Journeys Through the Inside Passage: Seafacing Adventures Along the Coast of British Columbia and Alaska

by Joe Upton

Writer and fisherman Joe Upton tells of past explorers and present seafarers on the Inside Passage.

192 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

Reviews

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this book at my local library’s sale, and what a gem it was! As someone who adores the Pacific Northwest landscape and stormy ocean tales I was immediately hooked by the first line on the back: “a special breed of traveler seeks out the Misty coves and wind-battered bays of the upper Pacific Northwest coast”. A truly peaceful and beautiful clutter of stories about the author’s adventures (and others’ famous adventures) in the PNW’s raging waterways. Joe Upton managed to cover historical exploration of the area as well without being boring at all, and did an incredible job describing the land the sea weaves through. This book made me fall more in love with the PNW, and left me even more enthralled with Alaska. A true delight. Cozy read for those who love the PNW.

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not an action-packed book by any means, but such a delightful read! Reading about life and work on the boats plying the inside passage, you get drawn into the vivid descriptions of the landscape, punctuated by quirky stories and quotes from the ones who lived this life. Nothing embellished, just the reality of the experiences makes for wonderful reading.

[Reddogwalking · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this yesterday, 21 Octobe having started in sometime in 2016 or earlier. In retrospect, October or November is the perfect time to read this book here in the Pacific Northwest.

My reading is driven by numerous factors - recommendations from friends, recommendations from authors of book read, topics that come to mind when reading and books that wind up in my hands almost by accident (they just jump out and grab me at a bookstore, or places like an estate or garage sale).

Years ago I read David Guterson's "Snow Falling on Cedars". It left me with indelible memories. I probably started "East of the Mountains" because I recognized the author and was looking for a similar experience to "Snow..."

The book started slow for me because the subject matter appeared dark and depressing. However, lately I picked up the read where I had left it somewhere in the early chapter. By the last couple days reading I could hardly put it down. The story became much more uplifting towards the end as some of Ben's issues were thought through in a more satisfactory way and issues were resolved in a satisfying way.

This book was great for adjusting my mindset to attend the memorial for a "Fantastic" friend and fellow Toastmaster - he died recently after his struggles with pancreatic cancer.

You will likely find a time in your life when this book will add meaningful insights to your attempts to sort out some of the fundamental issues we all face from time to time.

[Connie Paddle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book about the inside passage going all the way back to when Vancouver was searching for the northwest passage and various other people going all the way to 1972. Enjoyable reading if you like history and geography.

[Sydney Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much!! I learned so much about the history of the Canadian West Coast and what it is like to live up and down the coast fishing for a living!! I would definitely read this book again. Anyone looking for some excellent stories from the 1960’s to early 2000’s about the Canadian and Alaskan West Coast, should for sure give this a read. It’s filled with stories about loggers, long fishermen, sailors and quiet townspeople alike!!