A HIKE, A SHIPWRECK AND OTHER THINGS

Well, that was sure scary - they say that Haida Gwaii is at the edge of the world so we must have been over the edge!!  Here it is the 21st century, and we just spent 3 days with no internet connection and no cell phone signal!!

We were able to rent one of these cottages in Tlell (no, that is not a spelling error - it's actually how it is spelled).  It was very cozy.

This was the view from the front window, when the tide came in.  I'm thinking that it would be even more awesome in the summer.

We set out on a hike to a shipwreck.  Here are some more of the Sitka spruce trees along the trail - you can't help but feel overwhelmed when you are walking under them. 

We followed a trail that weaved in and out of the trees.  We thanked Mother Nature for bringing out the sun, and holding off on the rain.  It made the walk really enjoyable.

The hike continued along the Tlell River, which opens on to Hecate Straight on the east side of Haida Gwaii.

We headed out in the morning - it was about a 4 hour hike through the trees and then along the river edge. 

This is the land of the bald eagle - you usually see some wherever you go.  These 2 were keeping an eye on us.

This was our destination - the wreck of the Pesuta.  It was a log carrying ship that ran aground in 1928, and each year a little more of it disappears as the waves pound it. 

There's not much of it left to see, so it was nice that we were able to see some of it.

Later, we walked along another beach, looking for agate.  This is actually quartz, but it looked interesting with the sunlight shining through it.  And, talking about sunshine - there's been sun every day that we have been here.  Where else would you rather be in December??

This pathway looked interesting as it went across the sand dunes and out to the ocean.



Next day we took a hike on the Anvil Trail.  There was a sign warning us not to hike the trail if the wind was blowing.  What do you think they meant by that??



Along the way we met some "fun guys" that were just hanging out on the trees!

There was also a "fun girl" who was enjoying the hike.

Later we drove to Queen Charlotte City, and stopped to look at the "balancing rock" along the way.

And then we arrived in Queen Charlotte City, to spend a few days exploring the area around here.  Keep tuned for future blogs!

BEACHES, EAGLES, DRIFTWOOD AND STUFF

Working regularly seems to cut into the time available to take pictures, but we were still able to get out and about for a few photos.

This was taken one morning as I was walking to work - the sun came out and was shining on the town of Old Masset.  It only lasted for a few minutes, and then the rain started again.

The sun came out later in the day, and I was able to drive to Old Masset.  This totem pole was too tall to get it all into one picture, but I thought that the top of it was interesting.

A couple of days later, we were able to get out again.  As you can see, it was raining and overcast, but this picture of Yakan Point seemed like a good one.

There were a couple of Eagles sitting on a large piece of driftwood, and keeping an eye on us.

There was lots of debris on the beach.

Some of the debris was large enough to capture Carolyn.  But, this was "designer debris" - notice the color coordination for the toque and the fishnet!

I'm not sure if we were intruding on some secret driftwood ceremony, but you have to admit that it looks like fun!

Looks like a serpent in the water.

This piece of driftwood is hanging on the side of a garage.  Amazing what some of the driftwood can look like - do you think that this is salmon country?

This restaurant is amazing - the "Trouthouse Reataurant".  The chef is a teacher of culinary arts here in Haida Gwaii.

We even had some entertainment at the restaurant - the guy on the ukulele is a teacher who is offering a course featuring carpentry and incorporating native carving.  His son is the dancer in the background.

So, after stuffing our faces with lots of good food and being entertained, we drove past the harbour to go back into Masset.

I guess we didn't have enough to eat and drink at the Trouthouse, so we stopped for a latte at The Ground.

It's a cozy place, and they feature some of the local artists.


And that was all there was for a while.

AGATES, CEMETERY AND LUNAR ECLIPSE



A view to Cemetery Beach. We found a large patch of chanterelles in the forest here just off the beach...not good eating this time of year though :(

There are few places in the world where agates wash up on to the beach with the surf. The north end of Graham Island is one of them. These were collected on Cemetery Beach...named this because to get there you drive a dirt road through the cemetery.

Thick moss covers the land everwhere here. They say if you get stuck in the wilderness and have    to start a fire, Haida Gwaii is the last place you'd want to be...you'd be hard pressed to find any   dry wood in this country.

The moon has been shining brightly into our bedroom window every night, so on the night of the lunar eclipse we were disappointed to see the sky cloud over...however...the room lit up around 6:30 am and this is what we saw!

BIRDS, BEACHES AND BIG POLES - INSTALLMENT 5

A visit here would not be complete without some pictures of the totem poles and some of the woodwork.

Here are a couple of the totem poles, a sea serpent, and another one that looks like a grumpy Donald Duck..

BIRDS, BEACHES AND BIG POLES - INSTALLMENT 4

Another day in the area.

While we were investigating another beach, we saw this guy sitting on a pole. What do you think - is he checking us out or what??

We also checked out the local beach. We were enjoying the confusion of the driftwood, but we were also looking for some agate stone. Stupid tourists!! - Agate is a shiny, almost liquid-looking stone that reflects the sunlight - maybe it would be better to return when the sun is shining!!

In the background you can see Tow Hill - that's where we were a couple of days ago.

We went to Old Masset. The street signs are a little confusing to me - can anybody tell me where we are?

BIRDS, BEACHES, AND BIG POLES - INSTALLMENT 3

We took a day trip to Port Clements - the area of the "Golden Spruce" that was talked about in a previous blog.

It was misty and foggy, and I guess that helps with pictures, especially when the water is calm.

This looked like a doorway in the tree, with a bell or something just beside the door. What do you think??

This is the area where the Golden Spruce met it's demise. When you look at these Sitka spruce, it's easy to see that they would produce a lot of wood, but it's somehow saddening to think that a tree this large will likely never be seen again. What price progress???

This is more relaxing. Apparently, the weather here is not always so calm, but when it is, then it makes for an awesome photo!

We stopped at the local museum. I presume that there was a surgeon here previously, and he developed a system for quickly finishing his suturing. Right?

Check out the next installment.

BIRDS, BEACHES AND BIG POLES - INSTALLMENT 2

Next day, I thought I'd try hitchhiking. Not a good idea - check out the guy's thumb that I'm with. Looks like he's been here for a long time, considering the bird guana on his thumb.

So, we headed for a beach - in this case North Beach. Funny what you can find on a beach - like this stem stuck in a bunch of foam. But, at least, the horizon looks good with the mist and big waves on it.

There were lots of eagles. This guy seems to be alone with all of the seagulls, but there were about 10 to 12 other eagles on the rocks in the area.

This is another picture of the Tow Hill area that was shown in a previous blog - looks totally different with the serrated rocks along the shore.

and, here is a more traditional picture of Tow Hill - sort of!!

Check out the next installment.