Butedale Bound

 
The abandon cannery at Butedale, BC. as viewed from the dock.

The day started out not-too early at 1030 (10:30 am) with fishing as we departed Saycuritay Cove.

Nicki got some nice kelp there!
And an enormous-mouthed rock fish.
We slowly (2knots-3.5knots) motored along the shore.


But alas, with only rock fish to show, we gave up fishing and proceeded to Butedale, some 40 miles to the south.

Another beautiful day out on the water in NW BC.

Lovely weather.

As we transited Whale Channel, what should we see, but whales.   Humpbacks.

This one was tail slapping for 20-30 times in a row.


This one was breaching

Nicki taking photos of the whales.
Bill offering adult supervision, just in case Nicki needed it.
And after 4 days, they are still married!

Double "U" shaped valleys with a well carved mountain in between them in McKay Reach.

And an artsy shot of the "U" shaped valleys.

The falls at Butedale.   These were roaring in the early summer when we were northbound.   Look back in the blog for those photos.
Blue Redd tied at the dock.   There is a lot of wave action here as we are just off the channel.

To stay in Butedale, one has to get permission from Shawn via email.   He seems like a very nice person, especially since he said "yes".

The docks are nothing special, but the location is pretty cool.
This looks like the remnants of a large pump.
More abandon machinery.
We first met Hula Girl in Foggy Bay, AK as we were both southbound.  We've been hopscotching places ever since.   Nothing coordinated, just happenstance.
There are a number of seemingly abandon houses around.
Helipad?

Bill found this in the abandoned library.   A true classic!



Bowling, anyone?   Anyone?




Beautiful creeks.


The view across the channel.

Since it is National Fajita Day (look it up), we had Mexican food.   Pulled pork tacos, refried black beans, and all the fix'ns.

Paired that with the Aberlour A'Bunadh Scotch (awesome cask strength Scotch) in LeConte glacial ice, and more of Nicki's fresh homemade focaccia bread.
And now the Focaccia...














After dinner, a rousing few games of RummyCube (Nicki wiped us all out... twice), we called it a night.

"Night".

Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 23, 2026 at 3:01 AM

    Awesome stretch of nice weather for the guests! 👍🏻 What a lonesome place Butedale seems, though. Signs of a former vibrant life seem everywhere. Do you know the story about of how it became the way it is now? -CM

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. PeterAugust 23, 2026 at 10:58 AM

      From Wikipedia: Butedale, British Columbia, began in 1911 as a remote company town built around a salmon cannery on Princess Royal Island, where abundant fish runs and nearby hydroelectric power made industrial operations possible. Founded by entrepreneur John Wallace, the settlement grew into a bustling community that supported fishing, logging, and mining activities, with hundreds of residents during its peak years. As fish stocks, industry economics, and transportation patterns changed through the mid‑20th century, the cannery gradually lost its viability and eventually closed, leading residents and workers to move away. Today, Butedale stands largely abandoned as a ghost town, its weathered buildings and remnants of the old cannery slowly being reclaimed by the rainforest, serving as a striking reminder of British Columbia’s coastal industrial heritage.

      The new owner, Shawn, has ambitious plans to turn Butedale into a resort, fishing lodge, golf course, destination hotel, restaurant, & marina. I don't get the economics, but I hope he is successful.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousAugust 23, 2026 at 11:23 PM

      Wow! This is a story ripped from the storylines of Northern Exposure … golf course and all! Is he going to change the name to Cicely too!? 🤣 -CM

      Delete

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