August 21 to 27, 2016 ; Barkerville to home

Sunday ;  Barkerville to Quesnel

Gloomy !  Low clouds, rain, cold !  BRRRRR !

This morning we left the rest area at Jack of Clubs Lake and drove east on Hwy. 26 back toward Barkerville, for our second day of visiting the historic "living museum" town.  As we drove through the small town of Wells we stopped at their weekly farmer's market.  I bought a jar of home made Huckleberry jam.  MMMMM ! ! !  Joanne was intrigued by the Quebecois French Canadian lady making and selling pancakes, so she bought a plate for us to share.  Pancake batter made with stone ground flour and steel cut oats, fresh eggs from her chickens, fresh milk from her cows.  Cooked on a griddle greased with coconut oil.  Served with toppings of home made raspberry coulis
( raspberries growing in her yard ), and freshly made sheep's yoghurt made with milk from her sheep.  Pretty darn good pancakes !

We wandered around Barkerville Historic Town exploring for a couple of hours until it was time for lunch.  We returned to the camper to have lunch, and decided we were too cold to wander around exploring any more.  We had lunch.  I napped.  We headed west on Hwy. 26 back towards Quesnel.  As we passed by Lowhee Campground we stopped to refill our freshwater tank.

First stop in Quesnel was the municipal sani-dump station to dump our waste holding tanks.  We drove through Quesnel and out to the south on Hwy. 97, to the big box shopping area.  We refilled with diesel at Extra Foods Fuel Bar, then went into Extra Foods to replenish groceries.  By the time we were finished grocery shopping it was almost 6 PM.  I suggested to Joanne that we get off the road early and I could spend the evening working on a backlog of computer work.

We drove "next door" to the Wal-Mart mall.  Joanne went into Wal-Mart to replenish supplies while I got started working online using Wal-Mart's free Wi-Fi.  Thank you very much Wal-Mart, for the free Wi-Fi and the free overnight parking.  It's very much appreciated.

I retrieved and dealt with e-mail.  I downloaded all the photos in my camera to my laptop, then processed them, labelled them, etc., and selected the best to be attached to my weekly journal.  While I was doing that Joanne prepared and we ate supper. 
I spent the late part of the evening uploading my weekly journal to my blog.

Monday ;  Quesnel to Crystal Lake BCFSRS

I am beginning to type this at 6:45 PM, sitting at a picnic table in our campsite, looking out over Crystal Lake, listening to a nearby Loon calling, watching my fishing line float bob around.  It doesn't get more relaxing than this !

Today was cloudy and cold with intermittent light rain.

We left the Wal-Mart parking lot in Quesnel this morning and continued south on Hwy. 97.  At Williams Lake we went to the Fairgrounds to use the sani-dump station to dump waste and refill freshwater.  At Lac La Hache we stopped at the Provincial Park to have lunch.  And a nap !  These kinds of gloomy, cold, wet days are conducive to napping.  After lunch and a nap we continued south until reaching 100 Mile House, then we turned east on Hwy. 24.  Joanne wanted to take the "scenic route" to Kamloops.  Hwy. 24 and Hwy. 5 offer more British Columbia Forest Service Recreation Site remote wilderness campground opportunities.

At Bridge Lake we turned onto a good gravel road and in just a few miles we found our way to the BCFSRS campground on Crystal Lake.  Joanne thought it was too cold to be outside, too cold to make a campfire and cook over it.  While she read in bed I threw a line into the lake and fished.  "Still" fishing ; hooks with worms, float on the line, cast it out and watch for the float to disappear.  I'm doing that now as I type this.  My line has been out there already for forty minutes, so it doesn't seem likely that I'm going to catch anything.

We had supper indoors, went for a walk around the campground with Bo, and went to bed early.  Joanne is tired of cold, wet weather.

Tuesday ;  Crystal Lake BCFSRS to Kamloops to N'Kwala BCFSRS

Sunny and warm.  It's about time !

This morning we left the BCFSRS campground at Crystal Lake, drove back to Hwy. 24, and continued east.  When Hwy. 24 ended at Little Fort we turned south on Hwy. 5 and headed toward Kamloops.  We stopped to have lunch and a nap at a rest area.

When we arrived in Kamloops we found our way to Superstore for grocery shopping. 
A lot of grocery shopping !  Joanne wanted to buy enough groceries to be able to avoid having to make a shopping trip to Penticton soon after we arrive home later this week.  AND ... < sputter > ... the Kamloops Superstore had an in-store special ; fresh Sockeye Salmon.  WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO, WOO-HOO !  Right place ... right time !  They must have gotten them from the local Indian band who would be catching them in the nearby mighty Thompson River.  And they were selling like hotcakes !  I wish we could have bought more than one, but our camper fridge and freezer space is getting pretty
limited !  Before leaving we refilled with diesel at the Superstore Fuel Bar.  We drove to the Kamloops Visitor Information Centre and used their sani-dump station to dump waste tanks and refill freshwater.

We left Kamloops about 5 PM, and headed south on Hwy. 5 / the Coquihalla ( "Highway Thru Hell" on The Discovery Channel ) to Merritt.  At Merritt we headed east on Hwy. 8 to N'Kwala BCFSRS campground on the Nicola River.  N'Kwala is the Indian name and Nicola is the "white" version.  We have been here before and quite like it.  We plan to spend two nights here and then return to home from here on Thursday.  We arrived about 7 PM, selected a campsite, and then I went fly fishing in the Nicola River for
forty-five minutes while Joanne prepared supper.  I caught the largest and loveliest Cutthroat Trout I have ever caught !  And I caught it on a fly that I tied myself last winter in Yuma, under Laszlo's tutelage.

Wednesday ;  N'Kwala BCFSRS campground on Nicola River

Sunny and warm.  Today was a day of rest and relaxation for Joanne, a day of fly fishing for me.  Fished on and off all day, taking breaks for meals and naps.  HA HA
HA !  I caught five small Rainbow Trout, and one large Cutthroat Trout.  AND ... I caught the large Cutthroat on the second of two flies that I tied myself last winter in Yuma, under Laszlo's tutelage.  So ... now both of the flies that I tied myself have caught fish !  Obviously I kept the large Cutthroat.  It's now in the freezer, along with the one caught yesterday.  But I also had to keep one of the small Rainbows.  The fly was down its throat, instead of being hooked just in the lip, as is usually the case.  It would not have survived being released.  We ate it for supper !

In the evening I made our final campfire of this trip and cooked supper on it.  Steak, baked potatoes, mushrooms, beets ... and a small Rainbow Trout.  Sort of "surf & turf".  Despite being small, the Rainbow Trout was very good !  Possibly because it was alive and well and swimming in the Nicola River less than two hours before we ate it !

Thursday ;  N'Kwala BCFSRS to Merritt to home

Sunny and hot.

This morning there were two horses roaming around our campground.  Maybe wild, maybe not.  One horse ... obviously the leader ... was "naked".  The other horse ... obviously the follower ... had a head halter.  An escapee from a ranch ?  They wandered around the campground, mostly in the "next door" site.  The occupants were not there, and the horses seemed to appreciate the shade created by their trailer.  So ... they grazed in the campsite, knocking over lawn chairs, depositing their ... < ahem > ... waste on the patio mat.  I'll bet the neighbours won't be too happy when they return.  HA HA HA !  I went over and visited with them.  The horses, not the neighbours.  The leader was quite sociable.  Joanne and Bo were scared of them.

We departed the N'Kwala BCFSRS campground about 11 AM and drove east on Hwy. 8 back to Merritt.  There we refilled with diesel at Extra Foods Fuel Bar, dumped our waste holding tanks at Canadian Tire's sani-dump station, and replenished some supplies at Wal-Mart.  A few miles south on Hwy. 5 / the Coquihalla, then east on Hwy. 97C / the Okanagan Connector, then south on Hwy. 5A to Princeton.  Before Princeton we stopped for a late lunch at Gulliford Lake rest area.  In Princeton I shopped for, and bought, a pair of new river sandals ; specialty shoes designed for walking in water.  My fly fishing shoes !

Final stretch to home ; an hour east on Hwy. 3.  We arrived home shortly after 4 PM.

In the evening I discovered that our satellite TV receiver was not working.  To make a long story shorter ... I spent quite a bit of time on the phone with Shaw Direct ( our satellite TV service provider ) Technical Support.  The outcome was unsatisfactory to me.  I refused to pay for a new satellite TV receiver "box" because the old one has mysteriously malfunctioned ... while our service was suspended for "vacation break".  Stay tuned for the ongoing saga / drama !  I really hate both cell phone and satellite dish drama ! ! !

Friday ;

Haida Gwaii trip ; almost 5000 km. / 3000 miles.  Lowest diesel price ; $0.989 / litre in Williams Lake.  Highest diesel price ; $1.335 / litre in Port Clements, Haida Gwaii.

Sunny and hot today.

We did quite a bit of gardening work today, although not at the same time.  I did gardening in the late morning and early afternoon while Joanne was gone to town to run errands.  Joanne did gardening late in the afternoon and early evening, while I was gone fishing.  Tomatoes are dong wonderfully.  Peas are finished !  Beans doing great !  Lettuce overgrown !  Cucumber plants dehydrated.  Way too much Swiss Chard for my taste !  Beet tops are huge, not much underground !

Had a very productive hour and three quarters of fishing.  Three Rainbow Trout, one small and two large, and one very large Rocky Mountain Whitefish.  Normally I wouldn't keep a Whitefish, but this one took the small Rainbow Trout fishing fly deep into its throat, so ... I decided to keep it.  I didn't think it would survive being released.  I gave it away to some neighbours.  And I gave the small Rainbow Trout to our neighbour / friend Jeanine.  Two large Rainbow Trout went into our freezer, nestled comfortably beside the two large Cutthroat Trout already in there.

Barbecued fresh Sockeye Salmon for supper today.  While I barbecued the Sockeye, Joanne made bannock to serve it on.  MMMMM ... it was good !

Reconciled and paid our latest MasterCard statement tonight.  < blink blink >  That was kind of an expensive month of travelling !

Saturday ;  Sunny and hot.

Today was taken up with routine "return home" chores.  Joanne did laundry and more gardening.  I did camper maintenance and replenishment.  I made a quick trip into town to run an errand.  I repaired my old pair of river sandals, using contact cement.  Hope it works !  I downloaded photos from my camera to my computer, and "processed" / enhanced and labelled them.

We both spent time shopping online for a used Shaw Direct satellite TV service receiver "box".  Our old one has "died", and I refuse to give Shaw Direct the satisfaction of buying a new one from them.  I am dissatisfied with the customer service I have received over the last few days regarding the "death" and replacement of our existing
( 9½ year old ) unit.  SO ... I think I'll just go by a used one.  So there !

DSK

August 14 to 20, 2016 ; Gray Bay, Moresby Island, Haida Gwaii to Barkerville, B.C.

Sunday ;  Gray Bay to Sandspit to Aliford Bay on Moresby Island, then small ferry back to Skidegate on Graham Island, Haida Gwaii

Mix of sun and cloud, warm.

This morning we left Gray Bay campground and drove the 22 km. / 14 miles of very rough, one lane, gravel road back to paved road, then into the little village of Sandspit.  The gravel portion took us an hour !  In Sandspit we stopped at the school yard for the weekly farmer's market.  Such as it was !  Not much "farming" taking place on Moresby Island, apparently.  The only produce being sold was kale and chard, neither of which we wanted.  But I did buy a lovely blueberry and white chocolate chip scone.  I never leave a farmer's market empty handed.  HA HA HA !

We were finished at the farmer's market at noon, so decided we would catch the 12:30 ferry back to Graham Island.  We drove the 10 km. / 6 miles from Sandspit to Aliford Bay, waited in line briefly, and drove onto the ferry.  This time we were positioned in the middle of the ferry, so Bo could not see when the "parking lot" began to head out into the ocean.  So ... no panic as there was last Friday.

The ferry arrived at Skidegate at 1 PM.  We drove off the ferry and headed a few miles south to Queen Charlotte City where we used the municipal sani-dump station to dump our waste tanks and refill freshwater.  So ... that was the third of three public dump stations on Haida Gwaii, and we used them all ; Port Clements, Masset, and Queen Charlotte City.  We drove to the Visitor Information Centre, parked on the street nearby, and while Joanne prepared lunch I used the Visitor Information Centre's Wi-Fi to retrieve and respond to e-mail.

After lunch we drove the few miles back to Skidegate and Joanne went into the Co-op store to buy a few grocery items.  We headed south on Yellowhead Highway 16, the island's only road, about halfway back to Tlell, and stopped at Halibut Bight Rest Area.  I went to take a brief nap with Bo while Joanne went outside to pick some wild raspberries.  I awoke when she returned about an hour later, and when I went to look at the raspberries she had picked ... HUH ? ? ?  Her container was filled with huge, plump, juicy Huckleberries.  WOO-HOO !

We went outside and she showed me where the Huckleberry bushes were.  We both picked Huckleberries for about an hour, until we had more than we knew what to do with.  HA HA HA !  My vote was ... freeze some and take them to Yuma to eat next winter, mixed into yoghurt.  Eventually I brought Bo outside and showed him where the Huckleberry bushes were.  I regretted doing that.  As soon as Bo realized there were low hanging Huckleberries, he shoved his face into the bushes and began scarfing.  HA HA HA ... you go, Bo !  I allowed him to scarf a couple of dozen Huckleberries, then had difficulty pulling him away from the bushes.  And for the remaining few hours that we stayed at Halibut Bight Rest Area, he was insufferable, whining to be allowed outside.  NO !  You've had enough !  He's a little dog, with a little digestive system.  We've seen the effects in the past of him eating too many Saskatoons ... < rolling my eyes > !

I barbecued burgers for supper.  After dishes were done we drove from Halibut Bight Rest Area back to Skidegate to boondock overnight somewhere near the ferry terminal.  We need to be at the ferry terminal at 8 AM tomorrow morning.  My goodness, what a lot of deer on the side of the road between 9 PM and 9:30 PM.  We parked overnight in a scruffy parking lot for semi-trailers across the street from the Haida Heritage Centre / Museum.

Monday ;  Skidegate, Haida Gwaii by large ferry back to Prince Rupert on B.C. mainland

Cloudy and cool on Haida Gwaii in the morning.  Cloudy, cool, and raining in Prince Rupert in the evening.

This morning we awoke up at 7 AM in order to be at the ferry terminal at 8 AM.  The ferry began to load at about 9 AM, and departed fifteen minutes early at 9:45 AM.  For the first half of the seven and a quarter hour ferry trip I worked on my computer, getting caught up on downloading photos from the camera to the computer, then processing and labelling the photos in the computer.  We had lunch, then I napped and read for the rest of the trip.  We arrived at Prince Rupert right on time at 5 PM.

Once off the ferry we drove about 20 km. / 12 miles to Port Edward to dump our waste holding tanks and refill our freshwater tank.  And capture an escaped dog and save its life !  While we were using the municipal sani-dump station a young boy, probably about twelve years old, was chasing his escaped Husky named Nanook down the street.  We interrupted what we were doing to intervene and assist, but to no avail.  Nanook dodged us and continued running down the street with the boy in hot pursuit.  When we finished our dumping and refilling we drove down the street to see what, if any, the outcome was, and attempt to assist if we could.  A long way down the road we found the boy using a big stick to try to herd the dog back in the direction that they had come.  I used the truck to cut off the dog's progress, then jumped out of the truck to capture it.  The dog was cornered by the truck, the boy, and me.  I lunged and grabbed the dog's harness at which point it became frantic and tried very hard to convince me to let it go by snarling and snapping, somewhat at me, but mostly at the boy.  I have the skills and ability to convince most dogs that I am top dog.  The boy did not have those skills, so the dog decided that while it might be unwise to attack and rip to shreds some new "top dog", he could easily intimidate his own young master, whom he ( the dog ) obviously did not recognize as top dog.  While Nanook snapped and snarled, mostly at the boy Matthew, I calmed him ( the dog ) a bit, then lifted him up into my arms, told Joanne to get out of the truck quickly, take Bo, and step aside, leaving the truck door open. 
I dropped Nanook onto the passenger seat of the truck, then "whispered" at him until
I had him calm.

Joanne and Bo got into the camper.  I drove slowly along the road, following Matthew as he walked back home, a considerable distance.  By the time we got to his home,
I had Nanook all calmed, and happy to be going "drivey".  When we got to their home,
I found the long nylon leash I have stored under the back seat of the truck, looped it around Nanook's neck, and led him out of the truck, just as Matthew's father showed up.  Matthew's father and mother were out in separate vehicles trying to find both Matthew and Nanook.

All's well that ends well.  Nanook seemed fine.  Matthew was very upset.  His father was grateful for my help.  Another dog saved.  It's what I do !  And quite well, I'm proud to say !  Well done, Daniel !

We drove back to Prince Rupert and went to Cow Bay, the tourist area.  We had supper at Dolly's Fish Market ( again ).  Once again I had fish and chips made with one piece of Halibut and one piece of Ling Cod.  Joanne had freshly made crab cake, which she has been looking forward to since she saw it on their menu when we ate here a couple of weeks ago.  After supper, while Joanne paid the restaurant bill, I went over to the fish market side and bought three packages of frozen Halibut to take home.

We drove to Wal-Mart to boondock overnight, arriving shortly before their 9 PM closing time.  Joanne dashed into Wal-Mart to replenish a few items while I walked Bo ... in the cold rain, which I hate ... then started my nightly computer work.  Using Wal-Mart's free Wi-Fi signal, which reached us at the far end of their parking lot, I didn't finish uploading my weekly blog entry until midnight !

Tuesday ;  Prince Rupert to Sanderson Rest Area east of Terrace

Sunny and cool in the morning in Price Rupert, warming throughout the day as we drove away from the coast.

This morning we left the Wal-Mart parking lot and drove about a block to Safeway where we replenished groceries.  Before leaving Prince Rupert we refilled our five gallon water jug at a dry cleaner / water purification business.  At the edge of town we stopped at Petro-Canada and refilled Lanoire with diesel.  Then we stopped in Port Edward to dump our waste holding tanks and refill our freshwater tank.  Finally ... we hit the road, heading eastward / inland on Yellowhead Highway 16.

The highway followed the mighty Skeena River.  We stopped for lunch at a rest area where Basalt Creek flows into the Skeena River.  After we finished eating lunch I fished for salmon for twenty minutes in the Skeena River at the mouth of Basalt Creek.  No luck !  Well ... at least I didn't lose my expensive pink Buzz Bomb.  HA HA HA !

We continued on to Terrace.  Tag line should be ;  Terrace ;  town of obnoxious rednecks and bikers !  GEEEEEZ ... did anybody in this town get any further than grade ten ? ! ?  Do they sell only jacked up black pickup trucks in this town ? ! ?  Oh, yeah ... there goes a jacked up white pickup truck !

Just before entering Terrace we stopped at a Native gift shop on the Kitsumkalen Reservation.  Nice Native arts and crafts stuff !  I bought a pewter and copper pendant necklace to give to Joanne on our anniversary in a couple of months.  When we drove into Terrace we headed for the Visitor Information Centre to find out where there was a laundromat.  From there we headed to Baker Extraordinaire to buy some fresh bread made with stone ground flour.  We had seen an ad for this bakery in a tourist magazine.  From the bakery we found our way to the laundromat, attached to the rear of a Shell fuel station.  I am typing this journal entry at 5:30 PM while Joanne does laundry.  From the laundromat we will be heading to Wal-Mart.  I'm not sure yet whether we will get any further or will we be staying in Terrace tonight.  OH ... Joanne has just given me notice that she will be finished laundry in five minutes.

We were finished our Wal-Martin' and heading out of town, crossing the bridge over the Skeena River, about 7 PM.  Now the highway followed the Skeena River on the other / south side.  About half an hour east of Terrace we arrived at Sanderson Rest Area on the Skeena River and decided to have supper and boondock overnight.  Lovely, forested rest area high up on the banks of the Skeena River, with a lovely view.

Wednesday ;  Sanderson Rest Area east of Terrace to Sunset Lake BCFSRS south of Topley

Sunny and warm.  All day !  Today was a long and productive day.

We left the rest area this morning and continued eastbound on Yellowhead Highway 16.  As we drove a wolf crossed the road in front of us, and then a bear did the same.  A Black Bear.  Joanne asked it if any of its white cousins were nearby.  We are in the Spirit Bear / Kermodei Bear territory.  Kermodei Bears are Black Bears that are coloured white due to a strange genetic pigmentation mutation.  Found only in this area, about Prince Rupert to Prince George  The ...< ahem > ... First Nations people call them Spirit Bears, and consider them to be sacred.

At New Hazelton ( a white community ) we left the highway and drove a few miles to Old Hazelton, a Native community.  Excuse me ... a First Nations community.  We spent some time visiting Ksan Village, a Native village restoration / museum.  We drove back to the Visitor Information Centre at New Hazelton.  We had lunch in the camper while in their parking lot.  I used the Visitor Information Centre's Wi-Fi to retrieve and reply to e-mails.  We used their sani-dump station to dump our waste holding tanks and refill our freshwater tank.  As we drove through the town of New Hazelton we stopped at a bakery and bought a loaf of fresh bread.

At Smithers we ran more errands.  First we washed the truck and camper at a self-serve vehicle wash.  There was a lot of Haida Gwaii gravel road and wet muddy road grime.  Joanne was tired of getting dirty every time she brushed up against the truck or camper.  Then we refilled a propane tank at Petro-Canada.  Lastly we replenished a few grocery items at Safeway.

Near the village of Topley we turned south off the highway and travelled a few miles on a good gravel road to a British Columbia Forest Service Recreation Site campground at Sunset Lake, arriving about 7 PM.  I immediately got busy building a campfire and cooking supper on it.  After supper I went fishing in the beautiful lake for Rainbow Trout.  I fished for forty-five  minutes, catching and releasing ... < sigh > ... four Rocky Mountain Whitefish ; two small, one medium, and one large.  The largest Whitefish
I have ever caught.  By then it was 9:15 PM.  I returned to our campsite and sat with Joanne by the campfire, under the bright light of the full moon.  The Harvest Moon,
I believe.  That would explain why we are attending the Harvest Moon Festival at Barkerville in a few days.

Our bedtime snack was fresh Huckleberries with Con Leche purchased in Mexico drizzled on top.  I'm salivating just from typing that !

Thursday ;  Sunset Lake BCFSRS to Prince George

Sunny and very warm.

This morning before leaving Sunset Lake I went Rainbow Trout fly fishing for twenty minutes.  I caught and released four tiny Rocky Mountain Whitefish !  < rolling my eyes and sighing >  We drove the few miles back to Yellowhead Highway 16 and continued east.

At Burns Lake we refilled with diesel, then dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank at the municipal sani-dump station.  We really appreciate that almost all towns along this route operate a municipal sani-dump station for the convenience of tourists.  I'm glad that our home village of Keremeos also does.  It really facilitates RV tourism.  We stopped at a rest area to have lunch.  Later we stopped at another rest area so that I could nap briefly.

We arrived at Prince George about 6 PM.  First stop was Wal-Mart.  Then Superstore to refill Lanoire with diesel again.  Then we searched for and found ... with considerable difficulty ... a Chinese buffet restaurant.  After ETYS supper we drove to Treasure Cove Casino at the junction of Yellowhead Highway 16 ( east / west ) and Hwy. 97 ( north / south ) to boondock overnight.  DARN !  No Wi-Fi available in the casino parking lot.

Friday ;  Prince George to Quesnel to Lightning Creek BCFSRS

Sunny and hot !

This morning we left the parking lot of the casino and got onto Hwy. 97 heading south.  WOO-HOO ... Hwy. 97 ... the road to home !  Well ... not really ... I guess Hwy. 3 is actually the road to home, but ... Hwy. 97 is certainly the road to the Okanagan region.  Within a couple of hours we were in Quesnel.  First stop was the municipal sani-dump station to dump and refill.  Then through town and out to the south, to the big box shopping area, to Canadian Tire.  While Joanne prepared lunch in the camper I went into Canadian Tire to buy an item, then walked over to the adjacent mall to buy dog food at Total Pet.  After lunch we drove back into the city, to the Visitor Information Centre, where I used their free Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail.

We left Quesnel and headed east on Hwy. 26 towards Barkerville, our destination for tomorrow.  I thought we would arrive there today, but Joanne had other plans.  She directed us to a British Columbia Forest Service Recreation Site remote wilderness campground on Lightning Creek, about halfway between Quesnel and Barkerville.  We're only about 50 km. / 30 miles from Barkerville, so there will be no problem being there early enough to enjoy the day long Harvest Moon Festival event.

After selecting a campsite we walked down to the creek, which looked like a very promising Rainbow Trout fly fishing site.  I got my fly fishing gear and fished for about forty-five minutes.  Nothing !  So much for appearances !  I barbecued supper ; shrimp for me, pork chop for Joanne.  We met the "neighbour" walking by, a woman camping with her husband at a campsite a few hundred feet down the road from us.  She invited us to join her and her husband around their campfire.  We did.  We chatted with them until 10 PM about their and our experiences in common as full time RV'ers.

Saturday ;  Barkerville, B.C.

Mostly sunny and warm.  Brief, heavy rain around 7:30 PM.  Cold night.

This morning we left the Lightning Creek campground and continued east on Hwy. 26 the remaining 50 km. / 30 miles to Barkerville.  Just before arriving at Barkerville Historical Town we made a stop at Barkerville Lowhee Campground to refill our freshwater tank.  We were parked and in the historic village before noon.

Barkerville was the centre of the Cariboo gold rush of the 1860's.  It has been restored and recreated as a living re-enactment of the gold rush era.  Once per year they pay homage to the large Chinese population of Barkerville of the 1860's with the Harvest Moon Festival at the time of the August full moon.  The day is filled with cultural events and demonstrations in the Chinatown section of Barkerville.

We spent the afternoon wandering around Barkerville's Chinatown, taking an hour long guided tour of Chinatown, and viewing  cultural entertainment such as lion dances.  We had lunch in the camper in the parking lot.  I napped briefly while Joanne went back into the historic village after lunch.

We had an early supper in the camper, planning to attend the evening's cultural entertainment.  But a heavy downpour from 7:15 to 7:30 PM delayed the evening's entertainment for awhile.  It started about an hour late, around 8:30 PM, with everyone in the audience being served a sample of moon cake, a Chinese dessert.  The evening was a couple of hours of singers, dancers, musicians, and even a Chinese magician performing Chinese style magic.  The evening ended with a lantern parade all the way through town and out to the parking lot, with an impressive fireworks finale.

We drove west back down Hwy. 26 from Barkerville a few miles, through the village of Wells, to a rest area at Jack of Clubs Lake where we boondocked overnight.

DSK

August 7 to 13, 2016 ; Haida Gwaii ( Queen Charlotte Islands )

Sunday ;  Edge Of The World Music Festival final day

For the third day in a row ; clear sky sunny, cool in the morning, hot in the afternoon, cold in the evening.  Joanne got a bit too much hot afternoon sun today at the music festival and is feeling a bit ill tonight because of that.

This morning we drove from the Sunset Campground into the Village of Port Clements and dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank at the municipal sani-dump station.  How convenient !  Then we drove about 24 km. / 15 miles south to the Edge Of The World Music Festival at Tlell.

This was the last day of the three day music festival.  Perhaps by design, or perhaps due to last night's late finish, with a party atmosphere, today's performers and music were more mellow, more subdued than the previous two days.  The music festival ended today around 6 PM, closing ceremony performed by the same Indian / Native / First Nations / Aboriginal / Indigenous ( take your pick of terminology ) female dance group as performed the opening ceremony.  Throughout the music festival I marked in the festival guide my "evaluation" of each performer / group, on a scale of zero to five.  Throughout the festival there were a few fours, but no fives.  The last act of the festival, I gave a ... minus one !

Back at home at our campsite I started a campfire and cooked supper over it, then we sat around the campfire, doing some travel planning, until it was too cold to remain outdoors, even with a fading campfire.  As I am typing this at 11:30 PM some little dog is snoring loudly on the bed.

Monday ;  Queen Charlotte City and Skidegate, Haida Gwaii

Cloudy but warm, a few drops of rain.

Again this morning we left the Sunset Campground, drove into Port Clements, dumped our waste tanks and refilled our freshwater tank.  From the sani-dump station I could see a couple of women fishing off the town's large wharf.  We drove over to the wharf and parked, and I walked out on the wharf to talk to the women.  WOO-HOO !  THE HUMPIES ARE COMING ! ! !  Last year the "Humpies" ( Pink Salmon ) arrived for their migration up the Yakoun River on August 7, so this year ... on August 8, the local women are anticipating Humpies at any moment !  I certainly hope they show up within the next few days and I can try my luck at catching one !

We drove south all the way to the southern end of Graham Island ( 75 km. / 47 miles ), through the city of Skidegate to Queen Charlotte City, to run errands.  I dropped Joanne off at the laundromat, and I went to the Visitor Information Centre to use Wi-Fi to retrieve e-mail and post my weekly blog entry.  There were about half a dozen washers and half a dozen dryers in the laundromat.  One of each worked, the rest were out of order.  Meanwhile ... over at the Visitor Information Centre, I was about 99.8% finished my online work after about an hour, when the Wi-Fi signal abruptly disappeared. 
I approached the counter and asked what happened to the Wi-Fi signal ?  The very rude and passive aggressive woman at the counter advised me ... "You're done !".  She had decided that I was using their Wi-Fi for too long, so she simply turned off their router.  WOW !  What a shitty tourism centre attitude !

Suffice to say ... neither one of us was very impressed with Queen Charlotte City !

I returned to the laundromat to pick up Joanne.  We went to a nearby grocery store and bought some very expensive groceries.  We explored Queen Charlotte City by driving and by walking.  I bought some pink Buzz Bombs at a local sporting goods store.  You know ... to catch the Humpies !  Apparently ... only pink Buzz Bombs work here.  And the three Buzz Bombs in my tackle box, from Bella Bella a couple of years ago, are not pink.

On the way out of town, I parked on the street outside the Visitor Information Centre, sat in our camper, turned on my laptop, connected to the Visitor Information Centre's Wi-Fi, and finished my online work.  So there !  Eat shit, bitch !

We drove a very short distance back to the city of Skidegate, where we did more grocery shopping at the Co-op store.  Five bucks for a water jug refill.  Eight bucks for a jug of milk !  I did not buy any, but the price of diesel was $1.379 per litre.  Everything has to come to Haida Gwaii by ferry or barge, so prices are extremely high.  We drove around Skidegate, exploring, finding some of the renowned Haida Gwaii totem poles.

We drove back north towards "home" at Port Clements.  At Tlell we went to view Misty Meadows Campground in Naikoon Provincial Park.  We might stay there in a few days.  We did not go in to see the campground during the music festival because it was full. 

Back at home, at Sunset Campground, I barbecued a thick marinated steak, mushrooms, and baked potatoes for supper.  Joanne made a salad with the expensive Romaine lettuce ( grown by Tanimura & Antle in Yuma, Arizona ) that she bought today.  We ran out of our own garden's lettuce yesterday.  After supper we went for a walk to the bird watching tower on the Yakoun River Estuary waterfront behind our campsite.  At high tide ... it looks like ocean !

On a cloudy day, with no wind, it was much warmer this evening than it has been on previous evenings.

Tuesday ;  exploring from Port Clements to Skidegate

Cloudy and warm in the morning, sunny and hot in the afternoon, cloudy and cool in the evening.  As I begin typing this at 9:30 PM, Joanne is washing dishes and we are both laughing at Bo.  He is fast asleep on the bed, snoring loudly.  He was SOOOOO tired after a day of exploring.  And drinking saltwater from tidal pools.  And eating kelp !  And drinking spring water.

This morning we dumped and refilled, as usual, at the Port Clements municipal
sani-dump station, then refilled with diesel at Angela's Place, a café and fuel station in Port Clements.  A hundred and nine bucks for half a tank of diesel ! ! !

We drove south towards Skidegate, stopping at Halibut Bight Rest Area to have lunch.  I'll have to remember to go online and research what exactly is a "bight".  While Joanne prepared lunch in the camper Bo and I explored the pebble beach and tidal pools.  When we got to Skidegate we went to the Haida Museum, planning to spend the afternoon there.  BUT ... as we entered, and checked the program schedule, we decided that we would rather return tomorrow morning so that we could attend a guided tour of their totem poles.

We spent the afternoon exploring from Skidegate back to "home" at Port Clements.  We stopped at each roadside rest area and explored.  Some were pebble beaches.  Some were sand beaches.  We explored Balance Rock.  All three of us drank spring water at St. Mary's Spring, a local "shrine".  Legend has it that a drink of spring water at St. Mary's Spring will ensure your return to Haida Gwaii.  We explored the town of Tlell.  Such as it is !  Not really much there !  Late in the afternoon, on the last part of our drive, from Tlell to Port Clements, there were many deer, all does with fawns, as there have been every late afternoon / early evening as we've driven "home".

Back at Sunset campground I made a campfire and cooked supper on it.

Wednesday ;  Haida Heritage Centre / Museum at Skidegate

Sunny and warm at Skidegate, cloudy and warm at Port Clements, even in the evening.

This morning we left "home", the Sunset Campground near Port Clements, at 10 AM and arrived at the Haida Heritage Centre / Museum in Skidegate at 11 AM, just in time for the totem pole tour.  There are six large totem poles behind the Haida Museum, all "raised" in 2000 when the museum opened.  Every day a museum staff member conducts a tour, explaining the story contained within each pole's carving.  Today's tour guide was a young woman who is Garner Moody's niece.  Garner Moody is a renowned Haida artist / carver, about our age.  One of the six poles at the Haida Museum was carved by him, as was the new pole raised on the Skidegate waterfront two weeks ago.  I have a Garner Moody framed art print given to me as a gift about twenty-five years ago by our friend Sep.

The tour continued into the carving shed, where a very old Bill Reid totem pole is lying in repose, awaiting a decision on what should be done to / with it.  It had been standing in front of what is now a seniors' centre, but was at risk of falling over due to age and deterioration.  The last part of the tour was at a three dimensional diorama of Skidegate Village of 130 years ago.

After the tour we returned to our camper in the parking lot and had lunch.  After lunch we returned to the museum to attend a classroom presentation on Gwaii Haanas, the remote wilderness land and Haida culture preserve of southern Moresby Island, the mostly uninhabited island to the south of Graham Island where we are now.  When that was done we wandered around the museum for awhile, then attended another presentation on the intricate art of Haida weaving.  The Haida people are famous for their cedar bark weavings, particularly their cedar bark woven hats.  The price of Haida cedar woven hats starts at about $500 !  For a hat woven from Sitka Spruce roots, the price starts at about $8000 and ranges upwards to about $30,000 !  < sputter >

We continued wandering the museum's many exhibits on Haida culture and history until I got museum burn out about 4 PM.  I went back to the camper to nap until Joanne came back to the camper about an hour later.  We left Skidegate and drove about an hour north back to Port Clements, dodging deer on the way, as usual.  We dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank then parked at Rainbow Wharf, the large / long village wharf.  We walked to the end of the wharf where a father was fishing ( unsuccessfully ) with his young son.  It seems as if the Pink Salmon have not yet arrived.  DARN !  And I spent fifteen bucks on those two pink Buzz Bombs the other day in Queen Charlotte City!  HA HA HA !

We returned to our "home" at Sunset Campground for our final night there.  I started a campfire and cooked sausages on the fire while Joanne prepared a salad and a noodle side dish inside the camper.  I have been having some campfire cooking difficulty the last few nights, since I have been making our campfire with the hemlock wood available at the campground.  After supper we went for a walk around the small campground and then to the waterfront bird watching tower.  Bo was pleased to have another opportunity to eat kelp.  HA HA HA !

Thursday ;  Port Clements to Massett and Old Masset to Tow Hill

Cloudy and mild, with misty light rain all day long.  Typical Haida Gwaii weather.  Today we saw many Black Tailed Deer, many Bald Eagles, and a Peregrine Falcon.

This morning we departed Sunset Campground for the last time, and dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank in Port Clements.  We headed north on the only highway on Graham Island, the final segment of Yellowhead Highway 16. 
I only learned that today when I saw the sign at the Masset Visitor Information Centre proclaiming "Mile 0 of the Yellowhead Highway".  So now we have driven the Yellowhead Highway from end to end ; Masset, Haida Gwaii, BC to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.

When we arrived in Massett, we drove through the village and out a few more miles to Old Massett.  Massett is the "white" town, and Old Massett is the Native town.  In Old Massett we drove around the small town, stopping to browse at three of the Haida art galleries.  At Sarah's Haida Arts & Jewellery I bought a couple of small items.  I decided to pass on the carved, bejewelled, walrus tusk at ... wait for it ... $175,000 ! ! !

Since arriving a week ago Joanne has been searching for a restaurant that serves traditional Haida meals.  You wouldn't think that would be hard to find, but it was !  We got a recommendation at the art gallery that the best Haida food in town was at ... wait for it again ... Sherrie's Gas Bar & Grill.  Who would have thought that a gas bar would be the place to have a great, traditional Haida meal ? ! ?  Joanne ordered a Halibut burger served with Huckleberry salad.  I ordered a bowl of seafood chowder, and smoked Chinook Salmon (a.k.a. Spring Salmon a.k.a. King Salmon a.k.a. Tyee Salmon) served on a Caesar salad.  We each ate half of our meal then switched.  WOW !  Great meals !  This was the first time I had eaten Chinook Salmon.  Now I have had all five types of Pacific Salmon.  The seafood chowder was made with Chinook Salmon, Halibut, Dungeness Crab, and Octopus.  It was very good !  And likely won't be served at Tim Hortons any time soon.  HA HA HA ... ( inside joke ).

We returned to the village of Masset, and I stopped at a custom fish processing business to inquire about purchasing Chinook Salmon.  YESSSSS ! ! !  It wasn't cheap, but ... HEY ... you only live once !  And you only drive by a custom fish processor on Haida Gwaii once, as well !  HA HA HA !  I bought about two pounds of Chinook Salmon and about four pounds of Coho Salmon.  We stopped at the Visitor Information Centre and while Joanne browsed travel information I quickly checked e-mail using their free Wi-Fi.  In my e-mail was a request for a trailer towing quote that I had to decline because they wanted their trailer towed before we return home in a couple more weeks.

We drove northeast out of Masset following the good condition gravel road along North Beach all the way to the end of the road at Tow Hill, about 25 km. / 15 miles.  On the way we stopped at a beach access spot and wandered around beachcombing on the sandy beach.  A short distance later we found Moon Over Naikoon Bakery.  Oh, boy ... fresh bread maybe.  Moon Over Naikoon Bakery was ... a decrepit old school bus in the woods, with a hippie baker baking products that were overpriced and not all that appealing.  < rolling eyes >

At the end of the road at Tow Hill we found an oceanfront campsite in Agate Beach Campground, part of Naikoon Provincial Park.  We went for a long walk on Agate Beach, aptly named, and beachcombed many beautiful agates of various sizes.  We had to lay them all out on the picnic table in our campsite, and cull them, keeping only the nicest.  Otherwise we would have ended up carrying a lot of pounds of rocks back home with us.

It was too wet for a campfire.  Joanne cooked supper inside the camper.  Once again, Bo was exhausted after a day of exploring ... and beachcombing.

Friday ;  Graham Island from north to south, then ferry to Moresby Island

Very foggy this morning at Agate Beach Campground, slowly lifting around noon at Masset, sunny and warm as we drove south to Skidegate, and for the rest of the day.

We left Agate Beach Campground and drove west through the spooky, foggy, rainforest road following North Beach, back to Masset.  We stopped in Masset to shop at the weekly farmer's market.  Joanne bought fresh string beans, and a home baked apple pie for tonight's after supper dessert.  I bought ... < blink blink > ... home made sushi, made with local seaweed wrap, and ... wait for it ... < blink blink > ... fresh Sockeye Salmon !

OMIGAWD it was good ! ! !  I had it for lunch.

We dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank at the sani-dump station at the Masset Visitor Information Centre.  From Masset we continued south.  We stopped in Port Clements to refill with diesel ... again !  We stopped at Mayer Lake picnic area ( part of Naikoon Provincial Park ) to have lunch.  At Skidegate we stopped at the Haida Heritage Centre so that I could buy a small art item at the gift shop.  I saw it when we there a few days ago, and was going to buy it before we left, but I forgot.  We arrived at the Skidegate ferry terminal at 4 PM to catch the 4:30 PM ferry from Graham Island to Moresby Island.

The ferry from Skidegate on Graham Island to Aliford Bay on Moresby Island, the M.V. Kwuna, is a small, open deck ferry.  We were the first vehicle onto the ferry, and consequently the first vehicle off the ferry.  That also means we were positioned right at the edge of the ferry's on / off ramp.  While waiting for the ferry to depart Bo was looking out the truck window, and I suppose he thought we were just ... in some sort of a parking lot.  When all of a sudden ... HOLY SHIT ! ... the parking lot began to move.  HOLY SHIT ! ! !  IT'S MOVING ACROSS THE WATER ! HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT WE'RE GOING TO DIE ! ! !

Poor little BoBo Dog !  He was frantic !  I guess ... with all the ferries we've been on, including some small, open deck ones ... we've never been the first vehicle on, parked right at the edge of the exit ramp, facing the water, with the open water in front of the ferry visible to Bo.  His entire life we have laughed at him about BONOGO docks, but now ... < snicker > ... we have to worry about BONOGO ferries.  HA HA HA !  On the way back to Graham Island on Sunday, if we're the first vehicle onto the ferry we will put Bo into the camper before the ferry leaves the terminal.

Once on Moresby Island after the half hour ferry ride we drove the 10 km. / 6 miles of paved road from Aliford Bay to the only village on Moresby Island, Sandspit.  We drove around Sandspit, checking out the little town, then headed south to the most remote wilderness campground we have ever been to.  It was about 25 km. / 15 miles of very rough gravel road into the Kunxalas Heritage Site & Conservancy, to the campground at Gray Bay.  As we drove into the campground a black bear was blocking the road in front of us.  As we drove towards it, it ambled off into the forest.  Because of that we were afraid to allow Bo to be off leash in our campsite, despite its remoteness.  He was not happy to have to be on his leash or tie out / tether all evening.

We selected a campsite, then immediately wandered down to the beach behind our campsite to look around.  When we returned to our campsite, the "next door neighbours" announced that they were leaving, and asked if we wanted to take over their campsite since they already had a campfire going.  We accepted, with gratitude.  The family left, we moved over to their campsite, and I cooked supper on the campfire.  Joanne cooked the fresh beans on the camper stove while I baked potatoes and grilled a thick, juicy steak over the campfire.  MMMMM ... supper was good !  And finished off with the freshly made, home baked apple pie !

We sat around the campfire for awhile, then walked down to the beach around 10 PM, still half an hour until darkness on the beach, although it already seemed quite dark at our campsite in the thick rainforest.

Saturday ;  Gray Bay, Moresby Island, Haida Gwaii

Cloudy but warm, intermittent light rain.

I'm typing this at 3:20 PM.  Bo is fast asleep, snoring loudly beside me on the dinette seat.  He's very tired.  And wet !  We have just finished a rousing session of beach doughnut fetch in the Pacific Ocean.  HA HA HA ... and Joanne said he was too old to play beach doughnut fetch !  HA !  Proved her wrong !

For the first time since we left home sixteen days ago we are having a "no drivey" day.  We slept very late this morning, then I made brunch.  Sort of a wilderness camping version of Eggs Benedict.  HA HA HA !  Maybe I'll declare it my own recipe and name it Eggs Haida Gwaii.  HA HA HA !

Before playing beach doughnut fetch with Bo I put on a pair of shorts and went walking along the beach in ankle deep water, to see how cold / warm the water was, and to give my feet a saltwater soak in preparation for a pedicure.  The water was surprisingly warm, so I decided to take Bo for a beach doughnut fetch play session.  Joanne sat at our picnic table and gave herself a manicure.  A Quebecois couple moved into the site next door, put up a tent, squabbled in both of Canada’s official languages for awhile, took down their tent, and left !  HA HA HA !  Nice to know that we're not the only couple that squabbles, and makes bad decisions as a result.  This place is way to hard to get to, to cancel a camping trip because of a squabble.  Especially if you've driven 5000 km. / 3000 miles to get here, as they probably did.

We had a leisurely afternoon and evening.  I read.  I napped.  We went for a very long walk up and down the beach, walking in ankle deep water, beachcombing and exploring.  When we returned to our campsite around 7 PM I lit a campfire and cooked chicken legs over the campfire while Joanne prepared a salad and some perogies as a side dish.

Nice supper !  Nice evening !  Nice day !

DSK

July 31 to August 6, 2016 ; Co-op Lake to Haida Gwaii / Queen Charlotte Islands, BC

Sunday ;  Happy 55th Birthday to my brother Russell ; Co-op Lake to Smithers / Twin Falls

Last night we went to sleep earlier than usual, at 10:30 PM.  AND ... < sputter > ... it was still daylight.  I guess we're pretty far north already.

Today was mostly sunny and mild.

This morning we left Co-op Lake and continued west on Yellowhead Highway 16.  At the town of Burns Lake we used the municipal sani-dump station to dump our waste holding tanks and refill our freshwater tank.  Around lunch time we turned south off the highway near the town of Houston onto a good condition gravel Forest Service Road and drove about 18 km. / 11 miles to a remote wilderness campground on the Morice River.  We had lunch, then I fly fished in the Morice River for an hour, catching nothing.  Joanne and Bo went hiking and exploring, finding some berries that Joanne initially thought were Saskatoons, but ... were not.  The leaves of the bush were different than Saskatoon berry bushes, the berries were a bit darker, and the flesh was "shiny". 
I don't know what they were.  They did not taste as sweet as Saskatoons, they had a more tart, sour taste.

We returned to the highway and continued west.  At the city of Smithers we stopped at Safeway to refill our five gallon water jug and buy some milk.  At the western edge of Smithers we turned south and followed a steep Forest Service Road about 10 km. / 6 miles uphill to Twin Falls trailhead parking lot and very small campground.  We parked in one of the two unoccupied campsites in the four site campground, then went hiking up to see Twin Falls.

WHEW !  What an angina inspiring uphill hike !  The Twin Falls are fed by glacial melt.  A bit of the glacier can be seen, but not much.  Either much of the glacier is hidden from view, or ... there's not much glacier left.  Which might explain why the right hand side of Twin Falls is almost dry.  We hiked to the top of the trail ... < PANT PANT > ... and back down.  By the time we got back down to the campground it was 7 PM and we were hungry.

A hiker who was leaving the trailhead parking lot offered us his remaining food, since he was headed to the airport to catch a return flight home to Victoria.  I barbecued his "smokies" sausages ( pork ... which I can't eat ) for Joanne, and a couple of turkey sausages for me, and we ate them hot dog style in the buns the hiker also gave us, along with a fresh salad made with lettuce, tomatoes, and green onions from our own garden back home.  After supper we went for a walk with Bo and discovered interesting wild mushrooms.  While I worked on the computer, doing today's credit card accounting and writing this journal entry, Joanne worked on identifying the four different types of wild mushrooms we picked.  One of them was HUGE !

She thinks we found ; a Honey Mushroom, a Bolete, a Fly Agaricus, and a Green Spored Lepiota.  The Honey Mushroom is edible.  The Bolete might be edible, but there are many types of Boletes and she couldn't narrow it down to which type of Bolete it was.

Monday ;  Twin Falls / Smithers to Exstew River BCFSRS

Sunny and chilly in the morning, sunny and very warm in the afternoon.

This morning we left the Twin Falls BCFSRS ( British Columbia Forest Service Recreation Site ) campground and drove back down the mountain to the city of Smithers.  At the Visitor Information Centre sani-dump station we dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank, then I went inside the Visitor Information Centre to use their free Wi-Fi.  I retrieved some month end banking data, then uploaded my weekly journal to my blog.  And offered some travel information to travellers when the staff were unable to do so < rolling eyes >.  Such as ... "Can you tell me the best route to get from here back to the state of Washington ?"

While I was inside giving information to tourists, Joanne was outside walking around with the dog ... and pointing out to American RV'ers that they probably shouldn't be refilling their freshwater tanks with the contaminated rinse hose at the sewage dump station when there was a clean "potable" water refill hose across the road from the sewage dump station < rolling eyes again >.

It was noon by the time we left Smithers, continuing west on Yellowhead Highway 16.  Just before reaching New Hazelton, we turned off the highway and travelled a few km. to Ross Lake Provincial Park to have lunch.  While Joanne prepared lunch in the camper I walked to the shore line of Ross Lake with Bo ( off leash ).  Where we found ... HUH ?  Millions and millions of teensy little frogs congregated a few feet back from the water's edge.  They were so thick they formed a band of black along the shore line a few feet back from the water.  Were they hatching ?  Do frogs hatch from eggs ?  I thought frogs laid their eggs in the water and the eggs became tadpoles before forming into frogs.  In any case ... there was just enough of an odour emanating from the millions of teensy little frogs that Bo thought ... he should roll on them.  F****, BO ... GET UP ! ! !  < rolling my eyes yet again >  How am I supposed to explain THAT to your "mother" ? ! ?

After lunch, and a trip to the shore line for Joanne to see the frogs ... with Bo waiting in the camper ... we returned to the highway and continued west.  The highway was following the mighty Skeena River.  And salmon season has begun !  Frequently there were fishermen standing in the river fly fishing for salmon.  And we stopped for a few minutes at Moricetown, an Indian village, to watch the Natives dip netting for salmon in a narrow canyon where the Sockeye have to jump up in the air to get upstream in the rapids.

We refilled with diesel in Terrace.  And about half an hour west of Terrace we turned off the highway and drove about 10 km. / 6 miles up a very rough, one lane dirt road to a BCFSRS remote wilderness campground on the Exstew River.  It was difficult to get there.  And when we arrived ... < SPUTTER > ... the place was filled with trucks and trailers and boats and ATV's and dirt bikes.  Where the hell did all these people come from ?  And what the hell are they all doing here ?  Apparently not fishing ! ! !  Just ... making a lot of noise as they drive around and around on the very sandy shoreline of the Exstew River !

< sigh >  We were too tired to leave.  And ... I wanted to fish !  The Exstew River was gorgeous !  Fast flowing, clear blue water !  Hopefully filled with trout.  Or salmon !  We selected a campsite away from the river, back in the bush.  I went fly fishing.  For half an hour.  Caught nothing.  One can only stand ( shin deep only ) in ice water for so long before one's legs go numb !  GEEEEEZ, that was a cold river !

Tuesday ;  Exstew River BCFSRS to Prince Rupert

Sunny and warm.

This morning we left the Exstew River campground ( such as it was ! ) and drove the 6 km. / 3½ mile donkey trail back to Yellowhead Highway 16 and continued west.  We were only a couple of hundred km. away from Prince Rupert so we stopped and checked out every rest area and Provincial Park and Forest Service Recreation Site.  We stopped for lunch at Diana lake Provincial Park.

Just before reaching the small coastal city of Prince Rupert we turned south off the highway to the small town of Port Edward.  In the town we refilled our freshwater holding tank and dumped our waste holding tanks at the municipal sani-dump station.  Then we spent the rest of the afternoon touring the North Pacific Cannery, a late 1800's fishing cannery, the last one of five that had been in this area, now restored to be a museum.

We took two guided tours, one of the fish processing plant and equipment and processes, and another of the people and their housing and their lives.  It was a racially segregated society ; Chinese factory workers doing the worse of the cannery jobs on the bottom of the hierarchy, then the local Indians doing slightly better jobs in the cannery, then the Japanese fishermen, and finally the white European bosses.  And we watched a movie about salmon canneries, made by the BC government in the 1940's.  The movie and the two tours, all together, made the history story complete.  And just before leaving home last week we watched the Amazing Race Canada episode filmed on Haida Gwaii and in Prince Rupert.  The pit stop at the end of the episode was here at North Pacific Cannery.

We left North Pacific Cannery about 5 PM and drove the remaining short distance to Prince Rupert.  We found the Wal-Mart, decided that it was a viable overnight boondocking location, then drove a few blocks to the Cow Bay area, the tourist area of Prince Rupert.  With a bit of difficulty we found a street parking location, parked Lanoire and Elsie, then walked through the waterfront shopping district.  Most stores had already closed, but we were able to check out the restaurants.  Because ... we wanted fresh Halibut "fish & chips" for supper.

I saw from the elevated walkway above the wharf that fishermen were cleaning their daily catches.  I was interested in seeing that so we walked down to the docks to take a look.  Charter boat captains were cleaning today's catches of Coho Salmon for their waiting, eager clients.  I was envious !

We selected Dolly's Fish Market as our choice for dinner.  It was both a fish market and restaurant.  And we knew the fish were fresh.  We watched a fisherman bring a wheel barrow of fish from the docks to Dolly's !  We each had Halibut fish & chips.  I had an extra piece of Ling Cod to compare it with the Halibut.  The Ling Cod was excellent.  The Halibut was even better than that !  HA HA HA !

After supper we walked ( uphill all the way ) back to where the truck and camper were parked, and drove back to Wal-Mart.  Joanne wanted to phone her sister.  Our cell phone wouldn't work.  I found a Wi-Fi signal and was able to set up our Skype "home phone" enabling Joanne to have a chat with her sister.

Wednesday ;  Prince Rupert

Cloudy, cool, intermittent light rain all day.  We had a lazy day of resting and exploring Prince Rupert and surrounding area.  There was less to see and do around here than I had anticipated.

We slept late this morning.  All of the other half dozen or so RV rigs that had boondocked here at the Wal-Mart overnight were gone this morning, all to the 5:30 AM ferry through the Inside Passage to Vancouver Island I presume.  We drove around exploring around Prince Rupert and out to Port Edwards.  At Port Edwards we refilled our freshwater holding tank and dumped our waste holding tanks again at the municipal sani-dump station.  On the way back to Prince Rupert we stopped at a municipal park on a small lake and had lunch in the camper.  And ... < whispering > ... Bo and I napped briefly.

He gave us a bit of a health scare today.  After napping briefly, he seemed ... neurologically ill.  His face was hot, as if he had a headache.  He repeatedly kept having short seizures.  His balance seemed off, he was having difficulty jumping in or out of the camper and truck.  His eyes looked "sleepy", as if he was very tired and falling asleep, even after napping.  After a few hours he was back to normal.  At first we thought perhaps he had experienced some manner of stroke.  But ... maybe he's just getting old !

We refilled Lanoire with diesel on our way back into the city, then parked in the Cow Bay area and once again wandered around, browsing in the tourist shopping area and walking along the wharf, admiring large boats ; pleasure boats / yachts, fishing boats, sail boats.  Parked alongside the wharf today were two very large, old fashioned, wood masted sailing ships, used by a BC based sailing education organization to train groups of youth.

Late in the afternoon we shopped for groceries at Safeway and other necessities at Wal-Mart before settling once again into our overnight parking spot, and making and having supper.

Thursday ;  Prince Rupert to Haida Gwaii / Queen Charlotte Islands by ferry

I am typing this at 10 AM Thursday morning, as the BC Ferry M.S. Northern Adventure is pulling away from the Prince Rupert ferry dock, en route to Haida Gwaii.  The weather is partially sunny and mild.

We got up early this morning, Joanne walked the dog, and we headed to the ferry dock for our 8 AM check in time even before taking care of routine morning chores ; showering, breakfast, etc.  Once we were checked in at the ferry terminal, and in line to board the ferry, we showered, had breakfast, etc.

We are now passing the Prince Rupert container port, where large ships are loaded and unloaded with containers full of ... whatever, for shipment to / from Asia.  The container ship Clementine Maersk is being loaded / unloaded right now.  WOW !  What a lot of "sea cans" !

Now, a few minutes later, at 10:15 AM, Joanne has just pointed out to me that a rail line is running alongside the shore line, and a very long train is bringing many more "sea cans" to the Prince Rupert container port.  I guess it's an endless process of "sea cans" in and out by rail, to be loaded on and off ships coming and going.

Now, at 10:20 AM, we are passing the Prince Rupert bulk port, where bulk commodities like grain and coal are loaded onto ships.  The PACNAV ship Atlantic Maya, which for the last two nights has been sitting within our view at the Wal-Mart parking lot, waiting for its load time slot, is now at the port being loaded.

Until it was time for lunch, I sat at a table in the ferry's dining room, with my laptop plugged into an electrical outlet on the wall, and worked on downloading and processing photos.  I can tell from the conversations taking place around me that the ferry has many musicians / performers, headed to the Edge Of The World Music Festival, on Haida Gwaii, starting tomorrow.  As are we !

There are two main islands of Haida Gwaii, the more populated northern Graham Island, and the less populated southern Moresby Island.  The ferry arrived at the town of Skidegate ( pronounced something like "Skiddygat" ) on Graham Island, at 5:15 PM.  Once off the ferry we headed north directly to the Village of Port Clements.  We had a reservation at their municipally operated campground, Sunset RV & Camping Park.  Port Clements is about half an hour north of Tlell, where the Edge Of The World Music Festival will be held over the next three days.  Port Clements also has one of the very few sani-dump stations on Haida Gwaii, a huge bonus for us.

We arrived in Port Clements about 6:30 PM.  We dumped our waste holding tanks and refilled our freshwater tank at the very windy, very cold, ocean front sani-dump station.  BRRRRR !  By 7 PM we were in the campground.  WOW !  Great place !  Only six RV sites.  All very private, well separated from one another.  Only a couple of hundred feet from the ocean, but protected by thick rainforest from the cold wind coming in off the ocean.  Port Clements is on the west coast of Graham Island, so a lot of wind coming in off the ocean, and much colder than the villages on the other / eastern side of the island.

We walked down a short trail through the rainforest to the ocean.  BRRRRR !  We returned to our campsite, I chopped some ( free ) firewood, lit a campfire, then cooked supper on the fire ; shrimp in barbecue sauce for me, Cajun seasoned pork chop for Joanne.  Don't think I've ever cooked over a campfire of Sitka Spruce before.  Inside the camper Joanne made a fresh salad and a rice pilaf.  After eating supper outdoors at the picnic table in our campsite we walked over to the adjacent tent campground and picnic area.  Very nice !  But less sheltered than the RV campsites, so colder / windier.

When it finally got dark ( at 10:30 PM ) and our campfire was almost burned out we went inside the camper to have hot chocolate.  Bo was eager to have his bed time snack and head to bed.  He was SOOOOO tired !  HA HA HA !  Poor little dog !  These ferry rides are stressful for a little dog, having to stay alone in the camper for over seven hours, with strange noises, and strange motion.

Friday ;  Port Clements to Tlell ; Edge Of The World Music Festival

Haida Gwaii has rapidly changing weather.  Today was sunny, with temperatures ranging from hot to cold.

We slept late this morning.  We left our campsite about noon and headed north on a gravel road about ten km. / six miles looking for a somewhat obscure local tourist attraction.  Never found it !  HMPH !  We drove back to the campground, then into the Village of Port Clements.  We  stopped at the village office to ask a question about the campground.

We headed south on the highway towards Tlell, about 25 km. / 15 miles from Port Clements.  On the way we stopped at Davis Lake Provincial Park, a day use / picnic area, to have lunch.  After lunch we continued into Tlell, and the fairgrounds where the Edge Of The World Music Festival is held.  We parked and had our folding chairs set up in front of the stage just in time for the 3 PM opening ceremonies.

Today was day one of three of the music festival.  We were there today for eight hours.  And it was a bit disappointing.  None of the entertainers was all that great.  Some were downright terrible.

Each performer or group of performers is given about forty-five minutes to perform, with about a fifteen minute changeover time between performers.  And you would think that fifteen minutes would be enough time for one performer to leave and the next to set up.  But NOOOOO ... most of the performers are obsessed with fiddling endlessly with the sound system and seem far more concerned with entertaining / satisfying themselves then the audience.  It's not just here !  We have that opinion of most "amateur" or "semi-professional" musicians we have seen perform over the last decade or so.  It seems to be an "evolution" in the live music performance business.

Shortly after the music festival started, I had to return to our truck and camper in the parking to change from a black t-shirt, long pants, and shoes, to light coloured t-shirt, shorts, and sandals.  A few hours later I had to change back again.  And then a couple of hours after that, I needed a sweater.  Then a heavy jacket !

We stayed at the music festival until it became ( almost ) dark at 10:30 PM, so that we could view the lantern parade, a tradition at this music festival.  After the lantern parade we left.  It was just too much agony to bear any more listening to the completely self-absorbed duo from Vancouver that was on stage at that time.  We drove about half an hour north back to Port Clements and our campground ... dodging two deer on the way.

Saturday ;  Port Clements to Tlell ; Edge Of The World Music Festival day two

Today was lovely weather, sunny and warm, a very light breeze during the hottest part of the afternoon while sitting in the sun at the music festival.

This morning before heading to Tlell for the music festival we walked down to the wildlife viewing tower on the waterfront a few hundred feet behind our campsite.  The waterfront here is actually the Yakoun River Estuary, where the Yakoun River runs into the ocean.  At low tide it is a lot of "mud flat" with a river running through it.  At high tide it looks like ocean.  We drove into Port Clements and used the municipal sani-dump station again to dump our waste holding tanks and refill with freshwater, a daily chore
( for us ... I'm a "water hog", demanding a daily full shower ) with the limited capacity tanks of the truck camper.

We arrived at the music festival at 2 PM, just in time for me to attend a juggling workshop in the "activities" area.  GEEEEEZ ... my juggling skills are extremely rusty ! 
I did, however, receive instruction in juggling bowling pins, although I did not work at it long enough to master the technique.  Today's musical performers were more to our liking than yesterday's.  The late night headliner was Buffy Sainte-Marie, a renowned Canadian Indian social activist and folk singer from the 1960's and 1970's.  My old Canadian friends / readers will know her.  My American friends / readers likely will not.  She was "blacklisted" by the Johnson and Nixon administrations, as being "subversive".  I'm not a great fan of her, but her astounding vibrato / tremolo musical voice is as strong as ever, and she still has powerful social and political messages to deliver through song.

Just before arriving back at Sunset Campground we came across a small doe standing in the road, protecting her very small fawn who was grazing in the ditch.

DSK