Day 5

After our arrival the fog cleared and we were surprised to see the beautiful beach we landed on.

Woke to fog this morning and launched into it at 8:30 am. The fog moved in and out as we navigated using our compass and GPS waypoints. We headed southeast towards Tatchu Point, after finding Grassy Island in the mist, and wouldn't have been out in such poor visibility if the swells and wind had been firing. As we headed blindly towards our Catala Island waypoint, we encountered a large number of sea otters mingling in the kelp. Within an hour of landing on Catala Island, the fog cleared and the sun came out. I took off on a hike, just as Al returned from his, heading north along the beach. I explored a cave, snapped a few shots, and by the time I returned to camp everything had fogged over again.

We paddled 17.5 miles today, 111 thus far, and we're averaging over 22 miles per day. We can't afford many down days, and the weather will have to be with us if we're going to make it to Port Angeles in time. I can't help but be a little concerned about my August 25th back to teaching day; crossing my fingers for good weather tomorrow!

BC Parks Info on Catala Island

The park encompasses numerous reefs, islets and marine ecosystems as well as a lake, bog area and rugged shoreline, all of which provide ample opportunities for exploration. Rustic trails lead to the lake and bog in the center of the island, which features tall trees twisted by the fierce winds coming off the Pacific Ocean. This forest forms a ragged backdrop to the island's smooth, sandy beaches.

The Rolling Roadstead anchorage of Catala Island is good in calm weather, but when the winds pick up boaters here will be subjected to a constant and steady swell from the Pacific. Nearby Queen Cove off Esperanza Inlet on Vancouver Island provides more sheltered overnight anchorage.

Access to the park is by boat from the towns of Tahsis and Zeballos. Kayakers wishing to explore this remote region can book space for themselves and their kayak aboard the MV Uchuck lll, departing from Gold River and Tahsis. The vessel will unload kayakers into the scenic area of Catala Island en route to its scheduled stop at Kyuquot in Kyuquot Sound.

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Erik was proud that he could carry all his gear to the boats in one trip. This was especially helpful on days when we were leaving at low tide, and our boats were far from our campsite.

The numerous sea caves along the coast fascinated us. It was tempting to explore them, but there was too much surf while we were there. We heard that in the old days, the natives used some of these caves for burial purposes.