Pacific NW

Expeditions

The crab trap produced more fantastic specimens this morning. Popeye went on the defense–claws up– when I stepped out into the cockpit to take my morning pee over the side. Heavy and billowing fog settled onto the entire coast. Within the anchorage giant schools of herring roiled the surface of the water. It was a constant and fantastic show. Justin caught a herring with our buzz bomb. It swam countless circles around the anchor chain and fouled things up pretty well! After much deliberation I decided to run in the fog. The whole west coast of Moresby is uncharted and seldom traveled. We struck a route well out to sea, off the edge of an abyss that quickly dropped to depths of 3,000 feet and greater. With the axe, Justin made quick work of the crabs. Popeye gave Justin a fright and actually gripped the axe and held on tight. We boiled them and had fresh crab for breakfast! I shelled the rest and put the meat into a big pot. All the claws were so large that I had to use the hammer to break the meat out. The fog never lifted on the ocean. It made for an exciting entrance into the uncharted Kootenay Inlet. As we neared land I reduced speed to one knot and a giant rock island came into view, directly in front of us. It was well over 100 feet tall and very large with reefs around it, and I could scarecly believe something that big wouldn’t even show up on a chart! Small breaks in the fog revealed a totally rugged, wave-scoured shoreline of unforgiving rock. Once inside the inlet the fog bank ended abruptly and it was a sunny day 1/2 mile in-shore! We proceeded with caution around many uncharted reefs, my heart pounding when the depth sounder alarm went off, indicating shallow water. Justin and I were awed by the view that unfolded before us. On the sunny side we watched as the fog bank broke over the first chain of mountains and spilled down through the trees below. The treetops ripped the fog bank to shreds. It was like seeing a silent Niagara Falls of fog cascading into the inlet, because of the enormous proportions. The fog that damned our navigation that day gave us a moment of incredible beauty and made it all worthwhile right then. Dr. Suess lorax trees cling to the cliff walls of our anchorage. We ate crab claw sandwiches for lunch in the sunshine, and the thick wall of fog remained poised on the edge of the sea all day without letting up. Justin and I explored a river valley. Like all the rest, it was pristine and had trees of dizzying proportions. I cannot emphasize enough how incredible it feels just being in such places as this. Time and space fly out the window and every footstep reveals new treasures. I found a perfect swimming hole in the gravel by the river. I took a warm soak in the sun with trout and sculpins swimming around me. Just as I was getting out the tide rose and began spilling cold saltwater over the lip into the pool. In the evening I called my Mom on the satellite phone to get a recipe for crab cakes. The signal was very broken but I managed to hear about half of the ingredients she listed before the phone cut out. Justin is very good at improvising in the galley, and he served up a large batch of delicious crab cakes! We laughed at our success and enjoy living off the bounty of the sea.