Our Last Day at Spirit Bear Lodge 15-08-16
Dawn at SBL
The water taxis appear to sleep on the still, quiet water outside the lodge. Soon there will be a flurry of activity as guests and guides collect gear and board the boats for our morning destinations.
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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.
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Captain Medrick
Meddie, as they call him, is the youngest of the First Nation captains employed by SBL. He drives with a smile and perpetual sense of humor.
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Watching out for logs, whales and seals
Sometimes it takes more than one set of eyes to navigate the natural habitat of the water.
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Salmon Bay
Our last adventure with Spirit Bear Lodge, SBL, is a hike at Salmon Bay on the way to the airport at Bella Bella. If you look in the distance, the boat you see is our water taxi from SBL waiting for us.
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Secluded, pristine wilderness
This photo shows the vastness of the land here at Salmon Bay. That little Zodiac raft can actually hold 8 people or more. That's Elissa, our guide, going down to the water's edge to check on the Zodiac.
Those sneaky tides
The tide can fluctuate upwards to 20 feet or more. Before we hike, Elissa drags the Zodiac up the beach a little further. It might not be too much fun to see our raft floating away when we are all on a deadline to get to the airport at Bella Bella.
Interesting moss formations
Many of the trees in this rainforest, which date back a thousand years, appear with swirling ribbons of candy cane moss encircling their trunks. As I look up at their towering ceilings above me, I wonder what secrets they must keep.
Waiting for the bear
Our guide Elissa doing what she does and loves best...teaching us about the rain forest environment.
Yay! Here he is...our last bear of the trip.
This guy came down to the river to fish regardless of our presence. Not more than 20 feet away, he minded his business and we minded ours.....man and beast cooperating with one another for a peaceful co-existence.
Here are those beautiful, lovely trees again.
As one might guess, I'm totally fascinated by the canopy above us.
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!
Moon Jelly
These jellyfish are abundant along the coast of British Columbia. This one was left behind when the tide receded.
Elissa informed us that their tentacles do not sting, but may cause a rash.
Green sea turtles LOVE to eat moon jellies and sometimes fatally mistake floating plastic bags for their favorite delicacy.
Fish traps
Can you see the change in the topography? These shallow excavations are commonly seen along the beaches of the islands. First Nation ancestors commonly altered the land to create fish traps, using the tide in their favor, many many years ago.
Abundant conversation makes for a short trip.
Elissa, always teaching and sharing her experiences with us.
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Here we are!
We have arrived at the regional airport of Bella Bella.
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Yep, that's the front door.
Rather quaint and unassuming, yes?
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It may be small...
but we found out this airline is Busy!
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Looking out the back window of the airport.
The view from "Gate 1".
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Checking in
The front door is literally 10 steps behind me. To the right is a small room where we wait for the plane, and vintage rock from the 70s and 80s plays in the background. There is a coffee bar serving cappuccino and smoothies about 10 steps behind Jim.
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A small but efficient operation.
I'm amazed how quickly this little airport moves a significant amount of traffic through their little terminal.
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Our plane from Bella Bella to Port Hardy.
A little larger than the one we flew to Prince Rupert. This one has TWO props....I know Jim is happier!
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Cute little airport.
Pretty modern compared to quaint Bella Bella!
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The Grumman Goose...Geese??
Pacific Coastal Airways is the only company which still flies these warriors. They can take off on Terra Firma and land on the sea...one of a kind. We are told they have a very smooth ride.
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Air Controller tower at Port Hardy.
How often do you see these anymore?
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The airstrip at Port Hardy.
So uncomplicated. Reminds me of the Pensacola airport in the 60s.
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Such a classic.
The gate agent offered to take our picture with the Goose when she saw our interest in this vintage plane.
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This one is for you Kevin!
The manager of Pacific Coastal Airlines was a guest at SBL while we were there. Kevin and his wife Sherrie flew in to Klemtu on the Goose.
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Our two bags look lonely.
They landed just for us! Jim and I were the only ones getting off at Port Hardy.
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Goodbye Port Hardy
We have rented a car and our next adventure now begins...driving down the island coast to Victoria.
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Old Growth Forest in B&W at Salmon Bay
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Salmon Bay in B&W
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