#Lyell Hart

[darkwizardesswrites]

Destiny Quartet Season One Chapter Four

Summary: They lost their parents in an epidemic when they were only eight, their sister went missing when they were eleven, for the three Hart sisters’ life was by no means easy but they always kept looking forward. The village was peaceful and quiet, everyone was friendly and the sisters were content with what little they had. When the three of them get accepted into Gedonelune magic Royal Academy, the most prestigious magic school, they leave the village they lived in all their lives and set out to the academy. With Liz being terrible in magic and Loris being indifferent, will they be able to pass the trial? And what’s with the mysterious Dream Lillias keeps having?

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"Don't touch that." A loud voice vibrated through the room, from behind a large, masculine hand grabbed a hold of Liz's delicate arm and yanked it back. Both Surprised and frightened the novice wizardess spun around; what caught her eyes was a tall male student. The fading light piercing through the window made his golden hair shimmer, his sharp violet eyes stared back at Liz's amber-colored ones. She found herself looking back at him mesmerized by his gallant figure, 'So Handsome…' the brunette couldn't help but think as she stared at him. 

"Are you even listening to me? I asked what you think you're doing here bunnyhead?" the male student asked with a dangerously low voice, his eyes narrowing as he stared the new student down, many thoughts roaming through his head. 

"I, uh... what? Bunnyhead?!" Now back to her senses, the brunette looked back at him clearly not happy with the nickname, she had nothing against bunnies mind you, she just didn't like being called that. She couldn't even comprehend how this new nickname came to be. 

"Your hair makes you look like a rabbit," the male student simply replied, his mouth now curving into a playful, almost teasing smirk. Liz could tell he was making fun of her, and little by little she found herself getting more frustrated, finally she decided to open her mouth to reply, "Bunnies are cute!" Of all the things she could say in retaliation, this was how she responded, yes she was aware of how ridiculous it was, she felt like facepalming then, however she composed herself and continued on, "Besides, those are called pigtails!"

"I'll call you bunnyhead anyway."

"Wha-" Liz was totally stunned by his response, even though she gave him a glare, that didn't seem to affect him in the slightest, 'I don't like this guy one bit, I happen to love my hair!' As she thought that, his grip on her hand slightly loosened, taking that chance Liz pulled her arm free and took a few steps back then held it close to her chest. 

Now looking more serious, the male student's eyes carefully inspected her, "You're awfully suspicious."

"I am not! I am a new student here!" Liz quickly interjected, "Please take a look," she pulled her bag out and dug through it quickly searching inside until she finally pulled out her acceptance letter, "My name is written right here!" She shoved the document onto his face.

Klaus stood on the same spot not moving from it, he carefully skimmed through the document until he reached her name, "Liz Hart." Ah yes, that last name he despises the most. "So you're one of their sisters after all."

"Huh?" Liz found herself a bit lost by the statement of the blond student, 

Who's sister? Is he perhaps an acquaintance of Lyell or Lyron? 

She stared at him as she thought of that possibility. 

No, there's no way my brothers are friends with a rude person like him… then again with Lyron it may be likely.

"Not showing up at the station then ending up here of all places," Klaus crossed his arms and let out a long, irritated sigh. "S-sorry?" Although she found herself apologizing, she really didn't know what for, when she realized that she decided to ask, "Wait what are you talking about?"

"Didn't the acceptance letter tell you to wait at the station for someone to pick you up?" The student's eyes glanced down at Liz as he awaited her response. "What?!" Taken aback Liz couldn't help but shout.

That reaction earned a glare from the blond standing in front of her, he controlled his anger and continued, "I was only able to find you by tracking the letter using magic," in fact, he had tracked all three of the sisters using that method but coincidentally only Liz and Loris happened to be so far from the dorms when he tracked them, thus he decided to head for the one closest to him while 'that person' went after the other sister. 

"I am really sorry! The acceptance letter didn't tell me anything!" Liz frantically apologized to him, bowing her head down in the process. The male student let out another sigh, "What a dunce. I have wasted my time."

Aww….this guy is a bit scary…

Liz thought to herself, the truth is she felt he was more than that, she'd even go as far as to say a bit terrifying, but the question remained, who was he? There was a noble air around him, it didn't feel like he was just another student, he was too stuck up for that to be the case.

"I am Klaus Goldstein," the blond man informed her, seemingly noticing her puzzled expression, "This academy's prefect."

"Prefect…?" After a few minutes, the information registered in her mind, "you're a prefect?!" Normally she wouldn't know what a prefect was, however it so happened that her brothers were both prefects. "You're Lyell's friend?!"

That statement seemed to irritate the young prefect, "I prefer to use the term acquaintance."

"O-okay, my bad…" feeling frightened, Liz decided not to say anything else, however this confused the 18 year old wizardess a bit.

Clearing his throat to get Liz's attention, Klaus went on, "You're from Reitz aren't you?" When he saw Liz give a nod he went on, "If I remember correctly you're a vet who heals animals, correct?"

"Yes, that was part of what I did, how did you know?" Liz glanced back at Klaus wondering how he knew all that about her already, they had just met less than five minutes ago. "TODAY MY JOB WAS TO GUIDE YOU AROUND THIS ACADEMY. FROM THE STATION," Klaus glared daggers into her, his eyes burning into hers with his every word making it obvious how angry he was. "I Know a bit about you and your two sisters already."

"Agh…." Liz grumbled as she looked down.

He's such a meanie…

she really did not know she was supposed to stay at the station, none of her sisters did either, they all headed to the academy. Thinking that, Liz went on with her thoughts.

It's not even my fault I didn't know to stay at the station.

With a sigh, Klaus composed himself and looked directly at Liz, "Whatever, why did you come to this place?" Looking back at Klaus, Liz started to explain. "I was trying to find my way to the dormitory," of course, she hadn't managed to find it yet though.

"Didn't you get a map from the letter?" Klaus crossed his arms as he questioned the new student. "The only buildings that stand out here are the main buildings, the boys' and girls' dorms. You should've been able to figure out which one is the main building by the map, from there it would've been very easy to figure out where the girls' dorm is, furthermore both the boys' and girls' dorms are in the same area, even if you went to the wrong one it would be obvious as soon as you got there."

Agh….as much as I hate to admit it he's right, there's only three buildings on the map…but…

"I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't even pass the judgment on the 13th day here," klaus rubbed his eyes as he painfully sighed, first he was forced to wake up early so he would show the new students around, then when he arrived they were nowhere in sight, he had to look around the town for a while before he ended up going back to the academy, it was still his job as a prefect to do this much so he can't complain. 

"Huh, what do you mean the judgment on the 13th day?" Liz's head snapped towards Klaus when she heard those words, what judgment? What's on the 13th day? She really didn't know about any of this, the anxiety started creeping in. 

"Unbelievable, didn't you even read the acceptance letter?" Klaus spat the words.

"What….?"

"Read it again." That was all Klaus needed to say to make Liz unravel the letter and start skimming through it, reading it quickly trying to figure out what she had not seen before. "Am I missing something here?" her voice was but a whisper. 

"Read the part that talks about your acceptance." Klaus instructed her. "Let's see, acceptance….. provisional," at first the word seemed to pass through and out of her head but then she fell silent, her mind trying to decipher what she just read, "...." the silence continued on for a while, "...Provisional?!" Holding onto the letter tightly, she shouted, carefully reading it again. "Provisional?! What?! That has to be a mistake!"What does it mean?!" This had to be a huge mistake, a big misunderstanding, a conspiracy even. She was already a student here wasn't she? She was already accepted, why else would she have received the letter?! It can't be true. 

"You aren't officially accepted to enroll here yet," ignoring her reaction, Klaus started to explain, his tone as emotionless as ever, "What did you say?!" Those words felt like knives, Liz was trying her best not to crumble to the floor. All she could do was stand there in defeat. 

"Listen, this academy gives all provisional students a trial period each before accepting students officially. On the 13th day, the scale of judgment will determine whether the provisional students are fit or not to be official students here." Klaus went on.

"S-so the scale of judgment will decide if I can enter the academy….is that what you mean?" Liz placed the letter down as she glanced back at Klaus, his nod was the only answer she received. "No way! So what happens if the scale says no?!" Liz reluctantly asked, she already had a feeling she knew the answer to that but she really hoped that she'd hear good news instead.

"It's straight back to the countryside for you."

"No way…" And that was all it took for Liz's hopes and dreams to get crumbled, it was smashed into pieces then grilled with the hellish fires of despair. 

And here I thought my dream had finally come true!

Liz wondered what this meant for her now.

"It confounds me as to how you managed to get accepted here," Klaus deeply sighed with a face showing nothing but disapproval and distaste, "...follow me."

"Huh? Where to?" Confused and perplexed by the sudden command, Liz peered into Klaus's eyes. Klaus stared back at her and quickly answered, "You want to go to the girls' dorm right? I'll take you there."

"T-thank you, sir!" Surprised by his kind gesture, Liz let out a small smile.

"It was my job to guide you to begin with." "Hurry up or I'll leave you behind." This was all that Klaus said before he spun around and started walking.

"Yes, sir!" With this, Liz quickly followed behind the prefect. They returned to the huge stairway and went outside the main building, midway through their path Klaus had stopped.

"This place is the botanical garden, all sorts of plants and flowers bloom here every season," Klaus took a quick glance at Liz, "Students often come here to sit and relax." He was supposed to show her around the academy after all but since it was getting late, he could only show her the places on the way to the dorms. "It really is beautiful!" Liz loudly exclaimed, then she thought of something, "...Now it's all becoming crystal clear…" yes, she can just imagine it, Lillias passing through the botanical garden, forgetting all about the world and just being mesmerized by nature, it was so like her sister. In fact, she was so confident that this was what exactly happened. She would bet her life on it. 

Klaus wasn't really sure what she was talking about, he just continued on with his way as Liz followed after him silently.

Really, this was too much of a hassle. He'd have to drink some tea later on when he returns to the prefect office.

****

As they walked through the forest path, moving through the trees, Lillias took a quick glance towards Elias, "Thanks again for walking me to the dorms." 

If she was being honest, overall it was a good thing she met Elias. After the library situation was resolved, Lillias had explained to Elias her current situation; How she got separated from her sisters, with no map to guide her, she had no idea how to find the dorms. Luckily, Elias had offered to walk her there.

"Don't mention it," Was Elias' quick response, he did not slow down his pace and kept his eyes locked onto the path ahead.

Lagging a bit behind, Lillias ran a few steps to catch up to a certain blond student, "So you're the overly serious type I see," her lips curved into a smile, "You should really learn to accept someone's gratitude at least."

With a sudden halt, Elias spun around and glared at her, "That's none of your concern."

Lillias gave no reaction to that, she did not flinch and her smile did not falter, "You should learn to control your anger better too. Well, shall we continue on now?" She motioned to the path. With a quick sigh, Elias continued on to the dorms, Lillias following behind him quietly looking at the forest and the trees while she passed by. As they walked, a long building made out of red bricks came into view, a stone path cleared the way to the door, flower pots beautifully decorated the entrance. "Here we are, the girl's dorm," Elias glanced towards Lillias

"So this is the dorms…"

"And now I'll be taking my leave," He quickly spun around and made his way to the Male's dorms. "Have a good day."

"Thanks for walking me to the dorms!" Lillias waved goodbye to Elias however he did not stop or even glance back, with a giggle she walked towards the door. "The dormitory sure is fancy," she glanced around and touched the door then went down to the silver knocker, glancing closer she noticed a message written on the door. "Chant the spell to open the door," she mumbled as she read it, with a smile she grabbed her wand, "Oh I know that one, it's quite easy," with that she readied her wand, "Door before me, I command thee to open, Aperio Portal!" With a flick of her wand, veils of light poured out of the wand and flowed into the door, the light seeped into the wooden door and with a click it opened. Lillias quietly walked inside. 

The first thing that caught the new student's attention was the spacious hallways illuminated by the patterned glass of the windows, the floor was made out of grayish brown tiles decorated by a long, red carpet. There were several statues and paintings around the hallway. One painting in particular caught Lillias' attention, she found herself stopping in front of it and quietly observing it, in it a man wearing a black uniform stood proudly, the curly silver hair fell down her shoulder onto his back, his mystic red eyes coldly staring ahead, staring at it, Lillias couldn’t help but wonder about the identity of the man in the picture. 

"It's a beautiful Portrait, isn't it?"

Startled by the sudden voice, her body jolted up as she placed her hand on her heart, Lillias then carefully turned around. Standing there was the dorm mother; a woman in her late twenties, with short black hair and brown eyes.

"My apologies dear, I didn't mean to surprise you," The dorm mother stepped closer, stopping just next to her. "You must be...…" She stopped for a second and eyed the girl, "Okay honestly I am not sure which one of the three sisters you are," the woman let out a soft giggle.

With a smile of her own, the young wizardess answered "I am Lillias, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise. I am Kyla, the housemother," With her warm, motherly smile, Kyla shook hands with Lillias, her eyes were stern and firm yet held a hint of kindness. "However…If I am not mistaken there should've been another two coming?" The housemother moved her head back and forth looking around; trying to spot the other two. Her concern grew more and more by the minute when she noticed they were not there.

"On our way here we got separated," With a sigh, Lillias continued on, "I am not really sure where they are now." The young wizardess was hoping they would have already reached the dorms by now, "I hope they arrive before curfew."

"I sure hope so," the housemother replied while rubbing her temple, she glanced back at the portrait Lillias was observing. "Well then, you're probably tired from the journey, why don't you go to your room, rest up and get to know your roommate? Yours is room 208."

"And my sisters? Which rooms are they in?"

"Let's see…the one named Liz is in room 203 while the other one is in room 204," kyla replied as she looked through a small, pocket-sized, old notebook in her hand before she placed it back in her pocket, "You will be able to see them tomorrow, now go on, your roommate has been…. Very anxious."

"I'll be on my way then," Lillias bid Kyla farewell before going upstairs, walking on the porcelain floor. The light of the window illuminating the tiles with the morning light. Lillias passed by the countless wooden doors; with each impact and each step the boots clattered, its sound echoing in the empty hallways. Suddenly, the sound halted. Lillias stood in front of her new room, the number 208 written on a golden door plate. Filled with no hesitation or doubt, the young female knocked on the door thrice, then she waited. Receiving no reply from her roommate Lillias knocked once more. This time louder. Maybe her roommate didn't hear her the first time.

"C-come in…"

Though the sound was nothing but a whisper, Lillias heard it. With a smile, she opened the door and walked in, preparing to greet her roommate. "Nice to meet yo- whoa!" The moment she walked in, she saw a long, wooden stick being thrusted towards her face, obviously startled and confused Lillias stepped back barely dodging it, her grip on the door tightened.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed the tip of it was shaped like a hand, her eyes traveled across the room to where a girl was crutched down next to a desk, her long blond hair trailed down her back, pink eyes focused ahead while her hand held the a long wooden stick that almost hit Lillias.

The deadly silence continued for a couple minutes but then, she spoke.

"N-nice to meet you," again, it was still just a whisper, filled with hesitation and doubt, though sounding timid the girl went on, "I...I'm Elysse…" with that she moved carefully and moved the hand closer to Lillias.

"Nice to meet you, I am Lillias," With her smile back, Lillias shook hands with the wooden hand. She could tell her new roommate was a bit awkward already but she did not mind, in fact she found the situation a bit challenging and amusing. 

****

Completely lost, that's how she felt. Loris was definitely going the wrong direction and she knew it. She knew she shouldn't have trusted the shady looking guy, now she was completely and utterly lost. What was his name again? Well Loris did not really care, she was going to have a word with him the next time she met him, maybe a punch or three, a good old uppercut would do the trick too. Yes, she was imagining 100 different ways to make Luca regret tricking her, all involved a bit of a fight. With eyes filled with rage, Loris kept walking around trying to find her way back, black aura swirling around her.

"I can feel your killing intent all the way from here," With a chuckle, a guy stepped towards her, his most unique feature was his eyes, one was blue while the other was reddish pink. A white tiger walked beside him, silently eyeing Loris. 

"Lyell!" Loris ran towards her brother and engulfed him a long, tight hug, "It's been so long, I've missed you." She was usually not the affectionate type but she did love her brother quite deeply, he was a mentor to her and a great and caring older brother, yes he was indeed blood related to her however he was 5 years older and she often did not see him since he was a student at Gedonelune Royal magic academy as well.

Seemingly not happy to be ignored, the white tiger let out a loud roar. "I've missed you too Zion," she giggled a bit as she patted the white tiger, it started to let out a purring sound instead as it rubbed its head on Loris' hand.

"So, how did you end up in the northern valley forest of all places?" Lyell asked as he walked closer to his little sister.

"Agh! Don't even remind me, I was on my way to the dorms when this green haired guy tricked me and said I was going the wrong way and said this was the correct way but he was obviously lying! Next time I see him he will regret ever thinking of tricking me!" Loris' eyes flared with anger as she explained her current situation, "He's so dead when I see him!"

"Well this explains your aura of death," Lyell just smiled at his sister as patted her head, "Now let's go before you miss curfew alright?"

Loris nodded as she followed her brother out of the northern valley forest, the white tiger named Zion trailing behind them, she was thankful Lyell managed to find her, yet she wondered if her sisters were already at the dorms, she really hoped they didn't get lost as she did, or more precisely; tricked.

"By the way, how did you know where to find me?" Loris took a quick glance at her brother, her eyes filled with questions. He turned around, glancing back at her with his pink and blue eyes, "It was easy, any good search magic would do the trick." He continued on with his way, he wasn't really much of a talker, even with his sisters, however he did take good care of them and occasionally liked to spoil them. It was not a secret that with the death of their parents, a lot of responsibility came in Lyell's way; from taking care of his sisters to providing for them, to his studies in the academy. Loris knew it, her sisters knew it and they deeply cared and loved their older brother, they cared for both of their older brothers alike. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by Lyell's abrupt stop, "Here we are."

Glancing at the building in front of her, Loris started to wonder why she even came here in the first place. Oh right, her sisters basically dragged her, well she didn't plan on staying long in the academy, whether her sisters made it or not wasn't changing her mind. Plus she did hope they did pass the trial, each of them really wanted to attend unlike her.

"...do your best Loris, both me and Lyron hope you get accepted," with one last pat on the head, Lyell turned around and walked away, followed by his trusty familiar tiger. 

"Where is Lyron anyway…?" With a sigh Loris went in, The last time Loris used magic was a long time ago, she was glad she was able to do the door opening spell in the first place, her talk with the housemother was mostly a blur, however she was happy to at find out Lillias had made it there already, but Liz hadn't reached the dorms yet, that made her worry a bit.

****

Liz could not be happier that she was finally at the dorms, she did not enjoy Klaus' company in the slightest and was glad she could finally relax, luckily she was sure she wouldn't have to interact with him in person again, or at least, she hoped so, luckily the housemother had opened the door for her otherwise she knew her magic would have backfired. With a yawn she glanced at the door plate of each room searching for her own; room 203. Finally she spotted it and headed towards it, "Here we are, room 203!" Taking a deep breath, she gathered her courage and put on a big smile before knocking on the door.

"Come in!" A cheerful voice replied back to her from the other side of the door, Swallowing the lump in her throat, Liz cracked the door open and slowly but reluctantly walked into the room. “Oh you must be Liz right?!” Oblivious to her nervousness, Liz’s roommate jumped off her bed and ran towards her dragging her into the room, “I am Amelia Nile, nice to meet you!” she quickly introduced herself, however she didn’t stop and went on before letting Liz say even a word, "That's your bed right there. You can put your stuff in that chest."

"Thanks," Liz felt a bit caught off guard by Amelia’s enthusiasm, she was a bit worried about what kind of roommate she would have but turns out she had no reason to be worried whatsoever. "You were a bit late so I was getting worried about you."

"After getting separated from my sisters I got lost…" Liz looked the other way a bit embarrassed by the fact, “Then I sort of ran into the prefect and he showed me around. I was supposed to wait at the station for him but I didn't know that…" she went on looking back up at Amelia, "He's the one that guided me here."

"Prefect? Which one? Prefect Klaus or Prefect Lyell? Or was it Prefect Lyron?” Amelia sat down on her bed. “Agh...I wish it was Lyron,” Liz quietly muttered to herself before glancing back at Amelia, “It was Prefect Klaus.”

“Ah! How lucky! I wish a good looking guy like Prefect Klaus showed me around on my first day, then again being in the same room as the emperor is always intimidating.” Amelia placed her hand on her shin as she smirked at her roommate.

“Emperor?”

With a smile, Amelia went on to explain, “Oh Yeah, He is known as the emperor by the students here, his nickname really fits him too with him being the prefect and all, he is really talented, he’s also from the prestigious Goldstein family, he’s basically been an elite since birth! above that he’s also really handsome. Doesn't matter though, his attitude scares all the girls away after all.”

“I have first hand experience with that, he was yelling at me from the moment I saw him," With a sigh, Liz grabbed her suitcase and started unpacking everything, she also did found him handsome at first but afterwards she was too scared of him to even notice it, he was like a devil, “Honestly I would have much rathered if my brothers showed me around.”

“Your brothers? You have siblings studying here?” Amelia’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. Liz nodded. “Yeah, my older brothers Lyron and Lyell.”

“Lyron and Lyell? As in handsome twin prefects? They're your brothers?!” Amelia almost shouted the question, she was shocked by the news and for a valid reason too.

“Yeah, do you know them?” Liz was more than a little confused by her reaction, yeah she knew she didn’t really resemble her brothers much but that wasn’t enough reason to be shocked, at least she didn’t think so.

“Not personally but they are famous, they are prefects after all, not only that but they are one of the three most trusted people by Prefect Klaus. No one really knows much about them and for the most part Lyell specifically likes to keep to himself but a lot of people are really intimidated by him! I mean he carries a sword around and is always followed by that tiger of his,” Amelia closed her eyes, “Honestly even I find him a bit intimidating, it doesn’t help that he rarely interacts with us students...I feel like Lyron is a little bit more sociable and a little charming but he seems like the type of guy you don't want on your bad side so I don't know if he's any better either, I'd even say something about him is more intimidating than Lyell but well…" Amelia cleared her throat, "Prefect Lyron is certainly hot."

"Hey now may I remind you we are talking about my brothers here?" Liz couldn’t help but giggle a bit, to her it was a bit hilarious they found her brothers intimidating at all.

"He is though!" Amelia laughed.

****

“It’s so cute!” Lillias' eyes sparkled with excitement as she petted the small blue furry fox creature in front of her, "Is this your Familiar?" She glanced at Elysse, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Y-yes, His name is Vesta," Feeling nervous, Elysse couldn't help but look anywhere but at Lillias herself.

"Oh, is that so? Well it's nice to meet you little Vesta," Lillias smiled as she continued to pet the small fox, it let out a small noise in approval as she continued to move her hand down it's silky fur. "It's so adorable~"

Elysse only nodded in response to this, however her lips curved into a smile as she watched her new roommate play with her familiar. "Yeah, he is," she couldn't help but observe her roommate and familiar as they interacted, it was kind of surprising how comfortable Vesta was with Lillias already, they had just recently met, he was usually really cold towards everyone except her though there were people he occasionally warmed up to unlike his socially awkward master, "You have a strong connection with magical creatures don't you?"

"Hmm?" Caught off guard by the sudden question, Lillias lifted up her head to look Elysse in the eyes. "I- uh...I mean it just seemed you have an affinity with magical creatures is all," Elysse quickly averted her eyes.

"Who knows? I do love animals though," Lillias placed Vesta down as she stared at Elysse, "If anything you're the amazing one to have a snow fox as a familiar."

Startled by the compliment, Elysse rapidly looked the other way in embarrassment, the blond was never good at interacting with people, she had tried multiple times to start a conversation with her fellow classmates but those always backfired instead, she always got scared and hid, because of that no one wanted to get close to her. Everyone seemed bothered by her awkwardness and weird social habits, some even seemed to despise her because of it. Surprisingly enough, she was good with animals, especially Vesta. To Elysse, her only companion was always Vesta, he was not only a trustworthy familiar but also a friend and companion. Maybe it was because no one interacted with her so she ended up seeking the comfort of her familiar, she was by no means comfortable around Lillias yet, nor did she think she will be for a very long time but she wondered if maybe there was a chance of her becoming friends with her new roommate.

"Well, it's getting late, we should probably sleep now," Lillias stretched her arms, got up and headed towards the balcony pulling the curtains shut. "We do have class tomorrow after all."

Remembering tomorrow is her roommate's first class at the academy, Elysse quickly nodded as she covered herself with the blanket, Vesta jumped on the bed and curled up next to her. Lillias giggled slightly as she walked to her own bed and covered herself with her own blanket, the lights closing shortly after that, "Goodnight Elysse."

Elysse nodded as she looked back at Lillias, "Goodnight."

With a smile, Lillias curled up in the bed and closed her eyes, her thoughts occupied by her new days at the academy. 

"Sprikuenall kohdu…" half asleep in her bed, Lillias started to hear a mysterious yet beautiful song play in the far distance, the words spoken in a language unknown to her, "Sriitanmera muruto…"

Her mind and body were growing more tired by her long journey and the soothing lullaby only made her fall deeper into the land of dreams, "Ra ho koradu…" slowly, her consciousness started to fade.

"Stonkunsa spira…"

The last thing Lillias remembers was that mysterious song, the beautiful yet peculiar song that played calming down her mind and body. 

Lillias: "Today was certainly tiring and there's more coming of course!"

Elias: "Spare me."

Lillias: "Oh Elias, I didn't know I'd be doing the preview with you."

Elias: "Believe me, neither did I. If I did I would have ran out the window."

Lillias: "Well aren't you a charmer? Since we're stuck doing it anyway let's do our best!

I must say though, it seems like Liz had it tough with prefect Klaus."

Elias: "Oh she's only seen the tip of the iceberg of his harshness. Well, it's unlikely she'll see him again."

Lillias: "Oh I'd say it's the opposite actually."

Elias: "huh? Wait you mean-"

Lillias: "Next time, it's "New Arrival" seems like someone else will be having their first day in Gedonlune Royal Magic academy. Look forward to next Chapter!"

Elias: "Wait I was talking!" 

****

[a-crack-in-the-universe]

Charlie’s parents go through an astonishing amount of pain before and during the series.

Lyell: gets hypnotised, loses all his memories, is abducted and imprisoned for ten years, almost dies in book 5.

Amy: loses Lyell after he is hypnotised and presumed dead (which had to hurt a lot) spends ten years living a dreary life trying to raise Charlie under Grandma Bone’s thumb, doesn’t appear to have had much time for herself since she has to work a lot, is poor and can’t even afford good clothes by the time the series starts. And in book 5 she has to see her mother get frozen and she herself is bewitched into falling in love with Harken/Hart Noble. 

And even after all the shit they go through, they still decide to try and save the city, which probably brings them even more pain and hardship. Amazing.             

[dark-wizardess]

It makes me sad that it seems no one is really interested about my ocs not interested enough to ask or even check what I write about them but okay point taken guys, I won't be posting anything about them from now on.....

[dark-wizardess]

Like I said, I do have a few Wizardess Heart ocs, some of them aren't even drawn yet Lmao. Some of this art isn't mine btw (just to clarify)

My main ocs are three, Lillias, Loris and Lyris. They are Liz (Mc's) sisters. But since ya wanted all.... welp.... stay with me here this will be a LOOONG post.

This is Lillias, My favorite between the sisters and probably the most skilled in magic, she loves reading books about magic and medicine and is really good at shield spells and herbs. Luca nicknames her the "Queen."

This is Loris, the tomboyish one amongst them, she isn't as good at magic as her sisters, in fact she is even worse than Liz, because of that she originally didn't want to attend the academy. She's better at hunting, archery and fighting with her two fista on than using magic but later on she finds her own type of magic that she good in.

And the Mysterious one amongsts them, Lyris, as you can see from her outfit she is actually a night class student, her type of magic is associated more with creation. I can't talk too much about her since her character is SUPPOSED to be a mystery and I'd be spoiling stuff from my fanfiction if I say anymore.

And before I forget, this is Lyell, yes a male oc for once lmao. He is the older brother of Liz and the three sisters. He is a prefect and is around the same age as Sigurd and Klaus. Lyell has a twin called Lyron who I actually haven't drawn yet despite him being somewhat important, Lyron is also more on the mysterious side like Lyris.

Continuing on with the series of mysteries in the Hart family, we have their dead father, Leo. And yes he was important enough for me to actually draw him. (Though I am planning on redesigning him) leo and his wife suddenly relocated to Reitz and no one knew anything about him before that time. Also, he used to teach his kids magic. Do I have a whole subplot for the Hart family? Yes, yes I do. Will I ever actually write it? Who knows.

Taking a break from the Hart family, we have another character I am kind of also planning on redesigning a bit, Elysse Eldridge. She is a shy girl who also happened to be Lillias' roommate, she doesn't interact much with everyone because of her social anxiety. She has an older sister names Sierra, but I haven't drawn her yet.

Rosalie Cardaille, she is also a noble but she is in fact from a different kingdom, Rosalie came to Gedonelune to study magic, she is bookworm and usually stays in the library to read novels, a little bit of a hopeless romantic too.

Sorrel Eilauver is another student, she is half elf half human and a classmate of Joel, like him she is also a spellsinger but she also can use another form of magic, she can use instruments; specifically her lyre to use magic almost similar to spelling sing in a way. I wanted to mention her because although she's probably one of my most original ocs, I rarely ever mention her.

There's a couple more ocs but I am in the process of changing a few things about them so I will not be mentioning them.... while the rest I haven't drawn nor do I have a for now at least. Each and every one of those characters has so much more lore related to them... that I am actually beginning to question how I mananged to think of all of that for them lmao.

//this is a wizardess heart oc loving post. in other words, show me your ocs so i can love them

[thehikingviking]

Whorl Mountain via Horse Creek from Twin Lakes

The California wildfires of 2020 were still raging, and the majority of the Sierra Nevada was closed. In my research, I was able to find that the Hoover Wilderness was still open. Even though this is in California, it for some reason lies under Nevada’s jurisdiction as this is part of the greater Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. No one wanted to come with me because the smoke was making the air quality bad, but the mountain gods promised me a good air quality index. I booked a room in Bridgeport and convinced Asaka to join me, stating that we needed to get Leif out of the perpetual smoke. Arriving in Bridgeport the night before, I could see the stars overhead. This was a good indication that we would have fresh air to breath the following day.

It was a cold morning in Bridgeport. Asaka and Leif woke up with me and we drove to the trailhead together. Asaka would drive back to the motel afterwards and try to sleep in a little. I walked through the campground on the western shore of Twin Lakes, looking for the Horse Creek Falls Trailhead. I got a little lost at the very beginning, but eventually corrected my path. At the wilderness boundary there was a “wilderness closed” sign. I just talked to the Bridgeport ranger station earlier that week and they confirmed it would be open, so I ignored the sign. I didn’t expect to see anyone on the trail today, and if I happened to run into a ranger, I had an alibi.

The morning sunrise and alpenglow was breathtaking. My discouragement of having to hike alone completely vanished.

It had been many years since I last hiked this trail. It took me four attempts to climb Matterhorn Peak in my early hiking career, with one of those being almost fatal.

I aimed for the hourglass couloir, which this time of the year was nothing more than a plain boulder field.

The trail was much worse than I remembered. I lost the trail several times and found myself having to consult my GPS track to get back on route. I aimed for Horse Creek Pass above.

Once I reached the pass, Whorl Mountain came into view sticking out like an axe over the horizon. This was also the northern border of Yosemite.

I descended into the grassy Spiller Creek Canyon.

After descending a short distance across easy terrain, I found a flat ramp that allowed me to maintain elevation as I made my way to the eastern base of Whorl Mountain.

The ramp eventually ended and I found myself sidehilling across sandy slopes.

There are many route descriptions online with many details, but I will explain it here as simply as possible. There are three main chutes on the southeast side of Whorl Mountain. One's objective should be to start up the furthest left chute (Chute #3), which should be easiest chute to enter. This chute has a lot of shrubby trees, and climbing should be mostly class 2 with some class 3 moves needed from time to time. As you climb up Chute #3, you should be able to traverse into the next chute to the right (Chute #2). Some ways into the chute are easier than others, so its up to you to cross over via whichever ledge that you are comfortable with. 

After climbing a short distance, you will again need to traverse further right into another chute (Chute #1). I crossed over via an exposed class 4 crack, but there was an easier class 2-3 chute slightly above me. I took this on the way down.

Once in the Chute #1, there is a chock stone above. By this point I was feeling very tired and lightheaded.

First I tried to climb through the chock stone, but I couldn’t get myself through. This ended up being the correct method, however I was looking to go through on the left side of the tunnel when the correct way was through the right side. I was lightheaded and out of it, and I simply missed it.

I backed off and tried climbing a series of exposed ledges to the right of the chock stone. This took me to some class 4 and class 5 options, so I backed off. I then started up to the left side of the chock stone. This was class 4 with some awkward holds, but I was able to get myself up to the top of the ridge. I had to go very slow because if I exerted myself too much I felt like I could even pass out. This was not the best terrain for that to happen to me.

From there I turned north, following some large steps up the ridge.

I followed an exposed but easy ledge that cut across the west side of the peak.

The remaining route to the summit was trivial, but I was feeling very weak for whatever reason. It was as if the nearby fires had burned up all the nearby oxygen. Once at the summit I sat down and focused on catching my breath. To the east were Twin Peaks and Dunderberg Peak.

To the southeast were Virginia Peak, Excelsior Peak, Mt Dana and Mt Conness.

In the far distance were Banner Peak, Mt Ritter, Mt Lyell and Mt Maclure.

To the south was Tuolumne Meadows.

The massive Creek Fire in the Sierra National Forest was raging beyond. Clouds Rest and the tip of Half Dome were barely visible. Tuolumne Peak and Mt Hoffman could be seen to the right.

To the west was Piute Mountain.

To the north was Matterhorn Peak.

I wasn’t exactly thrilled to descend the same class 4 route to the chute, so I went through the register looking for route descriptions. I found one that described a class 3 route through the chock stone, so I decided to give it a second look on my descent.

I wanted to get the south peak as a bonus peak, but I wasn’t comfortable doing any extra climbing in my light headed state.

On my down climb I found the hole through the chock stone. I’m not sure how I missed it on the way up.

I then took the easier ledge from Chute #1 to Chute #2.

Once back to Chute #3, there was a lot of sandy heel plunging and sidehilling towards the ramp section.

I stopped by a tarn to take a swim and refill my water. The water didn’t taste very good I assume due to high mineral content. It tasted what I imagine a Sierra boulder would taste like.

There was some uphill to reach the pass. The Sweetwater Range was visible to the north. The descent was very steep and tedious, but I didn’t lose the trail as much on the way down.

Eagle and Robinson Peaks stood across the drainage.

Once at lower elevations I started to feel better. I didn’t see another person the whole hike.

When I returned to the wilderness boundary, I found the “wilderness closed” sign ripped off. I found Asaka and Leif at the campground and after relaxing by the lake, we drove into town where we got a burger. Leif took an interest in the food we were eating. I think he’s ready for solids.

That evening we drove back to my family cabin in Twain Harte where we spent the night. I need to utilize this cabin more often!

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/01/la-times-tufted-puffins-black-bears-and-you-the-small-cruise-ship-experience-in-canadas-haida-gwaii-17/

La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

[dark-wizardess]

And finally I pulled through and drew Lyell Hart, what do ya guys think?

[dark-wizardess]

🖊 for Lyell!

Lyell is the older brother of the Hart sisters and also a deputy prefect, he is usually really quiet and doesn't interact much, possesses a sword and also has a white tiger familiar named Zion, Lyell is actually very liked by magical creatures. Contrary to his quiet personality, he is actually really affectionate and kind to his sister. He is also a very Loyal and honest Individual

[dark-wizardess]

Hey there! I was wanting to ask more about Lyell and Elysse! What are their favorite things to do in their free time? Do they get along well with any of the others at the Academy? Do they have any unique/special talents/magic?

Hi there @the-gedonelune-times Hope you're doing well. You want to know more about Lyell and Elysse and more you shall know!

First of let me talk about Lyell, I am not even sure the guy HAS free time. Lyell first joins the academy 3 to 4 years prior to his sisters, he is a deputy prefect, when he graduates, he joins the ministry so needless to say he doesn't have much free time but he mostly enjoys practicing with his twin swords or with magic in general. Most of the students are afraid of Lyell, the guys he usually interacts with are Sigurd, Klaus and Randy among them him and Randy get along with each other the most. Lyell has analysis magic, meaning he is able to analyze a specific place or item. a bonus fact about him is he's a very doting brother.

Now for Elysse, she is a student at Fortitudo class, she is from a noble family of tamers and has the ability to feel the animal's emotions, she can't understand what they're saying but she can feel their emotions which make her able to communicate with them to some degree, Elysse loves to play with her familar during her free time, she is super awkward and a scardy cat when it come to communicating with people though she gets better at it. The people in the academy she gets along with are Lillias, Amelia, Liz, Elias and Yukiya, mostly Yukiya who is her buddy/boyfriend and her roommate; Lillias. 

[dark-wizardess]

A list of all the bios for my Wizardess Heart characters

1-Lillias Hart

2-Loris Hart

3-Lyris Hart

4- Lyron Hart

5- Lyell Hart

6-Elysse Eldridge

As I write more Bios for each character I will add them to the list, the characters without bios will soon have one. For the meantime, feel free to send an ask if you want to know more about those characters 😊

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/01/la-times-tufted-puffins-black-bears-and-you-the-small-cruise-ship-experience-in-canadas-haida-gwaii-16/

La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/01/la-times-tufted-puffins-black-bears-and-you-the-small-cruise-ship-experience-in-canadas-haida-gwaii-15/

La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

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[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/01/la-times-tufted-puffins-black-bears-and-you-the-small-cruise-ship-experience-in-canadas-haida-gwaii-14/

La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/01/la-times-tufted-puffins-black-bears-and-you-the-small-cruise-ship-experience-in-canadas-haida-gwaii-13/

La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

[newstwitter-blog]

New Post has been published on News Twitter

New Post has been published on http://www.news-twitter.com/2017/02/01/la-times-tufted-puffins-black-bears-and-you-the-small-cruise-ship-experience-in-canadas-haida-gwaii-11/

La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link

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La Times: Tufted puffins, black bears and you: The small-cruise-ship experience in Canada's Haida Gwaii

The aroma of coffee drifted into my cabin along with the distant squawking of seagulls, but it was a gentle swaying that reminded me I was waking on a boat.

I leaped from my bunk, the first passenger to reach the sunny salon for a steaming mug, and curled up on an upper-deck sofa. There I watched seals pop up from the mirror-smooth waters, sending ripples across a pristine bay toward the mist-veiled rainforest slope.

I love cruising remote wilderness on small, working boats, and British Columbia has a roll call of them puttering along its coast and islands.

When Vancouver, Canada-based Maple Leaf Adventures in 2015 launched cruises aboard a converted 1912 tugboat, I signed up for a seven-night adventure exploring the nooks and crannies of the mystical Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

The blade-shaped archipelago of more than 400 islands is off British Columbia’s north coast. They are home to the Haida, a First Nations people known for their rich culture and craftsmanship. 

During my July trip, I wanted to walk wild beaches, hike in some of the continent’s most verdant rainforest, whale- and wildlife-watch and, I hoped, spot the elusive migratory tufted puffin in a region nicknamed “Canada’s Galápagos.”

And to putter about on a tugboat called the Swell.

There is a cheerful cuteness to the Swell that reminds me of the “Theodore Tugboat” kids’ series I watched with my nephew in the ’90s. But the Swell is the real deal, a grown-up, 88-foot powerhouse that worked hard for decades along British Columbia’s coast.

Now, after a $4-million refit, it’s plying those waters to the delight of a maximum of 12 guests in six elegant, wood-paneled, en-suite cabins.

Exploring Graham Island

My trip began with a flight from Vancouver to Masset, a no-frills fishing town on the top of Graham Island, the bigger of the two main Haida Gwaii (which translates as “Islands of the Gwaii people”).

Our group of 10 was met by Cody Waller, a local Haida Gwaii guide who led us to Old Massett, one of just two remaining Haida villages on the island.

“There were once over 500 Haida communities in the islands, with a population of over 7,000,” he said. In the late 1800s smallpox epidemics reduced their numbers to fewer than 700.

Haida culture, once almost lost, has revived in the last 50 years, evident by the smell of fresh cedar shavings scattered around a totem pole being created by master carver and Old Massett Mayor Jim Hart.

At Sarah’s Haida Arts & Jewelry, in a stylized longhouse in Old Massett, we browsed the works of dozens of local painters, printmakers, sculptors and other artists.

We saw three sandhill cranes and a bear on the way to a picnic on pebbly Agate Beach in Naikoon Provincial Park. We picked wild thimble and salmonberries, and hiked into forests of giant Sitka spruce and cedars where cashmere moss blanketed fallen logs and fence posts.

We spent our first night ashore at the native-owned seaside Haida House near the village of Tllel. We dined on local razor clams, Dungeness crab, salmon, halibut and other local goodies.

“We have a saying here,” our waitress said. “‘When the tide is out, the table is set.’”

The next morning we drove to Skidegate, the second Haida community on Graham Island, where, in 2008, the $26-million Haida Heritage Centre opened with a museum, amphitheater, aboriginal cafe and canoe/totem carving shed.

The complex, in a contemporary series of longhouses, lies along a crescent-shaped beach. Six totems erected in front were created by local carvers such as Bill Reid, whose monumental works are showcased throughout Vancouver and at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

By early afternoon we were chugging on a 20-minute ferry from Graham to Moresby, the second-biggest island.

After an hour on a bumpy forest logging road, we reached our launching point, where a Zodiac waited to take us to the Swell, anchored just offshore, for the wild part of our adventure.

Riding the Swell

Stepping aboard the 104-year-old Swell was a trip back in maritime history. It has also been a fishing boat, a private yacht and a live-aboard scuba boat.

After warm muffins and a warmer welcome, we pulled up two traps and counted 151 fresh spot prawns destined for dinner.

We set sail southward for a cluster of about 150 small islands accessible only by float plane and boat, most of them part of Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, jointly managed by Parks Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation.

We sailed past ruins of old salmon canneries and logging operations that once clear-cut these lush rainforests.

That evening we anchored at Ikeda Cove on Moresby Island, where, in the morning, we hiked amid the mossy remnants of an early 1900s copper mine complete with rails from a horse-drawn tramway.

I kayaked every morning after breakfast, spotting sea otters, raccoons, oystercatchers, countless bald eagles, and small herds of Sitka deer munching on sea asparagus at low tide.

One day we bobbed for an hour watching a black bear — Haida Gwaii has one of North America’s biggest black bear populations — browse the shoreline.

Every afternoon after our shore expedition I settled into the hot tub on the upper deck with a glass of beer and listened to the gentle chug of the tug.

On our second day on the Swell a very excited Jane Taylor from Boston snagged a 15-pound lingcod that became part of that evening’s Thai chowder, along with salmon and halibut caught by a guest on the previous trip.

“The halibut weighed 60 pounds and the girl who caught it was only 10!” chef Oliver Burke said.

In front of two longhouses on Windy Bay on Lyell Island, part of Gwaii Haanas National Park, we met Vince Collison, our first Haida Watchmen. The Watchmen spend their summers protecting their heritage and guiding at Haida sites in the park.

Collison explained that in August 2013, Haida and Parks Canada staff raised the Legacy Pole at Windy Bay.

“It was the first monumental pole raised in Gwaii Haanas in 130 years,” he said. It represents 20 years of the groups working together to preserve the Gwaii Haanas region. 

We visited the remains of the villages of Skedans on Louise Island and Tanu on Tanu Island, where massive, fallen roof beams and poles made distinct mossy bulges on the forest floor.  And we heard about the mass graves of villagers who died of smallpox.

At the abandoned Rose Harbour whaling station on Kunghit Island, where a pair of giant metal rendering drums rust on the beach, we met Götz Hanisch, who runs a guesthouse on-site and is one of only three island residents.

“In the early 20th century,” he said, showing off a fin whale jawbone, baleen and flipper bones, “4,000 whales were processed here, their meat and bones reduced to fertilizer.”

The highlight of the trip was the village of Ninstints on the tiny island of SGang Gwaay at the archipelago’s southernmost tip.

As I walked on a mossy boardwalk through the earthy, pungent rainforest I glimpsed eyes and great, gaping mouths through the trees ahead.

Goosebumps rose on the back of my neck. One weathered totem pole after another appeared, a stacked cedar menagerie of killer whales, ravens, beavers and bears, until there was a grove of ancient columns, tilted and vulnerable. The sacred Haida site was named to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1981.

It was hard to imagine the trip could get better. But then, as the Zodiac was taking us back to the Swell, Capt. Dave Holliss pointed.

An ungainly flock of birds had lifted off the waves, displaying chunky orange beaks and bright yellow Mohawks flapping in the wind.

“Tufted puffins!” we all shouted.

travel@latimes.com

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO HAIDA GWAII, CANADA

From LAX to Vancouver, Canada, Alaska, Air Canada, American, Delta, United and WestJet offer nonstop service, and Delta, Alaska, United, Air Canada and WestJet offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $277, including taxes and fees. From Vancouver, Pacific Coastal Airlines flies nonstop to Masset. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $400. The flights are not included in the cruise fare.

Pacific Coastal AirlinesAir Canada

Maple Leaf Adventures, (250) 386-7245. Seven-night/eight-day excursions on the Swell to Haida Gwaii from May 23 through July 13. From $5,000 per person, double occupancy. Includes tours and one night on Graham Island as well as all meals and wine with dinner, guided activities, shore trips, permits, fees and transfers. 

Maple Leaf Adventures also offers Haida Gwaii trips on a 92-foot schooner, the Maple Leaf.

TO LEARN MORE

Destination British Columbia

Northern BC Tourism

Haida Gwaii Tourism

Gwaii Haanas National Park

This post has been harvested from the source link, and News-Twitter has no responsibility on its content. Source link