6/20/16 By Ann- (via shortwave radio – we can’t get any cellular signal and might not for some days) Aww…Summer is here…starting with the longest day of the year. It is 8:45 and we are in shadows but see sunshine behind us. We have been trying to stay ahead of the summer crowds as we work our way north. Today we left Heriot Bay and transited the Surge Narrows/Beazley Pass – another of those passes that are violent at full tide, but passable at slack water. Our timing was great. Especially given that we wanted to stop and get fuel in Heriot Bay before we continued further. After fueling first thing at 0800 we were able to get up here with 20 minutes to spare to go through at slack. While we were back at Taku Resort/Marina, we scoped out the Heriot Bay fuel dock in anticipation of stopping here. Docks like this are just scary. This one is right next to the ferry dock which means that if you are fueling when the ferry arrives or leaves you can expect to get roughed up against the dock. And these docks need some work. The woman who runs the dock confirmed that there are plans to replace the docks in Heriot Bay but it was not possible to coordinate all of the necessary parties to get it accomplished this year. It made us very glad that we went over to Taku Marina and Resort. Good docks, fabulous views of Desolation Sound and Rebecca Spit. As feared, the ferry came in as we were half way done fueling. Fortunately we had many fenders out so Charisma was protected. However, it is nerve wracking for the captain. The first mate had a fun time talking to folks on the dock, as usual. Our departure from the fuel dock set us up perfectly for the Beazley Rapids. We arrived 20 minutes ahead of slack…in time to see the line that indicated the change in water levels through the narrow passage. We waited, we transited, we arrived! We are now in the Octopus Islands Marine Park. Our entry to the park took us through some very narrow spots. How do you determine the entrance…when the two bald eagles are in alignment, turn left! Seriously, right at the rock where we needed to turn were two bald eagles sunning themselves! We passed alongside the eagles about 20 yards away as we turned into the very narrow pass into Waiatt Bay Once anchored and “lunched”, we decided to go for a little hike. Our short hike ashore was magnificent. The “beach” is a rocky shoreline, but about 20 yards up the path you enter into a cathedral of tall, stately trees. We both sighed heavily as we stepped into it. Really magical. Life, death, regeneration….it abounds. I asked Bob how tall he thought these trees were. I was thinking maybe 100 feet or more. His reply, “3 or 4 Charismas….even though at first I thought 100 feet.” Yes, they are about 125-150 feet tall. And straight as an arrow. The fallen giants sometimes stretch across the path providing an over/under climbing experience. This area was obviously logged many years ago and the trunks of the harvested trees range between 5 to 8 feet across. And they now support a new life. So what else do you do to celebrate the summer solstice? A nice long nap in the warm sunshine! And we both took advantage of the opportunity – Ann in the cockpit and Bob in the hammock on the foredeck. The sky is clear at the moment and Charisma is anchored in perfect alignment to see the full moon rising above the mountain at 10:46 PM. Happy Solstice!

Tomorrow, we hike to Newton Lake (weather permitting) and go for a fresh water swim!