Tow Hill and the Blow Hole Hike

July 15, 2018

We woke up to drizzling rain, so we took it easy in the morning. We went onto Masset and checked emails in a coffee shop, and shopped for dinner - elk meat - as the fish store was closed!

It cleared up, and after lunch in the cabin with drove 7 km east to Tow Hill, which is 400 ft high and towering over Agate Beach.

Tow Hill

It's face consists of rock columns formed from molten lave approximately 2 million years ago. We hiked the 3.5 km Tow Hill/Blowhole loop hike which had magnificent views of the coast.

The Legend

The Haida speak of a time when Tow lived beside his brother, Towustasin in Juskatla (Port Clements). According to the legend,Tow and Towustasin frequently argued as Tow felt that Towustasin unfairly received more fish than Tow. The legend tells of a feud that sent Tow stomping from Juskatla through Masset Inlet, casting off piles of rock and creating the Tow with all his stomping.

As we were there during low tide, the blowhole wasn't “working”so this is what it looks like, and the local story behind it:

The elk meat tasted gamy and very nice, and was served with pesto pasta and a salad.

Haida Gwai - The Edge of the World

July 14, 2018

'When you have reached the edge or your world, our begins'

History
Haida Gwai means the Islands of the People, and consists of more than 400 islands. The area is 250 km long and 80 km wide at the widest spot. Haida Gwai is a village of 4,500, hardy, unique characters who live en 7 "neighbourhoods" spread up and down the islands. The ocean and the forest is their larder, the ferries their connection to the mainland, and the ferry lineup is one of their gathering points where they socialize and politic - with coffee cup in one hand. The people living here are mainly making their living in the logging, fishing and tourism industries.

The oldest archaeological discoveries dates to be about 12,500 years old, and is some of the earliest-known evidence of human activity in North America.

The first-know contact with the 'outside' world was made with Europeans, Juan Perez in 1774, who noted that the First Nations were a people with extremely high skill sets in the arts, seafaring, trade and negotiation. Haida Gwai holds a fascinating record of human advancement on a microcosmic scale.

But in the mid-1800 it was nearly wiped out, as smallpox reduced the population of tens of thousands to just 1,000. What followed was the 'silent years', where unimaginable amounts of knowledge was lost. Policies hostile to First Nations helped reduce the Haida population further to just 600 by 1900.

Residential schools and racism mark a dark chapter of Canada's history, but today, especially amongst the Haida, there is a cultural revitalization all around the islands. It is no accident Haida art is so highly praised around the world.

The archipelago was long called the Queen Charlotte Islands, so-named in 1787 after the ship of fur trader, George Dixon. But the Haida Nation literally returned that name to the Crown in an official Giving Back the Name Ceremony in 2010.

Arrival
The flight from Vancouver to Sandspit Airport took just under 2 hours, and due to the wonderful weather it was a beautiful flight.

Eagle Transit drove us from the airport via a beautiful 20 minutes ferry ride to Queen Charlotte City (QCC) where we picked up our rental car.

We shopped eggs, bread and vegetables at the local Farmers Market in QCC, and stopped for lunch just outside QCC, which was founded in 1891. It offers a small-town ambience with a charming sea-side appeal.

Then we drove north towards Masset located about 110 km from QCT, and stopped about half way in Port Clements and bought ice cream. Port Clements was the dream of Eli Tingley when arriving here in 1907.

Masset is Haida Gwai's most northern village, and was the first European settlement of Haida Gwai since the 1800s.

In Masset we shopped for groceries and ice for the fridge (read: cooler), and then made our way another 15 km west to the North Beach Cabins. Half of the way the road was paved, the other half of the way was a dirt road, but easy to drive on in a normal car.

Moon Shell Cabin - The Surf is our Pulse
We had booked the Moon Shell Cabin, as it was located on the beach, and it certainly lived up to our expectations.

Nestled in a fringe of young mossy rain forest in the majestic Naikoon Park, this beautiful and very private cedar-shake beach cabin retreat sits directly on the dunes.  The cabin has two large decks, one of the facing directly in to the breaking surf 100 feet away, visible from the living area through nine foot  glass doors. This private and pristine wilderness is an ideal rustic retreat for a remote vacation.

The term “off-grid” has many definitions, however we define it as a lifestyle of self sufficiency able to operate completely off all traditional public utilities. Here we experience alternative energy sources to provide the conveniences most of us are used to in their daily lives. For example; gravity-fed rainwater for washing from kitchen faucet; bottled drinking water is provided in water dispensers; solar lamps, candles, battery operated lamps and lanterns for lighting. Propane fuels lights, heat and cooking. Wood is provided for cabins with wood stoves. Private composting outhouses and outdoor solar shower.

The ocean is one minutes walk from the cabin, and we can easily hear the waves when in the cabin. What a wonderful sound.

The tide was out, so we went for a walk on the beach after dinner.

Here life is lived slowly, at a pace that is rich with unique experiences.

Tadswii'! Kaats'ii Hla! Come in, sit down and be humble.

2018 Haida Gwai, Canada and Alaska, USA

This year we are finally going on a trip we have talked about doing for a long time, but somehow we always seemed to end up going somewhere else much further away. So now it is time to explore our Northern "backyard".

We will be using ferries, planes, and automobiles. We will be off the grid for several periods during the trip as we are staying in a remote cabin in Haida Gwai for 5 nights, taking the ferry from Prince Rupert, Canada to Juneau, Alaska for 2 days and spending 3 nights in a wilderness lodge in Denali National Park, Alaska.

However, stay tuned for sporadic blog posts during the next 3 weeks.

We Are Back

It has been quite a while since the last post (about 4 years!)... but we are still alive and hiking.

We have done some amazing trips since then, but were too busy enjoying them to blog about them:

2015: Two weeks road trip to Washington State, USA, and Okanagan, Canada with family.
2016: Three weeks in the Canadian Rockies; dinosaurs, hiking, backpacking
2017: Six weeks in Turkey, Ireland and Iceland; family time, hiking the 7 day Wicklow Way in Ireland, volcanoes and amazing landscape in Iceland.

If you are interested in know more about these trips please email us, and we will forward detailed information.

Lake Chelan, USA

Canadian Rockies

 Ireland

Iceland

The World Trip - A Quick Recap

SWITZERLAND-Zurich-Meiringen-Swartzwaldalp-Grindelwald-Murren-Geneva-FRANCE-Toulouse-Vieussan-Montpellier-Cannes-ITALY-San Remo-Priocca-Florence-Naples-Amalfi-Pompei-Rome-JORDAN-Amman-Madaba-Dana-Petra-Wadi Rum-Aqaba-NEPAL-Kathmandu-Pokhara-Ulleri-Ghorepani-Ghandruk-Tadapani-Chitwan-THAILAND-Bangkok-Phuket-VIETNAM-Hanoi-Sa Pa-Halong Bay-Phong Nha-Hue-Hoi An-Mui Ne-HoChi Minh City-Mekong Delta-NEW ZEALAND-Auckland-Whangarei-Hahei-Rotorua-Taupo-Whakapapa-Whanganui-Paraparaumu-Wellington-Motueka-Westport-Hokitita-Okarito-Queenstown-Glenorchy-Dunedin-Moeraki-Christchurch-Kaikura-Spring Creek-Punga Cove-Portage Bay-Picton-Tauranga-Auckland.

Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happened!

..... those were the words of consolation from my friend, Berit, when I expressed sadness about our great adventure coming to and end. I am getting there! 

Back to the future

When we flew home from New Zealand, I felt like I was leaving the movie theater in the middle of a wonderful movie not knowing how it would end! We arrived home on March 4, but I still feel a bit lost and that life is surreal. Honestly, I didn't want to come home; I have none of my immediate family in Canada, and I had to start finding work, which was a bit scary. 

Strangers had been living in our home, and it felt like I had lived here in a previous life. It was like moving back in again; putting the clothes back in the closet and retrieving things from storage. Feeling rings on the fingers again just underlined the feeling of strangeness. Furthermore, our stuff is overwhelming; the contrast between what we have been happily used to living with for eight months and what we own is shocking! I have so much clothes to choose from......

Being on top of the world has a wonderful way of making me feel more grounded!

I felt a certain restlessness having been addicted  to constant stimulation. My brain is left with twiddling its cerebral thumbs, unsure what to do with the excess hours. Emotionally, I was in no hurry to start working, I needed to adjust as well as time to find my center again.

"There are only two ways to live your life: One is as though nothing is a miracle.  

The other is as though everything is a miracle.”

Albert Einstein

Travel Is Transformational!
It taught me about the world, how to navigate unknown situations, and learn to go with the flow. It made me a better me. No one ever comes back home and said “Wow! Travelling sucks.” People come back from trips with a greater appreciation for life for a reason. Once you travel and experience other cultures, your perception of the world changes. It also taught me about the commonality people around the world share. We are not so different after all.

“I am not the same having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” 

 Mary Anne Radmacher

Why do I find myself looking quizzically at everything to try to figure out what is different? Everything feels different while nothing has really changed. Everyone looks exactly the same - I feel like a totally different person. But it is difficult to explain what that 'felling different' is! I know that the journey have made a difference to us, to the way we feel about ourselves, each other and the world. Now I feel an obligation to do something with it - to make it more than simply an extended holiday.

The questions most people have asked us is the traditional travel story questions: What did you like the most? What were your highlights? Those are difficult questions to answer, believe it or not, as every place and country had something special to offer.The real travel story is the internal journey! Emotions, changes that makes the experience special. The single best thing was the total absence of responsibility. Feeling of freedom. Self-indulgent time. It has been an existential detox!

"People don’t take trips . . . trips take people."

John Steinbeck

Andy:

Well, it's been just over two months back, and I still feel like an outsider looking in. I think part of it is that I am substitute teaching and don't have my job back till September. It is really funny when people at work say 'you haven't changed at all"! Inside there has been a deep change in me. I see the world differently.  I am thinking that someday in the future I might want to combine my love of travel with working.

As per usual, what I do and have right now makes me very comfortable. Do I want to take the risk? This is something I have to decide in the next year or two. I don't want to be sitting in my rocking chair someday wishing I had done something!

"The only courage you ever need is the courage to live the life you want."

Oprah Winfrey

As mentioned, the most common question we were asked when we came back was, "What was your favorite place?".  At first, we tried to answer this question, but we quickly realized that over such a long trip there is no defining moment. There were maybe 15-20 wows that just don't compete with one another. Walking 4 km largely by ourselves in a cave in Vietnam is totally different than walking through a mountainous active volcanic area in New Zealand.

So where to go from here...
Since I have returned to Vancouver, I have routinely had the best sleeps in the last 15 years. I am formulating a plan to try to reduce my stress when I return to full time teaching next year. This includes getting to work earlier, and not marking tests when I am tired. No school work after 8 pm. I also hope to get better prepared, instead of following my patented organized chaos system! I can find anything in a pile of papers but not sure if that is something to be proud of!!

As I near the end of my teaching career, I am looking forward to doing some mentoring next year. Great to have the opportunity to pass on some of my knowledge and expertise. 
I have also re-started the Outdoor Club next year at school. Great to pass on my love of nature to the younger generation. Hopefully my cranky, ageing body will cooperate!

Finally, travel has become a big part of my life again. It is a lot easier to do once your children are older. In September, we will start saving for the next one. I would love to travel for two years straight! Easier said then done!! This is only one chapter in a long book!

"It is never too late, to be what you might have been."

George Eliot

If You Don't Go, You Won't Have A Story

Stop thinking you are not ready. Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zone, which means we won't feel totally comfortable at first.

Age is just a number. There are all ranges of ages traveling all over and around the world. We saw several people older than us bicycling in the Mekong Delta, climbing up Poon Hill to see the sunrise, and there were all types carrying just backpacks through airports and bus/train stations. It’s a cliche, but you’re not getting any younger, so just go for it. You don’t have to plan to go all the way around the world in one trip either. Start your adventure small and let it grow from there. 

Don't wait too long - tomorrow never comes. Too often we try to wait for the perfect time to travel, that time when all the stars align, but that time never comes. 

Time goes by so fast when travelling, so be sure to stop once in a while and marvel at the moments you create.

You will never have enough money and there will always be someones wedding, birthday, etc. etc. Don't wait. When you want to go, just go. 

"He who is outside his door has the hardest part of his journey behind him." 

Dutch proverb

Those are words to live by..... So stop dreaming, and start packing!

Pssst! We are off to Turkey early June for Stephanie and Thomas' wedding, and it is SO exciting.Stay tuned!

Too Much Stuff Syndrome!

He who would travel happily must travel light

- Antoine de Sait Exupery

When Dorte and I packed for our round the world trip, we both fell victim to Too Much Stuff Syndrome (TMSS). So, in France, we shipped some clothes/shoes to Dorte's sister in Denmark. Me, the big and heavy items I shipped were runners and a pair of jeans. My hiking shoes would have to be enough and who needs jeans when it is 30+ everyday, and they take ages to try. Six months later, I ended up buying a pair of jeans and sandals in New Zealand. Sure beats carrying something on your shoulders for six months that you don't use! Besides, my hiking pants could double for jeans.

I still had TMSS; my knapsack would barely close, which was an improvement from sitting on it! So, for awhile, at each hotel along the way, I would examine my luggage and try to leave one thing behind at each location. This strategy worked quite well because it made me think of what was really important. Often, these were things that I thought someone could use, and I was happy to leave it for them.

Finally, in Turkey, about a month and a half later, I sent more stuff back to Denmark with Dorte's daughter Stephanie, who happened to be living in Denmark at that time. A pair of dress pants and a dress belt, a Kobo reader, and one of 3 pairs of hiking socks further lightened my load. All of this I did despite the well-intentioned warnings of good friends and world travellers Sharen and Keith (Yes, you may take a bow now!). They only travel with carry on packs! How does this work?They buy what they need along the way (e.g.. warm clothing in Nepal), and give it away with satisfaction when they are done with it. Also, think of the benefits of no waiting for luggage and no lost luggage!

First flight, and the only time we lost luggage!

Why do we travel with so much stuff? Europe, with 400 million people, surely has everything we need. Every other country has brand stores where you don't have to worry about buying cheap knock-offs! I think it is a combination of a little bit of insecurity and the hassles when you are on holidays to look for something you need. It is a lot more difficult to find something and much more time consuming, when you don't have a car and you need to rely on public transportation. Also the prices for clothes and hard goods are often 2-3 more expensive in Europe as opposed to North America. 

We both felt the Sharen and Keith's option was too extreme for us as we are avid hikers. We both use expensive hiking poles which would not be allowed on planes, and have Goretex rain wear which would be prohibitively expensive to buy. As we like to climb mountains, we felt we need that extra change of clothes, it can be much chillier at higher elevations. We need specialized quick dry clothes and thermal underwear for the nights in the Himalayas with no heat. Even though we only to used them for 5 weeks in Nepal and 1 week in northern Vietnam, we both felt it was worth it to carry them for the whole trip. Turns out we were smarter than we thought, because we changed our plans and went to New Zealand. 

Tongariro Crossing

We felt that some things we carried were essential, i.e. malaria medication, high altitude and diarrhea pills, antibiotic swaps and a complete hiking safety kit were things we didn't scrimp on. We had a bad experience once north of Whistler when snow shoeing in the winter with -30C conditions, and we decided from then on we would be self sufficient. I did regret buying two bottles of DEET in Vancouver. I am sure I could have got them in Kathmandu. If I had my time back I would have taken far less clothes, washing more often in hotel sinks and laundromats when/where possible as mentioned in the previous blog post.

Final Pieces of Advice

Bring less stuff and twice as much money
Once you have done your final packing , empty it all on the bed, and discard at least half of it
Plan to purchase what you need locally

Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not
only indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind

- Henry David Thoreau