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 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 13 Floating Lodge to Rose Harbour

Day 13 - Floating Lodge to Rose Harbour, Gwaii Haanas

WOW!

Today was a day that I had imagined and hoped for.  Haida Gwaii has been on our wish list for years, and in my imagination I pictured the ancient Haida villages, the poles and wildlife encounters, but today surpassed all that I had imagined or could possibly imagine.

Conditions were absolutely perfect, maybe better than perfect!  Heron informed us that the type of conditions we had today were very rare and we all felt that we should take advantage of this gift and take Emma and Heron up on their offer to travel to Cape St. James at the very southern most point of the islands.

We are going to the Cape!

Spirits high, gas in the tank and the sun shining we set out for the Cape, but not before we took time out of our very busy schedule to set a couple of prawn traps.  Hard to believe, but we were thinking of food again!

There really are no words to describe the feeling of excitement we had as took in the sights and sounds of this day.  From Egg Yolk Jellies and Nudibranchs to Humpback Whales and Puffins the wildlife viewing was spectacular.

Countless whales

We actually lost count of the number of whales we saw and were also privileged enough to see:

• Puffin
• Black Tailed Deer
• By the Wind Sailor Jellyfish
• Egg Yolk Jellies
• Sun Fish
• Blue Shark
• Urchins
• Guillemots
• Cormorants
• Auklets

Puffin

By the Wind Sailor

The incredible list went on and on.....

Nudibranchs....all dressed up and nowhere to go?

The land was not to be outdone by the wildlife.  We entered Woodruff Bay where our guides carefully and skillfully navigated their way to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen.

Emma and Heron anchoring in Woodruff Bay

 The sandy beach stretches for kilometres and is pristine.  You would think you were in the Caribbean....except for the Helly Hanson rain gear of course!  It was sheer joy as we stripped off our heavy rain gear and boots and ran barefoot in the sand.  Not another soul to be seen.  This was definitely my favourite beach and one I will remember forever.

Heaven on earth

We enjoyed another wonderful lunch at Woodruff Bay thanks to our gracious hosts and loaded, somewhat reluctantly, back in to the Zodiac.  Our reluctance was misplaced, as before we knew it we were heading out to the Kerouard Islands to view a large Steller sea lion rookery.  This breeding colony is a busy place.  Over 600 breeding Steller sea lions use the Cape St. James rookery.  They were a treat to watch, but NOT to smell.  I believe we actually found something that was stinkier that our biking clothes!

Steller Sea Lion Rookery

Content and tired from a long day on the water, it was time to head to the Rose Harbour Guest House, our accommodation for the evening.  The guest house is owned and operated by Gotz, who immigrated to Canada in 1981 and has lived in Rose Harbour since 1983.  Susan, who is Heron's mom, has also lived in Rose Harbour since 1983.  She operates the meal service for the guests.  Susan is an amazing chef and her gourmet creations feature fresh vegetables grown in her garden.

Susan's home at Rose Harbour

We were fascinated, intrigued and touched by Rose Harbour.  Located on the site of an old abandoned whaling station, the place oozed history.

Whaling Station Memorial

Words like cute, eccentric, rustic, whimsical, character, creative, unique all come to mind when describing the guest house.  As I toured the grounds and viewed the wood burning shower, I was taken back to my childhood and reminded of Caractacus Potts, the eccentric inventor in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.  We admired the ingenuity of our hosts.  You really need to see this extraordinary place for yourself.

Rose Harbour

Wood burning heated shower

We accessed our room by climbing a steep set of stairs clutching the driftwood banister as we climbed.  Our room also served as a hothouse and distillery.  We loved it!  The washrooms were outhouses, however, should you need to visit the facilities in the middle of the night and did not care for the long walk, Gotz did supply you with a bucket.  The caveat.....those who use the bucket, clean the bucket!  Enough said.

Main floor

We were told the Moresby four day tour is sometimes affectionately called the "Float and Bloat".  After devouring Susan's fantastic Halibut dinner we confirm that the nickname is well deserved.  We have been treated to delicious meals and snacks at every stop.  It is going to be very difficult to go back to a can of beans over our camp stove!

Appetizers with a flare from Susan's garden

Giggle of the Day:

During our stay at Rose Harbour, we shared the facilities with a film crew from Germany.  They were touring Canada as part of a series on our National Parks.  Despite the majestic beauty of Haida Gwaii, the German crew found our host, Gotz equally, if not more fascinating.  Gotz had constructed an amazing tripod ladder system to support his cherry picking endeavours.  As we wandered about, we stumbled upon the camera crew attempting to film Gotz up the ladder!

Map and Route Tips:

 #HaidaGwaii #CycleBC #explorebc #cycletour #gohaidagwaii #myopus #roseharbour #zodiac #imagesofcanada

Day 11 Gray Bay

Day 11 Gray Bay - Morseby Island

To say we received a warm welcome from the Morseby Explorers staff team is the understatement of the year.  We instantly felt like family and much credit must be given to the company owners, Laura and Heron.  They are an amazing couple and together have created something very special, something more than just a 'business".  Both Laura and Heron have an intimate knowledge of the islands and a passion for sharing this knowledge.  It was such an honour to meet them and to be their guests.

Morseby Explorers Office

Laura gave us a tour of their home and we delighted in viewing their garden, shop, kayak storage area, outdoor store, pig pen......as you can see it is an impressive operation!

Garden 

Pig Pen

Ducks

We took a day to explore Morseby Island and as luck would have it, Emma had time off.  Thrilled to have a personal tour of the area, we asked Emma to show us her favourite spots.  We managed to pick up picnic supplies in Sandspit and set off for Gray Bay.

Gray Bay

Gray Bay is a spectacular crescent shaped beach featuring a campground set among an alder, spruce and hemlock forest.  The beach is gorgeous and we spent the morning beach combing.

Beach Combing - Gray Bay

Of course, Emma couldn't resist a quick dip!

Come on in...the water is fine!

Just when you think you can't find a nicer beach or more scenic spot - you do! We left Gray Bay and spent the afternoon at Secret Cove, a secluded pebble beach.  Once again we were left speechless at the sheer beauty of this place.  We had the beach to ourselves and quickly lost all track of time.  I would suggest this loss of time is a type of occupational hazard for all those who venture to Haida Gwaii.

Rob quickly adapts to the slower pace of life in Haida Gwaii

We were invited to share dinner with the Moresby staff team and enjoyed an evening of laughter and stories.  We did not want the day to end.

Giggle of the Day:

We settled in to our tent behind the Seaport B and B, nestled between the pigs and the ducks, anticipating a good sleep.  We were looking forward to the start of our four day boat tour with Morseby Explorers.  Just as we were dozing off a loud commotion woke us up.  We stuck our heads out of the tent to see several staff members frantically rounding up chickens.  They had somehow managed to "fly the coop" and a large Eagle was circling above looking forward to a tasty treat.  All in a day's work.

Map and Route Tips:

Travel to Gray Bay is along active logging roads.  The road is rough,  so watch for potholes.  The Visitor Centre in Sandspit can provide updates on road conditions and logging activity.


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

Day 10 Prince Rupert to Sandspit

Day 10 - Prince Rupert to Sandspit, B.C.

93 nautical miles - 15 km cycling

Once again we found ourselves up bright and early waiting in line for a ferry.  Only two more sailings to go and we would finally be in Haida Gwaii.  We were only 40 miles south of the Alaska border with 93 nautical miles and 7 hours to go before we arrived on Graham Island.

As we waited to board we were joined by a feisty "old-timer" named Lou.  What a gem!  Lou is a very young 79 years and has been living on Graham Island for the last 45 years.  He is a burly man and has quite an intimidating presence until he smiles.  He rides a motorcycle and was dressed from head to toe in leather.

Lou is a wonderful storyteller and we enjoyed spending time with him as we waited to board the ferry.  He knew almost everyone in line by name and shared jokes and updates with the crowd.  We would soon learn that not much gets by people in Haida Gwaii, as the community is very close-knit and news travels fast.

Lou shared fantastic ferry stories and we were in stitches as he described storms, delays and exciting journeys across the Hecate Strait.  This body of water is quite shallow and marine weather conditions can often be quite severe. Apparently, the locals affectionately (or not) call the ferry the Northern Misadventure and we were soon to experience our own.

BC Ferries Northern Adventure connecting Prince Rupert to Skidegate Landing

Not a bike rack to be seen....we are asked to tie the bikes down

Barf Bags and Charging Station?

The ferry was over one hour late leaving Prince Rupert as the crew took extra time loading in an attempt to squeeze every delivery truck, camper, motorcycle, car, bike and van on to the boat.  It was an amazing puzzle and credit to the crew for their valiant efforts to accommodate everyone.  Selfishly, we were becoming quite worried that we would miss our connecting ferry to Sandspit.  No one else on the boat seemed worried as the majority were locals and on "island time."  Just as we were sure we were going to miss our sailing, the ship's captain announced that they would hold the connecting ferry for us.  We were amazed!  We arrived in dock and the crew held back all of the walk on passengers and vehicles and gave us a personal escort off the boat and onto the next one.  Thank you BC Ferries!

The crew holds the Kwuna Ferry for us

Approach to Alliford Bay on Morseby Island

The crossing to Morseby Island is very short and absolutely beautiful.  We excitedly waited to disembark and before we knew it we were back on our bikes cycling the last few kilometres to Sandspit.  We enjoyed a flat and easy ride and took a few moments to celebrate our arrival to the Edge of the World.

Only 2 km to go!

Giggle of the Day:

This isn't so much a giggle, but a tale of joy.  After our long cycle and numerous, lengthy ferry crossings we finally rode up to the Moresby Explorers office in search of our daughter....and there she was having just returned from guiding a day tour.  We found her washing the van.....and we would argue there isn't a prettier sight in all of Haida Gwaii.

Morseby Explorers Office

Emma

Map and Route Tips:

BC Ferries - Northern Adventure Ferry - Prince Rupert to Skidegate, Graham Island - 93 nautical miles
BC Ferries - Kwuna Ferry - Skidegate Landing to Alliford Bay, Moreseby Island

Alliford Bay to Sandspit - 10 km


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