One of the most Awesome things about our city is how easy it is to get out of it and into nature. Be it an urban park within the city limits, the solitude of the local mountains, or the ocean and nearby lakes, you don't have to go far to unplug. This summer we partnered with Oikos Canada on their #escapemoment campaign to bring you some of our escape moments on our Instagram. The theme was kayaking, a true westcoast escape, and we've put together a list of some of our favourite spots to hit up below.
False Creek
Low hanging fruit, this one is! Many of you could literally walk down the street from your place with a kayak balanced on your head and drop it in. Residents of the Olympic Village have been enjoying the new False Creek Paddling Centre which is pictured below.
Indian Arm
Just over the bridge and down the road is Deep Cove, the perfect place to drop into the water and head out to the many semi-secluded islands and beaches that line the Arm. There's a kayak rental place right at the dock if you didn't bring your own.
Whistler
The "River of Golden Dreams" really lives up to its name. A wondrous paddle in either a canoe or a kayak, starting in a lake and winding through much great scenery, surrounded by swirling eddies.
Harrison Lake
The further you go up the East side of the lake, the better the little tucked in spots get. The lake is huge and is also great for SUPing but be careful at this one as the winds can get hairy faster than you'd expect.
Sechelt Inlet
This one's the furthest out, but arguably most worth the trip. Get on the ferry for the Sunshine Coast then drive up to Egmont and launch in there. You'll feel like you're a thousand miles away from civilization a couple kilometres in. Take note that Skookumchuk Rapids are at the intake, and you should definitely check the tides and make sure you're not going in or out of them when they're running - it can get pretty dangerous in there, and some lunatics even ride the standing waves in their kayaks (NOT RECOMMENDED!).
Have a look at Oikos Instagram account HERE and have a look at all of the escape moments that were shared in the past few weeks (including ours!). Also, head to Oikos' website for more details on their products HERE.
