Work Channel

[CharlynnT]

Work Channel is another one of those places on the northcoast of BC where fresh water meets the sea. Work Channel has a fast-flowing creek that gets covered by sea water during high tide. The resulting lagoon, yesterday morning, was full of curious seals.

We stopped the canoe near some rocks and waited quietly, as the 6 - 10 seals got closer and closer. The braver ones came very close (20 feet) from our canoe and had a good long look at us -- as we had a good long look at them.

As we paddled back out, one seal followed us, getting within 10 feet of the canoe: we had to look back fast to watch him watching us before he would dip his nose back in the water.

We also saw a river otter looking at us from the banks. And jellyfish below.

Directions: Live in northwestern BC, drive for less than two hours, find a free camping spot right on the water, unload canoe. That's about it.

[Frederick L. Simson]

That sounds so nice!

Directions: [b]Live in northwestern BC, drive for less than two hours, find a free camping spot right on the water, unload canoe. That's about it.

It would be a killer commute to my job in Southern California....

[Chester Taje]

Work Channel is another one of those places on the northcoast of BC where fresh water meets the sea. Work Channel has a fast-flowing creek that gets covered by sea water during high tide. The resulting lagoon, yesterday morning, was full of curious seals.

We stopped the canoe near some rocks and waited quietly, as the 6 - 10 seals got closer and closer. The braver ones came very close (20 feet) from our canoe and had a good long look at us -- as we had a good long look at them.

As we paddled back out, one seal followed us, getting within 10 feet of the canoe: we had to look back fast to watch him watching us before he would dip his nose back in the water.

We also saw a river otter looking at us from the banks. And jellyfish below.

Directions: Live in northwestern BC, drive for less than two hours, find a free camping spot right on the water, unload canoe. That's about it.

Charlynn----You got to quit teasing all the members here.

[CharlynnT]

That sounds so nice!

It would be a killer commute to my job in [b]Southern California....

Frederick, it's true! I was singing this song yesterday as we paddled --

Seems it never rains in Work Channel
Seems I've often heard that kind of talk be-fah!
It never rains in Work Channel
At all!

(My song echoing over the majestic misty mountains, as I'm pulling the Orange Garbage Bag over my legs, because the first of many "sun-shower" squalls has begun. Hubby and I decided, that although it is true that it rains almost constantly, and certainly very reliably, at Work Channel, the fact is, it's a Dry Rain.)

[Bigfoot Mike]

Directions: Live in northwestern BC, drive for less than two hours, find a free camping spot right on the water, unload canoe. That's about it.

Did you take photos. Sounds like it was a dream or you were at Disneyland.

[Gerry W]

"Seems it never rains in Work Channel"

Does it still take an hour to drive in? Before I learned about 18' tides my son and I and a neighbour from Terrace went into Work Channel for some "pr...s", between showers we got a few. After the feast we tucked my canoe to bed, upside down with gear and paddles under it at what we thought was above the high tide mark. We tied my neighbours inflatable boat to a stump and went to bed in my truck camper.

Slept well, the tide came in and went out.

6 AM next morning, looked out: no canoe.

Binoculars: spotted the canoe a mile or so down the channel in the mist, always the mist in Work Channel. We bailed out the inflatable and motored down to the canoe, pulled it ashore, it was close to high tide. My fishing gear, paddles, sponge and bailing bucket remained in the canoe, as I had tucked the gear up under the upside down thwarts.

It was raining so hard that there was fresh water coming up out of the beach when I flipped the canoe. Caught a nice sized red snapper paddling back to the camp with my son.

Great country eh Charylnn? Do you ever go down into Quatoon Inlet? I have photo on my living room wall taken down there on a sunny day over 30 years ago.

[CharlynnT]

"Seems it never rains in Work Channel"

Does it still take an hour to drive in?
-- NO! Someone has graded the road since last fall, so now it is smooth sailing at 25 - 30 K per hour! Takes about a half hour now.

6 AM next morning, looked out: no canoe.
-- You got that right! That high tide is very high! Play on the rocks for a few minutes and the canoe is half-way home!

It was raining so hard that there was fresh water coming up out of the beach when I flipped the canoe. Caught a nice sized red snapper paddling back to the camp with my son.
-- YES! I have never ever seen it rain so hard, it became a challenge. I can keep the fire going with a large tarp and a crab-lid-pot cover right over the fire: just showing off to the Albertans next door.

Great country eh Charlynn? Do you ever go down into Quatoon Inlet? I have photo on my living room wall taken down there on a sunny day over 30 years ago.
-- TELL ME NOW exactly where that is! I mean, please share.

[Gerry W]

Quatoon Inlet on the Northeast side about 10 miles, perhaps a bit further, down Work Channel. The inlet has a very scenic narrows and waterfalls that spill into the ocean. Pick a good day and go for it. I would not plan on camping down there as there would be few camping spots due to the high tide and I suspect that grizzly bears could also be an issue as Quatoon Inlet is one watershed west of the Khutzeymateen Valley. True wilderness.

Was only there once, but it was sunny and have cherished my photos for years. Never did explore the lagoon near the landing on Work Channel, but it was always a real adventure going in there.

One year they were helicopter logging the watershed coming up off the Skeena River - there was at least a 1/2 kilometer of logs 3 metres high, yellow cedar on one side of the road and red cedar on the other. All destined to become telephone and hydro poles.

So many places to explore in the Skeena and Nass areas.

[CharlynnT]

Did you take photos. Sounds like it was a dream or you were at Disneyland.

The Lagoon at Work Channel.

Dreamy! (No rain at the moment the photo was taken.)

[CharlynnT]

Quatoon Inlet on the Northeast side about 10 miles, perhaps a bit further, down Work Channel. The inlet has a very scenic narrows and waterfalls that spill into the ocean. Pick a good day and go for it. I would not plan on camping down there as there would be few camping spots due to the high tide and I suspect that grizzly bears could also be an issue as Quatoon Inlet is one watershed west of the Khutzeymateen Valley. True wilderness.

Was only there once, but it was sunny and have cherished my photos for years. Never did explore the lagoon near the landing on Work Channel, but it was always a real adventure going in there.

One year they were helicopter logging the watershed coming up off the Skeena River - there was at least a 1/2 kilometer of logs 3 metres high, yellow cedar on one side of the road and red cedar on the other. All destined to become telephone and hydro poles.

So many places to explore in the Skeena and Nass areas.

Thanks, Gerry, for the info!
Now, post those sunny photos!