Beauty in the Rain

Not every day of our boating trip a few weeks ago was sunny. The day we planned to go up Toba Inlet was more than drizzly. Rain fell in hard splatters on the boat. Visibility was limited. Still, in between gusts of wind and clouds of rain, I managed a few photos. 

The sides of the fjord rise steeply from the water and fall equally steep below the surface. 
 

 Mist hung heavy in the valleys, but lifted occasionally to reveal muted greens of forest and sea.

We anchored in Brem Bay where the river joins the inlet. Grizzly bears live here and we saw one cross the river. It was a good morning for sipping on hot chocolate while we waited for more bears. They never showed. Perhaps they, too, were hunkering down somewhere in the rain.
 

When the rain stopped for a bit, we took the dinghy and went up river a little ways. The landscape looked almost tropical with hanging mosses and lush ferns. 
 

After deciding the bears were not going to cooperate, we headed further up the inlet to see the waterfalls we'd heard about. What is it about water falling over rocks and splashing into the ocean that is so appealing?

I took a lot of photos. Tim went back and forth with the boat while I tried out different settings. Most are overexposed. Also, it's kind of hard to take a level photo when the waves lift the boat up and down. 
  

In the afternoon we returned to the marina where we spent the night. The sky was clearing and a watery sun peeked through. Smooth, soft water and the promise of a sunny day to come.

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Judith of Lavender Cottage. 
This week I'm also linking up to Through My Lens, hosted by Mersad Donko. 

Walsh Cove - A bit of the Caribbean in the Northwest

Azure. Turquoise. Cobalt. Ultramarine. Sapphire. Water in every possible colour and then some.

We chug up Waddington Channel. Light glints off the water. Sky, sea, mountains meld in harmony to fill our senses. We tuck in behind the Gorges Islets.
 

Waddington Channel flows between East and West Redonda Islands. The islands thrust up from the ocean in steep inclines. Beaches are few and small. But, oh, the colour. The peace. A feast for eyes and soul.
 

I take the small dinghy and paddle slowly around the cove. Oysters and mussels crowd the inter-tidal zone in prodigious generosity. I'm entranced by the minutiae of creation.

I discover three heart shapes in this cove. The golden-orange rock now sits on my china cabinet. The white rock is immense. A tiny empty mussel shell lies open, washed by the waves.

 

I succumb to the lure of the water. After the first shock the water slides like silk against my skin. Tim joins me and we swim in the lovely, refreshing sea. Behind us, the island rises, inhospitable, as fortified as a medieval castle. 

We stand on the back deck and rinse off the salt with sun-heated water from our shower bag, then eat a simple dinner with a million-dollar view. 

Nervous Nellie in the Wild

Two boats tied up to a dock. Just to give you an idea of the size of our boat - the small one. It's 25 feet long. The other is 62 feet long. We were usually the smallest boat in any marina or anchorage. But I think we had just as much fun as the big boaters. The important thing is getting out there to enjoy all the beauty.
 

Normally, we anchor the boat and often stern tie it to land, especially if things are choppy on the water, or an anchorage has a few boats in it. 

One of our destinations was Toba Inlet, a narrow fjord that winds its way into the mainland of the province. Anchorages are difficult to find, hence the tie up at the marina dock. Another plus was the hot showers available at the marina.
  

We like to hike. We see some great scenery and get good exercise huffing and puffing our way up mountains. (One of us huffs and puffs; the other is steady as a metronome.) 

We asked the marina host, Kyle, for a trail recommendation - "about an hour's climb," we said. He gave us directions and off we went.

"What about bears?" asked she of the nervous disposition.

"Haven't seen any for quite awhile."

"Good," thought she. But she was glad that her hiking companion, Mr. Woodsman, had along his bear spray.

(You can probably figure out where this is going....)

We got to the viewpoint, had a drink and some gorp and I took lot of photos. In the photo above, the waterway opening in the center is Waddington Channel, coming into Pryce Channel, our route from the south to Toba Inlet, which stretches to the left of the photo.

We began our descent. 

Rustle. Rustle. Something was in the bushes. 

Mr. Woodsman didn't say anything, so I assumed it was just a bird or squirrel.

Rustle. Crash. Crackle. "It's an awfully big squirrel," thought she of the nervous disposition. "But I'll be brave."

That lasted just a few seconds. "Mr. Woodsman," said she, "stop for a minute and listen."
 

About 50 feet in front of us Mama bear and Baby Bear broke onto the trail from the bush below. Baby bear hightailed it into the bushes on the other side. Mama Bear stopped to take a look at us.

"Get behind me," said Mr. Woodsman. 

Nervous Nellie didn't hesitate for a second. But she did remember her camera, and had a momentary pang that the zoom lens was in the case and not on the camera.
 

"Scram!" said Mr. Woodsman, and clapped his hands. So Mama Bear scrammed, stopping to take one last look just to make sure we weren't following her.
 

We had just passed a fork in the trail and decided it might be prudent to back track a little and take the alternate route down the mountain. You can bet Nervous Nellie scrammed as fast as the bear!

How wobbly would your knees be after a hike and a bear encounter? Nervous Nellie's knees quivered for quite awhile.

There and Back Again

Last night we anchored in Rebecca Spit and took a short dinghy ride to Heriot Bay where we ate dinner. It felt a little weird to be back in civilization. I've had a most wonderful blogging break, cruising around islands, exploring inlets, and seeing wonderful sights.

You're sure to hear more about our trip, but for now I'll leave you with this morning's sunrise (top photo) and an evening shot taken last week sometime. 

For now, there's a pile of laundry to deal with, a garden bursting with tomatoes, green beans and other delectables, emails to attend to, and hopefully soon, blogs to read.