Introduction
Dear <<First Name>>,
Happy 2018, all! This issue marks the start of our third year with the SISKA newsletter. Do let us know what you think and if there is anything you think we should be adding or subtracting from it. It seems as if over 100 members open the newsletter each month and a good number find useful links to click!
Both Ben and Mike are expecting to be away for much of 2018 on various trips, so we are looking for someone to assist with or take a primary role as the club newsletter editor. The newsletter is produced using the popular MailChimp system which is pretty easy to use and maintain. Please email the newlsetter team if you are interested/willing.
Thanks to those members who contributed photos and materials. After enjoying a SISKA event or paddle, please consider sending a short (100-150 words) summary article; for more information, contact one of us. If you would like to start a regular column, please let us know!
Michael Jackson (SISKA president) and Ben van Drimmelen (editor)
PS: You can find SISKA on Facebook at this link.
PPS: SISKA has a Meetup site for "impromptu" and other paddles organized by club members. For more details, go to https://www.meetup.com/SISKA-Meetup/. To join this, you have to be a club member.
PPPS: You can find the SISKA newsletter archive here: http://goo.gl/VUkafR |
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2018 membership
This is just a reminder that 2018 is upon us, so it is time to renew your membership. Thanks to everyone who has already renewed! The link to the renewal page is at:
http://www.siska.ca/membership/online-registration-3
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Upcoming SISKA Events
January 10, 9:00 am - 2:00 pm, Introduction to Currents clinic
January 11, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Bunsby Islands, Kyuquot and Fair Harbour - Been There and Done That - Lynn Baier & Morley Eldridge
January 13, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Cadboro Bay to Telegraph Cove Paddle (RELAXED)
January 22, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Weather, Wind and Waves Clinic put on by Don Tunstall with assistance from Vic Turkington
January 24, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Meeting-Coastal BC’s Amazing Archaeological Places by Morley Eldridge (with Gear Swap)
January 27, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Amherst to Portland Island Paddle (ENERGIZER)
February 6, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Chart & Compass: Navigation Basics Course #1 with John Abercrombie
February 8, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Chart & Compass: Navigation Basics Course #2 with John Abercrombie
February 11, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Oak Bay Marina to Cadboro Bay Paddle (RELAXED)
February 13, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Chart & Compass: Navigation Basics Course #1 Part II with John Abercrombie
February 15, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Chart & Compass: Navigation Basics Course #2 Part II with John Abercrombie
February 21, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Monthly Meeting-Visiting and paddling in the Galapagos Islands with Mike Jackson.
February 25, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Spirit Bay to Whirl Bay Paddle (ENERGIZER)
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Community Events of Interest
If you are aware of an event that should be included in the next Newsletter, please email Alan Campbell at alanglencampbell@shaw.ca.
January 6, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, CRD - Elk/Beaver Lake: New Year, New Beginnings - Guided Adult Walk
January 18, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Swimming the Juan De Fuca straight with Susan Simmons at Ocean River Sports
February 8, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm, Bones and Brains behind the Boats at Ocean River Sports
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What’s in a Name?
- Vic Turkington
HARO STRAIT
Haro Strait is well known to SISKA paddlers as we paddle to Chatham, Discovery, Sidney, James, Coal, Knapp, Pym, Piers, Moresby, Portland, D'Arcy and Rum Islands.
Haro Strait extends roughly from the south end of Discovery Island to the north end of the Saanich Peninsula, where it joins Boundary Pass. The much listened-to "Haro Strait Marine Weather" forecast from Environment Canada describes conditions at Kelp Reefs buoy, just southweast of D'Arcy Island, near the major shipping channel. (The mid channel forecast is often worse than inshore conditions).
The Spanish naval officer Manual Quimper was the first European to see our waters and named the strait in 1790 after his first mate "Gonzales Lopez de Haro". Hence, we have Gonzales Bay\Point\Hill, Lopez Island in the San Juans and Haro Strait all named after him.
A dispute broke out between the British and the US in 1859 over whether the international boundary between Canada and the US should lie to the east (Rosario Strait) or west (Haro Strait) side of the San Juan islands. This led to an armed standoff: the so-called Pig War - triggered by the shooting of a pig!. However, no additional shots were fired. The dispute was eventually resolved by an arbitrator (Kaiser Wilhelm 1) in favour of the US, so the international border was established along Haro Strait. (Too bad, as San Juan Island might have been Canadian!)
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Haro Strait (and Kaiser Wilhelm's boundary)
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Camping in the Broken Group
Just so everyone knows, backcountry permits and reservations are needed for the Broken Group; go to https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/visit4c/activ4. Anyone camping in the Broken Group Islands must have a backcountry camping permit. Backcountry camping permits are $9.80 per person per night from May through September. These permits are only available through the Parks Canada Reservation System; no spaces will be available for stand-by (first come, first serve).
To reserve, call 1-877-RESERVE or visit www.reservation.pc.gc.ca. Reservations become available on January 8, 2018 at 8 a.m. PST. Payment can be made by VISA, MasterCard or American Express.
Reservations for the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve open January 3, and those for Pacific Rim NPR open January 8. https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/voyage-travel/reserve
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Tips from the trips
- Debbie Leach
HANG IN THERE!
Stringing a line through the “cargo net” loops in the top of your tent makes for a handy airing/drying line.
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Camp Cookery
Campfire Orange Brownies
In your trip groceries, include one orange per person, an egg and a cup of oil for this fine dessert.
At camp, start with some instant brownie mix and supplement it with an egg, 3/4 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of water. Cut the top of each orange off and set it aside. With a knife, cut out and scoop out the orange innards and set the hollowed-out oranges aside as well.
Fill each orange shell with the brownie mix to about a centimetre below the lip. Put the top back onto each orange and wrap each in tinfoil. Put the wrapped oranges in the fire coals and check one periodically to see whether the brownie mixture has cooked enough.
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The Last SISKA paddle of 2017!
- Jennie Sutton
On December 17th, eight hardy souls launched in light surf at Albert Head Lagoon.
After removing gravel from the skeg boxes of two kayaks while on the water (the paddle leader’s knife came in handy!), the rest of the paddle was uneventful.
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The trick is making sure that you do NOT lose your knife when clearing gravel!
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Pacesetter Deb Leach led the group on calm seas along the undulating coastline, exploring the many nooks and crannies.There were enough swells to create some nice wave action closer to shore for those who enjoy maneuvering their kayaks in lumpier conditions. A few paddlers managed to surf on smallish swells at Witty’s sandbar. Sitting Lady Falls were spectacular, as they tend to be with the winter rains. Lunch at the picnic tables at Witty’s Lagoon Spit was reasonably dry, with no wind.
After circumnavigating the Haystock Islets the group meandered back to the launch site. There was enough water depth to allow paddling into Albert Head Lagoon at the finish. Debriefing was at Serious Coffee across from the Casino, on the Old Island Highway.
I hope that all paddlers had a merry Christmas and holiday season. See you OTW in 2018! (Most of the 2018 paddles are now listed on the website.)
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A hiker took this neat shot of all 8 of us at Sitting Lady Falls on our Dec 17th paddle!
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Kayakable Birding
We featured a couple of large, bulky divers last April - loons . In this issue, two smaller divers - grebes. Both of these grebes have dramatic breeding plumage but, sadly, not at this time of year; we see only their drab sides.
The horned grebe has no horns in winter. Look for the black cap, white cheeks, small bill and usually-white neck.
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Horned Grebe
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The red-necked grebe shows only a dull reddish-grey neck in winter. Identify it by the dark head and neck and fairly heavy bill (compared to the horned grebe).
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Red-necked Grebe
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January SISKA Meeting - Coastal Archaeology
At our January 24 monthly meeting, Morley Eldridge will present a brief talk on a few of the amazing archaeological places he has been to on the BC coast over his five decades working on the Northwest Coast.(Morley is president of Millennia Research which provides professional consulting services in archaeology, ethnology, traditional use, aboriginal forest use and history.) Morley will describe best-practices for kayakers in visiting archaeological sites, what you might see in different regions, and how to be curious and engage with our coast’s amazing human history without being inadvertently damaging or disrespectful.
And don't forget that we will be having a gear swap, so start putting a few things together to bring along.
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SISKA’s 10th Annual Christmas Party lunch
Another very successful luncheon party was held at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club on December 2nd. 100 SISKA members enjoyed excellent food, wonderful prizes, challenging Heads or Tails games, entertaining and interesting stories told, enthusiastic Christmas singing… there were many, many smiling faces!
Sincere thanks to all our donors who generously donatde such wonderful prizes:- Discovery Lodge (Lannie and Ralph Keller of Coast Mountain Expeditions), Blue Dog Kayaking, Ocean River Sports, Blackline Marine Services, Pacific Paddling Symposium (Janette Galan), MEC, John Kimantas, Pacifica Paddle Sports, Seaward Kayaks, Monica Jackson and Jane Jacek.
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...many, many smiling faces!
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To Buy or Sell
Nothing for this issue, but if you have any buy/sell items that you would like to post in the Newsletter, please send a short description and your contact info to newsletter@siska.ca.
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SISKA’s Kayak Skills Course Partners
There are some fine discounts available from our kayak skills course partners for SISKA members who sign up for their skills training programs; have a look at http://siska.ca/docs_public/SISKAsKayakSkillsCoursePartners.pdf.
Our partners are:
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