Tag Archives: scenery

Grizzly Bear Lodge Sunrise

Grizzly Bear Lodge Sunrise

Prior to August 25th guest are called for breakfast at 7:00 am for an 8:00 departure and after the 24th at 6:30 for a 7:30 departure. This is only important because the sunrises are normally earlier than your wake-up call. For most guests this is not an issue as they are often up and enjoying the scenery from the front deck before we start marking coffee around 6:15. The day trips return to the lodge sometime between 3 and 5 p.m. so it is important that we have a good picnic lunch and our cook does a good lunch. In all my years (10) at the lodge we have yet to eat all the lunch and often it seems we hardy eat half.

 

 

Something Different

monnlight Scenery

On a rare clear evening a moonrise from the front deck of Grizzly Bear Lodge on Minstrel Island. The marine evening overcast is common but it does burn off by mid morning. Guests and staff always enjoy a clear evening.

 

 

Grizzly Bear Lodge Sunrise

Grizzly Bear Lodge Sunrise

Cannot guarantee a beautiful sunrise every morning but most mornings are overcast due to the moderating effect of Knight Inlet. Knight Inlet is the largest of the major inlets in the southern part of British Columbia’s West Coast. It is 111 km (69 miles) in length and about 2.9 km (1.8 miles) wide on average. This area of the BC coast tends to become overcast in the evening and clears before noon but it is rare to see the stars at night or a morning sunrise. For picture taking the overcast is better than a bright sun when you are in a boat with the reflection of the water.

 

 

Guest ready for the tour to start

Guests waiting for guide

Morning tours leave the dock by 8:00 in the spring and 7:30 in the fall. Guests are called by 7:00 or 6:30 and come down for breakfast, however many are up earlier once they smell the fresh coffee. While you have breakfast your guide is checking the boat and making sure the pop / beer cooler and picnic lunch is on board. The floater suit tied around this guest’s waist need to be in the boat, as they required by law, but it is not necessary to be worn. Most quests do wear the suits because mornings on the water can be cool and damp. By eleven o’clock the overcast is gone and out comes the sunscreen.

 

 

Sunrise Just Missed

Lodge sunrise

The morning view across the bay in front of the Lodge. Guest are called between 6:30 and 7:00 for an 8:00 or 8:30 departure depending on the time of the season. A good breakfast is on the table and most important fresh coffee or tea. This photo shows the tail end of a beautiful sunrise over calm waters.

 

 

Guide’s Sunrise at the Lodge

Sunrise at Grizzly Bear Lodge

Depending on the time of year the camp guides are up at either 6:00 or 6:30 to make the morning coffee and complete the setting of the breakfast table by putting out the “perishables”. The guests are called an hour later, which gives them an hour for breakfast as we like to be away from the dock by 8:30 in the spring and by 8:00 when we are going up river to the viewing platforms in the fall. A beautiful sunrise is not that common in camp, as we are located in a mini-climate created by Knight Inlet. This climate means that it is normally overcast by late evening and does not clear until about noon. The overcast and late clearing means that there are few sunrises and those that do happen require guests to be up with the guides. Depending on the time within your vacation this is not normally a problem because of the “jet lag”.

 

Great Blue Heron at Grizzly Bear Lodge

Bluse Heron

“Early morning from Grizzly Bear Lodge. We were in total awe of the beauty of the scenery and the silence – this place is just stunning.  The staff, the location, the food – everything was just perfect!
We captured this stunning photo of a Great Blue Heron just by chance as we stood on the jetty waiting for our boat to take us to the Bear viewing platform. The scenery in the early morning mist was just stunning.”
Thank you, Lynn for the compliment although we do try hard we cannot take credit for the scenery.

 

 

Fly in Lodge – from Campbell River

View from Airplane

As Lynn of the UK says “Stunning views of beautiful Knights Inlet from the float plane. We were so sad to leave after an unforgettable few days. We will be back!!”  A view of coastal British Columbia’s scenery is part of the bonus of flying into Grizzly Bear Lodge.  There are many “TV” shows about flying over England, Ireland, Canada etc. ours is included and in the 45-minute flight from Campbell River.

 

Extra Day at Trapper Rick’s

Knight Inlet BC

Bob and Helen chose to spend an extra day in camp.  That day we cross Knight Inlet travel through Thompson Sound (the location of the above photo) to the Kakweikan River and spend a day with Trapper Rick.  And yes the water is normally that calm on the way to Rick’s as in Thompson Sound the wind travels across the sound and not its length. The Kakweikan River is located on the BC mainland and once we reach the river mouth we travel by road to Rick’s cabin. The day allows for short hikes, salmon fishing on the river, scenic photography, time at Rick’s cabin, as well as looking for some grizzly bears.