Home Up Southern BC Nothern BC TO BELLA BELLA TO PRINCE RUPERT TO KETCHIKAN

 

DESOLATION SOUND TO PORT MC NEILL, TOP OF VANCOUVER IS.

 

DATE: Saturday, May 11, 2002
WEATHER: Warm, sunny
LOCATION: Lund Harbor
DESTINATION: Desolation Sound, Predeaux Haven

 

We were awakened early by the activity going on in the harbor.  Many of the shrimpers had already left before we were up and others were quickly getting ready to leave.

We had some breakfast and took Zig up the dock ramp for a walk.  I stopped in the hotel market for milk and jam.  I saw “Mother Goose” and she sort of apologized about all the activity in the harbor today.  She said it was the start of the first of seven days of open clamming at Savary Island and “it always gets crazy around here then”. 

A truck load of Indians came down the boat ramp and left in a flat aluminum boat heading in the direction of Savary Island.  It was like a mad rush, boats leaving in all directions.  “Mother Goose” said “At the end of the day, during these seven days, it’s really quite a site to see as there are clams everywhere when the people come back to the docks”.  According to the locals, the butter clams from Savary Island are famous.  It makes my mouth water just listening to them talk about them.

As we were getting ready to shove off, we saw an older couple coming back on their little skiff with a bucket of shrimp.  We had met them briefly yesterday.  Today they said they had three full buckets of shrimp, crab and oysters.  We talked awhile about their catch and before they left, they gave us some of their shrimp.  They’ve been staying here, every summer, for about 30 years in the nearby trailer court.  They said, “It’s not as nice as it used to be” as everyone they knew “has died off.”

So, Larry had his first experience with live shrimp.  He had to pull all the heads off and through them in the water while they were still alive and wiggling.  He did a good job though but I don’t think he enjoyed it much.

 

Then it was my job to bring them inside and boil them in salty water (as they recommended) and let them cool for lunch. 

After cooking the shrimp we left for Desolation Sound.  We saw some nice homes as we passed Copeland Islands.  It’s a beautiful setting up here with the forested islands and snow capped mountains in the background.  Copeland Islands were deserted except for a lone cross upon a rock.  We didn’t know what it marked, perhaps a drowning? 

We passed Brice landing which is dotted with huge out-of-place homes for this area.  The homeowners cleared the land of all the trees and built over-sized houses for the area.  It is said to be an “American settlement” because of it.

So far, on this journey, we’ve felt like we’re practically the only ones cruising, I guess it’s because we are so early in the season.  We’ve only seen a couple boats and in our last two ports we were the only cruisers.  Ganges was very empty.  I’m wondering to myself, are we too early?  If so, we’re lucky because it’s beautiful and un-crowded.  I think I like being early.

Today we have a sunny, clear, low wind day.  The temperature actually got up to 63 degrees and now in the evening it’s 57.

We made our way carefully to Predeaux Haven in Desolation Sound.  One of the shrimp boats from Lund was with us pretty much of the way; otherwise there was not another boat the whole trip. 

We had quite a bit of difficulty discerning one island from another at first as we entered Desolation Sound.  The islands seem to blend into each other and there are no nautical markers or any architectural sites to give you a sense of where you are.  The charts also jump to a much smaller scale and it throws you off at first.  You have to be aware of anything that could help you identify your location.  For instance, the height of the shore, mountains, peaks and valleys also help to identify your location.  You can also refer to the depths on the charts and compare it to the depths of your depth sounder to verify your location, well that is, only if your depth sounder is working.  The water depths here are so deep that the depth finder can’t read it and just keeps scrolling like its searching for something but never finds it.  Ours blanks out at 300 feet or more and the depths in this are much more than that.  So we spent our time matching our charts the best we could to the topography of hills and islands. 

It was a little nerve wracking because at one point I myself would’ve gone down the wrong channel.  We got to the entrance to Predeaux Haven (at low tide).  The entrance was very intimidating and hard to see from the direction we were coming.  It looked like we were headed into a rock wall for the longest time until we got very close and then you could see the opening and knew you had to make a quick turn.  We watched the charts very carefully.  Everything went smoothly and we pulled around into the lagoon and entered Melanie Cove. 

 

To our surprise there was another boat anchored in Melanie Cove and it happened to be the Nordhavn that we had the rude encounter with in Nanaimo as we left the dock.  It’s that same couple that practically ran us down in the harbor. 

They did not seem too pleased to see us entering “their domain” so to speak.  We went deep into the cove to give them plenty of room and privacy and anchored with no problems.  As we settled in and put the dinghy down they gathered up their lounge chairs, packed everything up, pulled up anchor and left.  Guess we ruined their day but we were happy that we now had the place to ourselves.

We had some of that delicious shrimp that the old couple gave us in Lund for lunch.  We made a nice shrimp cocktail along with a green salad and took it up on the top deck.  That’s where we ate and enjoyed the sun, nice weather, and the serenity of having this magnificent spot totally to ourselves.

After lunch, we got into the dinghy to take Ziggy to shore.  It was low tide. When we got to shore, the water had receded quite a bit and the shore was mud for yards and yards.  The mud was just filled with empty oyster and clam shells.  It was crunch, crunch, slurp, slurp, for yards until we reached hard ground.  We found a path in the trees and a park out-house. 

We took a walk in the forest.  It was so beautiful.  It was a wonderland of tall moss covered trees and the forest floor was equally covered in a thick carpet of green moss and ferns. 

We took a dinghy ride around the area and saw some pools formed by boulders and rocks.  These must be the swimming pools that I had read about in the cruising book.  The sun heats the stone and warms the pools.  There were many of them.  We could see remnants of fun times in the pools like a swinging rope hanging from a tree so you could swing yourself out into the water and let go for a big splash.  This must be a fun place in the summertime.

We came back to the boat, turned the generator on and made dinner.  Tonight we were having pot roast in the pressure cooker.  We also had carrots simmered in sweet orange juice, mashed potatoes and a cabbage salad.

 

After dinner we took Zig to shore again.  He seems to be getting the hang of these shore trips.  He gets off the dinghy quickly and immediately runs into the woods, does his thing and then runs back as fast as he can and hops in the dinghy.  So far, so good with Ziggy on this trip. 

We took another zip around the coves.  We saw a couple neighborhood seals and several different varieties of birds, ducks, seagulls and our first eagle!  It was high tide now and the water is like glass.  The muddy shore has disappeared beneath the blue water and now it was just a reflection, a double image, of the beautiful trees, rocks and shrubbery.

Another boat has come in to our cove.  It’s some type of trawler named “Maestra” and it was followed by a small catamaran called “Sea La Vie”.  They rafted-up together.  We remembered seeing “Maestra” back at Ganges.  A little later another huge sail charter boat came in called “Shawanasee”.  It anchored itself right at the cove entrance.  Of all the empty spaces in here, why would he choose to anchor in the cove entrance?  I guess it’s OK though, we’re not headed out and it prevents others from coming in and getting too crowded so who cares?

I spent the evening reading Curve of Time.  She mentions her experiences here in the 1930’s in her book.   Though we are here many years later, it is easy to imagine what it was like then.  Nothing much has changed with the landscape as the forest remains the same.  Tomorrow we’re going to take a hike in the woods and see if we can find where she mentions Phil’s shack was or some remnants of his shack.

I love the peaceful quietness of this place.  The only signs of civilization are the streaks across the sky of a jet in the distance.  No cars, trucks, loud people, smog.  It was heaven.

 

DATE:  May 12, 2002, Sunday
WEATHER: Warm, sunny, no wind or little.  Mid 60’s.
LOCATION: Predeaux Haven.
DESTINATION: Stay put

 

We slept in today.  It’s still warm, in the mid 60’s and it’s sunny, with just a bit of wind. 

We took Ziggy to shore about 10:00 AM.  We tried to introduce him to the “potty box” again.  When he gets in it I praise him and tell him to go “pee, pee” or “pooh, pooh”.  He responds by going to the gate for the dinghy to go to shore or when that doesn’t work he gets in it and lays down like it’s a bed.  He just doesn’t want to go on the boat no matter how much we try.

Speaking of the dinghy, it is much improved since Larry had a seat and steering wheel installed on it.  It’s amazing how comfortable it is and how easily it gets up on plane.  I no longer have to squish myself up front, bang around, and hang on for dear life.

We went to shore with the idea of taking a long hike in the woods on one of the forest paths.  I was a little apprehensive since I got a few mosquito bites yesterday hiking but I guess this is the way it’s going to be so I have to get used to it.  I was actually surprised though as we haven’t had a problem with bugs and in particular those dreaded mosquitoes so far on the boat.

Each time we go to shore now we are getting a little more organized realizing what we need and things we’ve forgotten in past trips.  We brought the camera, back pack, hiking boots and rubber boots for walking on the muddy shore and a long rope to tie the dingy for low tide.  (It was high tide when we left but was starting to reverse.) 

When we got to shore Larry tied the dinghy rope to a large boulder and gave it plenty of line thinking the dinghy will float out with the tide.

We checked the forest out and tried to find some remnants of where the old man lived and if the terraced garden was still there.  If we were lucky we might find some old apple trees too.  That was 30 years ago and we could find nothing.  We wonder if the Park Service cleared it out or does this rapidly growing forest really devour things that fast?

 

We walked up the trail to where it splits and came back.  On the way back we saw two large bear prints by the stream!  It didn’t even really cross my mind that there might be bears here.  We started making goofy loud noises to ward off any that might be nearby.  We felt ridiculous but then had some good laughs at how silly it seemed. 

It was a good thing we made the hike short because as we got back to the shore the dinghy was totally grounded and the water had receded about 15 feet.  We had to drag it across the mud to the water and it was a heavy sucker.  If we had dallied any longer it would have been too far for us to drag it to the water and then we would have had to stay there until the next tide.  There was not a soul around to help us if we needed any and with bears nearby I don’t think I would’ve liked it very much.

We took a ride around the area in the dinghy.  We found lots of swimming areas at low tide on the other side with stone ledges to sit and sun yourself.  It sure looks like a fun place to be when the water warms up. 

Later in the day a few more boats came into the outer cove.  “Maestra” and “Sail l’Vie” had left along time ago so we are on our own again in Melanie Cove.  I had some scraps of meat saved and we used it in our crab trap for bait.  We dropped it right at the entrance to Predeaux Haven.

We went back to the boat for some tuna sandwiches and decided to polish the stainless steel.  It needed it.  It hadn’t been done for a year.  Larry did one half and I did the other.  We finished half the boat and will do the other half another day. 

 

It’s so quiet here and it just made us all want to take a little nap.  After our nap we took Ziggy out again and checked our trap.  There was nothing in the trap, even the meat was still there.  We tried another spot and dropped the trap while we explored more with the dinghy.  We motored all the way around to Laura Cove where the other man in the book lived but didn’t get out to investigate. 

 

On the way back we checked the trap again, and again, nothing.  We decided there were no crabs around and pulled the trap into the dinghy and went back to the boat.

We spent the rest of the evening sitting on the fly bridge just listening to the sounds of nature and watching the fish jumping out of the water.  A little seal came by and looked at us.  We had lots of different birds to listen to and watch.  Some people came by on their dinghies and kayaks doing pretty much what we had been doing all day. 

 

A little shy sailboat came into Melanie Cove and anchored near the entrance far out of the way and close to the woods.  They were very quiet and kept to themselves.

 I guess we’re not the only crazies cruising up here with a dog.  We had seen an older couple earlier today in a Grand Banks taking their dog to shore in their dinghy.  Their boat was called “Bedoeling”.

 We can’t get any satellite reception at night here.

 

DATE: Monday, May 13, 2002
WEATHER: 50 degrees, a little cooler, overcast (no sun), wind is picking up.  There is a front moving over.
LOCATION: Predeaux Haven
DESTINATION: Refuge Cove

 

Since a Front is coming this way we decided to pack up and move to Refuge Cove.  If it’s a rainy day it would make things easier for us with Ziggy if we were at a dock somewhere.

Before we left we took Ziggy out and he did his business lickety split.  He’s becoming the fastest in the West!  He’s been a really a good little guy so far, adapting to these difficult conditions.  He does his duty as fast as he can and runs back and jumps on the dinghy as if he thought we were going to leave him if he didn’t hurry.  Last night though, he woke me up.  He seemed to have smelled something in the air and he wanted to investigate.  We went outside on the deck and I imagined it was a bear from the way he was acting. He was growling very low and walking around the boat very slow and carefully with the hair on his back stiff and upright.  I think it was something he had never smelled before and he seemed very wary.

We talked to the couple on the Grand Banks in the outer channel (Janet and Bill from “Bedoeling”).  She said she was trying to train their dog to “go potty” on the back of the boat too.  She was having no luck whatsoever.  She had tried everything: pellets (which the dog ate), grass (which the dog dug up) and now Astro turf (and “the turf ain’t working” she said).  The trials and tribulations of dogs and their owners on boats are great.

We left having enjoyed our stay but looking forward to what was ahead.  Larry let me drive the boat out of Prideaux Haven.  I had no problems getting out that tricky entrance but had Larry’s help.  The anchor came up fine too.

 

The channel conditions were fine.  It was a little windy with a slight chop but the visibility was good.  We saw two shrimp boats.  We decided to go through the cut between the small island and the big island to Refuge Cove rather than go around, not a problem.

As we came into Refuge Cove, Larry brought the boat in between two docks, turned it around and docked inside the harbor just behind the fuel dock.  Again, we had no problems docking today.  It was actually was a perfect maneuvering.  I tied the lines and we were secure in Refuge Cove for whatever the weather might bring.

I took Zig up to what looked like a little rustic store. He had already been running around the docks while we were busy docking and tying the boat up.  I caught him just in time as he pooped on the dock on the one and only lump of grass that happened to be growing out of a crack in the dock.  I picked it up immediately.  I couldn’t believe he did that!  We walked around a little.  There was no place to go really for a walk so I thought I’d wait for Larry.  Larry said he read in the cruising guide that you’re “not to bother the residents”, so I didn’t want to go somewhere I wasn’t welcome.

Nothing seemed open and it was pretty rustic. I went back to the boat and Larry was finishing up the boat.  We took a walk around.  There was a sign in the store that said, “Open only MWF 1-4:00”.  So, we would have to come back at 1:00 if we wanted to buy something.  According to the cruising guide this is supposed to be the main provisioning spot in Desolation Sound.  What a shanty town.  It looked like a stage set for an old western that was about to fall apart.  The book said in season (June-Sept) this is a busy place.  Well, today it was dead.

There were three other boats here.  One was a trawler with a sign on it saying something about being available for hire to do refrigeration work.  I asked him if he knew of a place to take the dog for a walk.  He didn’t know.  (We would later see this boat at many other stops as we headed north.)  I think he was working on the refrigeration system for the “resort” here (and I use that term lightly).

We talked to the only sailor here.  He was from Victoria and is only cruising this area, not heading north.  He just bought his boat and it still had “St. Louis, MO” on the back.  He hadn’t had time to change the hailing port yet.  There are some other people here in a Grand Banks.  They stayed in their boat all day, never stepped out once.

I took a nice shower and put on clean clothes getting ready for our big outing at 1:00 PM up the ramp to the store.  There was a young guy sitting out front.  He was sitting kind of slumped on an old rickety bench in front of the store.  He looked like he was right out of “Deliverance”.  I tied Ziggy up out front and told this guy not to pet him because he bites.  I told him I had a muzzle for him but since I told him about what might happen, I know he won’t bother him and I won’t need to put the muzzle on Ziggy.  I wasn’t in the store two minutes and sure enough he tried to pet Ziggy.  Zig wanted no part of this strange guy and of course snapped at him.  No bite, just a warning.

The store was a shack.  There were no produce or bakery items.  There really wasn’t much of anything at all to buy; maybe some old dusty canned goods and cleaning supplies, if that. 

I asked the store clerk where I could take Ziggy for a walk.  She said we’d have to “take the dog to the island in the center of the harbor” (that would mean we would have to get the dinghy down and motor him over there as it’s an island for Pete’s sake!).  I asked if there wasn’t a place here to take him because it was pouring rain out and we didn’t want to get the dinghy down and go all the way over there in the rain.  She said "No, the residents have a co-op and that’s the way it is.”  I couldn’t believe it.   They have all this land and forest here and won’t let you take a dog for a walk?  In the mean time, their dogs are running all over the place (the co-op dogs) but the customers aren’t allowed past all their “no trespassing” gates. This is not a friendly place but they like to take our money.

The more you examine this shanty town the more you realize it’s like a cattle corral for visitors.  You have two docks to walk on, a third if you want to risk falling in the water because it rocks and rolls so bad, and a ramp that goes up to the three shacks.  One is the store, one is a rat trap shower house, and another is their “Starbucks” (as it’s referred to in the boating guide).  It was nothing more than a shack with a bunch of junk and trash thrown hap hazard inside and was totally falling apart.  There was nothing here that even resembled a Mr. Coffee machine in it let alone a Starbucks. 

Everything else is fenced off to keep boaters out and signs are posted everywhere saying "Private" & “Keep Out!”  The place is a dump and unfriendly, but like I said, they’ll take your money.  All the other houses in the cove are connected by a board walk which visitors are not allowed on.  Maybe this is a different place in the summer at high season but I would never want to come back and never will.

Now, I understand why Ziggy pooped on the dock.  Probably a million other dogs have to too.  They didn’t have any other options.  The water wasn’t potable either and you can’t leave any trash.  The “store” was supposed to stay open until 4:00 PM but they closed it after an hour.  Too bad for the person that may have traveled a distance to get here during their posted hours. 

There were a couple workers hanging around who were hammering or sheering up the piers under the shack store.  Guess they were trying to brace up the dump before it falls into the harbor.  They left soon too about 3:00 PM (short work days around here).    

 

We were absolutely the only people here except for the Grand Banks couple who still haven’t stepped outside their boat during our whole stay.

Larry worked on the website he was going to do for the trip.  I played the digital piano to pass the time.

We took a couple walks up and down the docks.  Larry was waiting for the people to leave to take Ziggy up by the shacks to do his business.  There was no way we were getting the dinghy down and going all the way across the harbor to the “poop island”.  

 

I entered our expense receipts in the computer.  Bev called and said they selected a contractor and things on the house were moving along.  When they come up on the 21st-31st they will take their new boat to Nanaimo.

We planned our travels for the next day.

The refrigeration guy said the water is OK here so I guess we’ll fill the tanks in the morning.  Now we have two bags of trash we need to store.  Larry smashed the large empty water bottles to take up less room in our trash storage.

The last two nights we couldn’t get TV but we’re able to get it here.

It’s still raining cats and dogs.

 

DATE:        Tuesday, May 14th, 2002
LOCATION:  Refuge Cove
WEATHER:          45 degrees in the morning, windy, sunny with clouds,
DESTINATION: Big Bay

 

We were up at 7:00 AM. 

A sailboat that rammed into the dock early last evening when he came in left early this morning.  We finally talked to the man on the Grand Banks as he finally came out.  He’s been there since Saturday!  (Can imagine being in this place that long!) (He still never got off their boat even when we talked to him and his wife never came out period!)  I guess they figured there was no place to go so why get off the boat.  I still had to get out of the boat and walk around the stupid docks that we were confined to.

We pee’d and poop’d Ziggy where we weren’t supposed to which gave us great pleasure after all the restrictions they impose on you here and off we went.   

Larry said he’s going to make me a short mid-ship line for windy departures and arrivals.  He said it should help with the docking.  We’re quickly realizing that you are on your own up here, no more help with docking.

We’re heading for Big Bay.  We saw two bad deadheads already.  Two other Grand Banks are going up Lewis Channel with us.  They are slower and smaller than us.  We turn off to see Teakerne Arm for a quick peek.  There’s a beautiful waterfall there.  It looks like it could be a fun place to explore if you could only anchor and leave the boat safely.  The books say you can anchor down the channel and then hike in to a lake for a swim.

We keep hearing an annoying little alarm going off time and again but we don’t know what it is or where it is coming from.  The depth sounder also is not working.  I wish we could figure out what alarm it is as it’s very worrisome. Ziggy is sleeping peacefully.  He’s been a really good dog.

As we’re passing Rendezvous Islands, heading up Calm Channel, we notice the “unfriendly” Nordhavn that we encountered in Nanaimo and Predeaux Haven far off to our port.  He’s heading through Drew Passage.  We see him every time there is an opening between the islands.  Far up ahead we think we see the two Grand Banks that we left at Teakerne Arm. 

 

 

 We passed the little village of Church on our starboard.  You can see the remnants of a wonderful old church and part of a village.  There’s not much left of what it must have been in the old days.  It would be fun to check it out but the books say there is no safe dockage or anchorage.  If it’s not a safe place to anchor, you wonder then how the town got started there because there are no roads to it.  It looked like it was a grand little town at one time.

We spotted the marker for Stuart Island which marks the entry to Yulcult Rapids.  We hear a security notice over the radio.  A tug is hauling two loads through the rapids.   We look ahead with the binoculars and realize that the weird vision we had been seeing for the last couple hours was a house a few miles ahead of us being hauled by the tug we heard on the radio.  We couldn’t believe a tug could possibly haul two large houses on barges through the rapids!  The two Grand Banks carefully followed behind.

 

We reached the rapids and as we went through we saw a beautiful lodge at the entrance to the right.  It looked like it was being built or newly remodeled.  It’s going to be a handsome fishing or hunting resort.  The rapids are not strong or difficult so I guess Larry timed it just right. 

On the right is Big Bay Resort.  It looks very interesting.  The rapids are a little stronger at this point and at the entry to the outer channel.  Larry decides to make a quick decision not to go to Big Bay but go on to Dent Island Resort.  We go through the rapids and the tug and his haul are coming out the outer rapids.  I look at Dent with the binoculars and it looks empty or closed – so we decide to go back to Big Bay.  We had to go back through the narrow rapid again and of course, the “unfriendly” Nordhavn is coming in our direction looking like he’s going to hog the whole channel, pushing his course on us even though we’re in the narrows before him.  Larry holds his ground and budges him over.  So it’s another jerky experience with this guy.

 

We pull in to the dock at Big Bay and a woman from the refrigeration boat that we saw at Refuge Cove came out to greet us and take a line.  She wanted to warn us about the strong currents as you dock.  We had no problems though. It was an easy docking.

 

We took Zig out.  A sign at the top of the ramp read: “Keep dogs on leash or on your boat.  Pick up your package or we’ll deliver it to you!”  I met someone on the path and asked if there was a place Ziggy could run around.  He said there were trails all over behind the lodge.  I later found out he was the resorts cook.  Zig did his duty right away.  He seems to take advantage of the opportunity whenever he gets to land now.  Normally he’s very picky about where he does his business.  Everything has to be just the way he wants it but here he just takes advantage of the opportunity whenever it presents itself no matter what the conditions.  I guess he figures he doesn’t know when his next chance is so better make the best of it.  We’re lucky we brought lots doggie “pick up” bags because I have needed them throughout the trip. 

When I came back to the boat “Maestra” was just docking.  We were glad to see the same people again although we didn’t know them at all.  We initially saw “Maestra” in Ganges before we left.  The boaters are becoming friendlier now.  You can see a bond developing between all the boaters.  There’s a sharing of information and opinions about the weather reports and discussions about what directions people were going.

We headed up the ramp to walk Zig and see if there was a place for lunch.  The lodge is still not fully open as it’s early in the season.  It’s such a beautiful setting here.  The buildings are older and rustic.  It reminds you of the old days.  There is a main dining room, bar and game room.  The store is off to the right and there are many individual cottages scattered through the property and on the grassy knoll overlooking the rapids.  The whole setting over looks the docks and has a steep rounded mountain as a back drop.  We counted as many as 20 eagles just lazily soaring over head, taking advantage of the vertical air drafts off the face of the mountain.   Across the bay is Sonora Resort.  It’s supposedly an upscale fishing resort only accessed by seaplanes, no dinghies or boats are permitted.

We met the daughter of the owner of Big Bay.  She said they’d prepare lunch for us even though they weren’t officially open.  She suggested we sit out on the outdoor patio over looking the lawns and marina.  It was rustic with plastic chairs and tables but the scenery made it very nice.  She said Ziggy could sit there too.  She made us some grilled chicken sandwiches, chips, and ice tea and we had majestic view of the mountain that is a backdrop to the SonoraResort.

Christine is very personable and friendly.  She helps her dad run the place doing just about everything even being our waitress for lunch.  She made us feel right at home.  What a difference from Refuge Cove.  She said her family has owned the resort since 1977.  She confirmed that Dent Island Resort wasn’t open yet.  She said Big Bay has the only liquor license from here to Campbell River so all the lodges order from them.  She knows when they are getting ready to open by the orders they receive from the lodges. 

 

The lodge is quaint but rustic.  It’s decorated with the owner’s collection of antique outboard motors, carpenter plainers and other interesting objects.  They have an interesting bookcase with a surprisingly good collection of nautical books that someone gave them.  The books were donated by the son of a frequent guest who loved coming to the resort over the years.  His son said his dad was going into a retirement home and wasn’t going to have room for his books so he wanted to give them to the lodge.  His son made a book label that he put in each book.  It was a wonderful old turn of the century photo of his dad in foul weather gear complete with a lobster hat, standing on the huge deck of an old schooner.  It was a really great photo and really touching that his son would do that for him. 

They have a great photo gallery of past guests and their catches.  One in particular was sent to the lodge from an 11 year old boy.  It was a picture of him standing on the dock, happy as could be, proudly holding up his catch.  There was a hand written letter attached to it.  It was addressed to the lodge and said “you might want to put this picture of me and my catch on the wall as I’ve come there eight times and Dieter (one of the guides) is teaching me to be a great fisherman.”

We met another worker at the lodge who gave us directions for another nice walk.  There is a great 15 minute walk behind the lodge that leads to a lake or you can take the fork behind the cottages which will lead you out to the point to watch Yucult Rapids.   We enjoyed both walks. 

We met the people on the boat next to us.  He was a doctor moving to Ketchikan.  He was on his way and taking his boat with him.  He brought his neighbor along for the ride. 

The couple that we met in Refuge Cove (the refrigeration man, his name is Tony) came over and chatted for awhile.  He said he sold their business in Comox and now they are traveling up the Inside Passage doing work along the way.  He said he didn’t take on water at Refuge Cove that it has too much cedar in it (after he told us it was OK and we did).  He said he checks the quality of the water by filling up a bucket and looking at it for sediment.  He won’t fill the tank if there is any sign of it.  Larry told me we have double water filters so he thinks ours should filter it out but I think we’ll be more careful in the future.  This man also said some of these places have iron in their water and a woman they met washed her hair in it and it changed her hair color to bright red!

Later that evening we heard him hailing a restaurant on Channel 73.  He was making dinner reservations.  The restaurateur asked him what they’d like him to make for their dinner.  It sounded so interesting that the next time we saw him we asked about this restaurant.  He said it’s called Oleo’s.  He said, “It’s a dock and restaurant “up the way”, owned and run by a 70 year old man, his wife and daughter.”   The refrigerator man said he gets his water there because it’s pure glacier water.

We took another walk around the harbor.  We checked out the public dock and saw a couple garter snakes along the way.  Ziggy had a good time chasing all the things rustling in the bushes. 

 

We made reservations for dinner with Christine.  We had to place our order several hours ahead so they had time to prepare everything with their limited staff.  We were hungry for steak and that was one of the items on the limited list (since they weren’t really open yet) and Christine talked us into having some shrimp too as she said they were “really good right now”.  Reservations were at 7:00.

 

I bumped into the woman on the catamaran “Sail l’Vie” that was buddy boating with “Maestra”.  She was doing their laundry.  They live on Whidbey Island and are cruising to Alaska too.  She said they are almost out of water already and low on food supplies.  Their last stop was Octopus Islands so they could see the Driftwood Art Gallery.  She said she was hoping to provision here but said there was nothing in the store yet.  Said they should’ve stocked up at Squirrel Cove as “they had everything and also would take the trash too.”  (I’m thinking we should’ve gone there instead of Refuge Cove).  It was only just across the channel.

 

The dock boy came over to our boat and talked to me for awhile.  He said the resort owner was coming in today by sea taxi.  He was bringing supplies and returning from a fun weekend in Las Vegas.  He was a very nice young man.  Said he lives in Comox and it’s his second summer here.  He’s helping to get the place opened then will work the docks this summer.  He said there is a huge golf course behind the hill owned by Dennis Washington who owns CSPAN.  It’s very private and lush he said.

 

We went up to the lodge for dinner and Christine it seems is doing everything.  She’s our waitress again and the waitress for the whole dining room.  We learned only 7-10 people live on the island year round.  Her family goes to Hawaii every winter though.  Christine said her dad has the resort up for sale because she’s getting married in October.  The other daughter has left home and now she’ll be leaving too because her husband “is in the computer business and can’t lead this kind of life”.

They have two classic boats that they are restoring.  She’s restoring a 1947 Chris Craft that her dad bought her and her dad is restoring an old missionary boat.

It’s a wonderful lifestyle here.  I think someday she’ll be sorry to leave.  Dinner was great and huge: salad, steak & shrimp, baked potato with sour cream and chives, fresh green beans, carrots and huge logger sized portions.  Christine served all the dinners and she even had time to make a couple huge casserole dishes of lasagna earlier in the day for a group of men that came in from another lodge.  She made enormous hamburgers too for a bunch of other men, maybe loggers.  Everything was and looked delicious and she was so gracious and hospitable.  It was so nice to feel at home in this place.

We walked back to the boat and poor Larry had to plan the trip for tomorrow; not a moments rest as there are rapids to time and calculate and more reading about possible places to stop.  Since we’ve never been here before it’s a lot work each time we start on another leg.  We’re trying to make sure we don’t miss anything important or fun.  It’s very tiring with no time for rest but it’s a lot of fun.  Tonight is a beautiful night and millions of stars have filled the sky.  A clear moon is shedding a moon glow on the lodge and the huge mountain behind it.

Twenty-five people work at the lodge and sleep in the bunk houses in the back. I asked someone at the lodge if they had an internet connection and he said “no, they only take Visa, American Express or cash!”  I guess that says a lot for the place and its remoteness.  Another person I asked said only a couple people on the island can get to the internet and they do so on their cell phone, but “it’s terrible, - takes 15-20 minutes just to get on line and then downloading is forever.” 

I asked another boater how they are getting email on their travels and they said “they plug in when they can get to a good land line – but who wants to be connected when you’re up here? – that’s part of what it is all about”.  We tried to use the public land line to call ahead to make a reservation at the next stop but couldn’t get through.

Everyone going north seems a little agitated.  All have different opinions on the weather and times of the rapids and currents.  Everyone is exchanging information trying to figure out the best time and place to go and what to expect up ahead.

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