2011 Trip 3 - Pacific Swift

We slept as soundly as the granite giants that surrounded us last night, waking this morning inspired to adventure by the magnificent vistas of our anchorage. Once breakfast dishes were polished away we set off for an expotition to Estero Basin at the head of Frederick Arm. Trainees and crew boarded their dories festooned in pink flag tape, pulling for the river in high spirits. Port and fore watch played it safe and beached their dories at the mouth of the river that empties from the warm waters of the fresh water basin. Starboard watch valiantly made several attempts at rowing upstream before seeing the wisdom in their counterparts decisions. A short hike beside the river brought us to a beautiful spot nestled between the basin and the ocean. The dense forest parted enough for a sand and rock delta to form and the crew of the Swift to set up camp. The river divided the forest into a bank of rich evergreens on one side and bright deciduous trees on the other, kingfishers darted to and fro and eagles glided low overhead. The basin is shielded by an immensely sheer cliff face that reaches to the snowline and is felted with tenacious cedars. Everybody pitched in with the goal of creating a sauna on the banks of the river. Teams gathered and split aromatic windfall cedar, built a fire, collected sauna rocks, created benches, whittled roasting sticks and constructed the sauna shelter. We had lunch ashore roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the clear hot cedar fire. The sauna was a tremendous success, 15 people at a time repeatedly steaming themselves before diving into the warm river 5 feet from the sauna door. Another pastime was floating downriver in full pfd suits, watching the primeval rain forest pass overhead. We were back aboard and under way by 1530 to continue north through another set of rapids. The calm narrow channels, dense forest and mountains of Vancouver Island and the mainland continue to keep us company as we wind our way closer to Port Hardy. We are anchored now in Beaver Inlet, a narrow appendix dangling off the edge of Loughburough Inlet.

The following is a poem written by one of the trainees, Dax.

When a King of Old has a heart of gold, and good plans follow through.
A day will come when the minds of the young will look to a sky of blue.
For a sail they will set and a wind they will catch,
And their conscience will be cleared.
They´ll be sailing the Swift with their souls a´lift,
Only to thank the Lord Revered.