“Pic of the Week”. January 4, 2013. Skedans Island Totem Poles, Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands)

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Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands (or “Misty Isles”), is a chain of islands off the coast of northern British Columbia, just below the Alaska panhandle.  The Islands are lush and green because they are wet — frequently foggy, drizzly or rainy.   When I visited, one of the locals told me it’s not unusual to have only have a single day of sunshine a month.  I’m not sure I could live in that type of environment but I did enjoy my visit!

Haida Gwaii has a rich aboriginal history and culture.  Natives in the area lived as tribes, often in large communal houses built of cedar logs.  Food (salmon, game, berries) was very plentiful …

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Kootenay National Park: Fire and Ice; views from the Stanley Glacier Trail

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Among the most popular hikes in Kootenay National Park is the trail to Stanley Glacier, situated in British Columbia near Alberta, close to Castle Junction in Banff National Park.  The trail provides a great half day hiking opportunity.  It’s an 8.5 km round trip hike (just over 5 miles) and has a modest elevation gain of 365 m (about 1200 ft).   I would rate it as a “moderate” effort hike.
The hike encompasses much of what makes the Canadian Rockies a special place to visit.  There are grand panoramic views of tall mountains and a deep valley, a hanging glacier in a hanging valley, crystal clear creeks, and the sequelae of several forest fires …

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Kimberley, B.C. — Ambling through a sleepy mountain town

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An easy and popular day trip from Cranbrook is to Kimberley, a small Bavarian themed town in southeastern British Columbia, west of Cranbrook and nestled in the foothills of the Purcells .  The town was named after the famous Kimberley diamond mine in South Africa,  While there are no diamonds here, for almost 100 years this town was home to the world’s largest lead-zinc ore (or “gallena”) mine, the Sullivan Mine (which has been closed for more than a decade).  Kimberley’s main industry now is tourism.  Kimberley is among Canada’s highest altitude cities at 1110m above sea level.

The town has picked a Bavarian theme for it’s central downtown area, known as the …

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Cranbrook, B.C. — Gateway to the Kootenay Rockies

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I’d driven through the small city of Cranbrook at least a dozen times without stopping for more than gas or a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s.  The view of Cranbrook from the highway 95 is not inspiring — a lengthy string of fast food joints, hotels and small businesses.  But the mountainous setting of the area is beautiful so I wanted to spend a little time exploring the region “off the highway”.  My wife and I took a weekend to do so and had a lovely time.

Cranbrook is situated in the middle of the 16 km (10 mile) broad Rocky Mountain Trench in southeastern British Columbia, close to Alberta and Idaho, …

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Yoho National Park: Yoho Valley, Twin Falls and Whaleback Circuit

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In a region of beautiful and dramatic scenery, Yoho Valley holds its own. The Yoho Valley Road is only a few kilometers east of the small town of Field, British Columbia, just off the very accessible TransCanada Highway.  Don’t expect to be here alone — this a popular area, especially on nice summer days.  Many who drive into the valley just stop to see Takakkaw waterfall, then continue on with their car trip.  At 384 m high (with 254 m “free fall”), Takakkaw — pronounced Tah-kuh-kah, Cree for “it is wonderful” — is the tallest of a number of memorable waterfalls you’ll find when exploring Yoho Valley.  It is one of Canada’s highest waterfalls.

I generally like to hike alone or with a small group …

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Yoho National Park — Emerald Lake

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Yoho seems a bit of an odd name, but it’s very appropriate to apply it to this region.  To the Cree people Yoho meant “Awe and Wonder”.  You’ll find that impression remains today when you visit this region, within which Emerald Lake stands out as one remarkable destination.  It’s one of the great scenic treasures of the Canadian Rockies, rivaling the beauty of Lake Louise or Moraine Lake.   Situated about an hour and a half drive from Banff, Emerald Lake offers memorable scenes of greenish water against a stunning backdrop of forested mountains, jagged peaks and glaciers.  When the light hits the water at the right angle, you’ll see where the lake gets its name — …

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