Distance: 0 miles covered in 0 hours of cruising!
Highlights: Weather forecast shows continued strong winds in the Strait of Georgia this day, so we opt to explore Jedediah Island and look to make final crossing the next day when winds are predicted to calm. This is one of our favorite islands in all of the Salish Sea, and as with Desolation Sound, it felt like a "welcome home" as we near completion of this dream journey. And we made the right choice: it was a very windy day, much better to kick back and enjoy some scenic hiking and relaxing on anchor at this unique anchorage!
Jedediah Island Marine Park: shown below are the location of our anchorage at Deep Bay; and the three other highlights indicate viewpoints to other bays where we would hike on this layover day...
Wide-angle view of Deep Bay. Pictured are 10 boats anchored (two power boats to far right are rafted together); the dinghy in the middle with stern-tie is "holding" this spot for the Kingfisher Offshore 25, an aluminum fishing boat that departed in the early hours for shrimping and will return...
Jedediah Island Marine Park: shown below are the location of our anchorage at Deep Bay; and the three other highlights indicate viewpoints to other bays where we would hike on this layover day...
Wide-angle view of Deep Bay. Pictured are 10 boats anchored (two power boats to far right are rafted together); the dinghy in the middle with stern-tie is "holding" this spot for the Kingfisher Offshore 25, an aluminum fishing boat that departed in the early hours for shrimping and will return...
Scrambling along the north bluff overlooking Deep Bay offers unusual "bird's eye" views down to Seaquel and the other vessels anchored below...
This sailboat was bold to anchor at the far, quite narrow end of Deep Bay but was rewarded with more protection from wind as well as more privacy...
The cool green waters of Deep Bay contrast with the peeling red bark of Arbutus trees...
Short video of Moxie, showing off her athletic abilities playing "catch" with a stick. As evidenced all along the Inside Passage, Moxie is very relaxed on board Seaquel and handles long days cruising very well; but she is like the Energizer Bunny storing up energy and just loves these morning shore duty walks and scrambles...
Feral Sheep, the Wooly Mammoths of Jedediah Island and a peak into history:
Moxie is not the only four-legged creature to visit the bluffs overlooking Deep Bay. Scat from local, wild sheep is EVERYWHERE. We did not see the sheep today, but a year ago we did. These wild-looking beasts are descendants from generations ago when sheep and goats were introduced to Jedediah Island by Spanish explorers and later raised by homesteaders, and most recently by the Palmer family who purchased the island in 1949. The Palmers initially visited the island in the summer but later moved full-time to the island to farm the land well into their 70's. In 1992 the island was sold and with the help of other benefactors became a marine park in 1995. There is ample food for the sheep in abundant pastures and ancient apple trees that have flourished on this island. We saw these ghost-like creatures a year ago, along with numerous skeletons and skulls from deceased sheep. They are an eerie presence on this magical island...
The wooly beasts of Jedediah Island (image courtesy The Holistic Sailor)...
The Kingfisher returns from shrimping, to take their place on the stern-tie currently secured to their dinghy...
The Kingfisher's anchor deployed, now backing into position where the stern-tie awaits...
The Kingfisher back on anchor, adjacent Seaquel...
Another Bayliner 38 cruises past the opening of Deep Bay...
Vessels are cozy and protected in Deep Bay. When we hike to the exterior of the island facing south toward the Strait of Georgia, we will see it is not so calm in those open waters...
Hiking Jedediah Island: there are numerous old buildings remaining from original homesteading that visitors are warned to keep out of...
Pileated Woodpecker: these distinctive birds require large, standing trees and downed wood - both of which are plentiful on Jedediah Island. They are mostly black, but distinguished by a flaming red crown, striking white stripes, a long neck, and a chisel-like bill. In flight the Pileated Woodpecker reveals extensive white underwings set against their primary black feathers...
Trails that crisscross Jedediah Island vary from heavily wooded (below) to open fields to bluff views out toward numerous bays and open water...
A sailboat peacefully on anchor at Boom Bay. Not as protected, but lots of privacy...
There is a lovely campsite at the head of Boom Bay, complete with a well-placed bench to take in the ever-changing views...
Peggy and Moxie explore the extensive field that was once cleared for farming by the original homesteaders...
Moxie and Peggy playing hide-n-seek in the tall grass...
Beautiful purple flowers on Jedediah Island...
A spectacular dose of Blues and Greens...
Game trails meander all directions across the fields to trails that lead to multiple historic homesites with spectacular views of the water in all directions...
Today is a bit windy, but there is evidence that VERY strong winds frequently hit Jedediah Island, sitting as it is in the middle of the Strait of Georgia...
Imagine the storms that piled up these logs at, appropriately-named "Driftwood Beach"...
Room for one at Codfish Bay, where this sailboat found both shelter AND privacy. We counted at least three other anchorages around Jedediah Island that are now on our "bucket list" of destination anchorages, Codfish Bay among them...
One of the homestead cabins, perched on a rock above "Home Bay", with water views all around...
Our favorite tree that adorns the San Juan Islands with its distinctive, reddish peeling bark, the Pacific Madrone, is known as the Arbutus tree in the Canada...
Peggy and Moxie pose overlooking Home Bay...
Very low tide in Home Bay...
A small sailboat just "Blowing In The Wind" along the Strait of Georgia south of Jedediah Island...
Windy conditions look better for sailing than for motorboating today. We are happy to enjoy a day of hiking the serene trails of Jedediah than face another day of Seaquel being pounded by waves and wind...
No, that's not a new hairdo that Peggy is sporting. That is very strong wind...
No sheep found, time to head back to the Deep Bay on the northern side of the island...
We departed on this adventure in early summer, back on June 2nd. Amazingly, we are now seeing the first signs of Fall with leaves turning color and falling to the ground...
The topography of Jedediah Island is a delight for hiking with varied terrain...
Back on Seaquel for reading and relaxing...
Hanging around the neighborhood...
Deep Bay also affords watching some boat traffic as vessels transit to and from northern Strait of Georgia to the southern waters via the passage between Texada and Lasqueti that funnels past Jedediah Island...
We met the owners of the blue sailboat (in back, with the kayak): Leanne and Herb are an interesting couple. She races sailboats, sometimes single-handed (impressive); and has participated in extensive and grueling races such as Victoria to Hawaii; and circumnavigating Vancouver Island (very impressive). Herb, on the other hand, dreams wistfully of more creature comforts of a powerboat (like Seaquel). Adventuring up the Inside Passage to Alaska remains a dream of theirs...
It is evident how Deep Bay got its name: the adjacent bluffs plunge straight into the sea, and you can see the is water is quite deep even just a few feet from the shore or base of the surrounding cliffs...
Savoring the last, low rays of sun...
As the sun sets and the clouds darken, we are hopeful that the winds will settle tomorrow and we can finish our run across the Strait of Georgia and into the protected waters of the Gulf Islands and then to our "backyard" of the San Juan Islands...
~Mark
Spectacular pictures as always !
ReplyDelete