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BC Sailing - British Columbia Sailing - Eco Tourism
2003 Umiak Sailing and Mountaineering Trip - course description
DESOLATION SOUND is situated 230 miles Northwest of Seattle. It is bordered by Vancouver Island to the West and the Waddington range to the East. It is an archipelago of hundreds of small islands, with long narrow fjords that wind eastward into the Waddington range. We will sail and paddle among these dramatic fjords and ever-green-crowned islands, making camps by night on tiny remote beaches hemmed by rock, cedar forests, and the sea. ? A most graceful and practical craft - THE UMIAK - will be our vessel. The Umiak has evolved over thousands of years by the arctic Inuit people, who were in frequent need to carry large amounts of gear across rough waters when moving their camps. Traditionally built by stretching Walrus or Bearded Seal skin over a wooden frame, these boats were light enough to carry up on shore, and flip over for temporary shelter. Our Umiak is 26' modern hybrid, made with a ballistic-nylon skin stretched over a traditional wooden frame. The result is a very lightweight and seaworthy craft. It is equipped for both sailing and paddling, with six paddling stations, two spritsail rigs, a rudder and leeboard. ? Along with the challenges of sailing this craft in what can be unmerciful conditions, and of covering a lot of water under paddle-power; is the goal of climbing MT. DENMAN - a 6590' peak only accessible by water. We will be pulling the Umiak ashore, propping it up on its side for shelter in true Inuit fashion, and creating a base camp in which to organize the climb. Though not a tall peak, I believe Mt. Denman is the most spectacular in this vicinity of British Columbia. It rises steeply from the water - with its upper 1,000 feet an exposed, treeless granite dome. Despite its iconographic splendor, invoking feelings of the Matterhorn, no technical climbing skills are needed to summit this beautiful peak. The main challenge will be to bushwhack up through 5,000 vertical feet of temperate rainforest on our approach. ? On our way to and from the peak, we will be learning to sail, cooking by fire at night, harvesting wild foods, fishing, swimming and hopefully encountering some of the charismatic mega-fauna of this wild kingdom: the cougar, black bear, orca, sea lion, and wolf. ? The first and last night of the trip will be spent at our solar and wind powered family cabin situated on a small island of its own, where we can enjoy the area and get to know each other under a roof. ? Cost is $875 and includes round-trip transportation from Seattle in our biodiesel van, all meals (made from high-quality 75% organic ingredients), and group gear. Personal gear is available for rent or purchase. ?
Im looking forward to an adventurous summer, and I hope to see you all out here in the Pacific Northwest,
- Berg Danielson, owner & guide
To reserve a spot on one of our summer trips, send $150 non-refundable deposit by to:
Old Earth Expeditions PO Box 4686 Rolling Bay, WA 98061 206 909 2427
www.oldearthexpeditions.com berg@oldearthexpeditions.com
Oldearthexpeditions.com ~
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