Introduction
Dear <<First Name>>,
Here is the next edition of the SISKA newsletter. We hope you enjoy it. We also hope that members will continue to send in a couple of photos from our various paddles or maybe the odd 100-150 word article; if you can, please contact one of us.
You can find an archive of all our past newsletters at: http://siska.ca/members/siska-newsletter-archive
Michael Jackson (SISKA president) and Ben van Drimmelen (editor) |
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Seasonal kayak?
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Upcoming Events
November 13, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Spirit Bay to Cabin Point Paddle (ENERGIZER)
November 20, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, SISKA Pool Clinic and Drop in session
November 23, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Monthly Meeting-Paddle Canada
November 26, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Esquimalt Lagoon to Millstream Falls Paddle (RELAXED)
November 29, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Detailed Planning for a Lengthy Wilderness Kayak Trip with Lynn Baier, Jennie Sutton, Debbie Leach, Alan Campbell, John Minkley and Morley Eldridge
December 3, 9:30 am - 11:30 am, Cadboro Bay to Cadboro Bay Christmas Paddle Paddle (RELAXED)
December 03, 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm, SISKA Christmas Luncheon & Party!
December 11, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm, Albert Head to Witty's Lagoon Paddle (ENERGIZER)
December 18, 1:30 pm - 5:00 pm, Christmas Carolling in Victoria Harbour (RELAXED)
December 18, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, SISKA Pool Clinic and Drop in session
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Tips for the trips
Pack a compact umbrella along to eat lunch in the rain.
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What’s in a Name?
This is our local name series! Most of our featured names are drawn from “The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names” by Andrew Scott. We have a copy in the library.
Sooke Inlet to Otter Point
One of our paddles this month was from Whiffen Spit to Otter point, so our names article focuses on that area this month.
Whiffin spit
John George Whiffin was a clerk aboard the RN survey ship HMS Herald under the command of Captain Henry Kellett in 1846-7. (Kellet named many of the features in Sooke Basin.)
Otter Point
Is named after Henry Charles Otter of the Royal Navy. Otter gained a reputation during the Crimean War and Captain Kellett named Otter "Head" after him in 1846.
Secretary (Donaldson) Island
Secretary Island was the name adopted by Henry Kellett in 1847 and it may have originally been named by James Douglas, though the origin of the name is not known. The island was renamed in 1911 to avoid confusion with the Secretary Islands in Trincomali Channel off Saltspring Island. Alexander Dawson Donaldson was a Scot who had come to BC by way of Wisconsin in search of gold, but eventually bought Silver Spray Farm in East Sooke. 70 years later it was decided to revert to Secretary Island since local mariners had not taken to "Donaldson Island". The hydrographic service decided to put it on the charts as Secretary (Donaldson) Island, and it seems to still be that way on charts!
Sheringham Point
Another 1846 Henrey Kellett name, Sheringham Point is named after a fellow surveyor, William Louis Sheringham. The point was named Punta de San Eusebio by Manuel Quimper in 1790. the lighthouse was built in 1912 and was automated in 1989.
Muir Point
John Muir came to BC in 1849 to work for the HBC. He and his family were pioneer farmers in the Sooke area and have several features named after them (Muir Cove, Muir Creek and Mt. Muir). Muir was a magistrate and a member of Vancouver Island's initial elected colonial assembly. His son Andrew Muir became Vancouver Island's first sheriff in 1857.
Parsons Point
William Forster Parsons was 2nd master aboard The HMS Herald under Captain Henry Kellett. The prolific namer, Kellett, named the point after Parsons in 1846. By the way, Kellet made some of BC's earliest Admiralty charts along the south coast of Vancouver Island in 1846-47.
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Kayak technique tip
There are lots of resources for kayaking technique tips out there on the web and I thought it would be good to showcase some of these in our newsletter. If you have a favourite that you would like to share, please do so by sending it to newsletter@siska.ca.
The first tip that I found is on "The Ultimate Forward stroke" from Paddling.net. The article can be found here.
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The ultimate forward stroke
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Recipes and tips for Camp Food
We are starting a new segment in our newsletter, sharing recipes that can be made deep into a multi-day kayak trip, or any recipe that makes the cooking part of a trip more enjoyable. Please submit your contributions; we'll be posting a new one every month. You can send them to me at lbaier@telus.net.
I'm going to start it off with one of my favourites- 'Ziplock omelettes in a wrap'.
Crack two eggs into a medium size Ziplock bag. Squeeze it around to mix up the yolks and whites. Now add anything you like. This one has chopped up ready-pack bacon and cubes of cheddar cheese. Next, drop it into the water you are boiling for your morning coffee, making sure it doesn't touch the sides of the pot. It will take about 5 minutes to cook. Slide it onto a wrap, fold it up, and enjoy. The second best part? No dishes :-)
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Boiling in a jetboil
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The finished result!
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Coordinator updates
Safety coordinator
The executive has asked Lynn Baier to take on the role of Safety Coordinator for the club to replace Sheila Porteous who has moved to Comox. Lynn was involved in our review task force on policies and procedures a few years ago and brings considerable experience to the role.
Meeting Snacks
Lynn has been organizing coffee, tea and cookies for out meetings for some time now and would love to pass on or share this role. If you would be willing to help out the club in this role, please contact Mike Jackson or Lynn Baier
Communications backup
Jo Nicolson is our communications coordinator and looks after sending out most of the club's emails and notices. She would very much appreciate having a backup person to help her, especially for when she is away - usually during the summer. If you are able to help, please email Jo Nicolson or Mike Jackson
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October 16th Paddle - Sooke to Otter Point
The day after a much-publicized trio of strong Fall windstorms blew through Victoria, 11 of us took to the waters of Juan de Fuca Strait at Whiffin Spit and paddled west to Gordon’s Beach just past Otter Point. We launched (and later landed) at Whiffin Spit through slippery mounds of kelp that had been driven ashore during the storms, but the winds had eased overnight as forecast and left calm seas and a low swell just right for some rock gardening.
Recalling some of the history of the area, we saw that the coastline to Otter Point had long provided rich fishing for the T’Sou-ke First Nation and then early settlers, who also harvested timber and developed small farms in the area. It is thought that the name “T’Sou-ke” is derived from a species of stickleback fish found in the Sooke River estuary.
Captain Walter Grant was the first European to purchase land and settle in the Sooke area around 1850, developing a sawmill operation there. He is also remembered (not necessarily fondly) for introducing the game of cricket and Scotch Broom from his home in Scotland.
On our return paddle we saw two brown pelicans camouflaged among the seagulls on Otter Point. Although sightings now occur most years, brown pelicans are still rare for this area. We also watched several sea lions cruising along in the current, as we enjoyed sunny/cloudy skies and almost no rain.
Just another wonderful day on the water!
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Pelicans and Gulls on Otter Point
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The paddle route
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Kayakable Birding
Birds are a fine feature of any kayak trip. But which is which? In each Newsletter, we’ll describe a couple of species that you are likely to see at this particular time of year.
"Black and white ducks" covers a lot of ground. In this issue, we'll focus on a couple of black and white seabirds that dive for fish in deeper water.
The Common Murre is about as close as the northern hemisphere gets to penguins, flying poorly and using those wings to fly underwater. Note the brownish-black back and mostly white neck.
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Common Murre
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Happily, the Oldsquaw was renamed as the Long-tailed Duck. This sea duck usually forms small groups, diving frequently. The head is mostly white, the neck and back white, but with very dark wings and, fortunately, the males showing that long tail.
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Long-tailed Duck male
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Update on the Discovery wolf
I heard the wolf howling when I paddled around Discovery earlier this month, but have not seen him in a while. I also received a rather non-committal reply from Jim Standen (Assistant deputy Minister, BC Parks):
Thank you for your email of September 29, 2016, addressed to the Honourable Mary Polak, Minister of Environment, regarding the closure of Discovery Island Marine Provincial Park. Minister Polak has asked that I respond on her behalf.
Since the incident on September 10, 2016, BC Parks has been working with the Conservation Officer Service (COS), First Nations, the Park Operator and tourism operators to provide notice of the park’s temporary closure. This decision results from the recommendation from the COS to use the fall and winter months to better assess the behaviour of the wolf for potential signs of habituation. The COS is working closely with the provincial wildlife veterinarian and Parks Canada biologists on a structured plan to gain better information on the wolf and its behaviour. BC Parks supports this action during this period of time and will use the results of the assessment to determine when the park will be reopened.
The closure of the park took effect on September 19, 2016, and we continue to inform the public and other affected parties as best possible through signage and updates to the park’s website. We will also maintain patrols through our Park Operator and Park Rangers.
I agree that it is unfortunate this recent event has led to the temporary closure of this park. This decision was reached after much consideration and discussion with ministry staff to determine the best course of action to ensure a balance between public safety and the continued health and well-being of the animal. BC Parks will reopen the park as soon as it is deemed safe for the wolf and park visitors. It is my hope that you and your group will not be unduly inconvenienced by this action.
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BC Marine Trails Network Association report
Fred Pishalski, our club rep to the BCMTNA, reported on the Association's AGM, held October 22 in Nanaimo. (PS - a big thank you to Fred for representing SISKA!):
This was a standard non-profit society meeting including approval of previous meeting minutes, treasure’s report (well-funded), membership report (308 in total including 11 club & 31 corporate), etc.
Committee Reports:
- Communications: Uptake on web interest following media reports of beach clean-up and Salish Sea Trail development.
- Stewardship: BCMTNA is part of multi-organizational 40-ton clean-up of VI beaches, funded by Japanese government. North Brooks photos were posted on FB. Discovery Islands were cleaned up, as were the Chain Islets. Raised $2200, no government funding.
- Trail Development: Current trail projects include:
- Sea to Sky: Substantially complete with additional work and site development planned.
- Discoveries: Site assessments mostly completed, referral process started on 20 sites to obtain protective status. BC Parks rep did update on proposal status.
- West Coast Van Isand North: Archeological impact assessments and site upgrades completed. Referral process under way for some.
- Gulf Islands: No further development at this time.
- Salish Sea: New proposal, John Kimantas to take lead.
- Central Coast: Protocol Agreement signed with Heiltsuk Nation, no further work undertaken.
- Site Data: 3001 total sites, 1062 visible to public, images available 670.
- Board Elections: President–Paul Grey, Secretary–Nick Heath (pro tem), Treasurer- Beverely Hipolito (pro tem)
John Rogers spoke about the Victoria Waterways Loop development. John Kimantas did a presentation on how the organization has changed in the last year. He also suggested a future direction; that the organization use the Cross Canada Trail framework to work with local stakeholders and develop numerous interconnected paddling/marine camping trails along the coast which would eventually turn into a complete border to border BC network. The spin-off benefits, such as protected sites and economic development, were obvious.
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October meeting - Victoria Waterways Loop
At our October meeting, John Rogers told us about the Victoria Waterways Loop, a 15 km paddle route with a 1 km portage that circles around Esquimalt and Vic West. It is an exciting idea which is making good progress and is already "doable" You can find out more at their website: Victoria Waterways Loop where you can follow progress and download a copy of their brochure. Vic Turkington is our club representative to the "Loop Group" (Morley Eldridge is our rep at the Gorge Waterway Initiative, a group that is also closely linked with the Gorge).
A big thank you to both Vic and Morley for representing our club at these important initiatives.
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creative pumpkin carving?
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