8/3/11 Stayed at lovely Jedidiah

Windrope boys in meadow near Home Bay

We decided to stay a full day at Jedidiah because it is so lovely and well suited for exploration. We went to the island after breakfast and walked over to Home Bay. On the way you pass by some nice forest areas and into a truly wondrous meadow. There are few such places in the Salish Sea, and this meadow is particularly green and large. Home Bay is a really special place, and it is almost nicer because it is too shallow for all but the most shallow drafted boats to use. The old homestead is still there, though failing, and the nearby orchards invoke the nearby past of habitation.

All the boys below homestead at Home Bay

Aeolus in Deep Bay looking NE toward Texada and her eventual destination in Desolation Sound

My boys and I left Bill and Banning and hiked up to the highest point on Jedidiah at the summit of Mt. Gibraltar. We had all been looking for the feral goats and were hoping to see them near the summit as I had done when hiking up there in 1999. The trail to the top is marked with dayglow tape and comes off the trail to the western bay from Home Bay. It is a great walk. Easy to follow, but not widely used. Sure enough, when we got up top Elliott saw the goats!!

On top of Mt. Gibraltar, Jedidiah Island

Lovely Deep Bay

That afternoon, back at Aeolus, was spent swimming and fishing. Elliott and Banning both swam a very long way, about 80 yards, from the beach back to the boat. Diving off the pilothouse of Aeolus is about the best thing going and the silence of the water when you dive head first is really soothing.

Great swimming!

Owen swam today for the first time on the trip and he had great form. Head down, good arms and legs kicking. I was proud of him. Another perfect day with perfect sunny weather!

Happy Banning

The old home at Home Bay. In sad disrepair.