Leaving a lovely anchorage is often a bit melancholy, first your are leaving a serene place and heading into the unknown. As I've found there are many anchorages that sound great only to be less than Ideal due to the specific conditions on the particular day you are planning to stay. having said that I long for the next new anchorage and the challenges of exploring another hidden gem. Such was finding Bacchante Bay.

The bay is at the head of Shelter Inlet and is almost hidden until you get close to the entrance. As I wound around the narrow twisting entrance I didn't expect to see the the expansiveness of the Bay open up, surrounded by sheer granite cliffs. This is why I cruise, to be surprised by the incredible beauty that nature has to offer. at the head of the Bay is a gravel shoal that dries at low tide with a grassy beach.

In the evening a black bear was grazing on the grass on the beach and I could hear a waterfall but since there was a bear in the area decided to not explore on shore to fined the waterfall and instead explored by dinghy looking at the rock walls that enclose the Bay and marveled at the tenacity of the trees to find the smallest of cracks in the rock and not only grow but prosper.

I spent two glorious days and nights in Bacchante Bay before heading to Ahousat and Whitepine Cove before going to Tofino to meet my friends Esther and Chris.