Over the years, when taking the ferry from Earl's Cove to Saltery Bay on Jervis Inlet in the resplendent Coast Mountains of British Columbia, there is an area that looked ideal for exploration by kayak; Hotham Sound. Much of this area has dodged many of the ravages of resource extraction and has a reputation of calm and warm water, surrounded by granite peaks, forest and a 300 meter waterfall. What could be better.
Experiences like this are often solo adventures, but on this trip friends and fellow kayakers Lynn Fox and Eric Faucher joined me at Skookumchuck Inlet (famous for its tidal surge further up the Inlet) to explore this area. They brought a calm, very experienced and spirited sense of adventure, and had prepared an amazing menu. What a luxury.
 |
| Heading across Jervis Inlet |
We left on a warm clear day, with a building westerly wind. One aspect of many of these inlets are the steep rock walls and very few places to stop. Local knowledge is a big asset here. After deciding the wind was getting the better of us, we headed up Jervis Inlet to stay in a nice location for two nights.
The weather was calm and clear as we headed to Hotham Sound. After a bit of a search we found a great location with a nice stream nearby. Lynn prepared another fine meal and we photographed the Milky Way.
 |
| Southern Milky Way over Jervis Inlet |
Kayaking here was a dream. We had calm waters, beautiful light, a great little storm, and more stars in the moonless evenings.
 |
| Approaching Storm |
 |
| Beautiful Morning Light |
In the entire trip, we didn't see any other kayakers and very few boats went by. It's great to have a home base and simply explore an area. We really only scratched the surface and will certainly return to this fantastic area, off the beaten path.
