I’ve lived on the wet west coast all my life and never owned rain gear. But on this trip, I’ve had to borrow a rain jacket from my guide who is of Kitasoo/Xaixais First Nation ancestry because my trusty London Fog anorak got waterlogged earlier in the day as we sat waiting for “moksgm’ol,” (as he is called by the Tsimshian people) under the canopy of the rainforest. The Sitka spruce forest is ancient and haunted, and the knee-high moss muffles the slosh of the supernatural creature we’ve been waiting for as he makes his way along the creek.  A raven croaks throatily: he’s coming.

I’ve spent years hearing stories about the legendary Kermode or “Spirit Bear,” a genetically unique breed of all-white bear, that lives—very much in the flesh—on Princess Royal Island, near the village of Klemtu, BC. Klemtu is one of the many stops on the BC Ferries Discovery Coast Passage. (Incidentally, a Spirit bear rendition made up of half killer whale and half bear—adapted from First Nations legend and named Miga—is one of the mascots of the 2010 Winter Games.) On all my trips up and down the coast, I’ve never been lucky enough to catch even a glimpse of this sacred and rare—rarer even than China’s endangered giant panda—mythical creature. But today, thanks to a Cariboo Chilcotin Coast eco-tourism operation called Spirit Bear Adventures, I might get a chance.

Our guide tells us to sit tight and listen. Spirit Bears can feel your fear, he says: “If he walks right by you, hold your breath.”

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