Queen Charlotte Travel Guide

1 more image

The main and only reason we went to Queen Charlotte was to do some fishing and relaxing at a lodge. We stayed at Salmon Safaris (now operating under a Queen Charlotte Safaris) and couldn't have had a better time. We had wonderful accomodations, wonderful guides and memories to last a lifetime. We went on two separate occassions and both times I was the only woman at the lodge (14 people total I think, all guys!) and each time I won a trophy for catching the largest fish of that stay. Boy, they sure didn't like that. :-)

Ron and Valerie are now running the lodge and we have known them for many years. They are wonderful people who are truly inviting and make you fee like you are in your own home!

2 more images

The food here was great. We generally try other places in town, but liked the food so much we kept going back. A rather rustic look, but frankly Queen Charlotte is a rather rustic area.

Favorite Dish: The fresh salmon - and all the other local catch.

2 more images

The shop looks a bit intimidating and a bit downmarket from the outside. Step inside and you will notice that this is not true. Anything from run of the mill tourist trade goods to high-end original artwork by extremely talented Haida craftsmen.

What to buy: Haida art and crafts, paintings, sketches and argulite carvings.

4 more images

I hired out a bike from Queen Charlotte City (or village! depending on how you see it) and cycled to hike up Sleeping Beauty Mountain, the tallest mountain of the Queen Charlotte Islands situated west of 'Charlotte'.
I stopped in Kagan Bay on the way and passed some quarries on the way.
Eventually after finding the initial markers that pointed to the mountain, arrived at the start at the path after a 2.5 hour cycle ride. Someone could probably marke it faster but most of it is uphill. - The Downhill ride is fantastic!
I took the 'Connector and Tarundle Trail' and passed salmon streams at the beginning of the hike. Some of the steps along the way were found to be cut into wood tree trunks. Each set of steps seemed to be quite unique - wooden ladders, stone-cut steps, a tree trunk base with steps, and a tree trunk as pictured with steps running along the trunk. I followed the Orange markers through the tree undergrowth and after an hour and a half reached the base of the summit on a small plateau which had a small lake.
After a short climb on steep grasses I arrived at the top and met another group there. We all sat there for sometime, had our lunch and enjoyed a fabulous view of Graham Island which included a good view of Yakoun Lake as well as some of the mountains on Moresby Island to the South. Though some parts of the trail are not well-marked and some of the ascent is quite steep the descent due to the earth and large amount of roots was much faster. Some difficult parts of the route had ropes to assist hikers. Though some of the trail is in need of care and attention, I found it to be a highly enjoyable climb and the view to be spectacular.