Imagine if every hiking trail had unscalable walls along either side. You could stop and stand on the path, but you could only get off it to sit down, have lunch or camp at certain spots. And imagine that these spots weren’t always at easy, regular intervals, but were frequently a long day’s travel apart. That’s often the challenge facing kayakers as we tour BC’s coast. The water makes a wide and open path. But in many places, the rocky beauty that gives the coast its charm makes it difficult to impossible to get off the trail for lunch or camping.
Sheltered beaches are the preferred option, but the land above many beaches is private property. Below the high tideline, most beaches in BC are Crown Foreshore, meaning they’re officially public land. But trust me, being squeezed between an incoming tide and the baleful glares of cottage owners does not make for a pleasant picnic, let alone a restful camp.
That’s why the folks at the BC Marine Trails Network are working to establish, inventory, and protect safe landing and camping spots for kayaks and other small craft. The plural “trails” is no accident – the goal is not a single end-to-end route. Instead, the BCMTN wants a wide network of sites to let paddlers create their own routes and chart their own courses, rather than being railroaded along one undeviating track.
Actual or potential BCMTN sites include pay campgrounds in existing parks, some water-accessible commercial campgrounds, and undeveloped wilderness sites on Crown Land. Ensuring continued access often involves negotiation with private owners or federal, provincial, or First Nations governments. BCMTN reps also do a lot of ground checking, verifying that sites are landable and campable. (I so want this as my summer job.)
I have camped at a lot of the current and http://blogmec.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/the-beach-at-beaumont-marine-park.jpg?w=300″ alt=”" width=”300″ height=”200″ />prospective BCMTN sites. Mostly, I’ve chilled in the sunshine after a mellow day on the water. But other times, I’ve been holed up as a gale howled through the treetops and the swells boomed like distant cannon against the windward side of my little island. That’s when you understand, in a deep and visceral way, how important it is to ensure that small vessels always have safe harbours. MEC is helping this vital work with a grant to the BCMTN. You can help by donating your time, cash, or knowledge.
Filed under: Activities, From Our Staff, Watersports
