Where Magic and Wonder Collide: Jedediah Island

There’s a slight chill in the air, the sky is twinkling to its own rhythm. I lay restless on the Thermarest longing for sleep, my body aching with the memory of our paddle across Georgia Strait. My mind races to find calm and peace among the unsettling noises of the night…. Ahhh! Beside me the sounds of a man deep asleep, enjoying the limited comfort of sleeping on the ground, exhausted by the exertions of the day.Yep, sound asleep snoring like a banshee (what does that even mean) while I succumb to the imagined fears outside the tent. Snuffling, grunting, a low growling as I grapple with the knowledge we are alone on this island except for….. Sheep…. Domesticated sheep left behind by former residents, left to roam and feed at their delight…. and tonight it seems, to terrorize those brazen enough to cross the channel and park their tent in the midst of their feeding grounds.

Jedediah Island

My first night on Jedediah Island may not have been all I dreamed - it’s hard to dream when you can’t fall asleep - all is forgotten as I poke my head out of the tent, squinting in the beauty of a rising sun glistening over Home Bay. To my left, the silky ocean floor revealed by the receding tide, slowly awakening with light. To my right, open fields of golden grass interspersed with aged fruit trees, spotted with the once menacing sheep, grazing cautiously from afar.Percolating coffee amidst fresh marine air absorbing my senses, as I breathe deeply holding it in for a moment, releasing slowly. Surprisingly, the muscles move easily, remaining aches disappearing into the air, I pull myself onto my feet, close my eyes, overcome with joy, arriving into the day. I am here…. Jedediah Island!“That’s my brother”, he explains to the couple interrupting our reverie overlooking Home Bay on our arrival. They have been coming to the island since 1994 with their young son and more recently their dog, now buried on the island. Sharing their memories of Will the horse galloping over the hillside to greet them, expectant of the apple ready in their hands. Of all the special moments experienced in hearing Dan’s story through Hugh’s eyes, this one imprinted with sheer influence and understanding of a man’s legacy on people he would never know. “We are honoured to meet you”, their parting words, returning to their sailboat across the island.

“In his will, he asked that a portion of his estate be used to set aside an ecologically valuable coastal property in a protected and undeveloped state for the people of British Columbia.”

Jedediah Island is the first of its kind protected marine park, a collaboration of government and private citizens. Initiated by the Palmers who owned the island for many years, selling it well below market value in their bid to protect it forever. Dan is Hugh’s older brother, 2nd oldest of 9 Culver kids, perishing on K2 during his descent on July 7, 1993, marking him the first Canadian to summit both Everest and K2. His wishes made true with a portion of his estate helping secure Jedediah Island in its natural state.

The Journey

From the moment Hugh first mentioned Jedediah Island I wanted to see it, to pull up to its shore, to stand on its banks, and to experience its magic. What I failed to consider… well we both failed to consider… was the journey itself - a four-hour kayak across the Strait of Georgia.We are less than 30 minutes into our journey, blisters have appeared on the inner v of both thumbs, my shoulder screams in protest at each dip of the paddle as we leave the calm of Smugglers Cove, our chosen launch site. It suddenly occurs to me… I’ve NEVER been in the ocean in a kayak… oh and it’s been in the neighbourhood of 15 years for Hugh.There are a few things I never considered… or more aptly over fantasized about spending four hours traversing ocean waters amongst sailboats, freighters, water taxis, and vast expanses of ocean. Any romance of gliding blissfully across the water ended abruptly with our first strokes… have you ever pushed a piano across the floor?There is futility in watching one shore disappear with the other seemingly out of reach, wind gusting, waves cresting the bow (did I mention I was in the front), and reality sinking in... we are barely visible despite the neon pink of our brand new fiberglass vessel. If not for the shores of Texada and a brief reprieve standing in knee-deep water of a forbidden bay, my tears would most certainly have erupted of sheer exhaustion and overwrought adrenaline.

Pushing My Limits

I can count on one hand the times I have felt pushed beyond my limits, the rare moments of utter surrender and defeat... My dad and I lost, turned around in the fog, traversing an unfamiliar mountain ridge only to be reunited with our path home, my fingers succumbing to frostbite if not for the seemingly sudden yet welcome warming hut... sledding along Skinny ridge (aptly named, I might mention), the dark descending, barely able to see the guys in front through increasing snow as my sled veers downslope, too exhausted to do anything beyond dumping myself into the snowdrift… fear gripping my entire being, melting my body into the rock face as I hang partway over and under the overhang, I am attempting to climb, a feat seemingly above my abilities and yet...And so we agree, this will be our final kayak adventure. Yep, just as we thankfully pull into Home Bay - a most welcome, serene sight, we appease as one... momentarily ignoring the ever-present, and looming return paddle. We park the uncertain reality, ready to immerse ourselves in the magnificence that is Jedediah Island. Stepping onto its shore all else is forgotten... Wishful thinking... First, we must unload our burdened vessel and set up camp.We share 2 blissful days enjoying, exploring, climbing Mt. Gilbraltar, spotting the elusive wild goats, rumoured descendants of Spanish explorers; Hugh reminiscing a brother lost, past adventures, and 9 years of running youth leadership camps on the island, bringing to life Dan’s dream ‘to empower young people to follow their dreams’ through the Dan Culver Follow Your Dream Foundation.We revel in the beauty and wonder of this path we now travel together. We will return, of this we are certain. Don’t worry, we have not forgotten… We will hire a boat and add at least a day, so we may once again stand over Home Bay, skinny dip in crystal waters, climb Gilbraltar and sleep with the sheep…So that you may enjoy your own magical journey (without the paddle), I share this photo collection with you. View it here.Read the whole story of how Jedediah Island came to be a protected marine park through the eyes of Mary Palmer herself.. in her book Jedediah Days: One Woman’s Island Paradise.If you enjoyed this… I write BLOGS occasionally… teach the wonderful art of photography and offer coaching to help you live your best life...