Being a member of a paddling club has its perks.  Someone else does the organizing for trips to fun places!  This weekend we spent time together with one of our clubs at Taku Resort, on Quadra Island.  We were happy to go back there.  The last time we were on Quadra was in late December 2021, and we were hoping that this visit, in April, would be warmer. It was a bit warmer, but winds and rain played a big part in what we could and could not do.  We glamped in Loytää of course, and some others were also in the campground.  Most of the 24-person group stayed in the comfortable cabins and motel rooms.  

Down by the water overlooking the bay and the marina, the views were clear and beautiful on the day we arrived.  We soaked up the views, knowing that we may not be able to enjoy them all weekend.

The weekend’s forecast was for a lot of rain and extremely high winds from the SE, directly into the bay where we were staying, starting Friday afternoon.  So we were on the water early Friday morning, allowing us to be back before the winds picked up.  We had a great paddle, toodling across a bay, around some islands.  The mountains in the distance were always visible, and the scenery was amazing.  It was fun paddling with a large group.  We had the chance to talk to a lot of different people and find like-minded souls and new friends.  The winds were starting to pick up by early afternoon, but we were off the water, satisfied with a great paddle, and had time for showers and rest, in time for Happy Hour together. To see more pictures and the route, click HERE for the video.

After dinner, we enjoyed an evening of music (guitars, ukeleles, electric bass, harmonicas, spoons) and singing along with familiar, and some new, tunes.  It was a lot of fun.  We had two special guests.  A couple from France happened to be here last year when the club was staying here.  They enjoyed the music so much, they booked another visit on the same weekend this year.  Even though their English was not the strongest, the universal language of music worked its magic.

On Saturday a couple hardy souls went to the northern part of the island, to a more protected bay, to paddle.  Most of us didn’t feel like paddling in the rain, so we opted for hiking.  In truth, the rain never really materialized, but we had a great walk along the water’s edge, feeling the power of the wind and watching the wind create large waves against the flooding current.  The water was grey, angry and with lots of white caps; it was awesome!

Sunday greeted us with down pouring rain, so we broke camp and made our way home.  We didn’t get as much paddling in over the weekend as we had hoped, but we enjoyed the adventure, and especially the fun and interesting people we got to share time with over these couple of days.