Day 5 - Echo Bay

The trail to Billy’s starts with a bridge laid down over an intertidal zone that connects Echo Bay with Cramer Pass and continues along the shoreline, parts covered in slippery roots and an early treacherous crossing of a small ravine with a good 60 foot drop to the rocks below, the solution to crossing consisting of a pair of 2x8’s with house shingles nailed on to provide some traction, with the added bonus of a large Boulder protruding out into the crossing forcing you to balance precariously for one short step.  Having made it that far the trail leads through the woods following the coastline of the bay and crossing through thickets of salal and boggy zones.  

The salmon berries are just starting to ripen this far north and a lilac which has finished its bloom in Vancouver is in full display as we followed the instructions I had been given by the capable looking young woman who told me how to find the cabin on my earlier scouting trip.  “Just follow the electrified fence past the blue house and you’ll see a gate with yellow handles, Billy’s is down the path beyond the fence”

Billy Proctor is probably the Broughton’s most famous resident, having lived in the bay since 1962. Billy’s museum is world famous and he told us that there used to be up to 5,000 visitors a year that would come through his small museum, mostly Americans, obviously not lately with the pandemic.  Billy’s 86 now and lives alone with his dog, Buster in his small bay, keeping active with a series of projects.  His life and the philosophy and history of this part of the coast were captured eloquently in the book Heart of the Rainforest written by Billy and Alexandra Morton who lives just around the corner from here.

Billy was clearly glad for the company and showed us around his museum which was actually very uptown for Gilford Island where the term “resort” is used quite liberally.  The display cases of local flotsam, jetsam and interesting artifacts and objects were a flea market hounds delight and the displays are well organized and pleasing to the eye. 

The shelves were filled with First Nations artifacts, fishing lures artfully arranged and displayed and old logging paraphernalia as well as old books and newspapers and lots of one of a kind pieces.  We took some time to cruise the aisles and I asked Billy what he knew about towing boats as we had found out earlier that 3 guys out halibut fishing had mechanical issues and were planning to leave at 5am tommmorow morning to get to Port McNeil…using their 25 horse kicker for a 32 foot Aluminum crew boat…so on the spur of the moment I had offered them a tow.  Billy’s advice was to put a wrench in the prop of the boat being towed as some of these fancy new engines can be damaged if the prop is turning while the boat is being towed.

After our tour of the museum, Billy invited us to see the gift shop (he’s learned from the masters) where he sells books, t-shirts and displays various local artists.  Also on the personal tour was a stop at the Blacksmith’s shop, the one-room schoolhouse and the “single- log” cabin built after the fashion of the loggers bush cabin.  You select a large old growth cedar and everything from the single tree becomes the cabin, the walls are made from massive cedar shakes and there is a stove for heat.  I remarked that it must be freezing with no insulation and billy said “there was a guy who lived 36 years in one of these, you just seal up the cracks in the shakes with moss and some mud and she gets pretty warm and cozy”

Billy’s dad died when he was eight but he was a tough guy as Billy showed me a picture of a large fishing camp his Dad had built by hand. This would have involved cutting down large cedars, falling them into the water, lashing them together to form a floating boom and then felling and milling trees to build the camp, all probably with hand tools, maybe some of the tools Billy had on display…we didn’t bring cash so we’re heading back tommorrow morning before we depart for Port McNeil in the morning as Kona Kai needs a copy of Heart of the Raincoast for her ships library.

We’re taking the opportunity to support these small places and paying to do laundry and showers. Dinner tonight is the rest of our Ribeye and my cheesy Brussel Sprouts.  

Before we left Billy, he told us of the story of the largest black bear he had ever seen last year that found its way into his kitchen, they killed it and one other and that he had just seen the lowest tide in his years of living there just the other day, and that we need to watch out for shoals with these tides; good wise advice that we’ll follow. 

Until tommorrow, the gin and tonic is waiting…and for Chrissakes Billy is a provincial and national treasure, get this man his second shot!  Fly it in, there would be a hundred volunteers! 

3 hours runtime, 130L fuel used, 210L remaining, 5 hours range

Tonight’s recipe for cheesy Brussels Sprouts.

After cutting off stems and cutting in half, Steam the sprouts in a steamer or a shallow amount of water in a pot, just until starting to get tender (test with a fork, they should still be furnish)

Chop up some garlic, finely

In a large heavy pot or wok, heat some avocado oil and add the garlic sautéing quickly, add the sprouts and turn heat to med/high.  Add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if you want them spicy.  Brown one side of sprouts, place in serving dish, add Parmesan cheese and toss well. Serve hot