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From rain to sunshine) Desolation Sound is a beautiful place to kayak. The waters are so clear that you can see to the ocean floor in many areas. A group of us set out for a 5-day trip renting kayaks from Powell River Sea Kayaking
We spent our first night in the Lund hotel; a well-maintained establishment complete with bar, restaurant, store and liquor store, to get ready for our trip. Lund is just north of Powell River and is very close to the best launch sites for Desolation Sound. We launched from Penrose Bay in Okeover Arm and paddled out to the Marine Park.
Most of my trips have been blessed with perfect weather but not the beginning of this one. We were advised not to leave the inlet as it was raining, there were 26-knot winds and the staff person expected 5-foot waves. However, when we reached the opening of the inlet the sea was quite calm and only the rains were an inconvenience so we went on to our first campsite in Tenedos Bay. About half way to the bay we encountered the winds including a little whirlwind off the ocean. That made the last half of the paddle difficult. The total trip took 4.5 hours. Difficult as it was, it was well worth it.
There are not many good areas to pitch a tent in this area but Tenedos is one of the best. It has campsites, an outhouse, a warm lake nearby and a stream running beside it. With it raining we quickly set up camp. This was my first wet weather trip and I found that there is a consistent dampness to everything. The next morning it continued to rain and everyone was sore from the paddle over so we explored the lake and area we were camping in. That night we partied by the campfire with guitar and drinks in hand. It was great fun in spite of the conditions.
The second morning brought more rain and we made the decision to keep our camp and do day trips from there. By 11:00 the rains had stopped and we were out on the water going to Prideaux Haven. This is the heart of the marine park, well protected by islands and very beautiful indeed. On this paddle we encountered many seals, an eagle and a vulture. The calm waters were a pleasure to paddle. On returning to our camp the sun teased us for about half an hour but the joy it brought us was incredible.
The next day was the beginning of the blue skies and sunshine for the rest of the trip. We paddled to Roscoe Bay were we found another good campsite for future reference and swam in Black Lake, We paddled along Mink Island and returned to Prideaux Haven once more to see it in the sunlight.
It was time to go home and there are still so many other spots to visit. My suggestion to anyone coming up the Sunshine Coast is to alot at least two weeks as there are too many compelling areas to visit. I highly recommend it to anyone. On returning to Lund we went for a burger and beer before setting out to go home. I look forward to the pictures and party back in Vancouver where we can relive this wonderful trip.
More kayaking or sports and outdoors.
