Heading to Haida Gwaii
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What/where is Haida Gwaii?
Last August Kory and I visited the Khutzeymateen Grizzly Bear Sanctuary and Great Bear Rainforest which is northwest of Prince Rupert (a small city 465 miles / 748 km by air from Vancouver) and close to the Alaska border.
The beauty of inland coastal waters in NW British Columbia. (EXIF data f7.1, 1/250s, 100mm, ISO500)
I wrote about this adventure here and we had such a good time that we have booked with the same company this year, but we’re heading to Haida Gwaii. There is an archipelago off of British Columbia’s west coast called Haida Gwaii which means Islands of the People in Haida. The islands were formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, but in the 1980’s the name was changed to recognize its origins and importance in to the Haida Nation.
The islands are home to the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site which includes remote islands and temperate rainforest. It is also home to centuries-old totem poles and reflects a time which was quickly fading into the past, but has now experienced a positive resurgence. The Haida people were almost wiped out when European explorers brought diseases such as smallpox followed by removal of children to residential schools by the church and government. It is not a proud moment in Canadian history.
Why visit Haida Gwaii?
We have decided to make this trip to learn more about the history, culture and nature surrounding this area which is full of unique ecosystems and wondrous natural sights. It feels important to experience this amazing area and soak up the atmosphere of a community that has weathered severe hardships and is finding ways of preserving and continuing historical ways of life.
The Afterglow - our home away from home. (EXIF data f5.6, 1/250s, 200mm, ISO200)
Apart from the history and cultural significance of the area there is the natural beauty and wildlife. We are hoping to see our fair share of birds and animals during this trip while also spending some downtime from our renovations.
Our hosts (Jenn and Chris) have a wealth of knowledge and connection to the people and areas we’ll be visiting, so we feel confident that we will experience some truly amazing sights. We’ll be spending the 10 days aboard the Afterglow as we did last year.
Preparation
Typical camera backpack for a trip. (EXIF data iPhone image)
I am starting to notice a trend in our travelling - lack of rigorous planning and preparation other than making the arrangements and flights. In the past we have done a lot of research prior to making a trip, so this recent trend is very unusual for us, but maybe reflective of the chaos in our life in the recent past.
There is something to be said for not doing extensive planning in that we are always pleasantly surprised by what we find and see, so maybe this is not such a bad way for us to travel occasionally.
After last year’s trip we feel quite able to prepare effectively and there are a few things that we learned from last year that will help in our packing in a few days. Specifically - less is more. We took way too much in the way of clothes last year and I am determined to be more selective in my choices.
I also took too much in the way of photography equipment and I am better prepared to go with minimal gear now that I know the sorts of photographs, lighting and activity that I will be able to capture. I’m also determined to do more smartphone photography and creative (e.g., intentional camera movement) photography. I’m also thinking that I won’t take my laptop, but save downloading and processing images for when I return - I still haven’t committed to doing this yet, but I’m leaning that way - it will lighten my load and ensure that I focus on being present during the trip.
I’m quite excited about this trip!
What happens to Roxy?
Roxy spending time on her cat wheel. (EXIF data f4.5, 1/400s, 70mm, ISO5600)
Well Roxy is also excited about this trip as she will escape the noise, chaos and limited space of the renovations to head to stay with our friends Alan and Shelley for 10 days at their home. She enjoys the peace and quiet of their home and I hear that they give the best belly rubs around.
We have spent a lot of time making sure that she is comfortable spending time with them and now when we go visit she adjusts immediately and in fact treats their home as if it is hers (she is a cat!).
Taking Roxy to her vacation home is no easy feat though - there is all of her food and toys to pack up as well as her litterbox and cat wheel - she has a lot of baggage!
Vacations and downtime
I always love the anticipation of a vacation and visiting new locations and seeing new sights. There is something rejuvenating about this and the enforced downtime that helps day to day worries dissolve.
The timing of this vacation couldn’t be better as the renovations are at a point where a lot of changes will take place while we’re away. I’m happy to miss some of the chaos.
Do you have any specific plans for a vacation in the next few months? Do you like to take vacations when it’s hot/summertime or are you more of a winter/cold weather getaway kind of person? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below or reach out to me directly by clicking on the Connect With Me button.
Beautiful sunrise during our trip last year. (EXIF data f8, 1/250s, 124mm, ISO1000)
I hope you’ll come back soon, share a cuppa, relax and enjoy more of my musings.
