April 24, 2011

Haida Gwaii – Queen Charlotte Islands – Moresby Island – Sheldon’s Bay

A tranquil view of the estuary.

One of the beach front camp sites.

Blessed with great little camping get aways throughout the islands, Kenny and I disappeared to an uncrowded area known

Debris from winter storms adds to our campfire wood supply.

as Sheldon’s Bay for a little R & R. The bay has a very secluded feeling. There are only about half a dozen camp sites, which makes this location uncrowded even during peak season. Grey Bay is also near by for an alternative camping choice.

Low tide provides large areas of beach to explore.

We chose to be lazy and opted to ‘van camp’, but the camp sites are nicely layed out for tents, campers and smaller RV’s. The sites are provincial and are well maintained during peak season. At this time of the year, there is alot of tree fall from winter storms. We spent a good portion of the first afternoon cleaning up debris from our ocean view site. All the wood debris provided us with plenty of wood to burn on our campfire.

Trails and beaches kept us busy exploring as long as daylight would allow us. What a wonderful way for to spend a few days and a couple of nights!

An open fire and an ocean view is the perfect way to enjoy a beautiful day.

Haida Gwaii – Queen Charlotte Islands – North Beach/Tow Hill Tour

Sturdy railings are throughout the new boardwalk.

A peak at the water from the boardwalk.

We’ve read in this weeks observer (our local newspaper) that the boarded walkway out to the Blow hole and up Tow hill has finally been completed! These were improvements that have been needed for a while now. So, we figured this would be a perfect opportunity to take a look. We’re always looking for an excuse to take a trip to Masset & the Naikoon provincial park! The sun graced us with its presence and we enjoyed a beautiful, warm, scenic drive up the coast. Upon reaching North Beach the wind picked up slightly but it was perfect in keeping us cool while trekking up Tow hill to enjoy the view. Today was clear and you could make out the Alaskan Islands across Dixon Entrance. The only disappointment was that our trip was not timed to enjoy the Blow hole erupting with a spout of water.

Ashphalt is added to the planks for traction.

We were very pleased with the new boarded walkway. Parks Canada widened the pathway to allow people to walk side by side. There are new handrails in sections and the steep grade up to Tow Hill has been reduced with added steps in sections of the trail. A great improvement to one of our most popular trails!

April 2, 2011

Haida Gwaii – Queen Charlotte Islands – Old Masset Totems

It’s been a while since I took the opportunity to appreciate the amazing totems we have displayed on the islands. After a nice scenic drive up islands, we passed through the town of Masset to reach Old Masset. This is where we were able enjoy and appreciate the skill and talent that goes into producing these magnificent poles.