Leave No Trace from Michael Ramsey on Vimeo.

High action battle scenes, devastation, destruction, smoke, fear.

And cute kids.

Let’s keep our coasts looking good!!!

On my end I have been paddling around Spring Island, the Bunsbies, Nuchatlitz… keeping the paddle wet and fishing here and there, there was some hot days, some very thick fogs, some winds but almost no waves at all.
Some solo paddling and long hours reading, then some days with friends and lots of cooking, playing cards, living the life of the kayaker.
Overall I encourage people to visit those places, amazing places!!!

Paddle Canada is sending this announcement out to our current and past members on behalf and by special request of The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Parks Canada) located in BC.

Photo J. McCulloch/Parks Canada
Gulf Islands National Park – Sea Kayakers
Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (Parks Canada) will be conducting conference call focus group meetings in the first and second weeks of August 2010 in the evenings with outdoor experience enthusiasts. All focus group participants will receive a $50 gift certificate from Mountain Equipment Coopfor participating. As Gulf Islands National Park Reserve is a relatively new national park established in 2003, we would like to find out from boating enthusiasts like you how we can improve the boating experience. Whether you have previously toured in the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve area or not, we would like to invite you to attend one of these focus groups.

Please contact Cheryl Hooper, the focus group facilitator, if you are able to participate and if you have any questions, at the following contact information:
Email: cheryl.hooper@pc.gc.ca
Phone: (204) 983-7870

Please note if your household has more than one boating enthusiast, we would like to recruit just one of you for the groups.

Once your attendance is confirmed, we will send you the teleconference information. Along with a phone line, you will also require an operational high-speed Internet connection during the course of the focus group as we will want your feedback on various concepts that will require showing you photos.

Thank you for your consideration and we hope you are able to participate!

Laurie Peerenboom, Visitor Experience Manager

Gulf Islands National Park Reserve

You can follow this link to the magazine, the picture was taken last winter on Quadra Island by Rochelle Relyea while we were paddling some currents at Surge Narrows.

We stayed a few days and enjoyed the wood stove and the Sauna at Discovery Lodge…

I made a short video from the trip and you can watch it here….

and the pic!! I look good from far away with my back to the camera…. The kayak is a Chatham 16 by Necky Kayak… fun boat!

Ocean Paddler magazine

Now this is not advertisement, but I have to pass this on.
I have been looking for a big 1 person tent for a while, and they’re not cheap! It seems the smaller material is used, the more money they want for it.
Of course for $300 there are some sweet tent out there, but I already own a few as you can imagine, 3 or 4 season, 2 or 3 person… so I was looking for a good deal if I saw one.
And I found it.
MEC came out this year with the Camper 2, which is a small 2 persons tent, and it’s pretty small for 2 person. But you should see how much room it takes in my kayak.
The magic of it is the tent disappear behind my Skeg box (I would put a picture but you would not see much, it’s gone). So it packs to nothing, weight little ( I know we’re kayakers but you still have to carry it around when you land), and it’s a huge 1 person tent, or a small 2 person.
Now let me break the news… retail for $125!!
There are 2 doors, 2 vestibules, the floor come up very high and is polyurethane-coated for long-lasting waterproofness to 10,000mm (if you don’t know what that means, there is just not much more available out there). Good ventilation, easy to set up on your own, and a fair amount of room under the vestibule if your stuff is in drybags (just set up a tarp.. can’t go wrong that way).
For 1 person, all your gear fits in with you, and it’s roomy and great…
2 people is OK but tight, and sitting up you touch the top unless you are in the middle…
For the nice days, for those trips where you’re packing small, for a very good price, I have slept in it over 15 nights now and have not 1 complaint.
Love to pack it in my kayak… I can tell you that much!!!!
On sunny days don’t peg the vestibule and you have great access to the tent with both flap out of the way, on rainy days I had it set tight and the zippers did an awesome job (use bungee cords instead of rope for better results), still leaving lots of room to get in and close easily (it’s small so reaching is easy).
I hear the gear heads, too cheap, not strong enough, poles will break…. I just don’t think it’s true, it’s a 3 season tent not an expedition/set on the ledge/in 100km/hr winds, if you use it for what it’s design for, it will do just fine.
So far so good……
some links..
to the CAMPER 2
to some users reviews

Lend your voice for a marine park in magical Gwaii Haanas….

Today we have great news — all political parties in Parliament voiced their support for a new law by Environment Minister Jim Prentice to finalize the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area.This comes after more than 2 decades of work by CPAWS, the local Haida, Parks Canada and many others to conserve this magical 3,000 square km area known as Canada’s “Galapagos of the North”.

With your support, we’re almost there!Please take a moment now to thank our politicians for this positive move, and to let them know how you feel about finalizing the law to establish Canada’s first deep sea national marine conservation area before Parliament adjourns for the summer.

TAKE ACTION HERE, CLICK ON THIS LINK: Send an e-mail to all of the federal parties’ environment critics and minister Jim Prentice.

Learn More:

• Gwaii Haanas legislation introduced into Parliament – June 7, 2010
  The waters of Gwaii Haanas off the coast of B.C nourish over 3,500 species great and small. In these ancient waters, kelp forests become deep crevices and beautiful orange corals hide countless fish. It’s an underwater world in constant motion, with movements from all the huge whales, migrating sockeye and diving seabirds.

Check out the list of Ocean related action on-going with CPAWS here…

Looks like a play boattt……

Images © Jeffrey Gallant
Soundtrack (La mer) by Claude Debussy
Performed by the United States Air Force Band (PUBLIC DOMAIN)

Then we have MEC Paddlefest coming up on the 5th of June, more of the same but in Victoria at Cadboro bay,
a day long of demos, clinics, sea kayaking obsession… paradise!
get the info you need for MEC Paddlefest here..

Then finally some info about the Wave Grabber Series, your opportunity to rent and paddle a boat for 2 or 3 hours for $10, meet other paddlers, and have a BBQ to finished it off.
This is a joint effort by MEC Victoria and The Gorge Rowing Club to create a community paddle evening where you can paddle a boat without breaking your bank account and meet other local paddlers for the rest of the week, if you have your own boat, participation is free and you are welcome as well.

Mountain Equipment Co-op and Gorge Rowing & Paddling Centre welcome back Wave Grabber, a competitive and for fun race series that involves all types of paddling. Race for fun! Race a friend! If you love to paddle, just come on down. Take part in one, take part in all.

WHAT
This six-race paddling series offers fun recreational racing, followed by a delicious BBQ and draw prizes. Racers chose from one, two, or three laps of a 1.4km loop. Rental of a recreational kayak is included in the race fees, although private boats are always welcome. Races are open to recreational, performance, and flat water kayaks and canoes, surf skis, outrigger and marathon canoes, and paddle boards.

WHERE
Gorge Rowing & Paddling Centre
105-2940 Jutland Road (Selkirk Waterfront Community)

WHEN
Registration: 6:00 to 6:30 PM
Mandatory Safety Meeting: 6:30 PM
Race Starts: 6:45 PM

COST
$10.00 Includes boat rental, BBQ, and prizes.
Cash, debit, or credit available.