Island in the Sky

On our last boat trip on the Georgia Strait, we stopped by Mitlenatch Island. In the language of the Kwakiutl First Nation people on Vancouver Island, it's name means "it looks close, but seems to move away as you approach it."

As we were approaching from the north it not only looked like it was moving away, it looked like it was rising into the sky.

In the Coast Salish language the name means "calm waters all around." And the north bay did give us a calm anchorage so we could explore on shore. -- Margy

Blue Above, Misty Below

After over a month of continuous sunny, warm weather, Coastal BC has started receiving the showers that are more common in our area.

First Narrows on Powell Lake tends to create weather of its own. Here a cloud is sandwiched between the top of Goat Island and the blue sky above.

At the base of the cloud, it was misty and moist. Giving the trees some much needed moisture.

Today is Sky Watch Friday. Go to the Sky Watch Friday website and you'll see sky photos from all over the world! -- Margy

Palm Tree Point

We travel up and down Powell Lake to our cabin in all kinds of weather, except the extremely windy kind. There are names for places along the way such as The Washout (an earthen dam on nearby Inland Lake burst, washing out a patch to the shore of Powell Lake, Sandy Beach (an easy one to guess), Elvis Point (a life-size statue of the King used to stand here), and the North Sea (John's name for the large, often choppy section below First Narrows). We've also named a few places of our own.

Here is Palm Tree Point just south of The Washout. A large fir tree sticks out on an angle with its top branches somewhat lopped off. From a distance, it looks a lot like a palm tree jutting out for more sunlight.

On a foggy day, when our "palm tree" looms out of the mist, we know exactly where we are. But on calm summer days, it is just another beautiful tree among the many along the shore. -- Margy

Skagit River by Sea Kayak: Day 2

We woke from a restful night in our tent. Our camp gear is compact to fit into the three hatches of our Current Designs Libra XT. It's their largest model, 21.8' long and 32" wide, making it very stable in the water (I like that). We only needed to make one trip from the campsite, and we only needed the front and back hatches to stow our gear, plus a few items we wanted en route stashed in cockpit dry sacks.

Another resource Wayne purchased online was Paddle Routes of Western Washington: 50 Flatwater Trips for Canoe and Kayak. The author, Verne Huser, also collaborated on the book I mentioned yesterday, so there's a lot of overlap and similarities. We both tried web searches, but for some reason, few people have written about this section of the river. Today's trip would take us from Rasar State Park to a mid-river Ross Island north of Sedro-Woolley.

After our short paddle yesterday, I felt a bit better about this new experience. The river was wide and deep in most places. When it made a turn, the water cut a steep bank into the outside shore. One such bank was drilled with holes by nesting Bank Swallows. You could hear them calling as they flew low over the water grabbing insects. The inside shore was usually a wide gravel or sand bar.

We traveled light with snack foods. Fruit cups, trail mix, breakfast bars, juices, and I'll admit it, candy. That's enough to start and end the day, but one substantial meal is nice. So we went to the Lyman Tavern for a hot lunch then went up to the market for more water (we really underestimated our needs), snacks, and an ice cream (yum). To get to Lyman, you have to enter a shallow back bay and climb the rock retaining wall to a riverside path. Main street, the pub, and the market on Highway 20 are in easy walking distance.

With full tummies, we got back in Mr. Kayak. Two hours of paddling took us past massive log jams on islands and dotting sand bars. We had to be careful to weave our way around huge stumps and trees jammed into the bed of the river. These snags can be dangerous if you get too close. But we got pretty good about reading the water to figure out the location of ones hidden below the surface.

Just north of Sedro-Woolley is Ross Island, historically a native site and homesteaded by Alexander Ross. We found a gravel bar on the north side to take out and pitch our tent. We arrived early so we took out our Therm-a-Rest pads to lounge in the shade and read. Over the crest of the bar we could hear voices coming down the river. Then we heard the cry, "Canadians." We have a small flag on a rod at the back of Mr. Kayak to help make us more visible on the water. Two young locals came ashore to say hi. They were floating from Lyman to Sedro-Woolley the "easy way" in tubes. Looked pretty "hard" to me.

The day ended with a spectacular sunset.

Things we learned on day two:

1. Drink water frequently.
   
2. We need at least a gallon each day.
3. Use sunscreen liberally.
4. Cover your lap with a tea towel to prevent burned inner thighs.
   
5. Wear a hat for better vision on glaring water.
   
6. Stop for breaks along the way.
7. Take time to explore your surroundings.
   

Wayne and I are not highly experienced paddlers. Make sure you get expert advice before starting out on your own. Ask locals, visit sporting goods stores, read books, check the Internet. It's better to be safe than sorry. - Margy

Hazy Shades of Gray

Hot weather with over a month of little or no rain has made British Columbia tinder dry. Last week there were over four hundred separate fires reported in the province.

While the majority were set by nature in the form of lightening, too many were set by people. Either way, it is sad to see such devastation. Two fires were started by dry lightening near Powell Lake. For three days, we started and ended the day with fiery solar displays.

But the middle of the day gave us mostly a hazy shade of gray with air that was hard to breathe. I can only imagine what it must be like in the interior where the majority of the blazes are raging still.

Here's an interesting website that displays the most "notable" fires of the season in BC. -- Margy

Moonlight Madness

We've had lots of moonshine (the celestial kind) this week.

The full moon gave us a beautiful early reflection across the bay from our good friend John's cabin. -- Margy

Clouds of Colour

Summer has finally arrived. After a day of cloudless, sunny skies some high level cirrus clouds moved in, the precursor to a brief front bringing moisture but no rain.

Cirrus clouds are wispy streaks of ice crystals above 8000 metres (26,000 feet). "Fall streaks" form when ice crystals fall through changing high level winds. The forming streaks can be straight, shaped like a comma or all mixed up together.

Just before sunset, the cirrus clouds captured rays of sunlight to form a small sun dog. The ice crystals in the clouds can form colourful patches 22 degrees to the left or right of and parallel with the sun, something like a mini-rainbow. What a nice way to end a nice summer the day on Powell Lake in Coastal BC. -- Margy

High Flying Skies

When I return to Powell River from Bellingham via Pacific Coastal Airlines, I take the last flight of the day. This time of year, that means some pretty spectacular inflight sunsets.

The power of the turboprop on the Beechcraft 1900C is balanced by the soft light flowing over Lasqueti and Texada islands in the distance. What a ride!

Today is Sky Watch Friday. Go to the Sky Watch Friday website and you'll see sky photos from all over the world! -- Margy

The Watchful Sky

The head of Powell Lake was the scene of extensive logging in years past. In the heyday of MacMillan Bloedel, there was a large camp there to house loggers. When we visited last December, the old shops were still standing. When we arrived last week, everything was torn down and the ground bulldozed. The docks and log pens are still there, but for how much longer?

One lone logging truck remained, a last testament to times gone by.

A hike up the logging road towards the old camp was a sad reminder that times change.

But the waters of the Daniels River flow on, filling Powell Lake as they have since the last ice age. I guess some things don't have to change. That's a good thing. -- Margy

Sunset Over Quadra Island

Last week we spent the night on our boat in Drew Harbour on the east side of Quadra Island in Coastal BC. Our anchorage gave us a perfect view of the sky. The first shot is looking east over the Rebecca Spit Marine Park.

A few minutes later looking west, we watched the sun go down.

And a few minutes after that the sky took on a coppery glow.

If you aren't cruising the Strait of Georgia in a boat of your own, you can still visit Drew Harbour and Rebecca Spit. Quadra Island is accessed by car via BC Ferries from Campbell River on Vancouver Island. The Heriot Bay Inn has rooms as well as RV/tent spots. Rebecca Spit Marine Park doesn't have camping, but you can stay at the nearby We Wai Kai Campsite. -- Margy

Ceiling of Fire

When you get weather reports you often see the ceiling height. That is the altitude of the base of the clouds measured in feet.

Last week at sunset a rain storm moved through. You could see the edge of the cloud cover with Vancouver Island in the distance in the clear.

The result was a ceiling that looked like it was on fire. You can't see it in the picture, but the water below cast back a similar hue. -- Margy

Morning Glow

I don't often get up early enough for sunrise, but on a recent morning I was rewarded for my efforts.

The wind was absolutely calm, reflecting the rays of sunlight passing through a thin layer of clouds, breaking them into the colours of the spectrum. Ice crystals in the high clouds act like prisms to refract the sunlight, causing the rainbow-like display.

Two logs, tied to the cabin deck for future firewood, framed the solar reflection nicely.

Today is Sky Watch Friday. Go to the Sky Watch Friday website and you'll see sky photos from all over the world! -- Margy

After the Storm

Spring showers clear to beautiful blue skies with puffy white clouds on Powell Lake in Coastal BC.

That's one reason we're called the Raincoast and have such lovely green hills and valleys. Come visit us this summer. You might want to stay for a lifetime. We did. -- Margy

Dogs in the Sky

We get some really spectacular sunsets here in Powell River, BC. Last week I looked across the Strait of Georgia to see this sundog.

From the marina I could only get one half in the viewfinder. I went up to the condo balcony and was able to capture both sides. The left was definitely more distinct than the right.

Sundogs are bright, colourful patches of light to the left and right of, and in alignment with, the sun. In the first shot, you can see it almost forms a halo. Sundogs are created by cold ice crystals in high cirrus clouds bending the rays of sunlight. -- Margy

Bombs Away

This week we've had some really nice spring weather. Even though it's been sunny and warm, moisture off the Pacific Ocean has generated thunderclouds over Vancouver Island and inland peaks.

Last Friday just around sunset the thunderstorms started blowing off their tops and dispersing. This one made it look like someone had dropped a bomb on Vancouver Island. When we fly 997, we avoid thunderstorms. Their strong updrafts and potential hail can be very dangerous.

But from the condo balcony they can make for a very beautiful end of the day. -- Margy

Forest Trail

Last week we went on a quad ride to Tony Lake where I discovered elk munching greens in the logging slash and hail preserved under the forest canopy.

As I walked away from the Tony Lake campsite, I was immediately engulfed by large second growth trees. They've been reaching for the sky for almost a hundred years now. Down below it stays cool and moist thanks to an almost complete sky covering, with just enough sun peaking through to make everything grow green and lush.

It's always beautiful whether you look down or up. -- Margy

Fog Rise

Yesterday was warm and sunny, in the evening it rained and overnight it cooled down - prime conditions for a foggy morning.

Sunrise over Goat Island was at about 9:00 a.m. The rays were just visible through the hazy layer.

And then about half an hour later it lifted and headed through first narrows. Here's a quick video of the last tendrils moving south.

Thanks for stopping by. -- Margy

Sunrise Over Goat Island

This week the weather has been a mix of sun, clouds, wind, rain, hail and snow. Is this really spring?

One morning I was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over Goat Island.

And that was the start to a nice, warm spring day. -- Margy

Sailing into the Sunset

The city of Powell River BC looks across the waters of the Strait of Georgia towards Vancouver Island. That makes for some really spectacular sunsets.

Not long ago I looked out my front room window and saw this lovely sailing ship passing by.

We are in the middle of some of the best cruising territory in the world. To the south of us are great little coves like Pender Harbour and Princess Louisa Inlet. To the north of us is world famous Desolation Sound and the many glacial carved inlets and islands along the BC coast. They would all be wonderful to explore in a magnificent ship like this. Can't you just imagine yourself on board? -- Margy

Reflecting on the End of Winter

Last summer on the west coast was very unusual, so warm and pleasant. That was followed by a most unusual winter, also warm (relatively) and pleasant. While I worry about the snow pack for our source of summer water, it has been an amazing season.

We've had more blue skies than normal, giving us glorious days with lovely reflections.

Here you can see our "front yard" with a captured log glistening in the early morning light. Spring will soon bring more calm sunny days, but it's good to reflect back on a season well spent. -- Margy