Home sweet homestead


five-knot gusts drove the swell and began to shove us in- exorably toward Puffin Cove. The wind and waves were so strong that within a couple minutes of leaving Mike Inlet it was impossible to backtrack. We were committed. It was six kilometres of huge water or bust. Mike Inlet is one of a handful of safe coves that cut


into the 3,000-foot, storm-scraped San Christoval Moun- tains. Dropping straight down to water level along the west coast of Moresby Island, the mountains are stark in their nakedness. They were named in 1774 by Captain Juan Perez after St. Christopher, who was known for his protection of travellers. Now we hoped the peaks would cast some of that saintly cover over us. In between bays on the west coast of Haida Gwaii, roll-


Fisherman Todd reels in a lingcod lunch


ing buses of swell crash relentlessly against jagged rock, creating boomer zones and clapotis that test even the most skilled paddlers. Rounding Hippa Island two weeks before, I was pounded over a shallow reef by a rogue, Jaws-sized wave that broke unexpectedly, jettisoning me from my boat. The experience instilled in us a respectful fear every time we ventured out along the perpetually exposed coast. Ever seen the movie Castaway? There’s a scene where Tom Hanks’ plane has just crashed into the


Adventure Kayak ||


37


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KEITH KLAPSTEIN


FRANK WOLF


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