5: THE OUTER ISLANDS

With Hecate behind, a huge weight had been lifted, leaving us free to enjoy the coast without reserve or worry. For years, the outer shores of Stephen’s and Porcher islands had filled our imaginations, and now we lazily paddled along rocky shores, exploring headlands and endless beaches, watching humpbacks feed and eagles soar overhead.

Norm and I have long been proponents of paddleboards as a safe and glorious way to explore wilderness coastlines, and this was expedition paddling at its very best.

A week later, with gale force northwesterlies descending, we ducked into the tiny settlement of Kitkatla, grabbed a boat back to Prince Rupert, and started the long voyage home