Thurs, July 31st, Kyuquot Village, Walter Cove
On glassy calm waters and sunny skies we motored southward close to the steep shore. There are huge logs tossed high up by winter storms, and sea caves. One especially pretty sight is a waterfall cascading over a cave entrance.
After meandering around, we arrived in Walter Cove, which has a native settlement of 200+ people and several fishing lodges. We stopped in Java the Hutt to request places for dinner that night, and was surprised to find the proprietor to be a Roosevelt High School classmate of Kathi's, the irrepressible Eric Gorbman. Eric's very outgoing and it was really fun to share news about various other classmates we've been in touch with.
Eric runs the Kyuquot Inn with rooms and cabins and the restaurant.
It's a gathering point for people from the village and passengers from
the Uchuck III, the weekly ship. He also has a shop, lots of tools and
boats. So we brought over our troublesome outboard so Bill could set it
up on a rack and diagnosis its problems. It was the afternoon's
entertainment for Bill and Eric's helpful friends Derek and Robert. It
was easy to get apart and diagnosis (oil leak), but much more difficult
to put back together.
Normally, Thursday afternoon's main entertainment is
watching the unloading of the Uchuck, but we busy with the outboard.
The Uchuck was tied to the public wharf near us. So later the Mate,
Spencer, gave us a tour of the boat. It's a wonderful former minesweeper
modified for it's current purpose. It's just completed 50 years
service along various roadless sounds along the west coast of Vancouver
Island.
Friday, August 1st
Eric took us on a tour of some neaby islands. First, we went to the recently abandoned native village at Barter Cove. (last person left in the 1960s, so the buildings are relatively intact. Then we went over to Spring Island, visited Eric's friend at a fabulous kayak base camp. There's a very good trail across the island to the site of a former loran station. It is the most stunning setting of rocky coves and beaches. The sun was hot and the breeze was cool. It was a great afternoon running around on Eric's fast fizz-boat!. He knows where all the rocks are.