Back. Now for some time to divulge.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect, when Marc and I first set off from Terrace for our long planned green traveller project. Now that I sit here, with shooting behind us, I can safely say there was no way to expect what we've had long planned for. The things we saw, the people we met, the things we did, far exceeded our expectations. If a person could judge our "pilot" solely on footage, we'll they would be blown away.

Just a quick recap of our adventures.


We first driftboated down the Skeena river for three days. We launched in Terrace, and camped our way down til we reached Igneous creek. Prior to launch day, the weather was atrocious... rainy... and cloudy. As luck would have it, the rain held off. The patch of blue sky seemingly following us for the most part down the Skeena, and even for days after. Marc managed to capture some amazing footage, but unfortunately, we saw more people then wildlife as fishermen and women congregated on a number of riverbanks along the way.


After we landed, we camped at "Igneous," and the next morning, I biked the remaining 53 kilometers to Prince Rupert. I did have to work that week, so Marc headed out and picked up some b-roll (raw tape) of Terrace and Prince Rupert. Midweek, we hiked up Hays mountain and picked up some shots and interactions from above. It was again, warm, sunny.. gorgeous. The view that day was spectacular, and I believe it was possible to see Alaska.

The following weekend, we repacked, for the next leg of our big adventure. Sailing the Hecate Strait for Haida Gwaii!!!

We packed up that Friday, and left early. The forecast was brilliant. Sunny skies followed us as we sailed out of Prince Rupert and towards the Hecate Strait. Along the way, our sailing hosts, Marty and Mae-Jong Bowles, taught us the ropes of sailing, and being green on the wide open ocean. I learned to navigate, chart and to even take the helm of running the ship. The first day, we did not let out the sails, because of the lack of wind, but we managed to chug our way down to a place called "Spicer Island," where we planned to launch across to Haida Gwaii.

After a deep slumber, we awoke bright and early, and made our first attempt. The sky was clear. The sun was bright... but the winds proved to much. The seas were "confused." Instead of a steady rolling of the waves, we seemed to get hit from every direction. After a short battle with the ocean we turned back... but not before my cameraman Marc lost the contents of his stomache. Our amazing pancake breakfast, just hours previous, found its way into the toilet bowl. We'd have to try again tomorrow.

That afternoon, we headed to a different place called "Totem Inlet." The inlet was gorgeous. It was like a hidden ocean oasis, surrounded by various islands, and inlets. Across the way was a small mountain. The lowest portion of the mountain (more like a hill) facing us was riddled with some dense thick trees, but above that was a nice clearing to the top. Marc and I decided to take the dingy and climb it for the view.


As we crossed through the thick brush/trees, we finally made it to the clearing. Although the hillside was windswept, the ground was marshlike, with a muskeg feel. After about 20 minutes we trekked to the top until we made it to the highest clear point. From there we were treated to a panoramic view of the ocean. Just to get the legs going, I sprinted up a clear incline. From our vantage point, there were no people, no ships, no buildings... it was spectacular. After a half an hour, we headed back to fish the remainder of the day.

The next morning, captain Marty Bowles headed out on the dingy to guage what lay ahead of us as we planned our second crossing. When he returned, he was optimistic. Out past the inlet, the ocean opened up to a calm clear morning. The waters were flat and calm. We pulled anchor, and nabbed a crab trap we set the night before. What a joy it was, as we pulled up 12 crab!!! We threw back six... and still had plenty for that evening's dinner. With the glorious sun out, and a full crab trap... we were ready to try the Hecates' again. As we chugged our way out the inlet, the waters were still calm... but as we moved into the wide open sea, the waves started to roll on in. The further we went, the bigger the seas became. Far off, we could see whitecaps as the ocean churned about. After an hour, the ocean raged even worse than the day before. After a few minutes, we turned back away from the gale force winds. Our plan to cross the Hecate Strait was dashed. Disappointed, we knew we had to make a choice. Wait out the weather... or turn back now and take the ferry across. After a long discussion, we decided to turn back and head back to Prince Rupert :(


To be continued.... (the Green Traveller goes to Plan B)