Nootka Island, Part Two

I've been on the phone more than usual, beginning with Fallon whose birthday it is today. While I was talking to her, I heard a text come through and it was from Regina letting me know that Corrine died yesterday. Both Regina and Corrine were long time neighbors of ours on Gem Mary Court, although technically they live on Appleton Avenue. Neither of those wonderful women are/were spring chickens with Regina, still all feisty at 82, whereas Corrine was 92 and had typical problems for a human of that age. I miss them both.

Plus I called Carol to check on her. You may remember she had the Whipple procedure two years ago and is in the midst of a severe setback which pains me to no end. Then I had to talk to Maureen about it, followed by Nancy. I wish Bruce were home, but he's been in Alberta and Saskatchewan since Monday morning and won't return until late tonight. Although I am in a bit of a funk, let's return to Nootka Island for some lovely moments in time.

Some folks went to camp while young, but I'm not one of them. It got me thinking that although it is called a "lodge", it might as well be called a camp for grownups because at 4:45 in the morning there is a loud rap on your door letting you know it is time for breakfast and fishing. And while I might get up early most days, generally I go nowhere until I know for sure that my digestive track will cooperate. As such, I was a little nervous to leave on a boat for six hours, so instead of the full breakfast, I packed a couple pastries for later and headed down to the dock. And off we went into the sunrise.

Knowing what to expect helped make the trip seem not quite as daunting as the previous night. It helped that the water was a wee bit calmer too. Gloomy skies were now a thing of the past, with a promising, warm day ahead of us.

Have you been following the news from Hawaii? My gosh, seeing that lava flow is incredible! If you do nothing else, as in not reading the article, at least look at the lead picture from The Guardian. It would be even more mind boggling and harder to understand had I not seen what an island made of lava rock actually looks like. It makes me wonder if there were a huge volcano along ago that formed all of the islands you see.

Take a look at the shoreline and you'll see what I mean. And while it looks like perhaps there is sand along the shoreline, Dan tells us it is more like black marbles. The pictured house is for folks who brave the Nootka Trail, as well as surfers who, well, surf nearby. Did I mention in my last post that there are only a handful of people who call Nootka Island their permanent home? No wonder because it is, as the magazine articles describes it, crazy rugged. Not to mention no cell service or television without satellite.

The giant rock outcrop above is locally called "the dinosaur" because in certain light it almost looks like one. We repeated the previous evenings activity of trolling and fishing, which later in the day left me with a rolling motion feeling. Hard to describe, but I was not alone in having that sensation. Again Bruce caught a rockfish who, apparently, had just eaten this Dungeness Crab. So tiny!

As the hours passed, B caught a couple of smallish fish, two of which we kept for eagle feeding. Then, on the radio we heard one of the boats had a whale sighting, however, we were not as fortunate. We did see a sea lion, as well as a sea otter. Plus, a whole bunch of small jellyfish were easy to spot in the water around the boat. Very cool. It must have been around 11:30 when I asked Dan if he were ready to call it a morning, and if you are doing the math you will know that six hours was spent rocking back and forth on the waves. Thankfully, he agreed. I was happy when we zoomed by the lighthouse,

and into the cove. I saw this map in the hallway at the lodge and thought you might be interested.

The red pin is very difficult to discern, but if you follow the word Nootka Sound upwards, it may become apparent. When we were in Friendly Cove, Dan slowed the boat way down and prepared for another eagle feeding. Once again, the eagle missed (something never shown on the nature shows)

and had to rest for a bit on the rocks. Can you spot the eagle? Very small, but I promise, she is there. Ha, ha, Even  I am having trouble and I know it is there! I kept telling Dan he has an eagle eye for eagles as he would point one out in a tree or on the shoreline and it would take me forever to spot it.

Let's try this again, shall we?

It was then that my battery died. Yikes! We still have one fish, and there are now four circling eagles! Folks, I am both sad and happy about this turn of events because, while I would have liked to get a killer shot, seeing it without a camera in front of my face was pretty darn thrilling. Following another nice meal, it was nap time. I think I could get used to this! Sounds kind of "camp" like to me. Rarely do I nap, mostly because I am so groggy when I wake up that I can't get going again which is what happened that afternoon. In an effort to wake up, I took another spin around the complex, and I'm using that term very loosely, because there is hardly anywhere to go!

You might note the mountain in the distance which shows evidence of the logging that goes on around here. Rarely have I seen a butterfly while I've been in BC, so seeing this Swallowtail made me very happy.

Following a grilled steak dinner at 5, most folks were back out on the water by 5:30, including my husband without this blogger. I told Dan that fishing was as dull as dirt, until it is not.

You wait, and wait, and wait for action, and when it does come, one has to react quick as a wink. Not my thing really, so I stayed behind with one of the other women that came along to support her husband. Out of the 16 "campers", there were but three women, one of whom liked to fish. As the sun was setting, I discovered this cool spot,

where for a very long time, a government owned sardine factory sat, including these two buildings on a dock that is, according to the cook, at least 50 years old.

Returning around 9:30, Bruce joined me in the lounge along with many of the other guests. Oops, make that campers. While he was gone I got to know Vivienne, learning all kinds of things about her life as a newspaper editor, her homes in Manhattan, Gibson Island, and the San Fransisco area. Way out of my league, but it was fun nonetheless. Not to mention her husband Bob, a former New York Times guy. It was while we were all chatting that I remembered one of the most important things I wanted to do while we were in the middle of nowhere and that was to see a seriously starry sky. Except, when I went out on the balcony, there was still plenty of light in the sky at nearly 10:30! In one of those, "thank you God moments",  I woke to use the bathroom, something I rarely do, slipped on some leggings and went outdoors to gaze at the night sky. In a word--glorious with a capital G. As there was a new moon, it was just me, the trees and mountains, the Pacific Ocean, and a million stars that looked as if someone had tipped over both a shaker of table and kosher salt on a navy blue countertop at the same time. Of course, then I began thinking about both the wolves and bears that roam the area and hightailed it inside. It was just me and Gary, the breakfast cook that were awake. Later that morning, I asked him what the time was when I'd seen him and he said 3AM, pretty much the beginning of his shift.

I wasn't asleep for long when the rap, rap, rap came on the door, and while I did not go out fishing, I did get up to see Bruce off. Now what? I never did learn the dog's name, but he was really something, running out onto the floating dock the minute a boat came around the corner. Same thing when they departed.

I had a little something to eat, read my book, went back to the deck overlooking this cove,

studied the lava rock while the tide was way out,

and watched the sun turn the tree reflections on the water into a beautiful shade of  greenish-gold.

Finally Vivienne got up and we chatted the rest of the morning away. And then the supply ship arrived. Actually it comes three times a week, bringing all of that food we so happily consumed.

Note how far the tide is out, the people on the boat deck who are actually tourists, and the homes amongst the trees. Not only are they vacation homes, but they are all owned by people who live on the same street in another town!

Finally Mr. Bruce and Dan came in a little early and that is because, as the five fingers he held up indicated, he had caught his limit of fish! And while they don't vocalize as such, the guides are all very competitive which made Bruce's catch give Dan some pretty big bragging rights. Bob had come in a little early because he wasn't catching anything, so he, Vivienne, and myself, all went down to the dock to marvel.

You should have seen the strut in Dan's step as he wheeled the catch over to the scales.

There are many fishing regulations in BC, one of which is no barbs on the hooks, so actually catching and keeping a fish is way harder than it might sound. Mostly B was thrilled for Dan. He's that kind of guy.

As to the salmon, he gave three of them to Bob and Vivienne and had the rest packed in ice to bring to the office. It was now time to pack up, have lunch, and before long the float plane arrived. And here it came, bringing in a fresh bunch of campers. The terrific staff would do this all over again, and again, and again, until the lodge closes in mid-September.

During lunch it was decided that I would be the co-pilot this time and so I was.

Things down below looked very different on a bright sunny day.

And here we are coming in for the landing.

Easy peasy. Then it was back to the winding road and no connection to the outside world. That is until we finally got to the straight road leading to Nanaimo. It was then that we learned that Cris's surgery, on the previous day, was successful, as was Carol's procedure. Whew!

Thinking we were short on time in order to catch our ferry, there would be no stopping for sights along the way. Boo hoo, because as it turns out, we arrived early and then had to wait on the ferry because of a delay earlier in the day! Once on, the ferry ride was mostly uneventful and as we came closer to Vancouver, seeing the undulating curve of the mountains from afar helped me to understand why that Sea to Sky highways is so darn winding.

Island, islands, and more islands! Some of them even have folks living on them, like Bob and Vivienne. Once off the ferry, we drove straight to the office where Bruce rearranged the fridge in order to fit in the salmon for Monday morning when Beth would pass the wealth around.

During our time in British Columbia we've been so blessed to have some amazing adventures and this one, friends, is right near the top of the heap. And to think, but in just a few short weeks, we will be embarking on our journey home. :)

yours truly,

Gail

Nootka Island, Part One

After a long dry spell, wouldn't you know it, rain fell as we left Vancouver Wednesday morning to board the ferry at Horseshoe Bay.

As with all things, practice is the key to success, so although we are no experts on ferry crossings, this time we knew the pitfalls to watch out for, making darn sure we were in the right lane this time.

I have no idea if there was a handy sign on our previous trip, but we sure knew to look for it this time! We kept double checking ourselves and sure enough as we drove on the ferry, this sign indicating Naniamo confirmed we were doing everything just right.

Ferry travel is the bomb folks, with wide comfortable seats, along with huge windows for gazing at the passing scenery. While I'd looked forward to having brilliant blue skies for the crossing, it was not to be as we left the mainland.

Looks pretty ominous to a Floridian, but the further we rode on the Queen of Oak Bay,

the skies began clearing, if only for a little while. This journey of 90 minutes was not nearly as windy and chilly as our previous crossing to Vancouver Island two weeks ago.

There was smooth sailing and we arrived in Nanaimo, disembarked, and had a very short drive to the Coast Hotel where we were really surprised to be booked into the honeymoon suite on the 14th floor, overlooking the harbor.

The crazy jetted bathtub, and cozy robes, were both put to use once we returned for the day and why not? Although not newlyweds by any stretch of the imagination, every girl loves a bubble bath, don't they?

Bruce took a little nap after we dined at the hotel restaurant, and you don't have to guess what I did, do you? It involved a rain jacket, which was maybe not the smartest move on my part because even though I was wearing a hood, it did a number on my hair that I'd counted on looking good for days. It did not.

I won't show you much of what I saw because this post would go on forever, but I can report that what I saw was cute, with loads of artists shops, and even a fabric store! Neither of us can remember who told us the hotel restaurant was good, but whoever it was, does not seem to have the same standards, that is for sure. What did happen though was that Bruce asked our server for recommendations for dinner, which we followed, leading us to a cute little restaurant called The Nest. Upon hearing the name, I was sold! Because we'd eaten a late lunch, and found the restaurant in the early evening, we did not order much, but what we did was delicious, including this dish of filet with baby Yorkshire puddings.

Thursday morning we awoke early and decided to head out for our drive to the float plane. This involved a major highway, 19, which runs North and South on Vancouver Island. We'd been told that the journey to Gold River, where we would board the float plane, was 140 miles and would take 3.5 hours.

Math wizards amongst you will recognize that 3.5 hours to cover 140 miles is a mighty slow pace so something must be up. What was up was, once we got to Campbell River, we went west on Highway 28 where there is not a stretch of road that is straight! Oh my gosh was it something! Here's a video that someone else took if anyone has extra time on their hands, and wants to see it in action.

Not for the feint of heart, that's for sure! As there were so many twists and turns in the road, and no place to pull off I might add, I can't be sure, but I think it was soon after this bend that we spotted a BEAR alongside the road!!

Oh my goodness, my first ever bear sighting!! What next? Well, I'll tell you what next, or better yet, I'll show you what we saw when we finally came to the town, had lunch at a pottery studio/cafe, and got back on the road for the final stretch.

Whoa Nelly!! Beautiful, right? By now, Bruce was more than ready to just get there, and who can blame him? Certainly not me, so when we passed by a view pullover I did not beg him to go back, however, soon enough, there was another spot where I shot the photo below of a beautiful waterfall rushing down into the river below.

Did I tell you that there are millions of trees? Same goes for rocks, more of which I saw on this trip than I have in my lifetime. Are you enjoying this so far? I hope so!

I will admit seeing the fog in the mountains before takeoff was a little unnerving,

however, I reminded myself that they are more than familiar with their landscape and how that affects their ability to fly.

Waiting for the other passengers to arrive was made easy because there were dozens of hummingbirds to watch in the interim. Never have I seen the likes of this before.

Are you keeping count of the new experiences? All of them unexpected, making them even more exciting, and I'm leaving out the elk Bruce saw in the woods on the way!

Six people fit in the plane, including your friends, the Pecks, who sat in the back row..

Wearing headphones to block the noise, the 15 minute flight was easy as pie. Looking down there are dozens of islands and more trees than can be counted.

We were shown to our comfy room, along with the other 14 guests that were there for this grand adventure.

Wondering why I've made such a mess on the empty bed? Before leaving I mentioned to Bruce that never once have I gone anywhere without forgetting something. And what did I forget this time, pray tell? My extra camera battery!! Never a good thing for someone who can't keep her finger off of the shutter button!

Dinner was to be served at 5:00 in the communal dining hall, followed by fishing. Yikes, we are really doing this! The food was very tasty, and throughout our stay, more plentiful than anyone could possibly eat. Prior to dinner, the afternoon was spent in getting to know the other guests, as well as a tiny bit of exploring for me. Tiny is the operative word here because it is mostly trees and rocks, rocks, and more rocks.

That said, that's one hell of a tree, isn't it? The curious thing here is that it really is all rocks and how trees grow from it with virtually no soil is one of life's great mysteries.

What does the lodge look like? Pretty cool is what it looks like, sitting on deep pilings in the volcanic rock.

During dinner the guide assignments were announced, so after bolting down our food, we clothed ourselves in rubber and met Dan on the dock.

Neither Bruce, nor I, have been on a boat in the ocean before, knowing nothing of what to expect. The 23 foot boat has a big engine and goes darn fast is what we found out pretty quickly, leaving the lodge behind in short order.

Good grief, what a landscape!

When I asked how far we would be going, Tim, the owner, said not more than six miles. As we blasted through the waves, bumping around, I kept wondering, "are we there yet?, just like a kid. It was surprisingly quiet so we could hear Dan perfectly as he pointed out some landmarks, one of which are these caves. (fishing pole in photo!) You have to wonder what Captain Cook and his men, the first Caucasians to come to Nootka Island, thought when they saw this.

Bruce has had some fishing fun in the past, twice going to the Boundary Waters with a group of friends, but that was always freshwater fishing. Ocean fishing is a whole 'nother ballgame. Once we had mostly stopped, and I say mostly because the entire time while trolling, the boat was moving, not to be unexpected, or so I learned, as that is the definition of trolling! Anyway, eventually Bruce caught a fish which turned out to be a Sea Bass. As I did not have a fishing license, and no interest in fishing, I was merely a spectator. Following the first catch, he soon brought in a Rock Fish, the likes of which look like this.

Dan, who I came to call "Dan the Man" before we left, deemed these too small for eating, at least by us, however he suggested that he throw them back and he was 100% sure an eagle would come swooping down for the treat. Now we are talking!!!

Because we were on the West coast, I felt sure we would have a killer sunset, which did not really materialize, however, it was nothing to complain about as we finally headed back towards the lodge.

True to his word, as we drew nearer to the lodge, he spotted an eagle in a tree and tossed the fish over while I had my camera ready to shoot like mad. Except, on first try, the eagle missed it! Then missed it again. This was all happening around 9:30 PM, so not ideal as far as light is concerned, but I was able to get one decent shot of the action.

Then onward to the cove, ending a VERY memorable day.

Small boat and a big ocean and somehow I was not afraid. Who knew?

This will continue.....

yours truly,

Gail