Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Day #6 From Beyond Stranby River to Laura Creek


(Click on the top photo to see the Gallery of Day 6 photos)
When we wake up, the fears of the last night have vanished.  Weather-wise it's a beautiful day on the way.  There are still hot coals on the fire, so it's easy to get the campfire going.  The bear cache is intact again.

At about 9:30, Brian shows up.  He explains that he spent maybe about 2 hours in the dark forest looking for us.  Eventually he returned to the cable car, climbed up onto the platform, and spent the night there.  He says that during the night he heard the bears beneath him growling,  probably because he had invaded their territory.  Fortunately, bears cannot climb up metal ladders.

We haven't broken camp yet so Brian decides to hike ahead on his own.

Much of the day consists of beach sections, alternating between sand, gravel and cobble.  We consult the map many times today because we have to take short paths into the forest and back out onto the beach several times.  On several occasions we backtrack.

Today I enjoy the scenery more than any other day on the hike.  There is such variety including tidal pools, logs, rock shelves, thick beds of seaweed.  Some of the beach walking is hard on the ankles because there are many rounded rocks without any real solid footing.

About two hours along from the Campsite I sit down to have a drink of water.  I realized I no longer have my camera.  In panic I think of returning to look for it but I realize that that would likely be futile.  I am concerned that if I hike back too far I won't get to the Laura Creek Campsite until after dark.  I am thinking I may have left it at Christiansen's Point when I had a drink there.  To get my backpack off, I had to remove my camera.

Just after crossing Laura Creek we come across two young women with their tents pitched, having supper. They were headed to Shushartie Bay and I told them about my having lost my camera.  They said that they would keep an eye out for it, and if they found it they would turn it in to the shuttle operator.

The campsite was in the forest, just off the beach.  It was the only night of the seven nights that  we do not build a fire because there's no firepit close to our tent pads.  A beautiful, sunny day makes for a warm evening.

Shortly before we go to bed, Brian shoos off a bear that has been lingering around our campsite.



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