July 6th Allard Bay to Dawson's Landing

July 6^th Allard Bay to Dawson’s Landing        We wait for enough tide water to enter so that we can exit Allard Bay without going aground. 

Caroline Lake Falls

We then travel to Caroline Falls further up Allard Inlet.  It is a very nice, wide cascade of water.  Perhaps if we come again we will hike the trail to the lake. 

We exit Draney back through the narrows at slack water at the turn to ebb tide.  We have another nice leisurely sail running with the light wind up Rivers Inlet to Dawson’s Landing.  This is one of the few places where you can re-supply in these parts.  We fill the diesel tanks, run a couple loads of laundry, put ourselves through the showers and spend the rest of the evening in the cockpit talking with folks who pass by.

While doing laundry (in the washer/dryer for 2 $loonies each) Pam video tapes the helicopter that is landing literally right outside the door to the laundry.  She has to put one foot on her stack of towels to keep them from blowing away in the rotor wash. 

This brings back fond memories that she and Carl discuss with the pilot.  We have both been fortunate to spend hours in helicopters flitting around the mountains of Oregon and Nevada.  Pam has also been an aircraft dispatcher for forest fires and thoroughly enjoyed all the radio talk with pilots during some horrific firestorms. 

This particular pilot has been enjoying his job for 30 years in the rugged British Columbia back country.  He talks fondly of having been able to fly the crew today for a short tour of the ice fields.  We wish him safe travels as he ventures off to ferry the timber sale crew tomorrow.  One of the crew stops by briefly to ask if we are really from Hood River.  We assure him that we are and he says he is from Hood River.  What a small world.

Walt and Odile have finished their internet catching up, grocery shopping and their laundry (by hand in their cockpit) and head to Beaver Cove to anchor out while Pam and Carl decide to stay tied to the dock to hopefully visit more with the locals.  One of the sailboats here is from Campbell River, Vancouver Island.  They are here helping their son update a cabin so it can be rented out to timber marking crews. 

Two gents have been sitting on the benches visiting for quite some time.  One of them stops by and talks about Mr. Trump and life in general.  He is from Vancouver and is here “helping Robby for a week.”  He flies out tomorrow and gives us two tips.  “To keep crab and fly them home fresh cover their eyes with newspapers and they go dormant.  To catch halibut just go straight across Fitz Hugh Sound to Safety Cove and fish the flats.  Good Luck.”  Pam wishes him a good evening and continues her walk about taking photos.

Dawson's Landing

Barn Swallows fritter about catching gnats.  The sun goes down and the moon comes up; popcorn in the cockpit.  Good evening everyone!  Off to the wilds again tomorrow.