To the Edge of the World: Kamloops to Haida Gwaii

Vancouver to Kamloops via a Dash 8

The first time I visited British Columbia, my family and I flew into Vancouver for a day, then drove to Whistler for a four day ski trip. I had never been to the West coast, nor had I seen the majestic nature of the Pacific Coastal Mountain Ranges, or any of the Western mountain ranges. My home ski hill has only a 248 meter vertical difference compared to Whistler's 2 184 meters. Our quick day in Vancouver has us enjoying the fragrant cherry blossoms, the warm spring breeze, and a bike ride along the water into the fabulous Stanley Park, in March, in Canada! Is this what all the hype is about?! (Came home to NS to a fresh dump of meter high snow.)

Although a ski trip to Whistler-Blackcomb is noteworthy, and can be somewhat frugal(ish) in the later season, I'm going to talk about my most recent trip to British Columbia. I met my long time friend, Peggy, for a bucket list adventure exploring the northern interior of the province en-route to Haida Gwaii Islands, just south of Alaska.

With so many wonderful places to see in the world, it’s a place I would never have thought of going to. Haida Gwaii is known as the Queen Charlotte Islands to some, but it took on it’s Haida name in 2010. The islands are formed by volcanic activity and are mostly made up of rainforest. The people of Haida Gwaii are warm and extremely welcoming to visitors, and proudly share their history, good and bad, but with emphasis on the good. Their welcoming nature speaks to their ability to rise above past adversity to reunite with their peaceful nature and way of life.

Peggy and I decided to make this a road trip travelling from Kamloops, where Peggy is currently living, through the gold rush route on to Prince Rupert where we caught the ferry to Skidegate, Haida Gwaii. We managed to travel there and back without too much trouble among the hundreds of forest fires that had been burning throughout the province (a state of emergency was announced a couple of days before leaving to come home to Nova Scotia). We did encounter lots of smoke around Prince George (woke to an ash coating on our car) and, on our way back again for a majority of our drive. Fortunately, Haida Gwaii, despite having the first drought in their remembered history, was unaffected by forest fires.

Our first leg took us as far as Prince George where we stayed at the Wallivier Suite booked on AirBnB. It was the perfect stopover place being a two bedroom basement apartment which was clean, newly renovated and spacious. Fabian, our kind host, met us and left us with bagels, homemade jam, and locally small batch roasted coffee, Grizzly Dark by Golden Grizzly. It was all perfect and delicious for our start in the morning.

While we were there we enjoyed local craft beer and cocktails, and a very tasty Irish inspired supper at the Black Clover Irish Pub.

Our next leg took us from the desert like hills, and surrounding ranch lands, following Kamloops through the snow crested mountains and alongside crystal clear lakes and green-blue rivers. I imagined the carriages and horses carrying the many seekers of gold during the exciting days of the Gold Rush. Eventually, we passed the turn off for Alaska, and we made it to Terrace where we stayed at The Lodge at Skeena Landing. This place was a small, beautifully redesigned inn which was a gem among majestic trees, natural rock formations and Chef Abhi’s Indian Restaurant. The chef was a kind hearted man who endearingly interacted with his guests and created the best Indian food I've ever had. The atmosphere was relaxing on their small patio. We later had the pleasure of meeting he and his 2 year old daughter on the grounds. Small Mika was a sweet angel that was an absolute pleasure to chat with. Life is too short to not savor moments like this one.

The next day, after a seven hour ferry ride (after a delay which often occur), we made it to the peaceful and serene islands of Haida Gwaii. It was here that we had the pleasure of staying at Chateau Lawn Hill. This AirBnB find was a charming cottage that was lovingly constructed by Ron and Christine 20 years ago as a getaway spot. They now live next door. Ron chatted with us and filled us in on life on the island. He told us that about half the population were Haida peoples and the other half were people who found their way there for a variety of reasons and loved the islands so much that they have become permanent residents. If you like peaceful natural surroundings, the sea and wildlife, and a slower pace of life away from the busy-ness of Urban living, then Haida Gwaii could be your sanctuary too.

In the morning, we hiked to the Towhill Lookoff and had great views of Rose Spit, North Beach, where surfers were gathering to catch some waves, and Agate Beach. The tide wasn’t right for us to find agates on the ocean floor at Agate Beach but this is a popular activity worth the effort. The forest along the way was mystical with huge, majestic red cedars and a mossy carpet. There was a beautifully developed trail with a series of stairs and planked walkways. On the way down we were able to loop around to the volcanic rock beach where there is a blowhole that often creates a geyser from the force. We didn’t experience the forceful geyser but we could hear the “sea monster” growling as the sea ebbed and flowed in and out of the rock tunnels below the rocky surface.

Off the main road on our way back, Moon Over Naikoon was a must stop. This off grid cafe and bakery bus offers a variety of delicious baked goods (cinnamon buns and cookies were scrumptious), and homemade soup, pizza, and salad. I had a lunch trio that included all three, and most ingredients are locally sourced. Everything we had from this funky bus was beyond amazing, and the girls working were sweet and friendly. Seating was provided inside and outside.

I would highly suggest visiting the island during the weekend of the Edge of the World Music Festival. Not only is this a wonderfully intimate festival with amazing talent from the island and off the island, but this a cultural experience in itself. Festival goers are treated to an opening ceremony that features the Haida Dancers and Haida drumming and singing. The participants of this ceremony were all ages and they invited the audience to join in the dancing. We were so glad to have been part of this immersive experience. We visited the festival for the opening, and returned in the evenings and also took in a Poetry/Spoken Word presentation. There were many highlights besides, such as the paper lantern parade, featured artists such as Mirirangi from New Zealand, Twin Peaks , and The Jerry Cans from Nunavut.

We were able to see some pods of orcas and possibly, porpoises feeding off in the distance. Also, bald eagles are everywhere! Deer, bear, raccoon, martens, squirrels are also all found on the island and may be sighted.

If you are able to visit Haida Gwaii, and if you aren’t frugal like me, you may be able to afford the extra expense to tour the parts of the island that are inaccessible by car. There are many float plane and boat services that will take you to the remote locations of the island where you will be able to visit some isolated communities, and significant historical sites. But if you are on a budget, you can do what we did. For a few dollars, and an hour or two, you can learn about the amazing history and folklore of the island and the Haida people at the Haida Cultural Center. You can also see old and new art and learn about about how resilient and admirable the people of Haida have been over time and change. Also, visit the Old Cemetery outside of Massett and please spend a sunset or two on a quiet beach, or on Rainbow Wharf in Port Clements. The changing colors in the sky are nothing short of miraculous. This was the icing on the cake.

Rainbow Wharf, Port Clements, Haida Gwaii, photo taken by Tammy Chitty

Side note: If you end up in the Vancouver airport and are looking for a good place to grab a bite and drink, you can’t go wrong with the BBQ Chicken Flatbread at the Stanley Park Taphouse, and add the Buffalo Chicken sauce on the side (as suggested by my friendly server.) I also enjoyed a local beer flight which I found all to be delicious and refreshing, my favorite being the Sunsetter Wheat beer with was peach flavored and full bodied.