Rachaels

We’ve done a lot of beach combing this summer thanks to our friends who own a boat. We headed out into the fog one morning last month for a day on Rachael Islands. It was slow going through the dense fog and when we arrived at these small islands we weren’t alone.

There was a mostly beached boat being rocked and pushed into the water by a few men and it pulled away from shore before we had finished pumping up our inflatable boat. I remember remarking about how lucky they were that the water was so calm because of how shockingly low in the water the boat was riding. You couldn’t have paid me enough money to get in that boat!

This wasn’t our only encounter before setting foot onto shore this early morning. A skiff with a husband and wife, both dressed in camouflaged and hooded against the cool air, pulled up long enough to ask a little about the beach. It wasn’t long before they were off to spend the day fishing. No time for beach combing for them.

It stayed foggy for much of the morning. At lunch the sun decided to show itself and we rejoiced by running around, flying a kite and wading in tide pools. Erin and I did yoga on the beach’s crest.

There is a basic cabin on this island for those caught in rough weather. It has a couple of beds, a wood stove and is stocked with a small amount of canned food. I still remember my surprise when I first found the flush toilet down a small path from the cabin. The tank simply needs to be filled with collected rainwater in order for it to flush.

The beach here on Rachael Islands is one of my all time favourites. It’s a fairly small sandy, white shell isthmus of a beach that almost completely disappears at high tide but it’s still well worth a visit for low tide. I love the soft sand and crumbled white shells under foot.

There are plenty of cool things to find at low tide and in the tide pools.

The kids were eager to swim and were running into the water as deep as they could go before it was simply too cold to stand.

As the tide comes in and swallows the beach up, I am in love with the colour of the water.

Most of the day we were watching and hearing grey whales feeding not far off shore. This is something that never ceases to put a smile on my face and make me scramble to the highest point I can find for a unobstructed view.

Keith had left Erin, the kids and I on the beach while he and Hayden did a little fishing. When they returned with a couple halibut he took the boys out in the inflatable boat for a chance to practice their rowing skills.

On the way home we checked our crab traps but found mostly sea stars. Damn things! Beautiful but not what you want to find in your crab trap!