Location and How to get here:
The school is located in the Ningunsaw Valley (part of the Stikine watershed) in the Coastal Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, approximately 125 miles (by road) north of Stewart. The elevation of the property is about 1400 feet above sea level, though the mountains on all sides rise to over 7,000 feet. Completely surrounded by unoccupied and undeveloped Crown lands, the location offers many opportunities for nature lovers and those who just wish to have a silent place to enjoy. The forest around here is a mixture of deciduous and conifers. Wild animals sharing the area include Moose, Black and Grizzly bears, Mountain Goats, Beavers, Marten, Wolverine, Timber Wolf, Woodchucks, Porcupines and many others. There are no snakes, poisonous or otherwise in the area. No poison ivy. Insect pests include mosquitoes, black flies and no-see-ums, but no chiggers or ticks. The worst time for us, due to insects, is during June and July. During May, June, and July, when the days are at their longest, there is no real dead of night, only a few hours or semi-darkness between dusk and dawn. At Christmas time, the reverse is true, since we are low in the valley there is a time when we get no direct sunlight even on a clear day, yet the sky is bright for at least five hours even then.
The school area is accessible by a hiking trail from the Stewart-Cassiar Highway (#37), a three-mile walk or less. There is as yet, no public transportation facilities on this part of the Stewart-Cassiar highway, But there is a modern airport In Terrace, B.C., which is about 250 miles south (by road) of the school. Planes from Vancouver fly into Terrace on a daily basis. There is a bus service from Terrace to Stewart, six days a week. An adventurous person can take the bus as far as Meziadin Junction, and hitchhike the remaining 90 miles. Many have done this, and I do it myself, frequently. There is a gravel airstrip about four miles north of the school, near Bob Quinn Lake. At Bob Quinn Lake, there is a motel of sorts for workers, and others involved in the mining, logging and road building and maintenance. There are a few humans there year round, but the closest real settlement is at Iskut, a Native village about 65 miles north of the school.