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| Captain Wiley & First Mate |
We must cross Queen Charlotte Sound, the second of three
potentially dangerous crossings. The
Otter Bay Sea Buoy marine report calls for seas at 1 meter or less; it is safe
and we make a 6:10 AM exit. Again, it is
a beautiful, sunny day but I have been lured into a false sense of complacency
before so I am ready - everything has been secured. Towels are wrapped around the spice bottles,
eggs are protected and all falling, swinging or shooting items are battened
down. Of course, now that we’re prepared,
the crossing turns out to be lumpy but not rough.
Pruth Harbor is off Fitzhugh Sound, west into a 5 nautical
mile channel that dead ends into a charming cove on Calvert Island. The area is a provincial park marked by the
Hakai Beach Institute, a private rustic (think yurts) research center that can
only be accessed by boat or float plane.
We are one of only four boats anchored for the night and by
the next morning, and for the rest of our stay, the only boat in this vast
wilderness.
Far away from any
civilization, there is no din of airports, highways or even towns. Just islands and stillness all around
us.
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| Tracks!! |
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| Raw & Untouched |
Our kayaks are launched and we paddle to the dock of the
institute where there are a few research people and hike a half-mile to the
beach on the other side of the island. Crashing ocean waves wash over the golden sand. It is said that wolves and bears frequent
the beach, which is u-shaped and surrounded by hills and forest. We were here in 2012 and never saw any wild
life but this time we find fresh animal tracks leading to the water and analyze
them like paleontologists pouring over a rare set of bones – and reach a
conclusion: yup, they are tracks and yes, it’s an animal. It could be a raccoon track for all we
know. The only wildlife we do see are
hundreds of mussels, starfish and anemones.
But we are satisfied.
Our ride back to the boat is interrupted by the only noise
we hear on our two day stay, a float plane claiming the right of way as he
taxies on the water in front of our kayaks.
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| Hogging the runway |
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