. Revelstoke National Park

We left Yoho in the morning for a visit to Mt. Revelstoke, to drive up the recently opened Meadows In The Sky Parkway. Despite spending a field season there, I never managed to make it up back in 2013 so I really wanted to check it out. The ranger said he had not seen any Northern Hawk Owls or Grizzly Bears this year, which were the two species we were keen on seeing. But the short hike we did was quite scenic anyway. The subalpine meadows were still mostly covered in snow and the backcountry camping was still closed (too much snow). Although a few Glacier Lillies were blooming here and there, a favourite food of the Grizzlies later in the summer. 

The few patches of meadow that were not covered in snow were decorated with Glacier Lillies

It was the 11th day of the trip and we were ready to go home! We drove to Kamloops and looked for Great Gray Owls at a spot where Ramata and I had found one 3 years ago, but it was uneventful. We camped at Tunkwa Lake Provincial Park, then spend the morning driving along a forest service road looking to spot a Moose (if we had, we would have spotted every possible species of hooved mammal on the trip). We fell short of that goal but were ready to go home by this point! We'd started our trip on the afternoon of July 6th and it was now July 18th. We'd hiked about 170 km by my estimation. We really needed a shower.