Desolation Sound - British Columbia

The setting: it's an early August morning of 1792 and it's looking to be yet another stifling hot summer day, much the same as it has been since mid-June. Captain George Vancouver of the British Royal Navy, has been working his way up the west coast of North America, rowing and trying to sail up every nook and cranny that heads westward in search of that blessed and so far elusive NW Passage. Presently he is anchored approximately 100 miles northwest of the location he felt would make an excellent settlement (he's thinking he will name it Vancouver). Since then the sailing has been within a large but well protected body of water bordered by what appears to be a large mountainous and heavily forested island directly to the west (he's thinking of naming it Vancouver Island) and the even more mountainous and densely forested mainland to the east. So far he's found nothing but endless snow capped mountains, waterfalls, eagles, bears, deer, mountain goats, dolphins, gray whales, killer whales and salmon, lots of salmon. Now anchored in a remote area of small islands and narrow fjord-like waterways meandering amongst steep sided 5000 ft to 7000 ft mountains, the work of the boat crews has slowed considerably due to the sudden frequent occurrence of large numbers of them mysteriously falling out of the boats. The sea water temperature of 75 degrees Fahrenheit, he suspects, may have something to do with it. The Spanish are anchored nearby in a rare era of "friendly nations" and they're drinking all his good wine. It's hot, his wig is itchy as hell and after yet another evening spent entertaining the Spanish he has a terrible headache. By God he thinks, a good name for this place would be: "Desolation Sound".

The setting: it's an early August morning of 2007 and it's looking to be yet another beautiful hot summer day at anchor in Desolation Sound (who in the world could have possibly named it that anyway?). You think you'll start your day with a quick dip in this fabulous 21 degree Celsius water, surrounded by magnificent towering mountain peaks.