Powell Forest Canoe Route

I spent four days in September 2011 on a solo paddle of the Powell Forest Canoe Route.

I'll come out and say it right away: It was just ok. I guess I had been expecting more of a wilderness experience, but there was no escaping that the Powell Forest is a working forest, with active logging happening during the weekdays. The construction-zone-like noise and swaths of clearcuts drove me from some otherwise charming campsites. Other than the visible industry, the only other complaint I had about the route itself is that I wish that it had involved some river paddling. I much prefer gliding down a meandering river to paddling an open lake, but that's just my preference.

Other than the mismatch between my expectations and the reality of the area, the Powell Forest Canoe Route was quite pleasant. The lakes were clear and quite warm and would've been perfect for swimming, if only the weather had been more cooperative. There were tons of fish too, and this trip would definitely be of interest to those who are keen on a fishing expedition. (Aside: it took me three days to figure out how to catch a couple of cutthroat trout - I've only really fished in Ontario for walleye, pike, and bass, and have no clue about what makes Western species tick. I did manage to have a decent shore dinner on the 3rd day though.) The portages are straightforward, if occasionally a bit long, and bridges are thoughtfully built over and around wet areas and streams. In fact, the portages would be nice walks unto themselves, if you could ignore or somehow do away with the boats and gear you're lugging as you traverse them. The campsites are typically situated at the portage terminations, and in the case of a couple of the longer ones, at the halfway point. To that end, they're apparently sited more for utility than for view or surroundings, but the one at the southernmost end of Horseshoe Lake is quite nice.

As for my trip, I've already alluded to its most dominant feature: cloud cover and rain. For the weeks leading up to my departure, Powell River and the rest of BC's Sunshine Coast had been awash with sun. And the day I was dropped off at my starting point by the lovely lady who runs Mitchell's Canoe and Kayak Rental promised more of the same. I overnighted at Wilson Lake, and awoke the next morning to heavy cloud cover. Well, at least it didn't rain that day...

View from Wilson Lake campsite

One thing I hadn't really accounted for was that the shortening days left less time for travel than I was accustomed to, and had to adjust to making camp by 5:00 in the afternoon in order to not trip over my tent's guylines or fiddle with my stove in the dark. Just as well, I had allowed myself 4 days to do what would normally be a 3 day trip for me. The extra time came in handy since I started paddling late - at noon - on the last three days, which is about when the rain let up. Even so, I came in under the wire, arriving on the afternoon of the last day at my take-out point at Lois Lake with minutes to spare before my outfitter started charging extra for waiting.

These little pink flowers were all over the shoreline at Lois Lake

I'm Done!

Well, it's been a long and rewarding six weeks, but I've finally completed my Craftsmanship Program at the Inside Passage School of Fine Cabinetmaking! I've learned a lot, scraped two-year-old rust from my neglected skills, gained a new appreciation for the fine art of woodworking, and met a bunch a cool people to boot!

Here's the stuff that I made during the course. Just in case you're wondering where the cabinets and bookcases and tables and boxes are: this was a course based around woodworking skills and ways of doing things; actually building objects wasn't the goal, although I did come out with a bunch of cool tools.

So what's next? I'll spend the next week or so wandering around the Sunshine Coast and Vancouver Island, and then head inland towards the Kootenays, where I'll be volunteering at Raid the North Extreme. After that...? :-)

The fruits of my labor

Handmade chisels and knife

New plane family: smoother, jointer, and coopering planes from left to right

Cabinet model with drawer

Drawer detail with dovetails and handmade pull

Curved panel

Curved panel marquetry detail

Making Shavings

*Finally* finished my jointer plane, and the coopering plane is coming along nicely. For the dovetail exercise I thought I'd add an extra bit of challenge, so I cut them as "houndstooth" dovetails - as I did them, basically a dovetail-within-a-dovetail. They ended up being a pain in the a** to take apart and re-assemble so I didn't use them in the drawer cabinet we're making in class, but they were fun to do!

Working Wood

Welcome!

Week two of my 6-week Artisan Program at the Inside Passage School of Fine Woodworking: complete! Also complete: a smoothing plane and a "Gumby" table leg. Didn't get around to finishing the coopering plane or the jointer plane though... Oh well, there's always Monday morning at 7:00am!  Sigh... Too bad I'm not a morning person.

I *have* managed to get out on a few mountain bike rides on the trails here in the Sunshine Coast. All I can say is: *WOW!* These trails are a blast! Not really what I'm used to though, what with a whole lot of uphill and subsequent long descent. On one ride near Gibsons, I climbed for about 90 minutes straight up a mountain, and the trail took me straight back down in 10 minutes. Probably one of the hairier descents I've ever done, I could smell my brake pads burning when I got to the bottom. Can't wait to do it again...


Unfortunately, long days perfecting skills and making piles of shavings haven't left much time for adventuring outside the classroom or for taking pictures. I've met some cool and like-minded folks and am learning a lot though, so I'm definitely having a good time!

Making shavings