Tag Archives: scenery

nature, Photography

Inside Passage to Port Hardy, Part Two

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You can read Part One here: https://lynettedartycross.com/2024/07/29/inside-passage-to-port-stanley-part-one/

On our return from Haida Gwaii which is off the northern coast of British Columbia, we took the ferry ship Northern Expedition through the Inside Passage to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island.

Our route to Port Hardy.

We had an incredibly smooth passage with one section through open water that was also an easy sail. One of the perks of summer sea travel!

The tranquility allowed the passengers to really enjoy the scenery while on the outside decks.
Although somewhat overcast, the temperature and weather were perfect.
The ship’s passage through the water made very gentle ripples.

We passed other vessels, especially small cruise ships, travelling north.

This one is called Le Boreal, a small cruiser with ice-breaking capabilities.
Exiting the Inside Passage and heading south toward the open ocean on the last leg of our journey to Vancouver Island.
There was a small amount of chop and the wind picked up a bit, but it certainly wasn’t rough.
We passed a scenic lighthouse as we neared Port Hardy.
Port Hardy is small but quite busy with commercial fishing boats, ferries, small cruise ships and many private vessels.

The B.C. ferry system is reliable, comfortable and clean. It’s an excellent mode for exploring British Columbia’s coastal waters as the scenery alone is definitely worth the trip. As I mentioned before, the one drawback is the onboard food services which aren’t great, but you can go a long way to rectifying that by bringing along your own in a cooler.

Commentary, nature, Photography

Island Hopping

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Haida Gwaii is an archipelago of 150 islands, but it’s mainly comprised of two larger islands: Graham Island and Moresby Island.

Graham is the biggest and most populated of the two while Moresby is home to a small population, the airport with scheduled service and also to the Gwaii Haanas [“Islands of Beauty”] National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, a federally protected area that shows evidence of Haida habitation from 13,000 years ago.

A 20 minute ferry ride connects Graham and Moresby Islands and is another chance to see more of Haida Gwaii’s breathtakingly beautiful scenery.

Earlier this year, the British Columbia government, through the Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act, returned sovereignty of the islands to the Haida First Nation, the first time since 1787 that the Council of the Haida Nation has been functioning officially.

Because of its ecological diversity, Haida Gwaii is said to be the “Galapagos of the North.” It is home to a unique subspecies of bear as well as to the Haida ermine, animals that aren’t found anywhere else.

In the last two centuries, Haida Gwaii has had a very turbulent history as it contended with colonialism, newly introduced diseases, exploitation and racism, to name a few of the worst issues. The Haida Gwaii Reconciliation Act goes a long way to addressing many of these historical wrongs.

musings, nature, Photography

An Early Walk

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We have some very hot temperatures right now, so it’s important to go walking in the cooler morning hours. Penticton has many trails and paths from which to choose and with varying degrees of difficulty. Even in the morning, it was already quite warm and so we decided to take our time.

A view from a trail above Penticton

At one point, we were accosted by a gaggle of ducks and pigeons who were expecting handouts. This group is seriously used to interacting with humans.

This is a stick-up!

It might be 40C (104F), but really, I prefer the heat over -40C (-40F). I have one more subarctic winter to go before returning permanently to Penticton where my time will be mostly my own!