WINTER/SPRING2017
MLCM
51
p. 48-49
FromBellaCoolaHarbourwe paddle for 9days, slipping in andout of the
timeless flowof thewilderness and adventure.Numerous timeswe gather
around a fire in the torrential rain. Randombouts of spontaneous laughter
shatter the silence after 17hours of paddling. At times, thewinds howl sohard
against the fortress-likewalls of the fjord thatwe are forced topaddle through
thenight.Under the glare of themoon, wewatchphosphorescent algae twirl
away from eachpaddle stroke, keepingourminds occupied, happy even, aswe
pushonward in searchof shelter.
above
Mysticallyguardedby the eagles that soar continuouslyoverhead,we feel
welcomed after our twodays of floatingdown theAtnarko andBellaCoola rivers
with inflatableboards heavily loadedwith expeditiongear.At onepoint, the
Boileaus, a local family,waveus to shore and share their beers and fresh salmon
dinner, a feast.TheAtnarko seesmigrationof all five species of Pacific salmon.
right
Thomas LanceNelson, of the localNuxalkFirstNations, welcomes uswith a
traditional song anddancenear stone petroglyphs carvedbyhis ancestors some
millennia ago. Lance tells us great stories and legends of animal spirits and the
supernatural world, as he pourswater over the stones tobring the carved faces
and images to life.
CHRISCHRISTIEPHOTOS
