Back in the Broughtons

 

After an easy passage up Johnstone Strait, we dropped anchor behind the Indian Islands, (also known as Matilpi), bordering an ancient shell-crushed midden beach, one of our favorite spots in the Broughtons.  We slid both kayaks in the water and paddled around the islands' edges, where western red cedar, alders, hemlock, salal, fir, spruce, gooseberry, red elderberry, salmon berry, and more than 100 varieties of moss (!) grow in crazy profusion.   

Here's Heron anchored off the “midden,” or former front porch of an abandoned Indian village. The beach is layered with white clam shells – castoffs from shellfish collected here for decades.

Skipper Jeff

We had a beautiful passage the next morning, cruising up the bottom end of Knight Inlet to Echo Bay.  With a rare southeasterly off the stern, we even put up the sails briefly – a rarity in the Broughtons!   It was an invigorating day with big bright clouds, and lots of drama in the sky. Squadrons of auklets flew past single file.  Plump brown murrelets dove. Dolphins sliced through glacial-green seas off the beam...

... could be the Caribbean!

Except, it's not.

With the wind whipping up to 25 knots we finally took down the main to navigate the Broughtons' narrow channels.  The sky lowered and milky clouds settled in.  With barometric pressure falling and the sky darkening, we realized it was blowing 35 on Johnston Strait and were grateful to be tucking into Pierre’s at Echo Bay.

The chief mate's herb garden...

Head in the clouds!