Note from Paul: This post was written by Carlyn camper Alanna Baker, and send to us from Powell River, BC, where Carlyn is currently resupplying.
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I can’t believe that we are already a week into our Carlyn journey. Already our trip has been filled with adventure, serene beauty, and endless laughter. After leaving Camp on the twenty-sixth, we anchored in Bedwell Harbor on North Pender Island. We rowed to shore and took a short hike to a small beach where we watched a magical sunset. The next day, we sailed to Princess Cove, Wallace Island. Here, we took another hike to try to find a famous driftwood cabin. Although we were unsuccessful in finding the house, we found ourselves in a spectacular forest where we had some memorable moments that were shared.
Four days into the trip, we had our first encounter with civilization when we docked in Nanaimo. Here, we got our first showers in a couple of days, and we were able to go off into the small Canadian town. As we were wearing our bloomers and Carlyn shirts, we got many strange looks and questions from the locals.
The highlight of the trip so far, was Princess Louisa Inlet. We sailed here on the 31st with the help of the first real wind of the trip. Throughout the entire day, we were surrounded by towering mountains with trees that seemed to grow straight out of the rock. It was one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. Once we arrived in the inlet, we saw brilliant, flowing waterfalls and what seemed to be perfectly vertical rocky cliffs. After docking, we went swimming in the surprisingly warm water. From the first day even, the water was in the high sixties and low seventies.
We stayed at Princess Louisa Inlet for three days and two nights. On the second day, we took a hike to a breathtaking waterfall, almost sixteen hundred feet above sea level. The hike was challenging, but the sights at the end were rewarding.
During the trip, we have been playing a game called “Bigger and Better”. In this game, we try to trade an item for something bigger or better, until we are satisfied. We started out with a striped white and red paperclip, given to us by Linda, and now have a crab pot! The game has been fun so far, and although we do not make trades with every boat, we have met some very interesting people along the way.
Overall, the trip has been an incredible new experience for all of us. We have made many memories and learned several skills that will be sure to last us a lifetime. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the trip has in store for us.
– Alanna Baker, Carlyn Crew