2018 Desolation Sound Flotilla: Day 6 – Princess Louisa Inlet to Egmont | NW Explorations
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2018 Desolation Sound Flotilla: Day 6 – Princess Louisa Inlet to Egmont

We woke early to another foggy morning in Princess Louisa.  This morning we did not have the same luxury of time to spend as we wanted to reach slack tide at the rapids by 7:30am.  We were off the docks and out into the fog by 7am.  Deception led the way through the haze and the rest of the boats followed closely behind.  We were fortunate to find better visibility at the rapids and navigated through without issue.

The route to Egmont was relatively short today and we were on the docks before noon.  The route remained foggy until mid-day when the sun came out and we once again had gorgeous weather.  Travelling in limited visibility gave us greater respect for the many explorers that have come before us and successfully navigated these waters without the help of our modern day technology.

Egmont is a tiny town perched above the swift waters of the Skookumchuck Narrows.  The Sechelt Rapids that form in these narrows are some of the largest saltwater rapids in North America.  Current speeds can exceed 15 knots and form large standing waves that attract whitewater kayakers and surfers from around the world.

A handful of us made the trek out to the rapids.  The tide was ebbing so instead of massive standing waves there were whirlpools that looked like they could suck you down into another dimension!  There were also stellar sea lions fishing the rapids, jellyfish getting swept away in the currents, and kingfishers flying overhead.

Most of us headed up to the pub for dinner.  We chatted with locals, got a feel for Egmont and watched the football game.  A small taste of civilization, though still without cell service and feeling rather remote.  Egmont is not on the way to anything, and it being the end of the tourist season the town did not have much more to offer than a general store; and yet, we found everything we needed.

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