Arcly and Elo 2019

Arcly and Elo 2019 - Nuchatlitz and Nootka Island

Year 8! This is the eighth annual Arcly and Elo trip since we met in Kelowna BC in 2010. Ahh yes,  2010, when we were young and pretty. Now we are old and haggard. This trip was originally scheduled for June, but I came down with tonsillitis a few days before the trip and had to cancel last minute. Fun fact about air travel, airlines do not like reimbursing you for missed flights! This has become even more evident since COVID19 disrupted all of my March travel. Gurrrr.

This was Leo's year to host, so I flew up to Vancouver BC in early September. This year we kayaked the western side of Vancouver Island, near the small town of Zeballos (yes you are probably pronouncing it wrong). We took the ferry to Nanaimo and drove north until we needed gas, slept in the truck until morning, gassed up and continue another few hours to Zeballos.

Our first day was long and we started a little later than we had wanted, around 10am. If you know anything about us, it might be that we are incapable of packing light. This trip was no exception. Since there is no portaging on a kayak trip, we took everything! When we launched the tide was low and we had to haul the kayaks 50feet along the "beach" (crushed sharp rocks and shells) which was a real pain in the ass!! Lesson learned. Next time we will bring the kayak wheels/cart.

Map of our trip.

This was my (Arcly) first kayak trip. I'd like to think Im in okay shape, but I am terribly inflexible. I never sit upright with my legs extended. Who sits like that beside Barbie! Sitting like that is SO uncomfortable! WELLLLL kayaking is hours upon hours in this position!!! ahhhhh. I cramped up pretty badly and every time we debating stopping for a break or lunch Elo (who had no leg cramping) would see something cool like humpback whales or otters and we would have to keep going. We ended up doing around 20km that day before we found our own personal island and beach to make camp on.

humpback whales 

Well, it was a tad foggy. And by a tad I mean you could not see more than 50 feet in front of you. Also lots of rain. So I would say typical Vancouver Island weather.



One of the trip highlights was building a sauna. This was my first DIY sauna experience and I will be repeating it on future camping trips. We dug a pit, reinforced it with sticks, then rolled some large logs over for benches. Then we fiddled around for a half hour building up the walls with plastic tarps and sticks. Once we had a tight seal, we took some large piping hot rocks out of the fire, dumped them in the pit, sat on the benches (clothing optional ;) ) and poured water on the rocks. It worked SO WELL! We did this a few times, jumping in the cold ocean after. I cant wait to try this in Ontario and jump into some fresh clean lake water after. I love the ocean, but you sure don't feel clean after a swim. More like a salty deli pickle.

Elo and the DIY Sauna

On our last kayaking day we were still buried deep in fog, so we paddled as close to the shore as possible to avoid getting lost in the open ocean. Only problem was, except for the lack of visibility, it was low tide and we got stuck in some mud. Elo made the mistake of taking her foot out of kayak and stepping down, only to have her foot suctioned into the mud. The suction was so strong that she lost her shoe. Pretty much it was a near death experience, or so she tells me. I watched from the safety of my kayak as she struggles to pull her foot up sans shoe.

Elo eating cake for breakfast while wearing one shoes, having left the other in the mud. Why is it everywhere we go looks like a homeless encampment the minute we sit down?

Arcly in her borrowed kayak

We decided to leave a day early and camp on Vancouver Island in the back country. If you have a 4x4, there are endless logging roads to explore on the island.

Vancouver Island, back country logging road camp site.

Overall it was a great trip, even if the weather was crap. This year, 2020, is my year to host the trip. Who knows when and where that will be given the COVID19 pandemic. But we will make it happen!