Standing your ground does not always work as we were about to find out. We had a ride arranged by the women at the hotel desk to the Skidegate ferry, about 15 kilometres away, which departed at 12:30. It was now 12:05 and looking iffy because, even though we were adjusting to the easy going island pace, it was difficult for me to tell the driver to take a hike. He wanted $60 for that little hop because he knew he had a captive audience. I wasn't sure what we were going to do, I just knew I wasn't going to pay $60 to do it.

We ate with the village Haida watchmen on the scenic shore. Their feeling is the village is in the process of returning to Mother Nature and there won’t be much left to see in ten years. Letting the village’s remains return to the land over time is what the Haida see as the most natural and desired outcome.

Humpback whales are known for their spectacular acrobatic displays, though this one must have been on a coffee break. They arrive in Haida Gwaii in early April after having spent the winter in the warm waters off Hawaii and Mexico. Who could blame them?

The Pesuta is located just north of the mouth of the river and is easy to spot. As a matter of fact, you couldn’t miss this massive triangular shaped weathered pile of wood if you tried. It is visible for kilometres, although as you approach it doesn’t seem to get any closer then suddenly you are there.

It was mind-boggling as we neared Ashcroft. I was absolutely gobsmacked to find a desert in the middle of British Columbia – was not expecting anything like that. I felt, all of a sudden I had left BC. I have travelled a lot in the U.S. and it felt like we had left BC and landed in Texas or New Mexico. The only thing missing was cactus.

Originally part of the Kettle Valley Railway, the five railway tunnels and a series of wooden bridges follow a relatively straight line through the gorge. That gorge is lined with sheer flat rock cliffs and is the only movie site remaining on the somewhat laughable Rambo tour – the rock face between tunnels one and two. You remember the scene where the evil deputy falls to his death out of the helicopter while trying to kill Rambo. So sad.