YAKOUN CAMP, MARCH 25
DAY 4

Sometimes the taste of food is much enhanced by the location in which it is
eaten. A simple meal of cheese and noodles after a long day of kayaking
becomes exquisite; a shared lunch after a steady hike a feast fit for kings.
It isn’t just the natural surroundings that make everything taste so much
better, it’s the company and the shared goal.

The deer stew we shared today at Yakoun Camp definitely falls into that
category. It was rich, delicious, it’s flavour enhanced by the beautiful
scenery and a shared belief that this action is right for Haida Gwaii.

It is Day 4 of the action. The sunshine has called it quits for a while.
The day started with a bluster which, throughout the day, grows steadily
into a nasty storm. The long weekend and lousy weather make for few cars on
the road, so Yakoun camp is hunkered down, staying warm. Staying dry.
Spirits are high, with rounds of laughter overpowering the fury of the
storm. Nobody mentions the wind. People ignore the rain.

This checkpoint is different from the one down south. That one is close to
town. Visitors come and go, and people staffing the checkpoint can go home
for a bit, a rest, a sleep. Here on the mainline, way out on the Yakoun, the
checkpoint has developed much more into a camp, with people staying on for
days. Cooking food, doing chores, tending camp. Waking up in the morning
with ice on the sleeping bags, trying to stay warm during a howling storm.
Building a camaraderie based on shared experiences. Shared hardships.

The roaring fire, as always, is the centre. A place to stay warm, get some
coffee, companionship. A place to talk, laugh, renew your spirit, catch up
on gossip. The fire, swirling in the wicked wind is democratic, blessing
everyone equally with blasts of smoke. Today is not a day of action on the
line. Today is a day to conserve energy, and get ready for the days to come.

Behind the shelter, the CHN flag seethes in the raging wind, the raven and
eagle flying proudly, rising atop a huge pile of wood waste, symptomatic of
years of mismanagement out in the woods. Enough is enough. It is a good day
on Haida Gwaii.