Reflections - Cycle Tour to Haida Gwaii

Reflections, Maps, Route Tip and Tidbits - Cycle Tour to Haida Gwaii

We quickly realized that Haida Gwaii is so much more than a wish list destination.  It is a place that touches your heart and soul and leaves an impression that I suspect will last a lifetime.

We began our vacation thinking we were embarking on a cycle tour, but as we look back at the miles we travelled, the places we visited and the people we met, it is clear that a visit to Haida Gwaii and more specifically, Gwaii Haanas was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  To explore this fascinating part of our world with Heron, owner of Moresby Explorers and our own daughter, Emma, as our guides was a thrill beyond measure.

Heron and Emma - Moresby Explorers

You know the feeling you have when you take a picture of a breath taking sunset and later when you view the picture you find yourself thinking, this photo doesn't do it justice?  Well, we freely admit that our photos and descriptions do not do justice to the splendour and ruggedness of Haida Gwaii.

In truth, this tour felt like two separate experiences.  The cycle route on Vancouver Island and the MS Ride was certainly a thrill and definitely a route we would recommend.   Vancouver Island is beautiful and offers much to the touring cyclist.  The ferry route along the Inside Passage was comparable to a cruise and a trip we encourage those visiting British Columbia to do.

The FasTurtles - Lesley, Nancy, Mike, Paul, Jane, Rob, James & Karen

However, in all honesty, the days spent on Vancouver Island seem to pale in comparison to the time spent in Haida Gwaii. Tourist magazines and websites declare that the land and sea have shaped the people who live on these islands and I would suggest our visit has shaped us too.

Each pole tells a story with representations of human, animal & spiritual figures

As we gazed at the craved mortuary and memorial poles located in the village of S'Gang Gwaay we were transported back in time and we tried to imagine the way of life of the Haida.  The Haida do not have a written language, yet the poles tell the stories of the Raven and Eagle moieties and in essence bring history to life.  As a UNESCO site, S'Gang Gwaay is considered to have outstanding universal value and was designated a World Heritage Site under the following criterion:

"SGang Gwaay llnagaay (Nan Sdins), located on SGang Gwaay (Anthony Island) in an archipelago off the west coast of British Columbia, bears unique testimony to the culture of the Haida. The art represented by the carved poles at SGang Gwaay llnagaay (Nan Sdins) is recognized to be among the finest examples of its type in the world."  (Parks Canada)

Poles at S'Gang Gwaay

Cycling to Haida Gwaii was much more than a vacation.  In fact it was a privilege to visit a place that is sacred to so many.  The legend of St. Mary's Spring states that those who sip the natural water will find a reason and a way to someday return to the islands.

I don't think we will need a reason.

The Edge of the World

Map and Route Tips:

• Be sure to allocate time to explore Gwaii Haanas.  This area is only accessible by boat or seaplane.  There are several tour operators in the area who can assist you.  Our favourite, of course, is Moresby Explorers.
• Watch the tidal swings!  Tidal range can be up to 24 feet....makes for great beach combing, but can also have a huge impact on current speeds.
• To expand cycling opportunities in Haida Gwaii, consider a mountain bike, as many areas are only accessed via logging roads or trails.  

BC Ferries

• We travelled via BC Ferries on the following routes.  Check schedules carefully.
• Tsawassen to Schwartz Bay
• Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay
• Port Hardy to Prince Rupert - the Inside Passage
• Prince Rupert to Skidegate Landing
• Skidegate Landing to Alliford Bay
• Services on the Island Highway north of Campbell River are limited.  Be sure to check your distances and stock up on food and water.  Also, note that bike shops are few and far between.  Bring parts!
• Great camping along the route.
• Motels and Hotels readily available for those nights you might need or want a hot shower and soft bed.
• We had fantastic weather....BUT - be sure to build in extra time, as conditions can change rapidly, especially the further north you venture.  Remember, there is no such thing as bad weather - just bad gear.  Pack the rain gear!!!
• There's an APP for that. It was interesting to learn how the Haida elders are working to preserve their heritage and culture.  The Skidegate Haida Immersion Program (SHIP) strives to preserve and revitalize the language....and yes there is an app for that available on ITunes!
• Last, but not least, pack your camera!  From bears and eagles to whales, sunfish and nudibranchs..the wildlife viewing was incredible!

#ThisIsMyBC #ShareTheCoast #cycle #bike #cycletour #gohaidagwaii #explorebc

Day 17 - Tlell to Queen Charlotte City

Day 17 - Tlell to Queen Charlotte City

50km

They say all good things must come to an end and I suppose that is true.  Today was to be our last day in Haida Gwaii.  The warm, sunny weather continued and we decided breakfast on the beach would be an appropriate way to start the day.  We were in a mood to delay the trip back south so decided to leave our bikes and gear at the campsite and hike to the Pesuta shipwreck.

Pesutaa Shipwreck - Naikoon Provincial Park

The Pesuta, a 200 foot log carrier, ran aground in 1928.  Not much of her remains and I imagine it won't be long before the ocean claims what is left of Pesuta.

Serenity

We had a wonderful low, low tide so were able to hike the distance out to Pesuta completely along the beach.  East beach starts in Tlell and stretches out for 65 kilometres.  We were told it is the longest beach in Canada and after hiking to Petusa we were beginning to wonder how "Long Beach" on Vancouver Island got its name.  The hike featured miles of ocean views, sand dunes and river crossings.

Sand dunes line the trail to Petusa

Crossing the Tlell River at low tide

We hiked for the entire morning along that wonderful stretch of beach and did not see or hear a single, solitary person!  We didn't even see a boat on the horizon.

The only 2 on the beach 

We spent some time exploring the shipwreck and then began the return trip to our campsite.  As the tide was coming in we decided to take the inland forest trail back.  As we were about to leave the beach and head in to the forest trail we had our first human sighting!  A couple of brave camp counsellors were trekking with a bunch of kids.  The group was embarking on an 89km hike to Tow Hill.  The counsellors were pumped...and the kids were already dragging their feet.  I imagine there will be a few challenging moments ahead for the group.

Camp Counsellors leading the way

Paw Power

The rich forested area was a nice contrast to the beach hike and we thoroughly enjoyed the last few kilometres through the moss covered old growth forest.  Really - a two for one type of hike.  Now that's what we call a deal!

Second leg of the hike through old growth forest

After procrastinating long enough it was time to pack up camp and head back south.  We stopped for second breakfast at the Crows Nest Cafe and Country Store.  We laughed as we bumped in to folk who had been paddling the Haida canoe during Skidegate Days.  It was uncanny how after just a couple of weeks in Haida Gwaii we already were bumping in to "friends" at stops along the way.  We were quickly becoming Island regulars.

The road home

We took the last few kilometres to Queen Charlotte City slowly, making excuses to stop at each and every lookout, roadside pull out and empty lot.  Neither of us wanted the trip to end.  I expect Haida Gwaii has this effect on many of those who visit.

Thank you Haida Gwaii

Giggle of the Day:

Near Lawn Hill we came across a carved Madonna at a road side pullout.  The carving was beside a spring called St. Mary's Spring.  It is said that whoever drinks the pure water from the spring will return to the islands.

Carving at St. Mary's Spring

Excited at the thought of having an excuse to return to the islands we quickly grabbed our water bottles and approached the stream.  We were just about to fill up when we noticed a government sign..... an unusual and funny blend of island legend meeting health codes.  We will let you wonder if we drank the water or not!

Drinking water advisory

Map and Route Tips:

Pesuta Shipwreck Trail - best to hike at low tide



#HaidaGwaii #CycleBC #explorebc #cycletour #gohaidagwaii #myopus #pesutashipwreck #hike #northernbc #parkscanada

Day 16 - Sandspit to Tlell, Haida Gwaii - Back on the Bikes

Day 16 - Sandspit to Tlell

Back on the bikes - 56km

After four fabulous days of floating and bloating it was time to get back on the bikes.  We felt sad leaving Emma and Sandspit, but it was time to move on.  We bid farewell and set off for the ferry, making a quick stop at Onward Point to look for whales.

Onward Point, Moresby Island

 As we were cycling out of Sandspit an approaching car slowed.  The driver rolled down the window and cautioned us that a bear was up ahead on the road.

I am working hard to overcome my fear of bears, but the driver did not say exactly where up ahead the bear was lurking and as I peddled along I had visions of bears attacking at each bend.  I stopped to pull out my whistle and find the bear bangers.  To Rob's amusement (or disgust?) I began to sing at the top of my lungs.  If my singing doesn't scare a bear away, nothing will!

A couple of kilometers up the road, we finally saw him.  I came to a complete and full stop.  It seemed the prudent thing to do.  The bear took a little run at an approaching car, gave us a disinterested look and then scampered in to the forest.  We would like to share a picture of the bear with you, but honestly, when you round the bend on your bike and encounter a bear, your first instinct is not to reach for the camera.  We waited a long while for the bear to move on and for my heart rate to return to normal.

Welcome to Skidegate

After the short ferry crossing to Graham Island we set our sights on Skidegate.  It was the annual Skidegate Days Celebration featuring a marathon, canoe races, fish splitting competition, salmon dinner and Grand Finale Dance.  We stopped to take in the action and while we were eating dinner we ran in to David, a young guy who had been volunteering with Moresby Explorers.  David is from St. Louis, Missouri.  We asked how he managed to find his way to Haida Gwaii.  We loved his answer.  His father had given him a Lonely Planet book and David's mission was to visit all of the "cool places" he had read about.  David was spending a few more days on the Island and then making his way further north.  I silently wondered if his Dad ever regretted gifting the book to David.

Northbound on Graham Island

We learned that the Skidegate Days Grand Finale dance was sold out, so it was an easy decision to point north and head for Tlell.  We took time out to visit Balance Rock, another one of Haida Gwaii's spiritual wonders.

Balance Rock

We enjoyed a flat, easy ride along the coast to TLell, population 179.  We were both glad for a short and easy ride as our bodies were highly tuned in to floating and bloating versus cycling. I am afraid it may take a few days to get our cycling legs back.  Our home for the night was in the Misty Meadows campground located in Naikoon Provincial Park.

Misty Meadows - Naikoon Provincial Park

Naikoon is bordered by a hundred kilometres of expansive beach.  Rainforest, wetlands, bogs and sand dunes make up the area.  We pitched the tent, hung our food to keep it away from curious and hungry bears and enjoyed a fabulous evening by the ocean.  We had the entire beach to ourselves.

Back to basics....peanut butter and granola

Giggle of the Day:

True confession time!  Rob and I are "culturally challenged."  It is not that we don't have an appreciation for the arts, culture and history, but when push comes to shove we always choose to be outside cycling, hiking or paddling during our vacations.  However, we made an exception on this trip.  Everyone we met encouraged us to visit the Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay.  This 50,000 square foot space features the Haida Gwaii Museum, Performance House, Carving Shed, Canoe House, Bill Reid Teaching Centre, classrooms and a bistro.  A must see!

Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llangaay

Fascinated by our stops at the Haida Villages in Gwaii Haanas, we decided to visit the Heritage Centre to learn more about the Haida culture.  We paid our admission and eyeglasses in hand (yes - we were serious enough about our visit to take our glasses with us!) we began our tour of this award winning museum.

As we stopped to view one of the displays we were cautiously approached by a Museum staff member.  "Could I ask a favour?" she said.  "Of course!" We replied.

Part of the Skidegate Days festivities included a canoe race.  Before we knew it, we were outside the museum, waist deep in the ocean, helping paddlers bring a traditionally constructed Haida canoe up on shore!  So much for our museum tour.

These are not small boats and it took a few attempts to get the beast up on the beach. Icing on the cake - we were being filmed by the German documentary film makers we had meet a few days earlier at Rose Harbour.  We continue to be surprised at how many people we bump in to that we have seen before.

Paddlers return after a first place finish in the Skidegate Days Canoe Race

Teamwork was needed to land this canoe!

Map and Route Tips:

#HaidaGwaii #CycleBC #explorebc #cycletour #gohaidagwaii #myopus

Day 15 Floating Lodge to Sandspit

Day 15 - Floating Lodge to Sandspit

"Humanity has a need for places to expand beyond the dimensions of the day to day grind and to fortify the body, mind, and other spirit - places for our ancestors and those that follow us.  Gwaii Haanas provides people with such a tombstone."  Excerpt from Gwaii Haanas Strategic Management Plan

A picture of contentment

We started our day with a wonderful low tide enabling us to visit the now exposed underwater world on the northern tip of Shuttle Island.  The marine ecosystems of Gwaii Haanas are home to a wide variety of sea life.  Think of your local beach on steroids!  We pulled ashore and spent the morning exploring the intertidal zone:

The last stop of our tour was at T'aanuu Linagaay (Tanu) a Haida village site on Tanu Island.  We were delighted to meet Walter, Mary and their darling daughter Raven, maybe the youngest and cutest of the Haida Watchmen.  Walter lead on us on a wonderful tour.  His calm and gentle demeanour seemed to suit the island perfectly.

Walter - Haida Watchman

Raven and Mary - Haida Watchmen

After his death in 1998, world famous artist Bill Reid's ashes were brought home by friends and relatives to Tanu, his mother's ancestral village.  Little is left standing at Tanu, but you feel the spirit of the place as you gaze at the house depressions and moss covered posts.

Tanu

Our return leg to Moresby Camp took us through Louise Narrows and provided us with our first bear sighting.  The black bears on Haida Gwaii are a subspecies found only on the islands.  They have larger jaws and teeth than their mainland counterparts.  I confess that I have an unfounded and intense fear of bears, so I was quite happy to be bear watching from the Zodiac and not from my bike.  Haida traditions consider the bear to be chief of the forest....I totally agree, and am happy to get out of the way!  Hail to the Chief!

First bear sighting

After four awe-inspiring days we arrived back at Moresby Camp.  Each of us took something different away from our exploration of Gwaii Haanas, but I think we would all agree that Haida Gwaii is a place unlike any other in the world.

Giggle of the Day:

Our return to Sandspit was cause for celebration!  We were invited to join the Moresby staff team at their favourite local and only Chinese Food Restaurant - Dick's Wok Inn.  We were welcomed by Dick himself who cooked us up a delicious meal.  Rob and I sat back and listened as the Moresby folk joked, teased and compared stories of their most recent tours.  The energy, passion and enthusiasm of the group was something to admire....it was evident that they love their jobs, this magical place and I would suggest each other.  They all seem to share a deep connection to Haida Gwaii and the three realms of creatures:  those of the sea, those of the land and those of the sky.  Not really something to giggle about, but definitely something that makes one smile.

Dick's Wok Inn

Map and Route Tips:


#HaidaGwaii #CycleBC #explorebc #cycletour #gohaidagwaii #myopus #gwaiihaanas #tanu #haida

Day 14 Rose Harbour to Floating Lodge, Visit to SGang Gwaay

Day 14 Rose Harbour to Floating Lodge

We woke early to explore the beach at low tide and then joined our group for a fabulous gourmet breakfast prepared by Susan, featuring pancakes and berries fresh from her garden.  Last night, Emma had helped to prepare the flour for the pancakes by grinding the grain on a contraption made from an exercise bike.  It gave a whole new meaning to fresh ingredients!

Part of the Moresby Explorers Fleet

Tummies full, we loaded ourselves into the Zodiac ready for another day of exploration in Gwaii Haanas.  Today our plan was to visit SGang Gwaay, a sacred Haida site located on Anthony Island.  SGang Gwaay was declared a United Nations Education and Science Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1981.  On SGang Gwaay many hundreds of Haida people died and were put to rest in caves, mortuary poles and in the earth.

SGang Gwaay

It was humbling to walk through the village remains.  I felt like we were intruding and a deep sense of sorrow came over me.  The poles face the sea and seem to stare off into the distance ignoring our presence.  Many of the poles on SGang Gwaay are mortuary poles and are believed to hold the spirit of the deceased.

We were guided through the village by James, a Haida Watchman.  The Haida Watchmen program began in 1981 as a means to protect the villages and traditional territory.  From May to September, Watchmen live at the village sites and serve as guardians to protect the area.  Visitors must ask for permission before landing.

James describes the poles at SGang Gwaay

James was very knowledgeable and shared information about the memorial, frontal and mortuary poles.  He showed us the remnants of longhouses and house pits and shared information on the history of the Raven and Eagle moieties.  He was passionate about his heritage and culture and we left believing that the village was in good hands with James as its caretaker. SGang Gwaay made a lasting impact on all of us and we were subdued as we left the island.

Emma reflects upon our visit to SGang Gwaay

Our return to the Float Camp took us through Burnaby Narrows, famous for its rich intertidal life.  We explored shallow coves and once again took in the beauty of the area.

Bald Eagles are common in Haida Gwaii

It was a glorious, sunny afternoon and we enjoyed time at the Float Camp exploring the sea below....imagine a huge aquarium "touch tank."  We all lay face down on the float, transfixed by the world below.

Bums up and Heads Down - underwater exploration

Nudibranch

Eggyolk Jelly

We were encouraged by the Moresby staff to get up at midnight and venture out on the float to witness bioluminescence.  Science defines bioluminescence as an organism's ability to produce light through a chemical reaction, but to us - it was pure MAGIC!  We lay on the dock and dipped our hands and kayak paddles into the water.  Immediately a world of light exploded in front of our eyes.  We were reminded of the fireflies in the deep south as we watched this weird and wonderful light show.  I have no idea how long we were on the dock.....time didn't seem to matter.


Giggle of the Day:

Yesterday, Heron had set two large prawn traps in the cove near the Floating Lodge.  On our return to the lodge we stopped to retrieve the traps and survey our catch.  We were all imagining what Mariel might create for dinner with fresh prawns. (hard to believe, but we were once again thinking about food!)  Anxiously, we all hung over the sides of the Zodiac as Heron, with a little help from Rob, pulled in 600 feet of line.  After much effort, Heron pulled out the two traps....not a prawn to be seen.  Heron declared, "That's the absolute worst prawn catch I have ever had!  Good thing I am not a fishing guide."



Map and Route Tips:


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