Baie Fine
The area we entered is truly another one of those areas that you just shake your head and recall, “It gets better as you go north.” Well this was better on a whole different level. It was a 24 mile cruise to the pool at Baie Fine pronounced Bay Fin.
Before we left Covered Portage we did an early morning hike up on the cliffs above the cove. The view was great and the exercise was good also.
The inlet is fairly narrow and is flanked by 200’ tall white quartz hills speckled with pine and fir trees that look like they are plastered on the shear sides of the hills. It was a breathtaking 10 mile ride in. We arrived at the Pool before noon and had lunch aboard.
We took the dinghy over to shore where we hiked up to Topaz Lake. The lake is nestled up high in the hills and is surrounded by the Quartz white peaks. It is considered a dead lake which the locals say was the results of nickel mining nearby many years ago. The lake is crystal clear but is a distinct topaz color. We did what everybody does and jumped off the rocks into the refreshing topaz colored water. We returned to the boat and and headed 8 miles back down the bay to Mary Ann Cove which would serve for our anchorage for the night. Once settled Sue enjoyed some quite time while I took a legit hike up to the top of Carson’s Peak.
It was a full on 30 minute hike complete with rock scramble but rewarded a 270 degree view of the surrounding bays and inlets.
Being Saturday night we had Happy Hour and dinner aboard. I prepared a shore camp fire and invited the crew from the only other boat in the cove. We listened to the loons calling as dusk retreated to a brilliantly star filled sky with the Milky Way as the center piece. The dead stillness of the cove and the cool temperatures were a recipe for a deep sound sleep.
Quartz Hills
From miles away the white quartz resembles snow capped mountains but as we got closer clearly this was not snow. When the sun shines on them it is almost blinding to look at. I have watched enough “Gold Rush” to know that often where there is quartz there is gold. I was pretty convinced there was gold in them there hills and with a little patience I was going to find it. Alas after five days up and down those white cliffs I unearthed nothing but ants and centipedes. My mining for gold days are behind me now but knowing the real treasure of the beautiful landscape will stay with me the rest of my days.
Hike.
Topaz Lake
So while enjoying the water at Topaz Lake I noticed a large log floating in the lake near the shore. I headed over thinking it might be fun to try and climb on it. After some gymnastics, I was standing on top of the partially submerged log walking back and forth. A ten year old joined in easily skipping on top as I held my ground. We sat down for a chat and he pointed out a tadpole the size of a fist. He went on for 15 minutes explaining the life cycle of a bullfrog as the tadpole moved below the log. With a splash both boy and tadpole were off swimming leaving me to make my own dismount from my perch on the log.
Cason’ Peak
Mary Ann’s Cove
View from Cason’s Peak
Hike up
Sue enjoying the lake
That is me floating, not a log. I am actually wondering how the heck I am going to climb out of the water. The leap was the easy part, the floating the relaxing part, the getting my 58 year old self the not so fun part.
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