Burnett Inlet

North Burnett Island anchorage is one of the prettiest spots to linger on the west shore of Etolin Island, and one of the quietest.

One troller transited the long inlet, in and out, and a small cruiser powered in toward our cove, made a u-turn and powered out again. The occasional seaplane passed overhead, one circling the boat twice before disappearing over the ridge. The rest of the time it was us, a lone resident loon, one transient seal, scores of eagle and hundreds of jumping salmon.

We followed the sound of rushing water and found two stream outlets, a small one choked with downed trees and brush and a larger, rushing torrent tumbling down rocky hillside ledges. Eagles flew up and down the channel, perching on boulders, ledges and tree branches, looking for stranded fish who misjudged their leaps or were resting or just spent.

While the captain was out fishing (yes! he returned with yet another big coho/silver salmon) I sat out in the cockpit and tried to read. It’s tough to relax and concentrate with the plop! and splash! of so many fish jumping every couple of seconds, the warbling trills of eagle cries, the whoosh and roar of the streams, and an occasional call from the resident loon. I’ll welcome this kind of noisy distraction any day.

It’s August 8 and finally we can break out the tank tops and shorts for 75+ degree weather. I wonder where the hot weather clothes are stored. All visible storage is packed with long underwear, polar fleece, rain gear, etc. I guess it’s time to dig into the secondary storage lockers under the bunks, behind the seats, and into other forgotten spots. The captain is an ultra-organized guy who enters all boat items on an Excel spreadsheet so they are easy to locate. Hmmm, it would have been helpful if I had entered summer clothes on that file.

No hurry, today is August 10 and we’re back to 55 degree water/57 degree air temperature. There’s plenty of time to find summer clothes for 2008, if summer weather ever stays for more than a day at a time.