Nimmo Bay is a family-run resort located in the Great Bear Rainforest. It’s only accessible by boat or airplane, so it is easy to imagine how hidden away it is—and feels.
I was lucky enough to sit in the front seat of our floatplane, where I got to talk to the pilot about the surrounding area; he also taught me how to be an excellent amateur pilot assistant. Upon landing, we were greeted by the resort’s owners and their friendly dogs. After we settled in at the beautifully rustic cabins, we went out into the forest to meet up with Filson creative director Alex Carleton and Nikki van Schyndel, the author of Becoming Wild. We learned how to survive off the land and listened to van Schyndel’s unbelievable stories of thriving in the B.C. wilderness. She spent 18 months living off the land.
In the late afternoon, we took a helicopter tour around the Nimmo Bay area and went all the way up to a nearby glacier. We followed dolphins, flew around the cabins, and went up the surrounding mountains. Then we settled in at the cozy resort restaurant and enjoyed a crab dinner—and wine, lots of wine. Following the feast, we were greeted by First Nations dancer/composer/jeweller K’odi Henry Frank Nelson for a fireside chat and cultural presentation. After hours of eating and sharing stories, a few of us went into the hot tub near an ice-cold waterfall, and then bravely (or perhaps foolishly) decided to jump into the freezing water. I can admit that we didn’t last long in there.
The next morning, we had to say goodbye to the beautiful Nimmo Bay, wishing we could stay longer and hoping to visit again soon.
