We got word of a trip kayaking from Telegraph Cove to Hanson Island. A family we met does this kayaking trip every year as a family holiday. Lucky for us they invite others to come along. We did a little researching and thought it sounded like something we would like to join in on. (Funny side note though, when we researched 'Hanson Island' the first article that came up on Google was 'Murderer lose on Hanson Island' ... Turns out there was a guy in Eastern Canada who murdered his multiple wives, fled to Western Canada and hid on Hanson Island. He was caught a couple years before we went on our trip.) Phew!
And with that we set off...
It was a 6.5 hour drive from our house to Telegraph Cove, so we split up the drive and stayed the night somewhere half way.
The drive felt pretty epic as it was getting dark out and the highway kept going and going. It felt like it was never ending. Pretty soon we were the only car on the road aside from the massive logging trucks that kept speeding by. There was only one radio station up there which was CBC radio. We got to listen to some talk radio on CBC including an interview with Kevin Spacey about his show on Netflix, House of Cards.
We ended up getting to the camp site super late so instead of setting up our tent we slept in the car. We weren't able to find any of our friends we were meeting, which worried us a bit. There were no other campers awake when we arrived and we had no idea what vehicles they were driving. It was pitch black outside and our phone signal was nonexistent.
We woke up pretty early and found our group right away. Turns out most of them got in to the campsite even later than we did, so all was good.
We headed to the water where our kayak rental was waiting and got our kayak loaded up. We had to pack everything we needed for 3 days of camping on Hanson Island.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
We got all suited up and then made the crossing to Hanson Island. We paddled all the way from Telegraph Cove to Hanson Island. Our guide led the whole group and we arrived at our campsite in an hour or so. We had to avoid different currents and wind so sometimes the paddling was easy and other times it felt like we were paddling against the current.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
We arrived on Hanson Island and brought our kayaks to shore to unload all our gear.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
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| Our View. |
The island was picturesque and no one lives on the island. It is used by the Kwakiutl people as a fishing and carving site. We searched for a place to put our tents. A few of us ended up taking the easy option and camping on the wooden platform that was already set up.
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| Home Sweet Home |
We had a great time hanging out on the island. We went kayaking to find grey whales, humpback whales, and Orcas. We also hiked around the island and ate the great food we packed while getting to know our fellow campers. We did see some Orcas and other whales which was amazing.
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| The kitchen |
We had made a ton of vegan stew with lots of veggies, potatoes, and "beefless tips" which we froze in portions to heat up on our butane stove. Then we packed lots of snacks, and stuff for breakfast and lunch like fruit, nuts and vegetables.
It was a lot of fun hanging out on the island with everyone. We couldn’t have asked for better weather while we were there. Everything was just amazing. We hung out around the camp fire and all got to know each other a little better.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
This is when we met our friends Katie and Gwen, who we went to visit in
France in June 2016.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
The last night there was a bit of a storm and the tide came up pretty high to the point that we almost lost some of our kayaks and some of our equipment was hit with the water such as the GPS. It was pretty foggy as well so in order to get back to Telegraph Cove we had to cross while blowing our whistles to let boats know where we were and use our compass and map.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
We could hear the big ships crossing and everyone's fog horns.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
Eventually, we made it through the fog. It was a bit scary making the crossing and not being sure when we were going to see land again. We couldn't see much farther than immediately in front of us.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
We decided to have a little celebratory drink after we finished the crossing. We also said farewell to our new friends.
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| Photo Credit: Michael & Nola Kundu |
We began our long drive back home, completely high on life. This was the trip that made the decision in our lives that we need to be more adventurous. We need to jump at more opportunities, and that we need to say yes more.
We got home and started pondering an adventure to the
United Kingdom.
Thank you for reading, If you enjoyed our post and like reading about our past memories, check out our post
"Disastrously Positive Cuban Vacation" Where we make the most of a not so wonderful holiday experience. - but a holiday experience that helped us grow.
You're so right! Adventure (and by adventure I mean whatever adventure means to anyone, making it kayak, mountain climbing, or swimming with dolphins!) put the right amount of adrenaline and fun in our lives to cope with everyday routine. I loved the post and the fun things you got to do. Meeting new friends is always an added plus too!
ReplyDeleteWe certainly forgot about our everyday routine during this trip because we were so active in kayaking, setting up camp, making food, exploring and hanging out with new friends. It's definitely better to be able to catch a glimpse of animals in the wild than in captivity especially after seeing films like Blackwater and The Cove.
DeleteThat was quite an adventure! I have actually never been camping and seeing you did it in the woods feels like you got a great connection with nature. The way back through the fog must have been very scary. I can't imagine kayaking knowing that there are big boats out there that can't see me. That's adventure!
ReplyDeleteYeah it was fun being close to nature and aware of the lack of the everyday comforts we take for granted. The crossing was scary to us but once we were done we felt energised and high on life.
DeleteOne of my favorite areas of the world! And getting to go by kayak and camp looks like such an epic way to explore it (although kayaks....and fog make me a bit nervous!). The scenery is so spectacular there, I am envious of this one!
ReplyDeleteThe fog made us very nervous. One of those "I'm gunna die" moments. We definitely recommend the trip, it was amazing.
DeleteSounds like it was quite an adventure. This is something I've always been very apprehensive about doing until I went and learnt how to swim this summer. Now I think I'm ready for some kayaking. The pictures look beautiful. Great post.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite the adventure, that's for sure! Kayaking is really an enjoyable experience. We love it. Although, I wouldn't recommend doing it through the fog!
DeleteThat really sound like an epic kayak trip! I'm so sad we didn't have time to check out Telegraph Cove and and Hanson Island when we were doing our road trip around the Island in August. We did find time for a kayak trip in Victoria though which was really nice :)
ReplyDeleteThe whole Island is beautiful. Telegraph Cove is quite far away and Hanson Island is only accessible by boat. Victoria is one of our favourite places.
DeleteI envy you so much!!! First, because I miss Canada a lot, I'd like to go back again and stay for months as the first time. Then because you managed to see orcas, and that's something I'd really love to see myself too! It must be extra exciting to kayak close to those creatures! :D
ReplyDeleteYes, Canada is amazing. We miss it too. We have been in England for almost two years. Time to go back home and see some family soon. We really wish we had photos of the orcas, they came up pretty close. It was more about the adventure than the photography at that time. They are just breath taking.
DeleteThe pictures of the Kayaking does look amazing. Sad to hear about the incident on the last day of your trip. I have never kayaked in my life so I wanted to know if it takes a lot of physical effort. And yes I'd still love to know the charges.
ReplyDeleteKayaking is a full upper body workout. Depending on the current of the water, will depend on how much of a workout. We paid around $200CAD to rent this kayak for 3 nights. (but that was also in 2014)
DeleteIt really looks like an incredible trip and you certainly managed to capture the best of the scenery with your shots. Kayaking is such a fantastic way to explore an area but just as a few of the previous comments have stated, it isn't easy. I recently completed a Kayak tour of Lake Nicaragua and I can honestly say it was the most physically demanding thing I have ever done!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Kayaking is hard work, but it is well worth it.
DeleteKayaking and then camping on an uninhabited island. This is an adventure I would definitely love to do. It is both an adrenaline pumping activity as well as a meditative one.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely an adventure of a life time. :)
DeleteWhat an amazing adventure. We love kayaking! Really sounds like a fun trip. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading. :)
DeleteLot of interaction among all, I liked that part.
ReplyDeleteKayaking is adventurous, making it through fog sounds even more so, if I ever get the opportunity I am going to try it.
We made life time friends. It was an amazing trip all in all. Kayaking is lovely.
DeleteI've actually never kayaked before and is something I have been looking forward to for a long time. I've always been fascinated by animals and the opportunity to see orcas still eludes me. I say this, yet I am still not a strong swimmer, haha
ReplyDeleteWe wear life jackets when we kayak. I don't think it matters if you are a strong swimmer or not, if a current knocks you over - it's best to be prepared.
DeleteWow! That was one great adventure! that was a way level up kind of kayaking experience, from the people you met to the encounters(orca and whales) and fog I can envy you that much! More travels and adventures for you both!
ReplyDeleteThank you. It was an amazing trip. We didn't really like the fog though!
DeleteThat's some mindblowing adventure! Mere Kayaking in this beautiful setting would have been great but on top of that you saw whales and orcas! I have never kayaked but iif I ever do, I would prefer to do it in a place lke this.
ReplyDeleteWish we were able to get photos on the orcas! We kayak quite often, and this is our favourite trip, hands down.
DeleteWow, that view is clearly magical! I can't wait to do some kayaking too, must be so idyllic :)
ReplyDeleteKayaking is wonderful. Totally worth it.
DeleteIt's always interesting when you are researching a place and find out that horrible things happened there. I'm not very familiar with CBC. Is talk radio in Canada anything like it is in the United States?
ReplyDeleteYeah the background stories keep things interesting sometimes. I think that CBC talk radio is similar to listening to NPR in the States.
DeleteWhat an adventure! I envy you. I love kayaking, but haven't tried sea kayaking yet. The area looks breathtaking. Kayaking in a dense fog - it must have been scary.
ReplyDeleteIt was terrifying! The whole crossing - I was saying "I'm going to die, I'm going to die"
DeleteI'm not one for camping, but this looked like such a fun weekend! Not sure I would have kept it together during that foggy crossing! So cool that you saw a few whales, too!
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely not for everyone! I wasn't a huge fan of camping, but there is no other way to experience this!
DeleteWow that water is SO clear and beautiful! It's amazing finding new places to discover and adventure to right in our own backyard. You guys are lucky to be living in BC (so close to the ocean). Other than the lakes, I'm a bit landlocked in Ontario.
ReplyDeleteWe are in love with the ocean. We would like to live in Ontario one day though!
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