Le Roux's Travels: December 2011

Blackfish Lodge:

My BC wilderness adventure started with a 10 hour coach ride from Vancouver to Port McNeil - a small town on the North Eastern tip of Vancouver Island. I was eager to finally get on my way and left warm Vancouver dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. Reaching Port McNeil however I quickly had to change into warm clothing as the weather was cloudy and cold. I found it interesting that the weather could change so much between the south and north end of Vancouver Island. Chris met me in Bobanees Restaurant and from there we made our way to the harbor to load my bags and their shopping for the lodge into his boat. Our journey took us around an hour in which time I was brimming with excitement to see what was going to be my new “home” for the next couple of months. I was a little concerned when Chris asked me “Le Roux, are you a woofer?” Me: “Huh?” Chris:”Do you woof?” Me:”WHAT? (thinking, what is this crazy talk?)?” Since I couldn’t remember the last time I barked at someone, I was a little concerned. Luckily I realized that I wasn’t moving in with a bunch of barking mad people when Chris explained to me that they get a lot of volunteers working at their lodge through an organization called WWOOF (willing workers on organic farms). He of course thought I was one.

The cold sea wind did little to abate my high spirits as the lodge finally came into view - it was so picturesque! Floating in a small bay, the lodge is located in Cramer Passage in the Broughton Archipelago somewhere between the mainland of Canada and Vancouver Island amidst a scattering of tree covered islands. It was exactly what I hoped for and more, and I had a big smile on my face knowing that I was going to stay there for two months. Entering the bay we were met by his wife Hannah, Damien (a French volunteer), their young two kids (Stephen and Robin) and two friendly labs attached to a blur of wagging tails. The warm smiles and wagging tales made me feel welcome right from the start and I knew that I was in for a good stay.

Blackfish Lodge materialized from Chris’ dream of having his own floating fishing lodge. He spent many hours on the water towing logs – fir for the floatation and red cedar for building the lodge on top. A lot of care and attention to detail has gone into the lodge which consists of 4 double ensuite bedrooms, kitchen, laundry room, dry room and the large main lounge with cozy fire and comfy sofas where the guests relax after a long day fishing. Other than the lodge there are 7 floating structures which included 3 houses for housing the Bennett family and staff, greenhouse for fresh organic veggies, a sauna and a chicken coop complete with noisy roosters that made sure that the staff didn’t sleep too late. Electricity is powered by a generator and solar panels which in turn charge a bank of batteries while the cookers and hot water was heated with propane.

I quickly discovered that Blackfish Lodge is also home to an array of interesting critters that to me just seemed part of the extended Bennett family. These were the noisy, cocky crows that walked around as if they owned the place; a big grey heron that moved very little; two nesting eagles always eyeing up our salmon; robins; busy hummingbirds; darting shiners (small silver fish living under the dock) taking care of our organic food waste; opportunistic sea gulls; and a family of elusive splashing and sneezing otters living underneath our house. Every now and then a harbor porpoise or seal would swim into the bay, the latter with large brown eyes portraying an expression I can only describe as a mixture of immense curiosity, utter disbelief and too much caffeine. There were many other animals in the area such as whales (humpback and minke), salmon (king, coho, pink, chum), eagles, rhinoceros billed auklets, harbor seals, seagulls, cougars, otters, mink, martin, bears (black and grizzly), merganser ducks, deer, sea lions, scoter ducks and many more. There are simply too many to name!

Life at the lodge was never dull and I found myself doing a whole array of jobs including the setting of crab and prawn traps, chopping wood, washing dishes, cooking, cleaning, maintenance on fishing tackle and other odd jobs. I also helped with watering the greenhouse, feeding the chickens, using the boat for collecting shopping from town or picking up mail and fuel at Echo Bay - high season at a fishing lodge sure was a busy place! My favorite job however was helping Chris at the Wakeman where I had to drive his truck upstream to drop him and the guests off for drifting the river in an inflatable raft. After that I had to wait downstream which gave me the opportunity to fish in the lower part of the river.

I truly love the Wakeman River as I got to not only catch salmon but also see wildlife like quail, mink, deer, eagles and black and grizzly bears. I became a fishing buddy of one of these grizzly bears who fished the waters just above me. I named him “Big B” and he didn’t seem to mind me sharing his fishing hole although I always kept him in my peripheral vision armed with a can of bear spray just in case. The Wakeman was also a great place for taking photos and I spent hours doing just that. I remember clearly the day I happened upon a school of spawning chum salmon splashing loudly in a shallow stream. It was a magical “National Geographic” moment and I was completely mesmerized while taking photos until my battery ran out. I returned a week later to find only dying or half eaten carcasses of the same salmon which in a way was sad but part of the cycle of nature.

I will fondly remember many highlights and funny moments while staying at the lodge. Some of these were seeing humpback whales up close, rows and rows of jumping dolphins herding salmon, numerous bears, eagles grabbing fish off the water, a pod of orcas attacking dolphins, the spawning salmon and me landing a 30lb king salmon aka tyhee! I think I might have picked up some weight as Hannah’s cooking together with a constant supply of fresh seafood always had me craving for more, yum! Then there was one day when one of the guides fell off a log (twice!) after a few beers while the nosy dogs fell through the ceiling while we were fixing the water for the cabins at the Wakeman. I discovered that my newly bought tripod for keeping my camera steady simply didn’t work as the lodge always bobbed up and down with the swell of the ocean! If you were ever to visit there, leave your tripod at home! There was a day when a crab got hold of Damien’s finger and drew blood while I struggled not to laugh when another got hold of a guest’s finger on a different occasion. Amusing also was hearing from the locals that there is no boat pump as fast as a scared man with a 5 gallon buckets and that Siontula is apparently a place where Rednecks and Hippies live in peaceful harmony.

Staying in the Broughton Archipelago gave me the chance to meet many of the friendly locals. They were quick to smile and always had time to stop for a chat which sometimes extended into a 2 or 3 (sometimes more) beer conversation. These innocent chats sometimes snowballed into lengthy philosophical discussions regarding sasquatches aka big foots (yes, many people are convinced that they are real), conspiracy theories, fish farms and religion. As an outsider I found it interesting that kids living on floating lodges always had to wear floating jackets while the adults were always on alert for bears, wolves and cougars which could be a threat at any time. Gumboots and baseball caps form a big part of Echo Bay fashion while boats are used as their main means of transport. Making a living in the remote wilderness can be tough and the main jobs are logging, fishing and tourism.

Thinking back over my stay there I’m already missing many things. First and foremost I miss the friendly locals and the beautiful wilderness. I miss the cries of the bald eagles and sea gulls, the floating lodge swaying me to sleep while smelling the red cedar and fir in the crackling fire which warmed my little cabin. I miss picking mushrooms in the forest, visiting the research station, Hannah’s cooking, fishing and kayaking. I also miss seeing the eerie foggy morning when the water was flat like a mirror and fingers of fog crept through the trees.

My time in the Broughton Archipelago quickly came to an end and it was time to continue my travels. In the end, just like the orcas, I was a transient making my way through. It was a shame that I only got to know most of the residents towards the end of my stay as I would have loved to learn more about them. I left the Broughton Archipelago with a lump in my throat as I was leaving behind not only acquaintances but friends. I will remember Canadian people as being genuine, friendly and down to earth while the raw unspoiled wilderness will always will always haunt my memories.