We’re heading for Prideaux Harbor in a couple days, but in the mean time we’re meandering – just enjoying the scenery.  Since we’re in Desolation, the scenery is magnificent?

So today, Galley Bay, tomorrow, Tenedos Bay and then by Thursday we hope to be in Melanie Bay, Prideaux Harbor.  It’s a spot memorialized in the famous (at least up here) book, “Curve of Time” by M. Wylie Blanchet.  Set in the 1920’s, a widow and her three children cruise in a small powerboat in this same area.  Amazing story how they pioneered some of the tracks we’re taking – but without GPS, and so many other modern conveniences.

Once thing we have in common is the ability to live off the land – at least to some extent.  When we’re hiking, we have been enjoying the wild berries.  Right now that means salmonberries.

Love those fresh berries.

A little later in the year huckleberries, wild blueberries and blackberries will come in season as well as apples and other fruit.  We’re also setting crab traps, prawn traps and fishing for salmon and other fin fish.  The challenge in todays’ world is the commercial value of these things.  We haven’t caught any of the above and the story so far from locals is the commercial fisherman are stripping the place bare.  We need to get further north before the commercial impact is less felt.  Cross fingers on that.

In the mean time we did score some fresh Pacific Oysters today.  A half dozen raw, fresh oysters for Charisma time (yes, they are safe – at least for now.  The government puts out regular reports of closures due to red tide, etc).  Maybe tomorrow we’ll get some more and have a fried oyster dinner.

Yum!

And, much of this area hasn’t changed much since the ’20’s.  It’s pretty remote.  So the hiking is awesome, although like Wiley Blanchet, more commonly known as “Capi” we have to beware of bears.  In California, black bears are pests and when I’ve encountered them in the high country while backpacking I throw rocks at them to keep them away.  I’ve been told in no uncertain terms, you DO NOT do that with the bears up here.  So…we make noise and have now added bear spray to our arsenal.  I’m not sure what good it will do since the instructions note that you deploy it at 12 feet!  Measure out 12 feet and think about using a pepper spray at a charging 1000 lb bear at 12 feet…well, you get the idea.  But it’s something, eh?

Our new addition to hiking - Bear Spray!

The butterflies practically dive bomb us when we wear red.

Lovely trails...

Galley Cove, where we're spending the night.