Cedar and Sitka spruce hem in BC 113, a two-lane blacktop, on both sides.
A bear cub ambles along the forest edge. A bald eagle surveys its territory. The Nass River, a milky, grey-green colour from the minerals in mountain runoff, holds the promise of trout and salmon.
Then, abruptly, you come upon a scene of utter desolation - grim-looking lava fields where little but lichen grows.
Lava from a volcanic eruption about 300 years ago flowed more than 20 km, wiping out villages and killing an estimated 2,000 inhabitants. When it reached the Nass bottomland, the lava spread, cooled and hardened, covering an area 10 km long and three wide.
Today, it's Nisga'a Memorial Lava Bed Provincial Park, an attraction you can drive around yourself or visit on a guided tour.
The Nass Valley is home to the Nisga'a. They're a First Nations people who, after 113 years of trying, succeeded in negotiating a treaty and land claims agreement with the federal and provincial governments.
Today they own 2,000 square kilometres of the Nass and have at least some say in or rights to another 42,000.
With their traditional sources of income - forestry and salmon fishing - in tough shape, the Nisga'a are investing in tourism.
The guided lava fields tour is one of three offered from mid- May to mid-October. Another takes you to see fish wheels that lift salmon from the river so they don't get bruised; the third is a mushroom and botanical excursion.
All three tours include lunch and a chance to shop for crafts by local artisans. Rain gear is provided, as is safety equipment where needed.
No minimum numbers are required, and so anxious are the tourism workers to attract visitors that they'll even pick you up in Terrace, 100 km south.
Terrace is accessible by road but also by what VIA Rail used to call the Skeena train, which runs between Jasper, Alta., and Prince Rupert, B.C.
For tour costs and schedules, phone Nisga'a Commercial Group's tourism number, 1-866-633-2696, or visit www.ncgtourism.ca.
Visitors are also encouraged to attend community events - a wedding, for example, or a stone-moving feast, which occurs within a year of a Nisga'a's death. A calendar of events can be found at www.nnkn.ca.
Of the 2,800 Nisga'a living in the Nass, 1,800 are in New Aiyansh, capital of the Nisga'a Nation. Four totem poles stand in front of their impressive government administration building, which is open to visitors.
Three smaller communities house the rest:
Gitwinksihlkw, which has a16-site campground and a 121-metre-long extension bridge that was once the only access to the village.
Laxgalts'ap (also called Greenville), where we visited a workshop where a nine-metre dugout canoe was being carved.
Gingolx, on Portland Inlet, at the mouth of the Nass River, near the Alaska border. Salmon, crab and halibut are caught, and sea lion are hunted in late winter. Gingolx is the most northerly Nisga'a settlement, 170 km from Terrace. It didn't have road access until BC 113 was extended in 2002.
Accommodation is limited and should be arranged well in advance. There are bed and breakfasts in each village, an RV site at Nass Camp, and campgrounds in a couple of locations.
Our group stayed at Vetter Falls Lodge, a complex built in the mid-1990s of massive logs. It's within walking distance of the lava park.
Adrienne Clarkson had one of the main lodge's four bedrooms when she visited the Nass as governor-general in 2004. Rates range from $95-$105, single, $135, double, including breakfast, and evening meals can be arranged. Three other buildings with kitchens are also available to rent. Visit www.vetter-falls-lodge.com.
Mail can be sent to Doug English, c/o London Free Press, P.O. Box 2280, London, Ont. N6A 4G1; faxes to 519-672-1824.
