A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON OF DANCE, LEGENDS AND FRIENDSHIP AT THE KWAKWAKA'WAKW BIG HOUSE

We were delighted to be invited to the Kwakwaka'wakw Big House in Alert Bay to share in an afternoon of traditional dance and legend telling. We were welcomed with warmth and hospitality to this wonderful event.

The elders of the Kwakwaka'wakw community are passing the legends, dances, language and customs of their ancestors to the children of the tribe instilling pride of their amazing history.

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A lovely young girl poses for us.
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Mother and Daughter dance represent the importance of family within the Kwakwaka'wakw culture.

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A Kwakwaka'wakw legendary figure dances and represents the "dark side".

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Two young men enjoy showing off there Kwakwaka'wakw clothing and then invite us to join them in a dance.

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My new friend welcomes me to the Big House with a traditional dance.
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This captivating dance depicted flight in this mystical atmosphere of the Big House.
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It was delightful to chat with these two lovely Kwakwaka'wakw elders who are active in the community teaching native language, customs and dance. We spoke of the freedoms of getting older and becoming comfortable with our sense of "self acceptance".

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PORT MCNEILL TO SOINTULA ON MALCOLM ISLAND AUGUST 7TH TO AUGUST 16TH

After the installation of our new Windlass we left Port McNeill for Sointula on Malcolm Island. We were looking forward to visiting with our friends and relaxing for a couple of days. When Louie realized how good the crabbing was we ended up staying for 9 days. We enjoyed our visit to Bere Point where the Orcas come to rub barnacles from their bodies on the pebble beaches. We collected a variety of beautiful smooth round stones pushed by a glacier before it began to recede. We saw a pod of Orcas and Humpback Whales blowing in the distance. We met a researcher camped on the beach with his hydro-phone to hear their underwater calls.
We had dinner with our friends Kathleen, Jim and Bruce. We walked the quaint roads and picked wild blackberries. With the wealth of crabmeat we will feast for weeks. When 6 days of moorage are paid at the Sointula Marina the rest of the month is free. We really enjoyed our visit and departed for Port McNeill on August 16th to prepare for Dante and Deborah's visit on August 18th thru September 6th.

There is a thriving business of "Salal" gathering on Malcolm Island for the florist industry. The plants are common in this region and cover the forest floor. Before the berries appear this hearty greenery is often found in our bouquets of flowers. First Nations people dried the berries and they became an important source of vitamin c during winter months.
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This research camp is located along Bere Point Beach on the east side of Malcolm Island. Troy Bright - originally from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, moved to Malcolm Island B.C. in March of 1997. Arriving in Sointula, he camped out at Bere Point Park, and found an area thriving with life. Orcas that rub themselves along pebble beaches. Humpback whales passing close to shore, Bald Eagles fishing daily from treetops, as schools of salmon pass under them headed for their natal rivers, continuing the cycles that have been going on there for thousands of years. Troy has become a steward and an educator while watching out for the Orcas and other wildlife.

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This pod is made up of three males that have come to the east side of Malcolm Island at Bere Point Beach. Their mother died of old age and they will probably not join another pod.
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Orcas come from within 15 feet of the shore of the rocky beach to scape the barnacles from their bodies.
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Friend Kathleen sits on the rock beach pondering her newly found treasures. Malcolm Island is known as a "glacial dump". As the glacier advanced and then receded it left behind rounded smooth rocks scraped from its path.
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One of many interesting residents of Sointula.
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RIVERS INLET TO BLUNDEN HARBOR JULY 28TH & 29th

In the foggy mist we departed Duncanby Landing and headed south through Queen Charlotte Sound then around Cape Caution to Blunden Harbor. The seas were moderate and wind started to come up just before Blunden Harbor. It was gusting 12 to 20 knots when we were attempting to raft to Forever and Ever. Once the sun set the wind calmed and we had a restful night. We decided to stop for the night as not to arrive late in the evening in Port McNeil. It was the Canada Day long weekend and we needed a slip so we could repair the windlass. At 7:30 AM we detached from Forever and Ever for the last time and headed for Port McNeill. We arrived about noon and anxiously waited for a call back on the VHF from the marina with our slip assignment. It was very busy and we were fortunate to get the second to the last slip. We squeezed into it with barely enough room. Lou and Gary had done their homework on the internet before going to the local marine store and found a new, bigger, better, stronger model Maxwell 2200 VWC in stock at a supply store in Victoria. The local dealer ordered on Friday and arrived Saturday morning. The repairman that had straighten the shaft before we left looked at the job and admitted it was beyond him. So Gary graciously offered to help Lou install it. We celebrated Louie's birthday with Dayle and Gary at a local Inn which had a wonderful seafood buffet. We had mussels, clams, dungenous crab, sushi, chicken, ribs, pasta,and salads.

Lou asks for a tool to be passed to him. He has been crammed into this small space for hours. Fortunately we have Gary's expertise on deck to make sure the installation is correct. There goes Louie's back . . . .
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Gary is in the anchor chain locker on deck and Lou is directly below him installing the new windlass.
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Louie uses the "Braille"method to attach the windless from underneath as Gary guides the bolts through. Notice how small and cramped the space in the bow is. The washer / dryer had to be pulled out.
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FROM ROSE HARBOR TO PRUTH BAY ONTO DUNCANBY LANDING JULY 26TH 7 27TH

We returned to Rose Harbor to prepare for our voyage across Hecate Strait and on to Pruth Bay. We checked all of our weather sources and it was a "GO". We departed at 7 PM and had calm winds and seas all through the night with a three quarter moon. Lou and I took four hour shifts at the wheel. At one point just before dark we encountered a group of Porpoise that were so busy feeding that they ignored us. Our passage was 120 miles and we arrived at our destination at 12 noon. After something to eat and a shower we took a long nap. We felt so fortunate to have had such a great passage. In the morning we departed for Duncanby Landing. Just before we reached beginning of Queen Charlotte Sound near Rivers Inlet we saw whales! They are so difficult to photograph but we enjoyed trying! Duncanby Landing was a welcomed sight. We did some much needed maintenance to the boats such as washing down the decks. We had a wonderful dinner at the restaurant and later that evening explored Goose Bay.

Here is whale just north of Rivers Inlet on our way to Duncanby from our overnight at Pruth.
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It is very difficult to photograph whales. Click on the picture to make it larger.
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The charming Duncanby Landing in Rivers Inlet.
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The Seafood Pasta was wonderful and even better because we didn't have to cook it or do the dishes after three weeks in the wilderness.
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Fish and Chips at the Duncanby Landing Restaurant.
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Sunset in River's Inlet from Duncanby.
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ROSE HARBOR TO SGANG GWAAY JULY 25TH

We motored to Rose Harbor where we could leave Seventh Heaven on a mooring ball. Rafting would be too dangerous with the open ocean swell off of Sgang Gwaay. We were very excited to see this site. There are more standing poles here that any other Heritage Site. Between 1790 and 1890 thousands Haida died of the epidemics introduced when they made contact with the Europeans against which they had no defense. On Sgang Gwaay many hundred are buried in caves, in mortuary poles and in the earth. This site is very sacred to the Haida people. The islands have been home to the Haida people for as long as oral history and archaeology have recorded occupation of the north which is at least 10,000 years. Approximately 14,000 people have lived in over 126 known village sites. Following first contact with Europeans, the population plummeted to 589 by 1911.
These islands were visited and recorded by Spanish explorer Juan Perez in July 1774 and in 1778 Captain Cook visited.
There are 1,884 islands in the archipelago, a mixture of snow-top mountains and fiords that plunge into the sea, mist-enshrouded forests and windswept sandy beaches. It is said the submerged mountain chain rises at the rate a human fingernail grows with the tallest peaks perpetually capped in snow. Just a mile or two offshore, the continental shelf falls away dramatically to the immense depths of the Pacific Ocean. Haida Gwaii is the most active earthquake area in Canada. Natural landslides are a common occurrence, and scarred mountainsides are visible from the fjord-like inlets. The total land area of Haida Gwaii is approximately 3,840 square miles; 156 miles (250 km) from north to south.
The isolation of this island group and the absence of mammalian predators make this an incredibly important seabird nesting area. Despite its small size, it supports over 40,000 breeding pairs of 10 different species of birds.
In 1985 the Haida took their stand over logging on Lyell Island. Their peaceful protest ultimately led to the protection of the area and the creation of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. The unusual and abundant flora and fauna that thrive in this Galapagos of the North and the marine and wildlife diversity of the surrounding waters and forests make it an ecological marvel. The Ice Age of 15,000 years ago did not reach most of the islands.

We left Seventh Heaven on the one and only mooring ball in Rose Harbor. It would be too dangerous to try and raft in the open waters off of the island of Sgang Gwaii.
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We approach Sgang Gwaii on Forever and Ever.
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When we were anchoring Forever and Ever we were unable to contact the Watchman to guide us to the best anchorage. The island is unprotected from the open ocean swells. The bottom came up fast and Dayle and Gary were in the midst of a tense situation when dropping the anchor. As I quietly looked on I SAW A PUFFIN! I have always wanted to see a real one and yet with the tense situation going on I could not say a word. I was about to burst with excitement and wanted to yell with joy. After the boat was safely anchored I bursted out with: "I SAW A PUFFIN but he disappeared". We did not see him again.
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As we climbed up the path from our landing site this was our first view of the poles lining the beach front of the Sgang Gwaay Village.

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This was our Haida host at Sgang Gwaay. It is not just a Canadian Heritage Site but also a World Heritage Site deemed so by UNESCO. We were very surprised when she did not join us and we found our way from a guide book given to us at our orientation class in Skidegate.
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Louie beckons us to follow him on the path to the Watchman's cabin.
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The poles stand as lonely sentinels representing the dead.
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This Morturary Pole appears to honor and protect a child. Perhaps a child of a Chief.
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The support of this pole was placed by a well meaning sailor that donated his mast to save the pole before the Watchman Program started in the 1980's.
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Morturary poles line the shoreline of Sgang Gwaay
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EXPLORING THE BURNABY NARROWS JULY 23RD

We rafted in Bag Bay which is closer to the narrows. We wanted to investigate what we had missed by taking the "easy way out". The narrows are obstructed and strewn with rocks and it must be navigated in a zig zag pattern lining up the markers for safe passage. We enjoyed the dinghy ride and stopped at several spots to investigate and explore. We took our burnables and safely burned them on the shore. We spotted and old cabin along the shore. We poked around and was startled by the ominous figure of a cantankerous hermit that was very disturbed at our presence! He demanded that we leave immediately, and that we did!!!!!!

We are rafted in Bag Bay near Burnaby Narrows.
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Look carefully for the family of deer along the shore of the narrows.
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An interesting boat passes us as we explore Burnaby Narrows at slack tide.
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We make a fire along the shore to burn our paper products.
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We discover and old cabin along the shore of the treacherous narrows.
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AND TO OUR SURPRISE WE ARE ACCOSTED BY "LOUIE,THE HERMIT OF BURNABY NARROWS!!!"
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THE BIG BLACK BEAR OF SLIM INLET JULY 23RD

We decided that we would go on the outside of Burnaby Island instead of going through the treacherous Dolomite (also called Burnaby) Narrows. They must be navigated diligently at high slack tide by lining up markers placed on the shore. It was a beautiful day with calm wind and seas so we opted to take the "easy way".
We rafted in Slim Inlet. Dayle and I were commenting that we had not seen any bears when out of the corner of my eye I saw a large black object on the shore. We grabbed the binoculars and it was a "BIG BLACK BEAR". We hopped in Wings and slowly moved toward him as quietly as possible. He looked up! He stared at us! He ran for cover by a mound of rocks! He stared at us and we began to back off! He watched us until we returned to the boats and he disappeared into the forest.

The big black bear is enjoying his morning snack of crabs and clams. The bears of Gwaii Haanas have included shell fish in their diet and are able to eat them with their big extra stong jaws.
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He sees and smells us!
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He runs for cover!
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He watches us from behind a mound of rocks.
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HASWELL BAY TO HOTSPRINGS ISLAND JULY 21ST AND 22ND

Since we had to raft we wanted to choose the most protected anchorages we could find. We selected Haswell Bay and entered at high tide. We went to the head of the anchorage through a very shallow rock invested shelf. We watched a mother Bald Eagle and her eaglet interacting. We had a great Potluck and enjoyed the evening on Forever and Ever. In the morning the tide was about mid way in when we attempted to exit. Both boats bumped the bottom and since Seventh Heaven's keel is longer we had to wait for Forever and Ever to get through then Gary jumped in his dinghy "Amen" and guided us on a winding path through the kelp with sometimes only inches between us and the bottom. It was a very "challenging" experience!
We continued on to Hotsprings island. This is the site where we saw the most people.
There were groups of kyackers waiting when we rafted off the beach. The Watchman handled it very well even though they had to limit our time to one hour. We still had a sense of privacy and the hot soothing waters felt good on our weary bones.
The source of the water is unknown and it is not ocean salt water. There are many theories on how the water surfaces on this island.

Louie and I love to explore this paradise in "Wings" our dinghy.
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Potluck Night on Forever and Ever. MaMa Mary's Pizzaeria made a "Hot Sicillan Salami and Pepperoni with Garlic and Onions on a homemade wheat crust". Dayle made Marinated Bar B Qued Chicken with a big green salad and we brought our homemade wine.
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The baby eglet is so camoflaged that you can hardly see him. Mother Bald Eagle is in a tree across the way calling and encouraging her little one to take a "leap of faith and FLY"
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Hotsprings Island
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Lou enjoying the hottest of the pools 103 degrees!
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"Here is to you Alex and Mike" and "Thank You" for the bottle of Merridale Cider you gave us for this occasion when we saw you last.
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Ballerina, Louise, practices her Arabesque in her new protective ballet shoes while performing in "Swan Lake" which is now known as "Swan Hot Spring"
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