The evening light in Turnbull Cove.
We left Drury Inlet for Turnbull Cove off Grappler Sound after spending two nights anchored in Sutherland Bay – our quest for a grizzly bear sighting unsuccessful – passing up the opportunity to anchor in the nearby Muirhead Islands, a lovely cluster of islands, islets and rocks that form a well-protected anchorage for exploring by dingy or kayak. But the weather in the inlet over the past two days has been dismal – cold, grey and damp – and we were both ready for a change of scenery. At this point, it would be easy to give up the season in The Broughtons and go back down to Desolation Sound where we know we can find some summer weather before it's too late; but we're here and won't likely be back, except in passing, so we need to make the most of it.
So Turnbull Cove it is. And what a pleasant surprise. Motoring up Grappler Sound to the entrance of the anchorage was beautiful in spite of the low-clouds, or perhaps because of them. And after snaking through narrow passes formed by countless islands, more reminiscent of an inland river than the sea, the anchorage opened up into a large, landlocked bowl that's quiet and calm, even with the ten other boats here. This will likely be our highest latitude anchorage for the year at 50°57.710 N and 126°50.220 W, so we'll linger a day a two enjoying the accomplishment and our surroundings.
After taking a bit of time out to ensure that our anchor was holding and to have lunch, we piled in the dinghy and made our way to shore. There's a short trail that carries you over a hill and leads to Huaskin Lake via dozens of stairs cut into a secured log. There aren't many opportunities to hike in The Broughtons because of the steep landscape and wildlife (i.e. bears and cougars), and it felt wonderful to get off the boat and stretch our legs. The lake is beautiful and inviting, but we had both failed to wear our swimsuits – a good excuse to avoid jumping into the cool water without sounding too soft. Maybe tomorrow....
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