[Roy Smyth]

There is a new button at the bottom of the forums menu: Manage Your Forums.

It gives you access to your “forum profile” and makes it open showing your subscriptions. You can manage your forum and topic subscriptions here.

Give it a try.

[Roy Smyth]

Reading a topic with many replies is a pain if you just want the recent replies – they are way down the page at the bottom.

I can easily change the way the forums work so that topic replies are in newest to oldest order and (cool trick) I can also force the original topic post to stay at the top.

Comments?

[Reed Clarke]

Was going to send this out just to those who attended Roxanne’s Conservation Meeting, last week. Instead, decided to put it on the forum to see if others have any thoughts.

At the meeting, I put forward an idea for a Howe Sound project. I was attempting to create an activity that would fulfill three objectives: a good deed (or two), self-interest (relevancy to kayaking), and fun. The specific project I presented was a Saturday/Sunday paddle out of Porteau Cove. Saturday: paddle to Ramillies Camp on Gambier Island. At Ramillies, the group would brush out campsites, if needed,  and put up a food cache. Dinner would be a salmon barbecue and beach campfire. Sunday: paddle to Anvil Island and clean up a particularly messy beach (roughly N49 31.532 W123 17.362). Given the potential for sketchy weather in the Howe Sound, the participants would have to be willing to let the event slide until a good weekend forecast appeared. Nick, and his powerboat, would be needed to provide support.

So, yesterday, I paddled out of Porteau Cove to have a look at conditions in the area. My plan immediately hit a stumbling block. Somebody has cleaned up the beach on Anvil Island. The rotters. What was once an epic litter pile is now relatively clean. There is a large metal thing (no one will move this), the ubiquitous blue float barrel and some styrofoam.

At Ramillies Camp, things started to look up. The shore here is not horrid, but it definitely could use a cleanup to remove styrofoam and a small piece of plywood. There probably wouldn’t be any need for brushing out more spaces. Nick, Mick and others have done an impressive job at this site. A food cache would be a plus. This part of my plan, at least, is holding up.

I was beginning to switch to Howe Sound Cleanup Plan 2.0. This would involve going around to several of the campsites on the Sunday, before picking up the styrofoam and blue barrel at Anvil Island. This would be highly relevant to kayakers and would be a fun paddle.

Unfortunately/fortunately, Plan 2.0 came undone with further paddling to Thornbrough Camp and Islet View Camp. These beaches were clean. This is great news for humanity. Maybe people are slowing down on the beach garbage thing. But, it is bad news for my proposal.

A further paddle to Zorro Camp didn’t clarify much. There was some garbage here (the pattern seems to be that north facing beaches gather garbage). There were a few bits of styrofoam, a metal bottle opener and a plastic pop bottle. Once I had removed a chunk of styro, the opener and the bottle, there really wasn’t much left.

I am now left looking for a messy beach, or beaches, that can be combined with a paddle in the Ramillies/Anvil Island area. Failing this, I am going to have to revive another concept, to cleanup a beach on Nelson Island, which I had rejected because of parking issues at Pender Harbour.

Any ideas or input is certainly welcome.

Oh ya, and just to rub it in, yesterday was a really, really nice day for paddling in the Howe Sound. Insert ‘cheesy smile’.

[Helen Roberts]

Hi Bob,

I tried pogies the other day and loved them, but MEC doesn’t have any in stock.  Are yours still available?

Thanks,

Helen

[Roxanne Rousseau]

Hi Nick I have launched from Eagle Harbour which was fine but am willing to support your suggestion of Caulfield Cove (which I have not launched from). Best, Roxanne

[Reed Clarke]

There is a boat run through the cobbles at Batchelor Cove. Drop down the ramp, go left across the top of the beach, and then out along the boat run. This pathway is clear of boulders; mostly sand and grit.

To see a photo of the boat run, you could check a certain on line site dedicated to the preservation of camping spots along the BC coast.

The downside to Batchelor Cove is the lack of a washroom. And, the washroom next door at Whytecliff is up the hill in the parking area.

[Nick Heath]

I dropped by several launch sites y’day. Each is feasible but has its pros and cons.

toilets are lacking at all of these launch sites except Whytecliff.

Stearman Beach and Erwin Park are ok but if there’s a E wind there could be waves. There are some steps and obstacles. for a small group at this time of year parking will be adequate.

Caulfield Cove is super protected and parking should be ok even if there is  a church service at 8 am. Access across the grass and a few rocks is easy enough.  This gives us the chance to paddle twice around Pt Atkinson!

Eagle Harbour is also very protected and has a super smooth sand beach. It would have deluxe flush toilets if W Vancouver munic were to unlock them. Parking should be ok.

Batchelor Cv has a prupose built canoe/kayak skid but I have yet to see anyone use it. You first have to move the drift log at the bottom. Parking is good. There could be wave action on the beach in a W wind and there are big cobbles, almost boulders at low water.

Whytecliff Park. Lovely, but a longish carry from the cars and the beach can have lots of drift logs and waves.

My vote is Caulfield followed by Eagle. What’s your preference?

 

 

[Rob Leeson]

I wasn’t successful in forwarding the TED talks on eliminating plastic bags in Bali.

Two young girls 10 and 12 years old were sussesful in banning plastic bags in Bali!

why can’t we do tha t in bc

Why can’t we do it in BC? Yes we can!

Check it out!

[Rob Leeson]

Our campaign to ban plastic bags in Bali

11:00 minutes · TEDGlobal>London

Plastic bags are essentially indestructible, yet they’re used and thrown away with reckless abandon. Most end up in the ocean, where they pollute the water and harm marine life; the rest are burned in garbage piles, where they release harmful dioxins into the atmosphere. Melati and Isabel Wijsen are on a mission to stop plastic bags from suffocating their beautiful island home of Bali. Their efforts — including petitions, beach cleanups, even a hunger strike — paid off when they convinced their governor to commit to a plastic bag-free Bali by 2018. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you’re too young or you won’t understand,” Isabel says to other aspiring activists. “We’re not telling you it’s going to be easy. We’re telling you it’s going to be worth it.”

Watch now »

[Reed Clarke]

Looking good weather-wise on the long range forecast. Next weekend is supposed to be sunny and 6 degrees.

Starting from Batchelor Cove?

[Jonathan Jacobsen]

The Low Impact camping page of our website (https://www.skabc.org/conservation/conservation/#lowimpact) has the 7 basic principles, and the PDF to which its linked elaborates on them helpfully.

Isn’t it often the case that we forget the information that we already have?

However, our own PDF recommends burning food and whatnot, and I’m not sure that’s still considered a best practice, versus a 100% pack it out approach. I always reckoned you’ve packed in a certain volume of food, so you definitely have room in your boat to pack it out again. Wrap it all up tightly in plastic and it won’t smell, then separate and compost it at home – no big deal, at least for the typical 3 – 8 day SKABC sort of trip.

[Sandy Rubin]

The Leave No Trace website is mainly geared to back country activities although the principles are applicable anywhere.  I would like some discussion and agreement on the best way to dispose of human waste when camping near the ocean.   Is below the high tide line the best approach?  How feasible would it be to make compostable outhouses at the Howe Sound campsites currently being developed?

[Roxanne Rousseau]

Great idea Nick! If weather cooperates I will go. Let me know some details as they evolve? Thanks, Roxanne

[Nick Heath]

Pl look on the scheduled trips list for a day trip to Apodaca Prov Park on Sun 7 Feb.  More Spring trips to come, too!

[John Leung]

I like the whole idea.  The best practices is mainly build on the 7 principles.  This direct link has a good description of the 7 principles: http://www.leavenotrace.ca/principles

Also, along with the Leave No Trace web site, some BC parks also recommend the practice and have extra info for BC parks: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/notrace.html (at the end of the page of this link on pack it in pack it out, they specifically mention “biodegradable scraps such as apple cores and orange peels”.  They don’t decompose fast enough before the next hiker comes along.  So they should be packed out as well.)

 

 

 

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