Baie Fine (pronounced Bay Fin), French for Fine Bay, is appropriately named. Long, protected by a very tight entrance, and surrounded by beautiful rock formations, it is a fine bay, indeed. Although it widens out considerably, the above image illustrates that the channel into the bay is right next to the southern edge. The water is deeper next to the rock wall than it is on the left.
As one cruises down the bay, the rocky mountains to the north become more prominent. This ridge, known as the Blue Ridge, is made of solid white quartz rock.
At the end of Baie Fine is a small, round bay known as The pool. This image was taken from high on the Blue Ridge with a long telephoto lens. It is an amazingly protected anchorage, surrounded by rock mountains 100s of feet high and able to hold more boats at anchor than first appears.
Many thousands of acres of land around the pool is a national park. The park is filled with miles of trails, this one leads up the mountain to Topaz Lake and is a spring creek bed.
The trails are used by serious, long-range hikers. This young lady, portaging her canoe, was part of a group that was hiking from a lake north of the Blue Ridge to Baie Fin. Hiking over a mountain with a canoe on your shoulders has to be classified as serious hiking.
Near the top of the Blue Ridge, above The Pool, lies Topaz Lake. For some reason, in 2014, the lake was no longer topaz in color. However, it remains a beautiful spot, well worth a steep hike up the mountain.
Near Topaz Lake, a ridge can be hiked providing an overlook to the boats anchored in The Pool The first image in this post was taken near here with a long lens. This image gives a normal view from the top and illustrates the ridge that rings The Pool.
A hike up the mountain has other benefits. In the Pool, being far from civilization, in the middle of a national park, ringed by mountains, there are no cell phone signals. Standing on a high spot on the mountain, facing in a certain direction, a cell signal can be captured. Communication can make cruising safer and less stressful. Just the weather apps on a smartphone provide a level of safety.
Another boat anchored in The Pool was on the Great Loop journey. DeDe is a wooden, home-built boat on the Blue Jacket design. They began the Loop in Virginia and plan another visit to North Channel after completing the Loop. Since DeDe is trailerable, she is much easier to return to northern waters. A wide range of boats are used for transportation on the Loop.
The day leaving The Pool, traveling through Baie Fine, was a day more suited to photography. Sunlight is very beneficial. This shot illustrated the long, narrow shape of this fine bay. The Pool lies behind Last Dance, the entrance to Baie Fine lies ahead.
The Blue Ridge borders Baie Fine in some areas with almost sheer cliffs. At a distance, these mountains look to be snow covered.
