First week on Cortes Island, BC. June 2024

 It’s our 4th time staying on Cortes, but our location for the first two weeks is a new one.  We are in a carriage house on a property located on “Michelle’s cove”, at the entrance/exit of Cortes Bay.  A really nice property, and a wonderful accomodation.  It’s at the end of Manzanita Road, a very quiet and peaceful  spot.  And the Cortes Bay boat ramp is located only 1.25 miles away, so great for launching the kayaks.  The owner is a widow who lives here all alone.  She and her husband built the home as their retirement home, and then he got brain cancer and was in very poor health until he died 5 years later.  

We’ve grown to really love this island, even less populated and quiet than Quadra and Quadra is pretty darn quiet too.  We don’t see the humpbacks here but the sea kayaking is really great with several put in spots, great tidepooling from the kayak, a fantastic seal has out spot really close and some nice hikes as well, and spectacular scenery.  Even less grocery options (and pricey) than Quadra (great freshly baked bread though) so you have to plan well (Donna does a fantastic job).  Brad got here a day before we did and we overlapped our entire first week (he’s staying just a few miles from us).  We did several hikes together, shared a couple of  dinners, and I got him out once in my double sea kayak (it’s not really his thing, as opposed to me - I’m passionate about it).  We also all went out to dinner at Hollyhock (Brad’s treat  - Donna made both of the meals we shared).

Pleasantly cool temperatures with highs in the low 60’s most days, a few rainy days but some really sunny and partly cloudy days too.  A great first week here.