Prine Rupert

I received email from Sue this morning. They made it safely into Prince Rupert, successfully crossing Dixon Entrance on their forth day. Sue says their hands look like Hamburger, and I imagine CPR comes to mind.

They crossed Behm Canal their 1st day, making 20 miles. On their 2nd day, they crossed Portland Canal about 15 miles and made it into Foggy Bay, where they camped with a lone Kayker heading north. The 3rd day they had their first experience with a bear, who wondered across the beach in front of their camp. Apparently Sue yelled at him and the bear turned and looked and then scampered away. Do Bears really Scamper? They also miss judged the tides and found their boat high and dry and couldn't leave until 2:00 AM. Then it started raining and apparently rained all the way into Port Simpson. Port Simpson is the location of the Tsimshian community of Lax Kwalaams about 35 miles north of Prince Rupert. It was the location of a Hudson's Bay Company post. When they pulled in, soaked and cold, a woman from the First Nation community offered them a shower and a meal.

They next day, they made it into Prince Rupert, where they had to clear Canadian Customs. They are there today, waiting for better weather. Tomorrow, weather permitting, they will make the next leg of their journal, down a few miles to the entrance to Grenville Channel. Their plan is to passage down this 45 mile narrow channel using the ebb and flood tides to cover the distance in a day or two.

As far as I can tell they're both doing well, and anyone who's done CPR, can better appreciate how their really feeling. Only on this trip they don't have the great support crew that follows CPR. Biggest issue seems to be finding adequate camping spots along the way. The tides are sometimes 25 feet, the shoreline is very rocky and the tree line is nearly at the high tide line and almost impenetrable. We have heard stories of Kayakers who spent
the night in the nook of a tree limb waiting for morning to arrive.

Some of the new pictures from their launch are now up. My thanks to all of
you, for your thoughts and prayers.