Pruth Bay, Calvert Island, BC

[MurrayM]

Here's some photo's of our recent trip to Pruth Bay, Calvert Island, on BC's central coast.

My wife and I came here by sea kayak 26 years ago...much has changed! A one building fishing lodge is now the sprawling Hakai Institute which is devoted to scientifically researching the Hakai Pass and central coast environments.

Getting there from Kitimat and our return trip home were great as well with low swell and rippled seas both times in open water plus nosing our way into mainland inlets, etc.

Most people stay a night, then move on. We stayed five days and pretty much had to tear ourselves away. We'll be staying longer next time so as to explore the area even more...

 

[MurrayM]

...and a few more...

 

[Crusty Chief]

A pretty good spot to spend some time, yepper!

Are you back home yet? We are still in Ketchikan and may not leave for a week or so.

 

[MurrayM]

Yup, back at home...stupid job thingy on Monday.

There were gale warnings when we arrived at Pruth Bay so we had to spend the first couple nights in the spill over bay to the south, then we nabbed a front & centre spot in line with the orange float.

Managed to walk all the beaches with trails to them

Would love to be there in winter!

 

[ktdtx]

Beautiful.
Hope to stop there on the way south.

 

[MurrayM]

Beautiful.
Hope to stop there on the way south.

The smoke from forest fires wasn't in the air when we were there. This is what it looked like at sunset over the entrance to Kukushdish Harbour, just south of Shearwater a couple days later. Sunsets at West Beach and sunrises in Pruth Bay must be amazing these days!

 

[MurrayM]

...and sunrise from the breakwater floats at Shearwater...

 

[Nomad Willy]

Gett'in kinda close to that bear Murray.

 

[MurrayM]

Gett'in kinda close to that bear Murray.

Ha ha ha...Zain's too fluffy and mild mannered to be a bear

 

[Al]

'Man o Man' Murray!! Glad I asked, You guys had too much fun. The area is absoulutly fit for your outdoors desires.
Did I or didn't I come to understand you had a fixed number of years to qualilfied retirement? Young as you may be, you guys are going to have a retirement ball.
Thanks again for the photos.
Friend Al-Ketchikan

 

[MurrayM]

'Man o Man' Murray!! Glad I asked, You guys had too much fun. The area is absoulutly fit for your outdoors desires.
Did I or didn't I come to understand you had a fixed number of years to qualilfied retirement? Young as you may be, you guys are going to have a retirement ball.
Thanks again for the photos.
Friend Al-Ketchikan

May retire a year early in two years, or stay an extra year and retire in four so we can properly outfit Badger for winter cruising.

This trip was such a tease. We could have easily spent a couple months there hiking and photographing all the beaches, and the rocks, and the forest, etc...

Then there was Kynoch, Mussel, and Khutze Inlets where we could easily stay over a couple months at each of them as well. Both of us seem to require time to adjust to a location, then time to explore an area to understand it. We also like how time allows you to discover the different moods a place can have.

No...we won't run out of places to go or things to do

 

[Al]

No...we won't run out of places to go or things to do

Murray, having met you, since spent time Google Earthing your playground with you in mind. No doubt, you have a heaven of explorable country to spend retirement years in. While my part holds some spectacular areas, I think our being exposed more to Hecta Straits restrict our smaller boats to a smaller area on a planned week or so outing. We are more weather cautious I would suspect.
You mentioned the winds running North and South depending on season, we are more aware of multiply wind condition year around. ( I believe) Never the less, that you can range the distance you have in a huge amount of protected waters is a real boating blessing. The long of it is your excitement of the trip. What a neat outing.
Al-Ketchikan

 

[MurrayM]

True, we do have lots of long mountain lined channels and inlets where winds funnel one way or the other, but things are different "near the outside" where winds come from all quarters over low lying islands. Being hunkered down in some bay waiting for winds to abate is called a hiking day

You're probably used to ocean swells...quite a different experience for us in Badger as compared to sea kayaks

 

[MurrayM]

Fitz Hugh Sound where Calvert Island sits is pretty big water (Cape Caution area in the distance)...luckily, wind/wave conditions on both travel days were well within Badger's comfort zone.

 

[Alaskan Sea-Duction]

Awesome place! Thanks for sharing....

 

[jkmjr]

Amazing!