“My interest in Haida Gwaii spiked when I mentioned it to a few more worldly adventure writers than myself — folks who spend their weekends traversing Mongolia on skis —  and got a collective “Haida what?” in response.  Can’t blame ’em.  Though it’s only 80 miles off  Canada’s Pacific coast, Haida Gwaii (previously known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) gets perpetually bypassed for the cruise-ship-frequented shores of nearby Alaska, just 50 miles to the north.  Getting to the island chain is also logistically challenging enough that the spoils remain a step removed.  . . . If you’re looking for a Lost World, these islands — isolated since the last Ice Age — fit the bill in every way that counts:  geographically, biologically, and culturally.”

Ted Alvarez, in “Canada: Treasure Island,” in Backpacker (Jan. 2013)

(Photo credits: Upyernoz per Wikimedia; Map credit: Koba-chan per Wikimedia)