Tuesday, August 19, 2014

A Geologic Tour of Howe Sound

Bob Turner held us spellbound by the drama of the geologic story of Howe Sound, as we motored from Bowen Island up to Brittania Mine. On the way we paused to view the many seals at Pam Rocks, the raucous sea birds at the sanctuary of Christie Islet and circled the cliffs and coast of Halkett Bay, the Defence Islands and Anvil Island, at each pause considering what forces of nature created and shaped the landscape before us. Beautiful Camp Potlatch and Potlatch Creek provided a welcome landlubber picnic spot before we motored home to Snug Cove.

Great thanks to Bob Turner for his genial and expert guidance.

Thanks also to Cherie Westmoreland for these wonderful photographs from the tour:

Cormorants on Christie Islet.

White granite cliffs, smoothed by glaciers, stained rusty by iron minerals leaching through the fissures in the rock.

Notice the aquamarine of the ocean, so coloured by the glacial silt transported by the outflow of the Squamish River.

A view of Howe Sound from Camp Potlatch.