Carrington Bay, Cortes Island
Warm, sunny and cloudless days are rare in the Inside Passage and so when such a day was granted to us we took full advantage of it. Our day began in the Copeland Islands Marine Park where we dropped the Zodiacs for cruises among the many low-lying granitic islands that dot this archipelago. During lunch we shifted to Carrington Bay on Cortes Island where we found a beautiful beach to launch the kayaks and enjoy some hikes in the forest.
The kayaking was especially enjoyable on the calm waters of the bay and some of the hikes were also very interesting. One group of especially intrepid hikers set out on an exploratory adventure that lasted over three hours. Claiming they had been having a good time they staggered back to the beach a little the worse for wear. We had been assured by a resident of the island that there were some beautiful maples to be found and that we would not have to worry about bears. Not only did we not find the maples but we also encountered some bear scat so we wondered where he had gotten his information.
The forest we hiked in was very beautiful with fine cedar and fir trees and thick carpets of moss. It was easy to envision trolls and other mythical creatures living among the hollows and fern covered rocks and fallen trees. When we eventually completed our day’s activities we were surprised to find that the ship’s crew had moved all the chairs, tables and other necessary things to the beach for a delicious barbecue. A fitting end to a perfect day.
Warm, sunny and cloudless days are rare in the Inside Passage and so when such a day was granted to us we took full advantage of it. Our day began in the Copeland Islands Marine Park where we dropped the Zodiacs for cruises among the many low-lying granitic islands that dot this archipelago. During lunch we shifted to Carrington Bay on Cortes Island where we found a beautiful beach to launch the kayaks and enjoy some hikes in the forest.
The kayaking was especially enjoyable on the calm waters of the bay and some of the hikes were also very interesting. One group of especially intrepid hikers set out on an exploratory adventure that lasted over three hours. Claiming they had been having a good time they staggered back to the beach a little the worse for wear. We had been assured by a resident of the island that there were some beautiful maples to be found and that we would not have to worry about bears. Not only did we not find the maples but we also encountered some bear scat so we wondered where he had gotten his information.
The forest we hiked in was very beautiful with fine cedar and fir trees and thick carpets of moss. It was easy to envision trolls and other mythical creatures living among the hollows and fern covered rocks and fallen trees. When we eventually completed our day’s activities we were surprised to find that the ship’s crew had moved all the chairs, tables and other necessary things to the beach for a delicious barbecue. A fitting end to a perfect day.
