Easter morning dawned clear and calm with a half-moon hanging in the sky. As guests filtered onto the bow to watch our approach to the dock, it was apparent that a handful came prepared to celebrate the day by wearing rabbit ears.
The morning activity was a visit to the famed Haida Heritage Center, incorporating the Haida Gwaii Museum, performance house, carving shed, canoe house, and several classrooms. The stunning museum exhibited pieces of Haida history and contemporary life, Haida art and culture (including button blankets, argillite carvings, and totem poles), natural history of the islands, and priceless Haida Nation artifacts that have been repatriated from museums and galleries in the UK. Outside, the six totems represent the six villages of Skidegate.
After lunch, we bussed to Spirit Lake for hikes (casual moderate, long) through the rain forest. The long hikers experienced a unique afternoon, with sun, rain, hail…and bear tracks! But all enjoyed a serene walk through an old-growth rainforest with 50 shades of green provided by lichens, mosses, needles, and leaves.
In the evening, two Watchmen joined us and provided an explanation of the program prior to our overnight voyage to SGang Gwaay.
