Queen Charlotte Islands

[alcoons]

My wife and I just returned from 12 days in the Queen Charlotte Islands including a 7 night kayak camping trip. The Queen Charlottes are in British Columbia, 50 miles off shore by the Alaska Border.

A very special place -- we had a great group, sunny weather, only a few difficulty days of waves and wind, spectacular scenery, endless eagles and wild- and sea-life, and ended paddling into at a World Heritage site of the Haida people followed by a natural hot spring.

We went with Tofino Expeditions. This is our third trip with them (Baja and Port Hardy on Vancouver Island). Tofino is so good that over half the 10 participants had been with them on at least 2 other trips. One guy was doing his 6th with them. Another NSPN club member is doing two consecutive trips with them as I write this.

The trip starts with an amazing 50 mile zodiac trip at 30 knots (when the sea is calm) from Moresby Camp to the first camp site where we picked up the boats and tents for the previous trip. Our itinerary (we went North to South) included:

- Skincuttle Inlet - Smith Point across from Swan Island

- Jedway

- Ikeda Cove lunch spot

- Sammel Rock

- Benjamin Point (lunch)

- Rasberry Cover across from Rose Harbour

- Cape Fanny (water stop for chocolates and peanuts)

- Anthony Island

- Zil Beach at Louscomme Point

- Return Zodiac trip

I have no vested interest in Tofino Expeditions, but if you are interest in more information about the Queen Charlottes, pretty pictures, or Tofino, surf to:

http://www.tofino.com/ or

http://www.tofino.com/qci-intro.htm

You are welcome to email me at al_coons@bbns.org if you have further questions about this wonderful place. We learned enough about flying in (easy and less than $400 non-stop to Vancouver and then to the Island since we lucked out on a summer sale), logistics (easy if you know the right company), accomodations (cheap), and touring the rest of the islands so we might be able to help plan a self-support trip or a trip like ours.

Al