Justine’s Blog

Today Matt from Body Boat Blade took me paddling to some of the tide races around the Orcas islands. We took the ferry to Lopez island and had a fun day in the Cattle Pass area. The tide was flowing at 3-4 knots and there was a bit of wind to kick up the waves a bit. We kept moving about to different races, playing at spinning our kayaks on the eddylines and surfing the waves. The best playspot came last as we found a smooth rock platform just below the surface which was really cool to watch underneath the kayaks. The tide rushed down the platform and hit the seabed, slowly the water built up in the bottom until there was enough to form a surging wave rushing forwards against the tide. It was fun and gentle to start with and then the race kicked up a bit giving a wetter ride and some good waves with burried bows! We spent over 3 hours non-stop paddling from race to race and I’m feeling content but a bit tired now!

Tomorrow I’m going to Deception Pass – another place with strong currents and sharp eddylines – to film Dubside and Warren playing in the water with their greenland paddles. I better get some rest!

BILL REID’S HAIDA WAR CANOE

I don’t have time to reflect too much on the trip yet as we are keeping busy living! It’s been a fun few days in Queen Charlotte chatting to people and surrounding ourselves with art, dancing & food, all with a Haida flavour. We went to a great seafood feast at the herritage centre where we were served, amongst other things, herrings eggs on kelp ( I don’t think I’ll be seeking them out again but I enjoyed trying them!). After dinner we were entertained by Haida dancing, which was really colourful and interesting. We were also lucky enough to chance upon 2 of the artists at the centre who are spending 3 months making 90foot long Haida war canoes – almost the first time theyv’e been made for over 100 years. The only other ‘modern’ Haida canoe is already at the centre – it was designed and overseen by the famous Haida artist Bill Reid 20 years ago. It’s an incrediblly beautiful cedar canoe that is paddled every year in races and to transport important people. I find it amazing that the Haida regularly paddled these canoes over 70km to mainland Canada, raided towns there and paddled back with slaves. We think we’re adventurous to kayak in the waters that they paddled in year round just to collect food to live. You gotta admire that!

Shawna later found out that one of the artists carving the canoe also made a limited edition Haida print that she’d just bought.

THE BLINKING HOUSE AT WINDY COVE, BY ROBERT & REG DAVIDSON, THAT WE STAYED IN

Yesterday we got the ferry over to Sandspit on Moresby and went to visit the home of Neil & Betty Carey, the couple who built & lived in the cabin at Puffin Cove on the west coast of Moresby that we stayed in. Neil was pleased to invite us in & show us some of their thousands of Japanese glass balls and whale bones that they beachcombed. We could show him a few photos of Puffin Cove and let him know how the place is doing.

LOOK CLOSELY AND YOU’LL SEE PUFFIN COVE CABIN

SHAWNA & LEON WITH NEIL CAREY

Today we hired a car and drove to a few sights, including the location where the famous tree, the Golden Spruce, was cut down in the middle of the night by a logger in 1997. We looked around lots of shops & galleries searching for the perfect piece of Haida jewelry made from argillite, a black shale-like rock that is only found in Haida Gwaii and only Haida people are allowed to carve. Eventually Shawna & I both chose necklaces that we liked, mine was by Myles Edgars & hers was by his daughter Amy. We later drove through Old Masset and stopped at a house which said ‘Argillite carvers, visitors welcome’. Incredibly, inside sat Myles & Amy carving away!! So we all had to buy something else directly from the artists! In the shop in Old Masset I fell in love with a beautiful bentwood box ( which had just sold for $18,000 !), 5 mins later the young guy who had carved it walked in the door! I took a photo in case I can ever afford to commission one!

THE WONDERFUL BENTWOOD BOX WITH IT”S MAKER
At the risk of going on I’ll tell you one more story! Earlier in our kayaking trip we camped on the beach outside Old Masset. The next morning a man drove up to the beach and threw away some crab remains. We asked if it was OK that we camped there and he said, “Sure. I don’t mind, I just think it’s funny that someone is camping in our garbage dump”! It turned out that the man was the famous Haida artist Reg Davidson and we had a great chat with him. We’ve since seen his artwork and his name in many books & shops. A few weeks later in Rose Harbour, Reg’s brother, the even more famous Haida artist, Robert Davidson happened to be there on a charter yacht so we got to chat to him aswell. He told us that the long house we’d spent the night in at Windy Bay on Lyell island was designed by him and painted by his brother Reg!

I really love the fact that we’ve met so many of the people who are keeping Haida art alive. Art is really important to the Haida as it’s an expression of their connection with the land & a huge part of their history. They never used to have a written language so family crests on clothing and on totem poles were used to tell other people about a persons family and status. Most of the crests are of animals, encouraging a respect for the bears, killer whales, eagles and ravens that sustained the Haida, and lived alongside them. Haida art developed over 10,000 years and is really beautiful and sophisticated.

Tomorrow we take the ferry back to Prince Rupert and begin a 4 day journey back to Body Boat Blade…..

THE WAR CANOES BEING BUILT AT THE HERRITAGE CENTRE

MYLES CARVING AN ARGILLITE TOTEM POLE

LEON BRINGING ME MY MORNING MINT TEA!

WE SPENT AN HOUR WITH 6 HUMPBACKS ON OUR SECOND TO LAST DAY

I learn so much on these trips, both about myself, the world we live in and other cultures. On this trip particularly, I learned a lot about a culture that is still very much alive today, and connects us to the past of this region. The Haida people are doing a great job of educating people about the rich culture of their past and how they are bringing it forward into the future.

I really enjoyed our team, it was strong, competent, and considerate. Life on the water and at camp was fun! Justine always made us laugh, and she always pulled out treats to keep our spirits high. In camp, we had lot’s of time to explore and relax, do Yoga, and Shawna had time to paint in her journal.

SHWANA & LEON IN THE HOT SPRINGS

1,000 METRE PEAKS ON THE WEST COAST

These were the highlights of the trip for me:
As we were waiting for humpback whales to pass on a swelly day on the west coast – 5 curious sea lions stopped to play amoungst our boats for 20 minutes. Seeing puffins around Cape St. James, paddling into the house size swell as we rounded Cape Knox looking into the “green rooms” of some very large boomers. Seeing the haida kids after their SOLO rediscovery program, dinner with Susan and her clan at Rose harbor – what a fantastic place!, recovering from illness at Puffin Cove…

I’ve been dreaming of paddling around Haida Gwaii since I lived in Minnesota. Back then, I stored my kayak diagonal across the living room floor, and I drank many cups of coffee sitting in that kayak dreaming of trips. I picked up Joel Rodger’s book “The Hidden Coast” and read about Haida Gwaii, and was immediately drawn to this place.

Thanks to Justine and all of our sponsors for making this trip happen!

I read 2 books on this trip that I highly recommend – The Golden Spruce by John Valliant, and Raven’s Cry by Christie Harris.

SHAWNA TAKES SOME AIR ON THE WEST COAST

THE WOMAN HERSELF!

HAPPY FACES ARRIVING BACK IN QUEEN CHARLOTTE!

We have been back for a day now, and I have been in a bit of culture shock all day. The feeling is hard to describe. I’ll start by describing our first full day back in Queen Charlotte City.

We got up late this morning and Leon and I went straight to Queen Bs, a lovely little waterside coffee shop, where Leon got scolded for asking for a Grande – the woman behind the counter was nice about it all but she basically asked him to leave his Starbucks mentality at the door! Anyway, it is nice to have someone make you a cup of coffee in the morning (Leon has finally been given some relief, as he unfailingly brought me a steaming cup of coffee and Justine a cup of tea every morning of the trip!) Then we found Justine who had been trying unsuccessfully to get a flight down to Rose Harbor as she would have loved to get some airiel footage of the south coast of Moresby. From there, we all went to have a wander around in the galleries here in town. We decided to spend the rest of the day at the newly built and impressive Haida Cultural center and Museum in Skidegate. Since we don’t have a car, we have to rely on our thumbs and we hitched a ride from a man visiting from Prince George. The car noises are here intermingled with the sounds of calling eagles and curious ravens everywhere. I went to bed last night thinking this is the first night in about 28 that I could hear a car engine as I started to doze.


The museum was worth the visit, and we got a great tour from Jason who interpreted the 6 totem poles, the Haida War Canoes on display and the walk into history of artefacts and art from long ago. Tommorow night we will return and join in on a special Haida feast, and night of dancing performances!

The strange culture shock feeling started in the morning when I sat up from bed, and put my feet on the wooden floor of the Hostel we are staying in and I wandered down the hall to the indoor bathroom to brush my teeth. When we are not on an expedition, we are inside a lot, and this, after being outside a lot, feels a bit strange and takes some getting used to. I don’t so easily feel the wind, the rain, the sand between my toes, nor the salt on my face.

Having coffee in the shop and wandering around looking at beautiful art and books all tempting us to spend some money was fun, but I was again reminded at how different this day was to the last 30. Out there on the trip, we have nowhere to shop and the exploring we have to do everyday is into the forest or up and down some beautiful stretch of beach. If we find a cool shell or a stone or some scenery – we don’t have to buy them or ask if we can see them.

JUSTINE IN SWELL AND MIST ON THE WEST COAST

YOGA ON THE GORDON ISLANDS
In town, I do not check the weather report on the VHF, nor do I necessarily know what the tides are doing, and I easily loose track of the phase of the moon. I guess I don’t necessarily need this information to live or to travel here in town, so I get lazy again when I am not on a trip. I feel a bit out of touch with the natural world, and this makes me uneasy, and it is the expedition that has reminded me of this.
On the other hand, on a trip, I feel a bit out of touch with what is happening in the rest of the world and I find myself wondering what changes there have been as I guess I have got used to knowing so easily what the greater world is doing.

Today, I felt a bit caught between two worlds that strangely coexhist together. Life on an expedition makes me appreciative of all that we have at home or in town, and being out there makes me appreciate all the more the raging and complex beauty of the natural world.

The very coolest thing is that I feel like I can go between the two and enjoy both. Haida Gwaii has given us that. This place is magnificent, peaceful, and powerful. I will relish in our memories of this trip for the rest of my life.

JUSTINE FILMING LEON ROUNDING THE SOUTHERN TIP OF HAIDA GWAII

UNDERWATER URCHINS

Leon and Justine will write their comments over the next few days and we’ll post more photos!