the Discovery Islands
the Inside Passage
Octopus Island Marine Park, Quadra Island
Thursday, June 23, 2011TheCambrians
We left Refuge Cove yesterday morning to time our arrival for slack tide through the western rapids at Hole in the Wall, a narrow passage that cuts through Sonora and Maurelle Islands. Unlike last year, the sky was clear and we were able to enjoy the view of the Coastal Mountains, which still have large amounts of snow pack, as we travelled north through Lewis and Calm Channels bringing the descriptions written about the area in cruising guides to life –dramatic and beautiful. Once through the rapids, we made our way to Waiatt Bay, just west of the Octopus Islands Marine Park, and dropped our anchor for a couple of nights.
It was a nice afternoon, so David aired up the kayaks while I took Sally for a walk where we saw plenty of evidence of a difficult winter in the form of fallen trees and debris along the trail. After lunch(and a quick nap), we towed the kayaks over to the marine park and leisurely paddled around the moss-covered islands and islets through Tentacle Passage taking in the scenery. It's a beautiful park and one of the best ways to do it justice is from the perspective of a kayak. And it's a good thing we did. Because this morning we woke up to a wet and dreary day putting all thoughts of a hike up to Newton Lake for a VERY cold fresh-water swim out of my mind to be replaced with (more) knitting (if the weather doesn't improve, everyone I know is going to receive a full complement of hats,scarves and throws). It's not the rain that I mind so much (every now and then it's a great excuse to do absolutely nothing), it's taking Sally to shore when it's raining. I don't get wet thanks to good gear, but she does. And there's nothing worse than the smell of wet dog in a boat.
Assuming the weather clears, we'll up anchor tomorrow afternoon and make our way through Upper and Lower Rapids and over to Shoal Bay just off Cordero Channel, returning to the place and the people we fell in love with last season.
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