2005

  Early April may not seem like the best time of year for exploring the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island by kayak but I managed to find four friends willing to share an adventure...The Broken Island Group archipelago in Barkley Sound has a bit of everything for a true west coast experience: old growth forests, whales, sea lions, open ocean, sheltered inlets and a gorgeous backdrop of coastal mountain ranges.  Despite a week of challenging weather we were able to explore the group quite extensively...it also didn't hurt that we had the entire Park to ourselves!

The weather provided one thing at least: numerous opportunities for striking imagery as one weather front moved in on top of another creating striking skies, rainbows, hailstorms as well as incredible sunsets...never a dull moment!

Barkley-001.jpg (51367 bytes) Barkley-002.jpg (28778 bytes) Barkley-003.jpg (96339 bytes)

Barkley-004.jpg (36842 bytes) Barkley-005.jpg (46394 bytes) Barkley-006.jpg (74441 bytes)

Barkley-007.jpg (100480 bytes)  

Barkley-008.jpg (25668 bytes) Barkley-009.jpg (29481 bytes)

Barkley-010.jpg (66424 bytes) Barkley-011.jpg (39178 bytes)

2006

A return trip to Barkley Sound and the Broken Islands Group in late April this year proved a bit more rewarding: balmy weather, clear blue skies and calm seas are what greeted our group of paddlers this year.  Good food and a relaxed atmosphere made for a great vacation...did I mention the food?!?  Chocolate fondue, sate chicken with peanut sauce, gourmet cheese with artisanal bread made on Salt Spring accompanied by roasted peppers, garlic and coleslaw.

Our camp on tropical Clarke Island was the highlight of this year's trip: the penthouse suite of the Group out on the westernmost edge.

BS2006-001.jpg (64988 bytes) BS2006-002.jpg (113502 bytes) BG-3052.jpg (36262 bytes)

BG-2982.jpg (66508 bytes) BS2006-007.jpg (112578 bytes) BS2006-008.jpg (146000 bytes)

 BG-2984.jpg (75089 bytes) BG-2994.jpg (82444 bytes) BS2006-003.jpg (131924 bytes)

BS2006-006.jpg (138876 bytes) BS2006-005.jpg (158211 bytes) BS2006-004.jpg (131838 bytes)

BG-3053.jpg (74945 bytes)

BG-3054.jpg (69857 bytes) BG-3055.jpg (81811 bytes) BG-3056.jpg (72223 bytes)

BG-3058.jpg (54823 bytes) BG-3057.jpg (64247 bytes) BG-2998.jpg (63310 bytes)

 

 

Flat_Nuchatlitz.jpg (12078 bytes)

all photos ©2004 Michael Levy/Flat Earth Photography