Home Sweet Home for the next 4 days.

The little town of Klemtu is so small we could have walked to Spirit Bear Lodge, SBL, from the ferry dock, but our hosts picked us up, loaded us and our gear onto a pick-up to travel the short distance to our accommodations. SBL is an eco lodge which proved to be very comfortable for our stay providing great food and camaraderie. The lodge was founded by the Kitasoo Xai'Xais First Nations People as a means to provide employment for their people and to fund their efforts to preserve what is so very dear to them...the Great Bear Rain Forest and all that inhabits within.

Our greeting party

A.J. and Tim, the backbone of SBL, greet us daily as we come in from our adventures. They wait eagerly for news of the bears we have seen. The enthusiasm these two guys have for their roles at the lodge is contagious and evident as they listen to our tales du jour with rapt attention.

A kind fellow...

this guy portrayed no menace, no aggression, no fear. Minding his own business, seemingly unaware of our presence, he continued on his path closing the distance between us. Because these bears are protected and not hunted, they are born and live their lives without understanding the harm that man can inflict. Surviving in a habitat conducive to sustainability, these animals are peaceful and impassioned towards humans.

Portrait of Winnie

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Making his way to the river to fish for his breakfast.

Spotted yesterday for the very first time this year, there was a joyful atmosphere in the lodge when we arrived. Today as we watch and observe his routine, an even greater confirmation exists that this fella is going to thrive. His coat is healthy and he appears robust. His fishing skills have obviously improved.

Baby bear looks on....

paying attention to mom as she fishes for him.

Hiking through the forest.....

we seem small and insignificant in comparison to the 1000 year old trees surrounding us. What secrets this forest must have!

Totem Pole of the Kitasoo/Xai'Xais in the Big House

The Kitasoo and Xai'Xais are two bands of First Nation people whose ancestors have lived for thousands of years within the vast Great Bear Rain Forest. In 1982 the 2 tribes joined together in Klemtu as a unified cohort to represent and lay claim to their provincial territory to Canada. No longer willing to allow their cultural and environmental resources to be extorted, their unification proved to the Canadian government that they were capable of managing their ancestral lands to the benefit of all that inhabit the primitive, pristine area and conserve those attributes so precious and delicate. In 2000, a final Land and Resource Protection Management Plan clinched governmental recognition, allowing management of the land and its sustainable resources by the Kitasoo Xai' Xais people in conjunction with the British Columbia government. Wrangling over policies still exists with the First Nation people fighting fiercely to protect the lands from logging and the bears from being hunted. Advances were made in April of 2016 when 12,000 miles or 85% of the land was deemed protected from logging though the Great bear Rainforest (Forest Management) Act. A second milestone was the defeat of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project in June of 2016, ensuring the safety of the B.C. coastline by eliminating the threat of tar sands oil shipping.

Ready to Go

The Captain and his boat wait for us as we gather our gear for the day.

Spirit Bear Lodge

View of Spirit Bear Lodge as the water taxi pulls in from a day of bear watching

Playing and fishing

As the day was quite warm, Rupert seemed to enjoy being in the river, regardless of intent.

Our last view of Klemtu.....

Sadly we leave, but even before departure, we know we will return. The Great Bear Rain Forest provided a solstice which we had never before experienced, and one I know we will long for again.

Ancient culture brought to life.

We were invited to attend and participate in the rituals and dances the Kitasoo/Xai' Xais children have learned. Traditional stories handed down from years before were told of the black raven and of the spirit bear. Both the raven and the spirit bear are held in reverence by the indigenous people. The raven is revered as the creator and is said to have made a deal with the black bear, that every 10th bear born would be white as a reminder of the past Ice Age when the earth was cold, unforgiving and frozen in white.

A new day, a new adventure

Today we travel to a different island with different habitat. No longer in the rain forest, we are hiking through tall grass to reach Mussel River in the hopes of observing grizzly bears. Grizzly bears and black bears do not inhabit the same islands for several reasons. Grizzly bears prefer more open, grassy areas for foraging, while the black bear prefers a more dense forest atmosphere. Grizzlies need far more room to roam than black bears require, and grizzly bears are at the top of the food chain making black bears vulnerable as prey. Even though the expanse is flat and open, one must be careful when hiking through the tall vegetation. The big brown bears enjoy sleeping and napping in this type of environment, so one would not want to surprise a sleeping bear by stepping on it.

Trekking back to the boat.

Walking over intense green, squishy moss, I marvel at the variation in the landscape. Each day brings a new, distinct variation of the rain forest environment. Soon after we leave, a tidal surge will cover our footsteps.

We made it!! Arriving by ferry to stay at Spirit Bear Lodge in Klemtu.

Klemtu, a small town on the eastern shore of Swindle Island within the province of British Columbia, has a population of about 500 people and is home to the native tribes of the Kitasoo Xai'Xais Nation. Accessible only by ferry or seaplane, these remote islands are part of the Great Bear Rain Forest, a pristine habitat and culture guarded fiercely by the First Nations People who know and value the land and what it offers, just as their ancestors did before them.

Readying the water taxi for adventure.

SBL has several water taxis which leave after breakfast in the morning with guests intent upon whatever adventures await. The taxis are captained by Kitasoo Xai'Xais tribe elders who know the islands and surrounding waterways well having grown up navigating the coves and inlets as boys and young men. Guides well versed in the history and ecology of the area are assigned to each vessel.