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On the other side of the Channel, the Deer Group and the


famous Broken Chain are archipelagos sprinkled in a tranquil sea, backed by late spring, snow-capped peaks. Both are popular desti- nations for those wishing to experience a sea kayak adventure in calm waters. Paddling those channels brings you to white beaches, rocky coves and islets crowded with tall trees. To the left of the hot tub, a series of sand beaches and rocky headlands lead towards Cape Beale Lighthouse. Can there be a bet- ter place to call home, when paddling the rugged West Coast Trail? Each morning after a civilized breakfast we descend to the Lodge


docks, where skipper John Johnston loads a 26-foot launch with kayaks and gear, and we’re off into the wilderness (complete with all the creature comforts). The shoreline spins past at a magical speed.Two hours in the launch is the equivalent of eight days on foot. Hikers, believe it and weep. One of the great blessings of being this mobile is we can choose


our daily destination based on the weather. If it’s blowing a wester- ly, the swells off the WCT are large,the breaks awesome and it’s suit- able only for experienced paddlers. Even climbing down into a bobbing kayak from the deck of the rocking launch can be tense. Instead, we can tuck into the Deer Group or run out to the


Broken Chain.But if it’s calm we can paddle some,or all,of the WCT coastline. How much is enough? Perhaps the morning is great but the afternoon gets up a blow. No problem.This is the age of com-


munication; our guide calls up the launch and we move to a differ- ent area.


Is this the wilderness in its truest sense? Of course not.But then neither are cable cars, ladders and designated campsites. Remember, the Trail itself is there because the wilderness was too rugged. Shipwrecked sailors needed a route south to 19th century civilization in Victoria.And when paddling,we don’t encounter 5.3 people per kilometer. Plus the flexibility of the guide and launch allow us to experience the best of the West Coast Trail al fresco, while dining each evening a la carte. All the literature on hiking the West Coast Trail stresses it’s not


for the novice.The trail is long and hard,and wet at times.You need to be experienced.The same is true of paddling the coastline. It’s a rugged shore, where rocky capes and sea cliffs offer few landing points, even on calm days. There’s 10,000 km of fetch between Japan and BC’s West Coast and the swells are endless.Watching the surf curl and break on the shoreline gives you just a glimmer of an appreciation why this coast was known as the graveyard of the Pacific—the resting place of over 80 ships between 1850 and 1980. Today, there are still numerous wrecks visible.The rusting iron boiler of the Michigan, which ran aground in 1893, lies exposed at low tide near Pachena Point. Parts of the 1943 wreck Uzbekistan can be seen at Darling Creek. Elsewhere, modern fishing vessels, obvious from their aluminum and fibreglass fragments, are wedged


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