Ketchikan is a city in Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska, United States, the southeasternmost city in Alaska. With a population at the 2010 census of 8,050 within the city limits, it is the fifth-most populous city in the state.
My 4 Years trip around the World ,part 25 Haida Gwaii ,Queens Charlotte Island ,BC Canada
Haida Gwaii is located 100 kilometers west of the northern coast of British Columbia, Canada and is an isolated group of over 200 islands, large and small, totaling approximately 3750 square miles or 1,000,000 hectares.
The west coast lays at the edge of the continental shelf – an abrupt tectonic scarp rising from 3,000 metres below sea level to the 1,000 metre-high peak of the San Christoval mountains. Exposed to Pacific Ocean weather systems, it bears the brunt of the strongest winds in Canada, waves up to 35metres, and four metres of rainfall a year.
The east coast is a gentler leeward landscape of sheltered inlets, islands, lowland and plateau, with an annual rainfall of about 80 centimetres, yet is also exposed to high wind speeds from most points of the compass.
The islands’ shores are bathed in nutrient-rich waters of the north Pacific,
their climate tempered by warm offshore currents. There are extensive seabird nesting colonies, large numbers of raptors, and many salmon spawning streams of all sizes.
The closest city to Haida Gwaii is Prince Rupert with a population of 13,392.
The ferry from Prince Rupert to Skidegate is 93 nautical miles or approximately
8 hours in good weather. The islands are situated 48 km south of Alaska, and 720 km north from Vancouver with a population of 2,116,581.
The territory of the Haida Nation includes the entire land of Haida Gwaii, surrounding waters, sub-surface and the air space recognizing the independent jurisdiction of the Kaiganii (southern Alaska) The watersinclude the entire Dixon Entrance, half of the Hecate Strait, halfway to Vancouver Island and westward into the abyssal ocean depths.
– From the Constitution of the Haida Nation
The Village of Masset is a small fishing village located on Graham Island – the largest of the more than 150 islands that comprise the archepelago of Haida Gwaii (Islands of the People).
Located along the northwestcoast of British Columbia the Village of Masset provides access to northern Naikoon Provincial Park, is the western terminus (Mile 0) of the Yellowhead Highway (HWY 16), and is at the heart of of a unique and vibrant Islands culture.
Famous celebrities and people from all over the world have visited Masset to enjoy the areas pristine beauty, rich sportsfishing and unique culture. As well, Masset is known for its endless hiking trails, magnificent beaches and exceptional birdwatching opportunities. World renowned artists hail from Masset and can be found at studios around the village and at our close neighbour, the Haida community of Old Massett.
My 4 years trip around the World ,part 24 .Prince Rupert BC Canada
Prince Rupert is a little marine city (population: 15,000) with one-of-a-kind wilderness exploration and wildlife viewing experiences on Northwest BC’s Pacific Coast. It’s also a popular stop on various Alaskan cruises.
The port city of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada, is actually on an island at the mouth of the Skeena River, just 40 miles south of the Alaska border and 65 miles south of Ketchikan. Its name was decided in a nationwide contest at the time of its incorporation in 1910, but plans for the city to rival the Port of Vancouver, some 550 miles south, have never been realized.
Arriving into port by ship is breathtaking, as you skirt hundreds of islands and make your way through narrow, mist-shrouded passageways to this town of 16,000 residents. And, because of its moderate climate and mists, it is not unusual to see several rainbows a day, including double and triple rainbows that span the entire horizon.
The natural landscape provides most of the draw for this locale, but it also has a history as one of the oldest continuously occupied regions in the world, with a First Nations culture that dates back over 10,000 years. In fact, the area surrounding Prince Rupert was at one time one of the most densely populated regions north of Mexico. The Tsimshian Nation’s sites and archeological artifacts are available to visitors touring here, and there is a museum dedicated to the First Nations peoples.
If it’s wildlife you seek, Prince Rupert is a dream location, home to Canada’s only Grizzly Bear Sanctuary, the highest concentration of humpbacked whales in North America, white Kermode bears and soaring eagles. Your visit will leave you with a greater appreciation for the interaction between man and the natural world.
Next trip .Haida Gwaii ,Queen Charlotte Island BC Canada
My 4 years trip around the World .part 23 Vancouver BC ,Canada
Vancouver is the largest city in Western Canada, located at the southwestern corner of the province of British Columbia. Situated between the North Shore and coastal mountains and the edge of the Pacific ocean, Vancouver is one of North America’s most beautiful cities, and was recently ranked as “the world’s most desirable place to live” in a survey of 140 cities performed by the Economist magazine’s Intelligence Unit.
In 2010, the city hosted the world, as the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games came to Vancouver
The vibrant downtown core offers all of the amenities of an international destination — from hundreds of restaurants and clubs, to countless parks and recreation facilities, to world-class entertainment and sporting events (including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Canucks, the city’s major league hockey team). UBC’s downtown campus, UBC Robson Square, is also located in the heart of the city.
Vancouver’s natural surroundings offer limitless opportunities for outdoor pursuits, such as hiking and mountain biking in the spring and summer, and skiing at nearby Whistler-Blackcomb resort in winter.
Vancouver sea planes .
Vancouver Harbour Flight Centre is Downtown Vancouver’s seaplane terminal. Located in the heart of Vancouver, the terminal gives business and leisure float plane travelers immediate access to the city’s business district, shopping and restaurants, hotels, and convention centers.
Aosta Valley and Courmayeur Ski Resorts
The Aosta Valley is the smallest autonomous region in Italy but boasts many of Italy’s, and indeed the Alps, highest peaks. Throughout the valley there are over 800km of marked pistes and 150 ski lifts, mostly spread amongst the resorts of Courmayeur, La Thuile, Pila, Champlouc and Gressoney. Marked by Mont Blanc at the western end and stretching to the Monterosa in the east, the Aosta Valley is also home to the Italian flanks of the Alps most famous peak – the iconic Matterhorn and one of the valleys best known resorts – Cervinia.The resorts form the base of several distinct ski areas, La Thuile, Courmayeur Mont-Blanc, the Monterosa, Alagna in Piemonte, of course, Cervinia which now includes the entire Zermatt ski area linked at high altitude across the glacier. Although not all lift linked, one pass now buys you access to all these slopes, along with an extraordinary quantity, quality and variety of off-piste terrain.
Courmayeur
The historic mountain town of Courmayeur is one of the world’s top ski resorts. It sits on the Italian side of Mont Blanc, western Europe’s highest mountain, which it shares with Chamonix over on the French side. The scenery all around you here is spectacular, with fourteen 4,000m plus mountain peaks above and Courmayeur is a very atmospheric resort where ancient buildings huddle around cobbled streets so that the whole place oozes traditional charm.The resort offers skiing for all standards, including famous runs such as the resort’s World Cup Downhill and the International, a 6km (4 miles) run which drops 1,000m (approximately 3,300 feet) as it descends. Many runs are covered by snowmaking and the resort has a very good snow record.Serious skiers are likely to head for the more limited lift network of Mont Blanc, which serves steeper, more spectacular trail and links over to Chamonix which, along with Argentière further up the Chamonix Valley, is included on the Courmayeur lift pass.Beginners have wide open slopes to gain confidence on, with tuition from the Mont Blanc Ski School, founded in 1936 and one of Italy’s oldest and most prestigious. Intermediates are the most spoilt having both the wide open spaces and testing routes above Courmayeur and the ability to tackle the incredible runs that are unique to Mont Blanc.
