Every spring, millions of shorebirds leave their winter homes and fly north to nesting grounds in the Arctic region. A key migration route lies along the western edge of North America – the Pacific Flyway. Birds making the long journey will typically stop for a brief sojourn on Haida Gwaii at the Delkatla Sanctuary.
Author: Robert Williams
The Golden Spruce Trail is located approximately 10 minutes (3.5 km) outside the community of Port Clements and represents a brisk 20-minute roundtrip walk. Up until January 1997, the end of this short well-manicured trail led to a viewpoint whereby you could see and admire Kiidk’yaas, the Golden
Spruce.
The Watun River Road, which has also been identified as a trail elsewhere, is accessible just off the Watun River Bridge, approximately 20 minutes south of Masset. The road is roughly 400 meters in length but is often muddy.
Locating the Scout Lake Trailhead marker is an adventure in itself. To find this trail, you first have to hike the full Charlie Hartie Trail, which clocks in at approximately 800 meters one way and has an elevation gain of 160 meters. After about an hour of hiking, you’ll come upon the official terminus point of the Charlie Hartie Trail, as indicated by a fork and some signage. One arrow points left towards “Charlie Hardie,” but blowdown and lack of maintenance have made this route towards the creek virtually unnavigable. The right-pointing arrow, on the other hand, indicates the route to Scout Lake and, in effect, represents the trailhead.
The Monique Creek Trail, like the Three Mile Creek Trail, is found deep within the Tlall Conservancy. Accessing it in the current day requires a bit of effort because the original point of entry – Survey Forest Service Road – was formally decommissioned in 2016 after years of disuse.
The Kumdis River Trail is a short out-and-back route located approximately 2 kilometers outside the village of Port Clements. Like most trails on Haida Gwaii, the Kumdis River Trail lacks a formal trailhead; however, it is easy enough to find.
The Andrews Place Road Trail is a short out-and-back route located at the end of, well, Andrews Place Road in Tlell. The trailhead is not formally marked; however, it can be seen adjacent to a hydro pole at the end of the cul-de-sac, next to Sandy House. At just 250 meters in length, it only takes 5 minutes to complete this trail and emerge, first, onto the flat sand dunes and then the pebbly beach below.
The Blackwater Creek Waterfall Trails are a couple of hidden gems on Haida Gwaii. The two trails are short – clocking in at about 200 and 400 meters respectfully – and very remote; however, if one enjoys chasing waterfalls, these two routes are definitely worth the effort. As these trails are not well known, they do not appear in any of the literature available on Haida Gwaii.
The aptly named Masset Cemetery Road Beach Access Trail is exactly as it says: It is located adjacent to Masset Cemetery and provides straightforward access to South Beach. In this regard, it isn’t much of a hiking trail but serves a functional purpose. The trail is wide and flat, taking you through compacted sand and a few scattered spruce trees before hitting the beach.
The Louise Dover Trail is located adjacent to the Haans Creek bridge, just before entering Sandspit. Initially conceived in the mid-1990s, the trail is named after Louise Dover, an influential woman of Haida ancestry who lived in the community of Sandspit. In many respects, the trail is an apt memorial and tribute because it introduces hikers to key elements of Haida Gwaii: Important fish streams; unique flora and fauna; ancient Haida culture; rare geology and fossils; and, a larger appreciation for how everything depends upon everything else.