The excitement of penetrating through old growth forest on the rugged coast of British Columbia was made easier for us by the bears that have been here for centuries. Trails of sorts have been established by black bears and grizzly bears, especially near the riverbanks. Now it was up to us to follow those trails and to avoid the windfalls, the nasty devil's club and boot-catching roots.

Those who judged the hiking to be a little too challenging chose to enjoy quiet rides in our Zodiacs, but the "bush-whackers" set out and had a great time, as did the leisure hikers. We identified the many trees, flowering plants and birds, and discussed forest ecosystems, logging practices and the unique and delicate nature of this temperate rainforest. We marveled at the clear rivers of cold water, which flow quickly from the snowfields above. By September and October these rivers will be crowded with spawning salmon, and the bears and eagles will assemble for their annual pre-winter feast.

We had crossed the open waters of Queen Charlotte Sound and Milbanke Sound in calm water through the night, and found even calmer water on the magnificent Inside Passage. In mid morning we enjoyed a side excursion into Khutze Inlet and then here into Altanash Inlet, two of the many glacier-carved fjords of this coast. Their surrounding snow-capped peaks added a touch of coolness to the warm sun.

Topping off a perfect day was an encounter with seven killer whales, which were heading south as we were heading north. We turned and followed, and easily enticed everyone to leave the dinner table early. Dessert could wait.