It's All About the Water

June 24, 2019 – Just two words: hot springs. Or is it one word? Frankly right in this moment I don’t care. Today is the first day of my fourth week out. I’ve had two nights in a conventional bed and I think two showers in that time. You’re feeling pretty lucky right now that you can’t get smells through the internet, yes?

Bishop Bay Hot Springs is a conservancy run by Canada Marine Parcs on behalf of the Haisla Nation. They are putting a lot of work into building wooden walkways and additional tent platforms.The crew that is here working, that would be Jeremy, Dane, Scott, Paul, and Jesse, have been extremely hospitable. They made a space on the dock for me to put my tent so I can be close to the boat, fed me supper (and s’mores!), and are now showing Bjorn and Vitali how to catch piling perch off the dock using worms that are attached to the dock. There might be fish for breakfast in my future. Oh, and Jeremy (the crew’s most excellent leader) helped me replace my blown drysuit neck gasket. He introduced me to a Scotchman. Because the Scotchman wasn’t straight, once we had the glue on and put the new gasket in place, we duck taped it to keep it from slipping up and then stuck the whole Scotchman/drysuit bundle in the quite warm generator shed overnight. I figure if the duck tape is permanently stuck, then so be it – as long as the gasket is sealed and dry. Fingers crossed.

The hot springs consist of two fairly small concrete tubs, one for cleaning and one for the already clean. I had each all to myself when I first got here this afternoon and again when I soaked after supper.I am fighting the urge to take a nap. After looking at tides and the crossing I will do into Princess Royal Channel tomorrow, I need to leave here sometime close to 10 am so I do the big crossing of McKay Reach at slack. Luckily I have BABS tied to the dock, so no schlepping up or down the beach. Everything that I don’t need for camping is still loaded so that will be easier than usual, and I am camped on the dock near the kayak. I feel practically posh!

Last night’s cabin and now all of this are lifting my spirits immensely despite the fact that it is still raining on and off. As I look at the chart for the current section I am paddling these next several days, I see so many cool little inlets and other passages that would be so cool to explore. Alas, another day.