Day 1 Friday May 27 – Little Andrews Bay to Wistaria Provincial Park
- Wake Up Time: 5:30 am
- Departure Time: 7:50 am
- Arrival Time: 1:30 pm
- Distance Paddled: 25 kms
- Total Paddling Time (not including breaks): 4 hours and 36 minutes Weather Conditions: 4.1C inside tent when we woke up. Water was fairly rough with strong winds.
At last (or should that be "At First"), the very first day of paddling. On this day we had the added task of unloading the boats and all the gear from the truck and getting everything ready for the journey ahead. This resulted in a later start than what we would have liked. Within an hour of launching the boats we would quickly discover the need to start much earlier in the mornings.
The following shots are at the boat launch in the bay and just heading out of the bay itself:
Once we left the shelter of the bay and got further out onto the main part of Ootsa Lake we started to experience the wind and a little chop in the water. It wasn't too bad at first but the wind eventually got much stronger as the day went on and, with that wind, the water became much rougher with swells getting as high as 2 to 3 feet.
First break after about 10 kms for that day
Ootsa Lake is a huge body of water. I was surprised at the width of the lake, having only looked at this area from a map. I knew it was long but didn't really understand how wide it was until we were out there.
Along the way, we saw a black bear and a deer and, when we arrived at the Wistaria campground, we saw another deer. Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of the black bear.
I have to say, at this time, that I was fairly new to paddling a kayak. Most of my outings had been on very calm waters in ideal conditions. I have paddled, on occasion, in windy conditions but not to the extent that I was experiencing on Ootsa Lake. My partners, on the other hand, are much more experienced than I am. The conditions on Ootsa Lake that day were a little nerve racking to me at first. The waves were actually going right over my kayak every once in a while. It's a good thing that I had the kayak skirt on to prevent the kayak from taking in water. Maria said that at least two waves washed over their spray skirt on the canoe.
On the positive side, the wind was on our backs thus helping to push us along. The waves were mostly coming at us from behind and giving us the effect of surfing. But it was a strange sensation for me as I felt that I was not really in control. However, the stability of my Kayak eventually made me feel more at ease. I eventually got used to the rough waters. Maria and Arnie's Hellman canoe performed beautifully under these conditions as well. This is truly an exceptional canoe. Worth every penny they paid for it.
After a couple of hours out in this rough water I got into a mental zone where I felt completely at peace with everything. No more worries. I generally lagged behind Marie and Arnie by a fair distance for most of this trip. It was as if I were completely on my own anyway.
This is what I was looking for. Some solitude with only the sound of nature around me (i.e. the wind, water, and wild life). This paddling solitude, that I got each day for about 5 to 6 hours, would be what I was looking forward to the most. I didn't want the closeness of company or conversation, being the loner that I am.
After all, what's the point of being in the wilderness if you don't truly absorb it? I wanted to be there without being there. Almost like an uninvited guest that's not being included in the conversation. An outsider as it should be because, in my opinion, humans are not really part of that natural world any more. This part of the daily routine for 13 days would become the part that I wanted the most in this pristine wilderness.
However, I did enjoy the good company at the campsites at the end of each day. Especially with world travellers like Maria and Arnie who have so many interesting stories/experiences. If you ever wanted to do a vacation on the cheap, they would be the ones to talk to as they generally travel around the world with backpacks and camping equipment. In fact, they've very likely experienced different parts of the world in ways that most travellers would not because of the way they travel. That's what's so interesting about it.
We finally arrived at Wistaria Provincial Park where we drove to the day before. At this time we started getting some sunshine but the winds were still quite strong. As the day went on it also got colder and a little uncomfortable for sitting around. However, we managed to pitch our tents in a spot that was shielded from the wind by some trees. I was actually quite warm in my tent and sleeping bag that evening. On a positive note, however, good wind generally meant no mosquitoes. Take your pick.
Maria cooked an excellent meal for that evening. We were all very well fed before bed.
In one of our conversations we talked about the journey ahead and wondered if the conditions we had experienced today would be a normal pattern (i.e. wind and rough waters). Arnie was thinking that, if the weather and water was going to be like this generally, we would be in for a really tough journey. The thought of it was starting to feel somewhat daunting with another 12 to 13 days ahead of us.
