Dick's Last Resort - Winter Harbour

by Debbie Leach

July 2021

Dick serves up hearty meals and tales of Winter Harbour past and present. We feasted on homemade turkey lasagna, chinook his nephew caught and garden salad for dinner; topped with pineapple upside down dessert. While some paddlers listened to Dick’s stories of his days as a fishing guide and over 20 years running a B&B, others walked the 3 plank boardwalk and Botel trail along the shoreline.The nearby Outpost store was open 1-6 pm so no shopping for us. With fishermen as guests it was no problem ordering a 5:30 a.m. bacon and egg breakfast with cereal, fresh fruit and muffins on the side. Jennie arranged our stay and ‘free parking’ for kayakers. We drove a few hundred metres to put in at the campsite ramp near The Outpost for an easier launch than a steep bank near the resort. Staying at Dick’s we were on the water by 0730h to avoid the inflow winds that rise out of Quatsino Harbour most days at 1100h. $184 per person was good value for starting our North Brooks exploration with 12 days of safe parking, 2 meals, comfy beds and access to local knowledge. (Note: The Outpost charges $10 a day for parking in a field on the other side of the road).