北海岸小屋(Northern Shores Lodge)

We don’t usually stay overnight in Sandspit (in fact, the last time for me was 12 years ago in the old Sandspit Inn), but horrible weather and a (temporary) limited barge service necessitated it in the waning days of October. Rather than view it as an inconvenience, I just took it as part of the experience of being on the “edge of the world.” Sometimes, when you’re here, things don’t always go according to plan. As such, it’s always good to give oneself a bit of wiggle room on the old itinerary. Now, some brief context: The MV Kwuna (ferry between Moresby and Graham Island) was out of service, getting its annual re-fit. To fill the void during this time, a contracted barge service – the Cadel – was utilized to shuttle vehicles and passengers across the inlet. This was good in that it kept a major island “highway” going, but it was also somewhat limited in comparison to the full BC Ferries service. First, because there was only a single crew shift, sailings ceased at 6:30PM coming from Graham Island. Second, the tug & barge were less capable in high winds, resulting in numerous sailing cancellations – sometimes for a whole day! I get it, safety first, but it’s still an inconvenience. In any event, we arrived on Haida Gwaii via Sandspit and were informed that the barge wasn’t sailing because of adverse weather. We initially found this hard to believe because when we landed at YZP Airport, there were blue skies AND a rainbow! “Why the heck is it cancelled,” we thought. “It’s beautiful right now!” But between landing and picking up our bags (maybe about 15 minutes), the weather changed in a flash! Dark skies and torrential downpours . . . but no heavy wind . . . until we got to the Alliford Bay terminal! That’s when we got to experience the high winds, which ultimately led to the barge being cancelled for the rest of the day. What to do? So, we made our way to Northern Shores Lodge, AKA the “bunkhouse,” to spend the night. I was actually kind of excited to stay here. Already being somewhat familiar with the establishment (Beaches Restaurant – see my earlier review on this site), I figured this was a good time to round out the experience! And, overall, despite the reason for our staying, we were quite pleased with our accommodations. Because Northern Shores Lodge is located along Beach Road – the main road in Sandspit – you know you’re never too far away from all the action and activities. For example, the Damaxyaa Heritage Site/Conservancy and Louise Dover Trail is just a 15-minute walk west of Northern Shores (or “LEFT” if you prefer that terminology). Ditto the Sandspit Harbour. Similarly, the “Spirit of Sandspit” sculpture, and Spit Walk Trail are both a mere 15-minutes’ walk east of the lodge (or RIGHT). The beach is also just right across the road. Thus, if you’re staying in Sandspit, Northern Shores offers a good location within easy reach to some of the area’s more popular attractions. Anyway, even though check-in was a one-woman show (du