Subject: My trip to Queen Charlotte Islands |
Hi Folks:
For those of you who like to travel to out of the way places, I have a place for you. This summer, you can travel to the end of The Global Transportation Network. If the start of the Global Transportation Network is the first step you take out of your home, then the end is when you aren't able to travel farther without retracing your steps. I've found one end, in the Queen Charlotte Islands. I drove from Portland, (OR) to Prince Rupert (BC), which is a very long drive. From Prince Rupert, I took a ferry to The Queen Charlotte Islands. It was a beautiful and smooth ferry ride (don't forget to make reservations for the return ferry ride). After some tribulation, I arranged for a float plane ride from Queen Charlotte City to Rose Harbor, in the Southern Queen Charlottes. BTW, don't expect big cities on either end. Queen Charlotte City is small, and Rose Harbor appeared to consist of two, or possibly three homes and a float to keep the plane from drifting away. Two French guys shared the back seat of the plane, while I rode shotgun to the pilot. The trip to Rose Harbor was a spectacular flight along the East Coast of the Archipelago. We passed over pods of whales and orcas and some breath-taking island views. The landing at Rose Harbor was bumpy, but not heart stopping. We were met by a French Canadian Mountain Man wannabe, who was taking us the rest of the way by Zodiac. I learned some interesting French Curses when our Zodiac driver suddenly swerved to avoid a whale, but other than that instance and lots of salt spray, the ride was uneventful. We arrived at Anthony Island unharmed, but wetter than when we left. I looked at our lonely Zodiac on the beach, and realized that the only way off the island was the way we had come. After a short hike, our party arrived at the former village of Ninstints, which according to our guide and the Haida caretaker was the only old First Nations Village in the archipelago with mortuary poles still standing. It was a site well worth the work required to reach it. So, that was my trip to the End of the Global Transportation Network. Clearly, I came back. Gary Adams |