Landscapes in the Khutzeymateen

Justifiably, the Grizzly bears I spent time watching in the Khutzeymateen cast a long shadow and much of my time there and since returning has been spent thinking about them.  I have to say that even if I had seen no wildlife, the scenery in the Khutzeymateen is brilliant and I would have been able to fill my memory cards with landscape imagery.

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The inlet is relatively narrow, running roughly a mile wide for most of its length.  The mountains rise steeply up from the water, blanketed in most places with dense rainforest.  The trees are broken up by chutes, large and otherwise, where the snow has conspired to avalanche and by areas where the barren rock has prohibited the forest’s advance.

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Throughout the day, chains of mist evolve across the mountainsides.  Whether under a leaden sky or in bright, open sunshine, these ethereal cousins to clouds continue unabated.  It was a true pleasure to just relax and watch them travel past.  While looking for the valley’s wildlife, I enjoyed picking out details along the coast as we motored past in the little zodiac boat.

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On the second to last afternoon, the rain abated and the sun lit up the valley a little before night stepped in.  It whispered of great weather and that held true for the next couple of days.

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We sailed a few miles westwards towards the mouth of the inlet on the last evening.  The light was warm, so was the air – a nice time to photograph off the bow.

That night, the moon was full and when it cleared the ridge above the cove, it was a beautiful scene to behold.

The last morning, dawn was spectacular.

September 15, 2013 | Categories: British Columbia, Landscapes | Tags: British Columbia, Canada, clouds, Khutzeymateen Inlet Sanctuary, landscape photography, mist, nature photography, Pacific coast, rainforest | 12 Comments