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Weathered Wood and Rough Sand
Rising out of the sands of East Beach on Haida Gwaii, Northern British Columbia, the weathered wooden hull of the American-built, Canadian-retrofitted, coal-fired ship the Pezuta, sits where she was deposited by a strong gale on the treacherous Hecate Strait, back on December 11, 1928.
Haida Gwaii, the archipelago in Canada’s North Pacific waters off the coast of British Columbia (BC), is a wild and remote place. The woods and waterways abound in legends and memorials to the hardships of times past.
Take the story of the Pezuta (The Pesuta Shipwreck Story).
This ill-fated wood-hulled steam freighter was built in the US under their WWI Emergency Shipbuilding Program. By the time it was delivered to Seattle in early 1919, the war was over, and the vessel was considered excess. It ended up in Vancouver in 1927 and was retrofitted for use as a lumber carrier.
But, these northern waters are unpredictable and unforgiving: on December 11, 1928, the seas were even more treacherous than usual on the Hecate Strait: that narrow, shallow waterway between the islands of Haida Gwaii and the mainland of Northern British Columbia. Just past the mouth of the Tlell River, on the eastern coast of Graham Island, the Pezuta broke free of the towline connecting it to a tugboat. The heavily laden carrier buried itself deep into the sandy shore.
Hull recovery efforts failed, so salvage operations stripped what they could. The remnants of this massive ship were abandoned on the beach – where weathered wood and rusty portholes remain.
Today, the walk to the shipwreck is one of the most popular hikes in Haida Gwaii. Known as the Pesuta Shipwreck Trail, the 12.4km (7.7mi) track is rated as moderately easy. It follows the Tlell River and then the beach alongside the Hecate Strait, making for a long, but relatively flat, walk through rainforest and coastal ecosystems.
After spending an ‘easy day’ the day before, near my base in what was then-called Queen Charlotte (see: Fresh Food and Walking Trails), I drove north to the Tlell River Picnic Park in Naikoon Provincial Park where the walk starts.
Join me for a walk in the woods:
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Anchor Chains and a Mooring Post
Here at the Tlell River Picnic Park there are Provincial Park sign boards with plenty of local information. This is the starting point for the multi-day East Beach Trail as well as the shorter Pesuta Shipwreck Trail.
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Into the Woods
The path sets off into the dark and quiet temperate rainforest.
Rough Bark
I am distracted regularly by the shapes and textures of the moss-covered trees which thrive in this wet, cool climate.
Nature’s Artworks: Sitka Spruce (Picea Sitchensis) Bark
These old forests are home to tall sitka spruce, western hemlock, and western red cedar.
A Path in the Woods
Soon, I have to watch my footing …
A Rough Path on the Ridge
… as the path climbs a short distance onto the narrow ridge strewn with roots and rocks that runs parallel with the river.
Tiny Treasures: Wild Calypso Orchid (Calypso Bulbosa)
Oyster Mushrooms – Pleurotus Ostreatus
In the Spanish Moss
These old forests are magical! I’m happy to be walking alone in the quiet. The trees are draped in mosses and lichens due to high humidity and rainfall.
Tall Trees
These trees are tall – with some reaching heights of 70 meters (over 230 feet).
Tree Tops
Look up! These giants grow a long way up to reach the sunlight.
Along the Tlell River
After almost an hour, I emerge from the forest onto a pleasant gravel path that follows the river.
Lodgepole Pine or Shore Pine – Pinus Contorta
Out of the shadows of the forest it is easier to get a good look at the different conifers that grow here. Male cones (microstrobili) cluster on the new shoots of a lodgepole pine.
Spruce Needles
It is still spring in these northern latitudes: new growth is everywhere.
Huge Driftwood
This says the Pacific Northwest to me: cedar shakes on the roof of a cottage, and massive washed up driftwood on the shoreline.
A Bend in the River
The walk along the river continues.
Common Ringed Plover – Charadrius Hiaticula
I get really excited when I find any wildlife – even the smallest of common birds!
American Robin – Turdus Migratorius
Nature’s Artworks : Ripples in the Sand
The ground gets sandier as the trail gets closer to the mouth of the Tlell River.
Footprints on the Beach
Still Life Found: A Colourful Shoreline
Weathered Wood and Rust
After almost a hundred years, there is not much left of the shipwrecked Pezuta. Walkers are warned to check tide charts: these low-lying lands can make the wreck inaccessible at high tide.
Nature’s Still Life : Rocks on the Sand
Otter in the River
There are two kinds of otters in this region: river otters (Lontra canadensis) and sea otters (Enhydra lutris). While this little fellow is too far away for me to be sure, it is probably the more common river otter.
Tall Tree Trunks
Back in the woods, the afternoon sun is slanting through the tall trees.
Ferns and Moss
Geikie Creek
About half way back to the car, I recross the little Geikie Creek, where the rich organic matter in the ground turns the water blood red.
It was my last day in these magical islands, and this walk was fitting finale to my stay.
One day, I’ll get back there!
Until then –
Tread Softly …
Photos: 17June2022
