For the April/May 2009 issue of ISLANDS magazine, contributing editor Jad Davenport journeyed to Princess Royal Island on the Pacific coast of Canada to track down the elusive "spirit bear." This is how his story begins:

A yellow September mist haunts the centuries- old Sitka spruce forest and muffles the slosh of something big moving down the creek. Nearby a raven croaks a throaty kraaack. In Gitga'at mythology, Raven is both Creator and Trickster.

Marven Robinson, a Gitga'at bear guide in his late 30s, wipes a brown Canucks baseball hat off his crew cut and crouches beside the copper-colored creek on British Columbia's Princess Royal Island. The splashing melts into the pool-ball snick of river stones jostling beneath heavy paws. Marven leans into me; I can smell the mint tea on his breath. "Listen," he says quietly. "These animals have an extra special sense, and they can sense fear. So even if it walks right by us, don't move."

I nod and fumble with my Nikon camera, not wanting to miss one of the rarest animals in the world, a snow-white bear that is rarer even than the giant panda of China.

A bear ambles into view, but it's another hungry black bear. Ursus americanus is a striking creature, but also the most common bear in North America, found in almost every state from Florida to Alaska. As it blinks at us with hazel eyes and shuffles by so close I could stroke its rich blue-black fur, I realize my quest to see the spirit bear is just beginning. (To read the full story now, get the digital version of the April/May issue.)

• Fly Pacific Coastal Airlines from Vancouver (YVR) to the fishing village of Bella Bella (ZEL) -- best views on the right side -- then board a floatplane for the breathtaking flight to the island. pacificcoastal.com
  
  
• Stay first at the classy and convenient Fairmont Vancouver Airport (inside the airport terminal), all gussied up for the 2010 Winter Olympics, fairmont.com. The only place to stay on Princess Royal Island is the spectacular King Pacific Lodge, a floating five-star Rosewood Resort owned by the Morita family of Japan. With only 17 rooms in the lodge, you'll get to know your fellow adventurers, either around the two-story fireplace in the great room or relaxing on the wraparound porch while humpbacks breach in Barnard Harbour. kingpacificlodge.com
  
  
• Eat local, from fresh blueberries baked into muffins that morning to halibut caught that ­afternoon and grilled in garlic butter that night. Chef Maxim Ridorossi's creations all go well with a glass of warm Morita sake.
  
  
• Stalk the elusive spirit bear at Cameron Cove or on nearby Gribbell Island. The salmon spawn in September, which is the time to look for black bears, spirit bears and grizzlies. Bring a camera and binoculars. (Bears may get close, but keep your distance!) Buzz over to the mainland on the lodge's helicopter for grizzly-bear encounters. Wolves, whales, orcas and bald eagles can be seen any time.
  
  
• Soar to alpine peaks on a heli-hiking expedition set up by the lodge. A scenic 45-minute flight carries you to snow-dappled ridges for a glacier-side picnic with panoramic views.
  
  
• Give back to the local community through the lodge's unique "Giveback Getaway" program. Take on challenges, from mastering native plant and animal names (the lodge will donate 100 Canadian dollars to Hartley Bay School) to photographing local mammals ($100 to the Coast Cetacean Society). Complete all seven challenges, and the lodge will donate $1,000 to the Hartley Bay School.
  
  
• Learn more at tourismbc.com.