Hiking with Visitors [first visit was 46 years ago]

A whirl wind Island Tour of some of our favourite places ...
We picked up the visitors [one a teacher here 46 yrs ago and her daughter] in Sandspit on Thursday morning ... fantastic weather so a fast check into Queen Charlotte [explaining it was no longer Queen Charlotte City].

Off to Rennell Sound [46 years ago ... you couldn't get there by road] so this was new territory ... the road continues to be in good shape and we had remembered to throw in the rod and license!  Enjoyed both Gregory and Bonanza beaches, hooked just one pink but only got it to 5 feet from shore ... oh well we were eating the ones caught the week before! Beachcombed a flyfishing fly!

Next morning, continuing perfect weather so off early to Tow Hill, via Golden Spruce trail and Jungle beach tower;  had a great visit at the north end - out to north end inlet beaches [rock, glass, shell collecting and much reminiscing] then after having a hard time finding somewhere to eat we headed out to Tow Hill where we stretched our legs on North Beach and Tow Hill ...

 

After getting back into Masset, we decided that a coffee would be perfect ... not that easy to find after 6pm ... then stopped into CIB as one of our visitors had an interest to see their site. Almost immediately after leaving there a strange light came on the dashboard ... almost had to check with the manual but it looked very much like a "tire". Sure enough a hissing a tire so off back into Masset hoping that the garage would still be open [so many places hadn't been throughout the day ... Friday of the long weekend]. It our very great relief Kirk Thorgeirson and his crewman were there and they changed the rapidly failing tire with a tiny donut tire hidden in the back of the car! Off we went heading home [100+k with the instructions "no more than 50kph] Now this sounds like sort of bad news but ... learned to use speed control and it was the evening/night of the most magnificent blue moon which was slowly rising across Hecate Strait, our whole ride down the island.

Two days to go ... weather forecast cloudy am but turning to rain and windy but we were determined to go to the Shipwreck so off we went and exactly as called for at 12:30 when we arrived at the wreck the sprinkles began. They soon turned into rain so quickly we headed back having repeatedly said ... wouldn't be complete trip without some rain!

Now just one day left and a camping trip was planned so in order to make everything work we headed off on the 8:30 ferry for Gray Bay ... a few clouds but mild and a great day for a long low tide beach walk, complete with roasted "dogs" over a campfire.

From here the group had to split up, so the visitors went back to the airport to fly home [where Linda run into one of her students from 1966]  ... we sure enjoyed their visit and I think they did too as it sounds like they will be back for some of great hikes.

The campers had a great mellow afternoon, reading the paper, finding wood for the fire and then getting around to making our dinner .... steaks, salmon and chicken, a couple of salads, angel-food cake with fresh peaches and whipped cream! Then into bed in the tents or cars with plans for the morrow!

Unfortunately it was quite rainy during the night and early morning so plans changed a bit ... but no matter it was a great Labour Day camping event following an amazing week on our islands.