The Deer Group, Vancouver Island
After my sea kayaking trip in Iceland in 2023, I had an epiphany about sea kayaking expeditions: I needed a smaller boat! After the trip, I sold my very large Priijon Kodiak kayak for a brand new Nigel Dennis Kayaks Pilgrim Expedition. I was to finally collect it in June of 2024, straight from it’s arrival off the shipment to Blue Dog Kayaks in Mills Bay, Vancouver Island, British Columbia. My plan was to do a short expedition paddle nearby to take my new kayak for our first solo expedition. As I had other kayaking trips planned for the year, this was to be a short adventure exploring the islands in the Deer Group near Bamfield, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. I would spend most of my time conducting Site Condition Reports for my role as a Coastal Caretaker for the BC Marine Trails organization, while enjoying the sights and the solo paddling and camping along the way.
Route Overview: 45 Nautical Miles, 5 Paddling Days
Location of the Deer Group of Islands on Vancouver Island, British Columbia
Total paddling route in the Deer Group
Taking Delivery: I had purchased my Priijon Kodiak kayak as a used boat, primarily on the basis that it would allow storage of three full-sized bear canisters, which I felt was necessary for 2-3 week expeditions in Alaska and British Columbia. However, the kayak was simply too big for me, in spite of using Sweet Cheeks padding. The kayak I used for day paddles or short trips, a plastic Valley Avocet, was a much better fit and thoroughly enjoyable to paddle. It wasn’t until I paddled a rented P&H Scorpio in Iceland that I realized that kayaks had evolved since my first purchase back in 2009 or so, and the Scorpio had plenty of room for storage for a 2-week + trip. While that kayak still felt a bit large for me, I did a bit of research and investigated kayak models that were more suitable for a 5’6” paddler weighing less than 120 lbs. My choices narrowed to the Scorpio MV, which had the advantage of plastic durability for expeditions, and the much better-fitting Pilgrim Expedition made by Nigel Dennis of Sea Kayaking UK. The Pilgrim and the Pilgrim Expedition were specifically designed for smaller paddlers, and it was sooo much more enjoyable to paddle than my Kodiak. I did plenty of research and some test paddles, and was sold: I decided that the challenges of having a fiberglass expedition kayak was worth the comfort and paddling enjoyment that the Pilgrim Expedition offered. As for bear canisters, I knew I could fit a BV450 in the Pilgrim, and I had become proficient in hanging my food from backpacking trips. I figured an electric bear fence was another option, which I had used successfully on another trip in Alaska. I ordered my NDK kayak from Blue Dog Kayaking in British Columbia, as they were the major west coast dealer for North America, and they offered outstanding knowledge and customer service. I anxiously awaited the arrival of the shipment of kayaks from England, and Dave at Blue Dog told us that June 3rd was the big day. After my backpacking trip on the North Coast Trail in the Olympic Peninsula, I drove up to Vancouver Island to pick up my new kayak.
Early in the morning of June 3rd, I gathered with Dave and his staff and several other kayakers to await the arrival of the truck. We had all signed up to help unload the giant cargo truck to allow the trucker to keep to his schedule. We made swift work of it on a rainy morning, efficiently unloading the couple dozen padded and protected kayaks into storage units, before getting our chance to unwrap our own kayaks. What excitement! Everyone was thrilled to see their brand new kayaks and load them onto their cars. Although mine had unfortunately gotten a bit scuffed in the delivery, I was still delighted with my choice and thrilled to be sitting inside an expedition kayak that finally fit me! This was the first brand new sea kayak I had ever purchased.
After joining some other folks from Blue Dog Kayaking for a short paddle near Mills Bay, I packed up and headed for Nanaimo, and then Bamfield to prepare for my trip to the Deer Group.
Day 1: Poett Nook Campground to Stud Islets 6.8 nm / 10.9 km
GPS Track from Poett Nook to Stud Islets (in gold)
I had received some tips from Dave and Amber of Blue Dog Kayaking about campsites in the Deer Group, and I had checked in with staff of the BC Marine Trails organization to learn which areas might benefit the most from Site Condition Reports. As the trip was intended as a relaxing solo paddle to test my new kayak, I opted to make the best use of my time by photographing, assessing, and potentially cleaning up the campsites in the area, so the information could be provided to users of the BC Marine Trail map. Because I was paddling mid-week, and amidst a forecast mixed with light rain and potential wind, I was hoping the islands might not be too crowded.
I camped overnight at Poett Nook Campground, which was down an old logging road. The owners had been very friendly and helpful when I had called on the phone previously, and the campgrounds were very well maintained, with bathrooms, showers, and a small area for tents. Quite a few of the occupants seemed to be seasonal or longer-term visitors, and the place had a very friendly vibe. I had asked the caretaker about bears on the islands, and he was kind enough to loan me his large air horn when I mentioned I hadn’t brought bear spray with me. I had just enough time on the afternoon of my arrival to drive to Bamfield to check it out; it was a very small village but had a great welcome sign! I saw two different bears on my drive out and back.
Although it was windy and rainy overnight, the rain had stopped and the wind was lower on a cool, grey morning when I packed up and launched. I was happy to see I had plenty of room in my kayak for the gear and food I brought for 5-6 days. The tide was flooding, so I faced a small current when paddling around the northeast side of Tzartus Island and back west toward the Stud Islets. There was little boat traffic, and I watched a bald eagle catch and eat a fish right in front of me. The grey skies cleared as the day went on, and I had blue sky and sunshine in the afternoon. The Stud Islet campsite was beautiful and unoccupied, with a nice stretch of soft white sand for landing. Someone had left a large blue barrel for collecting rainwater, and some structures remained from previous campers. The wind picked up in the afternoon and I had a relaxing day around camp, taking photos of the tent areas and structures, doing some clean-up, taking notes for the reports, and enjoying the peaceful solitude.
Day 2: Stud Islets to Fleming Island and Ross Islets Day Paddle 14.8 nm / 23.8 km
I was up early and packed up a few items for my day paddle, which was centered around visiting nearby islands to assess different campsites as part of submitting Site Condition Reports for the BC Marine Trails Organization. This aspect of being “useful” in the wilderness appealed to my hyperactive work ethic. Moreover, participating in beach cleanups and ocean conservation efforts provided a small band-aid to my aches for the growing losses our planet wilderness is suffering. The timing of my trip coincided with World Oceans Week, a happy coincidence. If I was a local, it would have been better to organize a larger or more impactful group clean-up to coincide with WOW.
GPS Track Day 2 (in gold)
I started by paddling to Holford Bay North, across the strait from my campsite, to collect water from the creek there. It was extremely low tide on a beach full of sharp, barnacle-covered boulders, so I had a chance to use some special devices I had prepared to protect the hull of my brand new kayak. These were four pieces of sturdy, triplewall drain piping, sawed in half length-wise and about 18” long. They formed U-shaped pipe pieces that could be placed open-side down on the rocky beach, and used to slide the kayak up the beach without grinding the hull or keelstrip on the sharp, barnacled rocks. As the kayak gets pulled smoothly over the conduit pipes, the last pipe in the series can be moved forward to the bow of the kayak to extend the ‘rollers’. I learned about these from other owners of Feathercraft kayaks (a packable rubber and canvas kayak that we each owned), and I thought they would make it easier for me to land and launch from rocky beaches by myself. Indeed, they worked like a charm! Thanks to kayakers Karen Davis, John Langbein, and Rich Luibrand for this tip. (Right Photo from Karen Davis)
Pilgrim Expedition kayak sitting on protective half-pipe rollers, on a rocky, barnacle-covered beach at Holford Bay N, low tide.
After collecting 10 liters of clean creekwater in my dromedary, I dropped it off at my campsite on Stud Islet and paddled west. I stopped first to check out the campsites on Fleming Island, inside the lagoon. No one was camping there, and the sites were fairly clean and roomy. After taking photos and filling out the SCR’s, I paddled along the shoreline of Fleming Lagoon. The wind was picking up and the current and wind made the waters quite choppy and confused, requiring focused paddling to power through until I turned southeast into the channel between Fleming and Sandford Islands. There, the water was calm and protected, and I paddled over to the Ross Islets where I planned to camp the next night. On the protected south side of Fleming Island, the waters were calm, and I made good time back to Robber’s Passage, which I explored leisurely.
There is a small arch there that would be fun to paddle through at the appropriate height tides, but it definitely requires a fair bit of water to avoid a boneyard of rocks. Once back in the more choppy and windy waters on the north side of Fleming, I pulled over to the campsite at Holford Bay South. There were only two small potential tent sites there, with poor protection from the tide, so I didn’t linger after preparing that report. With a short paddle back to Stud Islets, I was all set to relax for the evening.
Day 3: Stud Islets to Ross Islets 6.7 nm / 10.8 km
Day 3 Track (in gold)
Mead Islets
After packing up at Stud Islets, I paddled to the Mead Islets, which looked to offer pleasant little campsites on a small patch of land. The beaches were a bit steep and covered with quite large boulders, so not as friendly as white beaches of the Stud Islets.
Knowing there was no water at the Ross Islets, I decided to cut through Robber’s Passage again and see if I could get some water at the Port Alberni Yacht Club. Although no one was there, I was able to land on the dock and acquire some water from their spigot. I paddled into moderate W headwinds of 15-18 knots as I headed toward Ross Islets on the south side of Fleming Island. Along the way, I spied another potential water source on south Fleming, flowing from a small creek.
The Port Alberni Yacht Club
The Ross Islets were separated by a small tombolo, which flooded at high tides, separating the two camping areas. There were quite a few tent spaces available, and the site was fairly clean and appeared to be well loved. After landing in the early afternoon and setting up camp, I enjoyed exploring the islets. As forecasted, the wind indeed picked up in the afternoon, but except for occasional sounds from Bamfield, all I could hear was the wind in the trees, buzzing bumblebees, and the occasional gentle splash of waves. I was surprised at the splashes of color from a wide variety of spectacular wildflowers, poking out from rocks all over the islets. Of course, they were challenging to photograph in the wind! With all the wildflowers, there was an abundance of hummingbirds, and a few bees, circling around to make the most of the pollen and nectar.
Each of the forecasts for the next several days called for 20-30 knot winds in the late afternoon. Unsure how reliable these forecasts were (or how location-specific), I planned to be off the water in the early afternoon, as I had read that conditions became less predictable and more hazardous once a paddler ventured further west toward Edward King Island.
Day 4: Ross Islets to Diana and King Edward Island 11 nm /17.7 km
Day 4 Track (in gold)
While I was eating breakfast, a small mink hopped along the shore near my campsite. Seemingly oblivious to my presence, he stopped for a nice scratch before hopping unhurriedly along his way. I was able to launch before 8 a.m., at low tide. I had coordinated with staff at BC Marine Trails, and learned that they had a separate effort to assess site conditions on the land areas owned and managed by the Huu-ay-aht First Nations tribes, so I skipped those locations and focused on campsites they weren’t planning to assess. I paddled southwest past Sandford and Helby Islands, then to Diana Island, where I assessed two campsites on the north and northeast side.
I then paddled to the east end of Edward King Island, but the tide was too low there to allow a favorable landing, on either the north or south side. Darn! This looked like a beautiful, remote campsite, and was fairly protected from adverse weather.
Edward King Island apparently also has some cool caves, but I only saw one in the area of Discovery Passage. Looking back, I now regret not circumnavigating Edward King, but the coming high winds deterred me from paddling that solo. I paddled north up Discovery Passage, thinking to return to Ross Islets via Kirby Point. But it was a Saturday, and there were quite a few fishing boats hanging out in that area, plus some extra activity at Kirby Point that may have been construction. I heard a whale spout behind me in Discovery Passage, and that cinched it: I decided to head back the way I came where there was more solitude and wildlife. I sat and watched the humpback whale swim slowly along Diana Island, quite close to shore. In addition to the harlequin ducks I had seen earlier that morning, I also saw a loon, a group of red-breasted mergansers, pelagic cormorants, marbled murrelets, and pigeon guillemots.
Back at camp, the wind increased on schedule around 2 p.m., roaring above me in the trees, with plentiful whitecaps on the water on the north side of the islands. The south side was more protected, but the sky was completely overcast. Surprisingly, the winds decreased dramatically by 5 p.m., but the forecast called for scattered showers and high winds the next afternoon as well. I decided to head back to Poett Nook in the morning, ahead of the storm, happy that I had been able to see most of the Deer Group and had generated quite a few Site Condition Reports.
Day 4: Ross Islets to Poett Nook Launch 5.1 nm / 8.2 km
I had another early launch on Sunday, under cool grey skies and ominous thunderclouds. I was back at Poett Nook by 9:30 a.m., where I unpacked, rinsed my gear, showered, and loaded up for a ferry from Nanaimo and a long drive home. What an excellent vacation: A challenging solo backpack on the North Coast Trail, picking up my new kayak, and another solo paddling expedition in a beautiful and uncrowded wilderness environment. As always, I felt incredibly lucky to be able to enjoy these adventures.
I thoroughly enjoyed this short trip in the Deer Group of Vancouver Island. Unlike the nearby Broken Group, the Deer Group campsites and islands were much less crowded, and had more wildlife. I liked the exposed, more remote nature of the more western islands, and would consider re-visiting this area. As Dave had assured me, I had plenty of solitude in early June. However, between the fishermen using the small, rocky islets, and some commercial guides, as well as summer paddlers, kayakers should be prepared to follow strict leave-no-trace principles in every site, and ‘pack it in, pack it out’. I was also happy to have contributed to some clean-up efforts and have provided new campsite documentation for the BC Marine Trails map. I recommend these islands for a relaxing paddling exploration of South Vancouver Island that offers delightful campsites, plenty of wildlife, and gorgeous views.
Photos by Cris Lewis except where indicated: Olympus TG-6
LOGISTICS AND SUGGESTIONS
I highly recommend Blue Dog Kayaking if you are in the market for a Nigel Dennis kayak. They are very knowledgeable and stand behind their products with excellent customer service and helpful and friendly paddler camaraderie. Their staff and guides are well trained, and Amber Champion, now the owner, is a true professional.
I was very happy with the fit and expedition paddling experience in my Pilgrim Expedition. As a 5’5” <120 lb female, this kayak offered hands down the best fit of any expedition kayak I have experienced. There is plenty of storage room, and I’m definitely confident that it has room for a > 3 week expedition (and possibly more if a food drop can be arranged). I had requested the seat be installed forward 1 inch from standard, but after this trip I ended up moving it backward to the standard position to avoid slight weathercocking. Amber of Blue Dog reminded me to keep weight in the bow, as the long bow may bounce a bit in higher wind and waves if it is empty.
I was also happy with the performance of the kayak rollers I made from drain pipe. They will definitely increase my confidence about launching and landing a composite or folding kayak by myself in rocky, tidal environments. These are better off stored in the stern while paddling, as they can tend to get jarred in wind waves on the bow. I fastened mine to the deck lines with velcro, which worked fine in calm conditions; less well in high wind waves. I’ll likely continue to experiment with these on my Pilgrim and/or Feathercraft kayak.
I highly recommend Poett Nook Marina as a convenient launch location in the area. The staff are very helpful and friendly, and the facilities are clean and very well maintained. They do encourage reservations for summer months. There seemed to be limited space for tents, but more space may be available behind the main trailer area.
As indicated in my summary above, the islands in the Deer Group are not large, and the campsites see a lot of visitors during the summer. Kayak campers should follow strict ‘leave-no-trace’ principles, including following the Marine Code of Conduct advocated by the BC Marine Trails organization. Human waste should be disposed of either by packing it out, disposal in the open ocean, or by digging a deep hole below the tideline in areas where shellfish are not harvested. The areas are too small to rely on digging cat-holes in the woods, and tidal flush is often not sufficient for waste removal.
Consider becoming a member of the BC Marine Trails organization, which is committed to stewardship and conservation of BC waterways, and respect for First Nations rights. BCMT members have access to their very helpful BC Marine Trails map, which provides extensive information on campsites, launch locations, and picnic areas in the entire British Columbia province. Some of the island campsites in the Deer Group are Huu-ay-aht Treaty Settlement Land and are owned and maintained by the tribe. Where indicated on the BC Marine Trails map, permits are required for camping at these locations. These include both campsites at Kirby Point on Diana Island, as well as Helby Island.