Jen and Dave: Adventuring

We left Terrace this morning after a delicious classic breakfast at White Spot (included in our stay), and headed north. 

Around 1775, a volcano erupted in Nisga’a. The lava spilt from a rift in the mountain, and moved quickly across their territory. Faster still was the sulphuric gases, which killed over two thousand Nisga’a men, women and children in their communities. 

Since that time, mosses and lichens have started to reclaim the land, and the four surviving Nisga’a communities share management of Anhluut’ukwsim Lax̱mihl Angwinga’asanskwhl Nisg̱a’a Park (Nisga’a Memorial Lava Beds Park) with BC Parks. 

We started by visiting Ts’itksim Aks (Vetter Falls), a short walk from the road. It was beautiful. Next, we went to the Visitor Centre beside the campground, a beautiful longhouse with a front wall that tells the story of the lava. 

The Wil Luu-galksi-mihl Gan (Lava Cast Tree) stop was quite interesting. You walked out 100m on a smooth lava flow to a tree cast, which formed when lava hardened on the outside of a tree or log before the inside burned. 

Next we stopped at the village of Gitwinksihlkw on the north side of the Nass River. Until recently, it was accessible only by boat or by a 400 foot long suspension bridge. Here we observed their pts’aan (poles) and the fish wheels they use to capture, tag, and release salmon. 

Lunch was a picnic on the shore of Lava Lake, which formed fret the lava flowed. 

The highlight of the day was a guided hike from a Nisga’a forest management specialist to one of the cinder cones. The area is restricted to guided activities only due to the sensitive ecology. After fifteen minutes up a gated gravel road, we hiked 6 km return through young forest, then second growth forest, then across the lava bed. 

We had a break at the top of the cone, on the caldera. The scale was unbelievable, and you could see the ledges from the first, second, third and final flows. 

After our hike we grabbed a pita in town, then headed west to Prince Rupert, following the train tracks and the Skeena. This was a gorgeous stretch of highway. We even saw a bear cub! A great day.