July 12 – 18, 2023
We made it. This is the dream – a long stretch of soft sand beach with roaring aqua blue surf just a short row and hike away from where we anchored our boat. It felt a bit like fate, if you believe in that sort of thing, to play and swim at this epic beach on a rare warm and sunny day that happened to be July 13, the anniversary of our first date. Somehow though, we’d arrived a bit unprepared for the beauty of the day, and after walking the length of the beach and back with the marvelous sunshine continuing to warm up the afternoon, Alex complained aloud about not wearing board shorts, and I hadn’t even thought to bring a suit or grab a towel. I suggested we head back to the far end of the beach where there was a freshwater stream where we could rinse the salt off and then allow the sun to bake us dry. Stripped to nothing we waded in to the cold water. I only made it about halfway in and watched Alex dive under a wave and then body surf back to me. Such a glorious moment. After running back in again and again, body surfing the large waves, he eventually grew cold enough to call it quits. The freshwater stream was crystal clear, and warmed by the hot sand baking in the sun, we rinsed off the salt and air dried ourselves in the sun and breeze before dressing again.
The day before, we’d left North Harbor in Quatsino Sound, continuing south and around the Brooks Peninsula to anchor in Columbia Cove or Peddler’s Cove as the locals call it. Despite the Brooks Peninsula having a reputation of creating its own strong winds off of Cape Cook, we had an uneventful trip and unfortunately, very little wind for sailing. Along the way we spotted a few Humpbacks and sea otters and started seeing Puffins around Solander Island – a large rock off the west corner of the Brooks Peninsula. Columbia Cove is formed by Jacobson Point and an unnamed island which provide excellent protection from the swell. We were the first boat to arrive there that day and tucked in as far as we could, and so there was plenty of room for the three other sailboats that took refuge there by the end of the day.
After our beautifully sunny and warm beach experience we were both keen to stay and do it again the next day. Alex was also anxious to try surfing with my paddle board, so we discussed our options – either put the inflatable together and dinghy around the corner to the beach where I could drop Alex off in the waves or hike the paddle board through the woods. I wasn’t super excited about either attempting to beach the dinghy in the swell or waiting for him in the dinghy knowing he’d likely want to surf for a couple hours as he’d have on a wet suit and would stay warm this time. So, I voted for hiking and at least we’d already taken the trail and knew it wasn’t too strenuous without the board – just a few sharp turns and climbs over roots we’d have to manage. After dinner I went for a paddle around the cove, exploring some kelp beds, an old wreck site, and heading out to where I could feel the swell lifting me up and down and creating turbulence along the rocky shore.
Our paddle board hiking adventure was successful the next morning, and we spent another glorious day on the beach, much more prepared this time! Although I made the mistake of sitting in the sand for a while watching Alex surf, and ended up with my legs covered in super itchy bug bites which made for a miserable few days afterwards. Oh well, worth it in the end to have an incredible day that finally felt like summer on one of the most beautiful and secluded beaches we’ve ever seen. At either end of the soft sand there are massive rocks to climb and explore; wading through tide pools and scrambling over the rocks it seemed like there was another magical scene of crystal blue water and waves crashing around every corner. When we finally felt like we’d had our fill of the water and beach combing, we clambered back over the massive mound of driftwood with the paddle board back to the trail. We each carried one end of the board and made our way through the pines, salal and ferns, singing trail songs, and reveling in the magical day we’d just had.
Leaving Columbia Cove, it was a short trip to the Bunsby Islands, a small group of islands and islets in Checleset Bay surrounding Gay Passage! Once we were settled into our new home for the next few days, we unpacked our inflatable dinghy, and set off to explore some of the other islands, islets, and the rocks farther south and more exposed to the ocean swell. Huge patches of kelp forest made the path challenging – though they are beautiful, ascending from the depths with their fronds floating just below the surface, surrounding endless small rocks and tiny islets, and no doubt hiding and housing countless sea creatures. The day was mostly overcast with small areas of fog in the distance, every once in a while the sun shown through a break in the clouds casting a mystical glow and shadow on the various rocks and sea stacks. A bit of blue sky peaked through between the mountains and the fog as we turned back towards the main islands.
We cruised by one of the boats we’d met in Columbia Cove, who’d left for the Bunsbys just after us that morning. They waved us over and invited us in for a drink while their adorable dog, Charlie, jumped out to one of their kayaks to greet us! Sharon and Tom are a lovely couple aboard their second Kadey Krogen named Brass Monkey, and generously invited us to stay for dinner that evening. A food scientist – Sharon had made a delightful black bean soup and we swapped sourdough tips. She’s also an avid sailor and shared many stories of her time in San Francisco Bay, and now their varied adventures on motor yachts in the northwest!
Though the Bunsby Island group was distinctly lacking in the sea otters that reportedly love spending time there, we did see quite a few other alluring creatures. Exploring on my paddle board one morning I encountered many jellyfish including a striking purple one (see photo), a mink, sea stars, fishes, a seal that followed Alex around for a while, and a number of Moon snail egg collars – which look to me like a half buried piece of pottery – but are actually packed sand and mucous the female Moon snails create to protect their eggs. We learned about this fascinating process from The Marine Detective – a woman diver based out of Port McNeill. You can learn more about these and other incredible underwater sea life on their website, themarinedetective.com or follow them on instagram! It’s hard to describe all the wonders of the Bunsbys but it’s clear why it makes everyone’s list for where to stop along the west coast. Hopefully all the pictures I took will do a better justice than my descriptions, enjoy!
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