Maple Bay Paddle Report - May 17, 2022

 Maple Bay is a scenic community nestled in the hills along the ocean 10 minutes east of Duncan. It is situated half way along Samsun Narrows separating Saltspring Island from Vancouver Island. The sheltered bay is reputed to be one of the finest natural harbours on the West Coast of British Columbia.

 

The public boat ramp by the Maple Bay Rowing Club is on shallow sloping pebbled beach, a perfect spot for launching kayaks and canoes.

 From there our flotilla of 18 paddlers in 15 watercraft paddled south along the shoreline past a forest of masts in the very full marina of Birds Eye Cove.

 

 

The end of the cove has a double row of beautiful floating houses.

 

 

The deck of one house is evidently the preferred lounging site for a large river otter that was not at all concerned as we passed by. 

Westwood Lake Paddle Report - May 3, 2022

 Due to an inclement weather forecast for Comox Lake this day, the paddle was changed to Westwood Lake in Westwood Park, Nanaimo.

The Park has a lovely 5 to 6 km trail that encircles the lake. The parking lot was fuller than we expected, as it seemed that the trail walkers and runners were getting their exercise in before the rain. There was still lots of room to park for our group. The boat launch and beach are ideal for paddlers. Power boats are prohibited on this small lake.

 

Before setting off we did some yoga-based stretches, working on our shoulders, spines and hips. Stretching hopefully allowed us to be more comfortable in our boats for a longer period. Eleven boats with 12 paddlers had a nice, leisurely paddle as we circumnavigated the lake in a counter-clockwise direction. We took several breaks to snap a few photos, keep the group together and ease our way into the new paddling season. A rough estimate of the distance paddled was 3 to 4 km.

 

There were several dead trees in the lake, especially around the edges, and many dead-heads cut off at or just below the surface. This made for a careful, but very interesting paddle.