Hey I'm Jon, I'm canoe tripper from Ontario but I'm planning my first camping trip to Vancouver Island and it would be great to get some good advise on where to go.

My friend recently moved from Ontario to just outside Victoria and a friend and I are flying out in the middle of August to see him and camp for 5-6 days. We don't mind driving 6-8 hours from Victoria so we'd really like to find somewhere remote and without anyone else around. We have a 4x4 truck, access to a sea kayak and a canoe so we would either like to hike to a camp site, canoe, or maybe take a water taxi.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I'm no expert on the island but for what you're looking for I would say paddle and hike up to Della Falls.
Another would be Nitinat triangle canoe route.

Search for user Sabi on this site for island information.

Della falls is good, but will have a few people around in August. You could take a water taxi up to the trailhead from the bottom of Great Central lake. I can't remember what the guy charges (I tend to paddle the lake to access the trail). Well worth the views, and theres side trips at the top of the trail that are worth seeing such as Love Lake.

Pretty much anywhere in Strathcona park will have a few people around, but still provide nearly everything you are looking for.

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I loved our 5 day family trip to the Broken Group Islands and would go back there again in a heartbeat. Taking the ship in from Port Alberni to Sechart Lodge makes accessing the BGI pretty easy. It's all pretty protected, or, that is to say you can stay in fairly protected water if you choose to. You can also paddle out beyond the outer islands where there's nothing but ocean from there to Japan.

Lady Rose Marine Services: http://www.ladyrosemarine.com/kayak.html

A slideshow of my pictures: http://pawistik.blogspot.ca/2011/09/pho ... group.html







1 canoe, a bunch of kayaks, and gear about to be loaded on the ship (quite a few kayaks were already aboard) :


They call it "Fogust" - the Brokens were shrouded in fog the entire time we were there. We paddled into it on the first day and paddled out of it on our last day. But, it's the wet West Coast and we're from the prairies so it's pretty much what we expected. We were very surprised that as soon as we got to the edge of the group of islands, the fog remained behind us. Here we are aboard the boat heading back toward Port Alberni with the fog still sitting on top of the islands behind us.


I really want to head back there in October to take my L3 kayak course.

Another option would be to head off of Quadra Island toward Octopus Islands and area. http://www.mappingsupport.com/p/gmap4.p ... &z=12&t=t5
There is a lot of current here so you better know your tide & current tables. It's the location of famous Surge Narrows - a nice place to surf when the currents are right but easy to paddle through at slack. When I did that trip it was part of a kayak course and we launched from and returned to Discovery Islands Lodge which is owned and run by paddlers. There is also a public launch nearby.
http://pawistik.blogspot.ca/2011/05/pc- ... in-bc.html

Oh, and canoes work on saltwater, too. But you can expect a few people to give you funny looks and maybe be mildly offended.

Cheers,
Bryan

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Bryan's website - http://pawistik.net
ColdspringPaddling.com

A few select pics from that Quadra trip. (Link for the full slideshow is above.)
View from Francisco Island:


Elephant Mountain


Nearly high tide at Francisco Island campsite:


Octopus Islands lunch stop at low tide:


Paddling back toward Discovery Islands Lodge:


Cheers,
Bryan

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Bryan's website - http://pawistik.net
ColdspringPaddling.com

It amazes me how everyone's sea kayaking/canoeing photos are always glass calm. Every time I go out the waves and wind kick up and next thing I know I'm in seas that are breaking over my head and I can't make headway because of the wind. To go out in a canoe here without a kayak style cover is a big risk, how many waves can wash over you before you sink? Broken Islands do seem gorgeous though.

I had a really great trip on the Sayward Forest Canoe Route in February/March but if you don't have a cart for the kayak you will HATE the portages and some of the shallow sections that require poling in deep mud. You'll also encounter other people but there's a good reason for that. so my 2 cents is to do the Sayward.

If you're looking for something "Ontario-esque" the Main Lake Chain on Quadra Island is worth checking out. A series of lakes connected by channels / creeks. Quadra is a short ferry from Campbell River, up-island.

Strathcona Provincial Park, in the centre of the island, is worth a look. I've canoed down the length of Buttle Lake. Be aware that there is (was) mining activity in the area. It's been 18 years since I've paddled there.

However, the best paddling will be along the coast. As mentioned, the Broken Group is probably your best bet. I think you can get a shuttle out to the islands, and then spend your time exploring. You might need reservations.

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www.mikemonaghan.ca

The canoe and the waves are not the risk, the risk is deciding to paddle when waves are crashing over your head and swamping the canoe.

Seriously, the Brokens are a great canoe destination, people have been using canoes there for millenia. But, as anywhere else, you need to exercise some good judgement, know your limits and stay within them.

Bryan

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Bryan's website - http://pawistik.net
ColdspringPaddling.com

Oh, and regarding the glass calm, why do you think I had the camera out?

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Bryan's website - http://pawistik.net
ColdspringPaddling.com

Pawistik: Yeah no kidding, if I ever decide to do another ocean canoeing trip I'll be sure to buy a marine radio for the forecasts.