Pacific NW

Expeditions

I was exhilirated when I opened my eyes this morning to blue windows and hot sunshine pouring into the boat. Winds were light and we made a safe passage around the outside of Burnaby Island while the weather was good. I decided not to take the shortcut of Dolomite Narrows. There is no reason to put the boat into a potentially hazardous situation. Justin has become very good about understanding my conservative decisions regarding navigation. Our common goal, as we head closer to Washington state, is a safe return. Together we take a certain pride in being prudent (but not overly so). The wind freshened in the afternoon and we had an excellent tack into Sac Bay. Sunshine kept our spirits high, although we acknowledged a high cirrus developing, bringing the promise of rain. At anchor I gave my very first haircut to Justin. He now sports a wonderful, well-defined mohawk. I don’t know which of us is pleased with it more! We rowed to shore so that Justin could jump into the river and clean the itchy hair bits off. I bolted up the side of the mountain and searched for a swimming hole in the sun. Running higher and higher up the mountain and into the alpine country I became almost frantic in my quest to find a swimming hole in the sunshine. The long shadows of the jagged mountain peaks were fast making their way up the valley. It became a race against time, and I flew with sweat in my eyes and cedar limbs tearing at my arms and legs. Finally I broke out into the sunshine, and there before me was a thundering waterfall with several plunge pools and basins! I cast off my clothing and stepped in…the plunge pool was much deeper than I thought and the water warm! Very quickly it became one of the best swims of my life. The rocks were covered in short moss, perfect for sitting on. The hydraulic flow of the waterfall washed my hair in two seconds flat and the view of the surreal mountains couldn’t be beat. Far below I could see the white speck of “Silent Patner” at anchor and somewhere down there Justin was enjoying his new mohawk. Life is good! I couldn’t help but jump back into the pools and under the waterfalls 10 times or so. I followed the cascading waterfalls over the boulders all the way back down to the sea, and came across countless stellar swimming holes. On the way back I made a major botanical discovery–an insect-eating plant that catches bugs with its sticky antennae. I’ve been looking to find these strange plants for years. It is a shining moment in time.