Hi everyone!
I'm emailing here from the Charlottes, a spot that's going to be hard to leave! I arrived on Saturday after catching the ferry from Prince Rupert. Waking up at 4:30am in the pouring rain to catch the ferry has been well worth it!
I'm staying with Moresby Explorers, a touring company which a friend I met at SFU works. They're located on Moresby Island, the Southern Island which reminds me a lot of Birchbay, where our family has a summer cottage. Despite the fact that my friend Hajar is down a float camp used for tour groups, the Moresby crew have been great. They have about 8 employees, which are usually out on 3 or 4 day tours, so the people around the office change pretty regularly.
Most people here are pretty up for any type of adventure. We spent Sunday exploring the Southern area of Graham Island (the main Northern Island) looking for a good surfing spot for a die-hard surfer named Cedar. Though the waves weren't as impressive as she was expecting, we found some great beaches, a cave and lots of intertidal spots to explore. The island have infinite spaces to explore, and the best thing is that you won't find a single soul (well, except for soaring eagles, tons of frolicking deer, noisy ravens and the occasional black bear). On the way back, we packed up the back of Cedar's truck with Cat Tails for her composter! I knew there was a use for those plants! On the way back, we missed the 20min ferry ride to Moresby, so we went back to one of the girls parents' place for dinner. They live on their own island and it's such a cute cozy spot! Pretty much everything is homemade, with a stove that uses recycled oil. It reminds me a lot of the sunshine coast.
The next day, I had the chance to go down on the power boat to meet Hajar at the float camp. I joined a group of older kayakers (a couple of which told me great stories of their bike trip across Canada last year!) that we're great company! It was great to hear reassurances, since I'm still feeling a little apprehensive.The islands are sure surreal and massive. I've never been anywhere so wild and beautiful. I was dropped off at the float camp (to gauge the scale- try to locate the float camp in the image next to Hajar kayaking!) where Hajar and I kayaked around and saw eagles, raccoons (it's funny to see them outside of the city!), and lots of jellies. That evening, a group from Washington state came in from a four day excusion in which they saw killer and humpback whales and tons of dolphins. Hajar served a treat for dinner with pie! Boy, I've been spoiled! The following morning, we went back to Moresby after stopping at Tanu, an old Haida settlement of about 500 people. It's the only one where you can see the layout of the village since the remains of each of the 24 houses are still intact. A pretty inspiring spot surrounding by a moss floor and temperate rainforest! On the way back, we say a black bear, they are pretty big around here!
I've spent the day exploring the Village of Queen Charlotte and Skidegate (a First Nations community- though not much was open since it's Aboriginal day). Lots of interesting sights and people. I've had a lot of people ask where I'm going or have been, so it's a quick conversation maker!
I'm really looking forward to meeting Cat at the ferry tomorrow. It will be great to have a travel partner!
Well, that's all the adventure to report for now! I'm working on getting pictures downloaded, so please stay tuned!
Many cheers! :)
Kristy
