Returning from a trip to the Cowichan Valley in January for some misty morning photography, I stopped to check out Chemainus Lake. The last time I had been there was years earlier, and it had, at that time, felt sad and overused. This time, however, I found a new robust dock, excellent roadway, and fresh gravel at the put-in. I thought, "Time to bring the canoe."
So, on the last day of March, I got up early, canoe already on the roof, and head south. I arrived while it was still dark, put the canoe in the water and set out onto the little lake amid a rising mist and almost total silence.
I paddled around in the cold pre-dawn light, watching the mist swirl and listening to the birds waking up and becoming active. That time of day, on a small body of water, is perhaps the best time of all. The feeling of positive aloneness (sabi) and the feeling of connection to the natural world work to create a rich sense of contentment and hushed awe.
I drifted around, watching the sun slowly rise, painting the tree tops first, with it's golden glow, then eventually the mist, which became thicker with the change in temperature.
I surrendered to the beauty, feeling the cares of the week drifting away amid the mist. There is something about this kind of beauty, the majesty of it, the power of it, that creates an especially receptive mind. I thought about work, relationships, harmony and discord. A wetland is a place that mirrors these qualities. So much life, and with it, so much death.
I experimented with my new camera and the even newer vintage Pentax 28mm lens. It is always difficult to capture the scale of a place like this. Chemainus Lake is small, but also packed with endless views, sights, and details. There are so many nooks and gaps in a wetland and in fact this little lake has channels between the main lake and the shore, bands of water that curve around behind reed banks and a beaver store.
Then, the sun broke over the trees and the morning began in earnest. This always causes me a bit of excitement, the golden hour has begun! I race to get photos, everywhere I look a new subject, a new breath-taking image.
The first shots were of the reed banks, as the light broke across them. I paddled to two spots of the lake to get different perspectives.
As I did, the nesting geese started honking, and within minutes a flock of new geese arrived.
In the reeds, marsh wrens and song sparrows started to mill about, joined by red-wing blackbirds going from perch to perch and back again. The morning chorus, or racket, had begun.
Song Sparrow
Male Redwing Blackbird
Female Redwing Blackbird
Resident Nesting Canadian Goose
About that time, a paddling fly angler joined us on the water. I was off in a corner with my long lens, trying to get portraits of some of the smaller residents, but I snapped one of this young fellow. We humans tend to dominate the landscape, with our impressive tools, including tackle and vessel.
Young Male Human
Another angler arrived on the dock, so I headed down to the far end of the lake. Along the way I marveled at the beauty of this little spot. The shoreline from the water is truly stunning.
As more humans came onto the water the non-resident geese took flight to the air, and I retreated further into the reeds.
Canadian Geese Take Flight
My Hideout Amid the Reeds
In a shady corner I took out my other new vintage lens, the Revuenon 55mm 1.2. This bokeh master lens creates unique artistic renditions that, in some ways, capture a place better than razor sharpness ever can.
By that time, there were anglers arriving every few minutes. I waited against the reeds near the dock as two young fellows in kayaks, a woman in a float tube, and two older guys in a tinner made there way out. I took a photo of the men with kids on the dock. "Can I touch it?" came the call of one child as a fish was held out flopping for inspection. The curiosity and excitement in the kid's voices was a welcomed sound.
Men and Boys Enjoy the Sturdy Functional Attractive Dock
I was glad that these folks would enjoy their time, AND was also glad I was leaving. I packed up while another fellow prepared to head onto the water in a pontoon boat. I would be back to take more photos on this fantastic jewel of a lake on this special island.
A few weeks ago I sold our old tandem canoe. It had been in the family since some time in the 70s. My brother bought it, my dad fixed it up, and I inherited it. I paddled with my own children in it for many years.
Graham and me on Brewster Lake
It went to a family from Duncan. They moved from Northern Quebec to be closer to relatives here on the island. The fellow explained to me while strapping it to their van that he had a kayak, but wanted to teach his kids to paddle a canoe. I felt deep gratitude knowing more kids would enjoy that trusty old hull. She has always been around kids, starting off her life at a summer camp on Kootenay lake before joining our family. Who knows how many more kids will experience the joys of cruising a remote shore in the quintessential Canadian icon. Many more I hope.
So I saved money and researched a new hull to compliment my little pack canoe. On a recent paddle in the Cowichan Valley I discovered a crack in the Spitfire's gel coat.
So I e-mailed Joe at Placid Boatworks and he gave me instructions on how to fix it. I chipped away the compromised gel, and then with Paul's supervision mixed up some new gel coat and filled it in. Lots of sanding and buffing followed and now it is repaired and ready to paddle again. While I was at it I varnished the gunwales and polished the entire hull, first with rubbing compound on the deeper scratches, then with wax. I can't believe how nicely it turned out. I'll post some photos when I get her back (I did the work in James' workshop -- Thanks James!)
A few weeks ago I ordered a new canoe after a marathon research project over the winter comparing a variety of boats and getting wonderful advice from the long suffering folks over at CCR -- see the exhaustive, and perhaps exhausting, thread on the subject here.
The canoe I ordered was a Bluewater Mist from Peter Harris at Pacifica Paddle Sports. In the end it came down to a decision between the Mist and the Clipper Packer. I had paddled the Packer with Paul in moderately windy conditions on Cameron Lake and was impressed with the performance of this understated canoe. Here is a video I took of the Packer, paddled ably by Paul:
The Packer handled the wind and waves well, and I think I would have been happy with one, but delays sorting out details with Clipper presented an opportunity to reconsider the Mist.
It's funny how circumstances and timing effect a decision. We were driving back from Cameron Lake and Paul and I were talking about canoes, and he told me again about his favorite navel architect /philosopher, Phil Bolger, who once alluded to the number of boats that sit unused in marinas and he said they were bought to fulfill fantasy uses. Paul finished the story by saying, "And then he added perceptively, something to the effect of, 'but fantasy is a real pleasure too'".
That quote stuck with me like a bur sticks to a dog. So much of paddling for me is participating in a way of life. A romantic ideal that sustains me and reminds me of beauty, solitude, freedom and quiet pleasure on the water. What's more, paddling is a compelling metaphor for the ideal way to navigate life's journey.
Here is an old flyer for the Sawyer Autumn Mist, which is a close sister to the Bluewater Mist:
I liked in particular this line:
"The hull is a vee/arch/vee of uncommonly refined shape, with hollow entry and exit lines for efficiency at touring speeds, a gentle transition curve from working hull to freeboard to slip waves easily, a radical step flare at the bow for dry running in waves, and a slightly rockered hull to both facilitate turning and provide a more efficient displacement line."
I decided that this beautiful and versatile hull was the best fit for both my romantic ideal and my practical need for a stable boat I can take out in wind and waves. A little longer than the Packer (10 inches) and a little wider at the gunwales (2 inches) with slightly less rocker and a higher bow. And of course that radical step flare at the bow. The main factors for me, however, that shifted my preference from the Packer to the Mist, are a few small details of design that really please my eye: plumb stems, the classic David Yost tumblehome, a slightly more graceful shear line. Small things, but aesthetically significant ones.
I hope the Mist will live up to it's reputation. Here are a few choice quotes about the canoe from online reviews and comments:
"versatile and capable solo canoe for both open water and Class I streams."
"The Autumn Mist was my second solo boat and my favourite and most used of the various canoes I have owned."
"Tracks well, turns super, sheds waves, and has a surprisingly high load capacity for so short a boat...I take it out when it is so windy other canoeists stay ashore and it has never given me any cause for concern."
"If you've not paddled a solo in seas you won't believe the advantage you have. Have both a flat, bent and twin paddle for this boat depending on the circumstances and I have little problem keeping up on any paddle used. I've had the Autumn Mist on two BWCA trips....Of all the Sawyer canoes I think it was the best."
"Mist was an under-appreciated boat in its day. It was pretty quick, tracked and turned pretty well and hauled gobs of flesh and gear."
"Just a great all-around solo canoe if you want stability, speed and decent river capabilities..."
"I have been paddling the golden glass version of the Sawyer Autumn Mist for years. This is a very versatile and capable solo canoe for both open water and Class I streams. It paddles very easily with great glide so you can go for miles without getting tired."
Joco on CCR posted these photos:
Ozark Paddler on the BWCA site posted these photos:
I ordered my Mist in Navy Blue, influenced by the stunning photo on the Bluewater website of the Splitrock in that colour.
Waiting is hard, but the unseasonably cool weather and rain is helping. Well, ok, not much. But soon I will be filling this blog with photos of my new Mist, and celebrating a fantasy I hope many others can enjoy too.
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