HAIDA CANOE TRAIL #2 FEATURES:
Ancient Haida canoe
Culturally Modified Trees
Late 20th century logging
ABOUT
This trail technically doesn’t have a name but, because it leads to another ancient Haida Canoe, the tendency has just been to call it “Haida Canoe Trail #2” – an interesting name choice since you actually come upon its trailhead BEFORE the “Haida Canoe Trail” that most everyone visits.
How and why do most miss this trail? It isn’t marked, but we will try to spell it out. From Port Clements, the unmarked trailhead is approximately 11.5 kilometres away:
Drive 10 minutes, or 3.5 kilometres from Port Clements to the Golden Spruce trailhead pullout. The road turns from paved (Bayview Drive) to gravel. Once you hit the gravel Port Man Forest Service Road, please be aware that you’re on active logging roads.
From the Golden Spruce trailhead pullout, continue driving straight along the Forest Service road for approximately 7.5 kilometres. At this point, you should keep an eye out for an old single-track logging spur road on your LEFT. If you pass the “HAIDA CANOE” sign (Haida Canoe Trail), then you’ve driven too far. The old road essentially represents the trailhead.
From the old logging road, it is a one-kilometre stroll to the trail’s terminus point. The hike is largely unremarkable – as you pass through a lot of alders and young spruce – though you may encounter the odd grouse strutting about! At one point, you do come to a large fork in the road: Go to your RIGHT.
After a couple of minutes, you will come to the end of the road. Once here, look to your right. You should see what appears to be a deer trail going up a small incline through some fairly dense salal bushes. This part of the trail is only about 45 meters long and brings you to the reason you hiked this route: An ancient “blank” Haida canoe, carved circa the 1860s.
In our opinion, this site is far more interesting than the better-known “HAIDA CANOE” trail nearby. It provides a richer experience. As soon as you pass through the salal, you’re met with a cold chill and then you see everything in front of you: A culturally modified tree (CMT) – the stump of a large monumental cedar – greets you, demonstrating where the canoe below came from. To your left, another CMT with a large “test hole” can be seen. Then, down below, is the moss-covered Haida canoe. The early shaping of the canoe’s bow and stern is clearly evident, along with the flattening of the top of the log in preparation for its hollowing out. Maybe it’s the green moss or the stories attached to the site, but this canoe just “grabs” us far more than the other canoe trail.
We were introduced to this unmarked trail by Dale Lore. He’s the former Mayor of Port Clements and the current owner of Bayview Market. As Mayor, he made a historic move in siding with the Haida Nation over logging disputes on the islands. This was notable because Port Clements is a logging community and Dale himself spent the better part of 20 years building roads for M&B and Weyerhaeuser to extract resources. Now, he offers tours of unique sites along the Port Clements backroads – this Haida canoe site being one of them.
As Mr. Lore explained to us, this site was “discovered” in the mid-1990s. Logging companies were building the access road to, well, cut down some trees and make a profit. As the road was being built, the loggers stumbled upon this site. There was talk of sneaking the blank canoe out and continuing uninterrupted, but Mr. Lore notified the Haida Nation – advising them that they “need to see this.”
Subsequently, because logging is not permitted at culturally significant sites, the operation was halted and stopped. Back to that “chill” you feel: There is little doubt this site is full of energy.
You feel it the moment you exit the salal. The ancient structures of the past speak to us and share their story. They have much to teach us if only we have but the eyes to see and ears to listen. On the one hand, they highlight all that was lost during the smallpox epidemic of the 1860s; on the other hand, they symbolize just how intelligently the Haida used (and use) the forest.
While you are visiting this site, or any other culturally significant area on Haida Gwaii, please practice Yahguudang (respect for all beings).
Note 1: It is possible to drive the old spur logging road, but we would only recommend doing this if you don’t mind getting your vehicle all scratched up from the trees reaching over onto the road.
Note 2: If you would like to book a tour with Dale Lore, drop by and visit him at Bayview Market or contact him via email: dalelore@gmail.com
DIFFICULTY: Easy
TOTAL DISTANCE: 2 kilometers (return)
TIME: 40 minutes
TYPE: Out-and-Back
ELEVATION GAIN: None