Day 19 Rain Oh My Rain!

Lichens and mosses, just like home!

So wet...

226 miles- Camp Run-a-Muck to Tyhee Lake Provincial Park campground today with a late start at 1pm. The rain has poured, and I mean poured, since the early morning hours all through the 5 hour drive until I stopped for the day, around 6pm or so. Hooking up the trailer in a deep mud puddle- not very fun. It also made for a tough drive in tire grooves full of water which grabbed the truck and trailer (2 weeks ago I nearly stopped the trip for this). This time I dodged them and when I couldn’t I took my foot off the gas and held the steering wheel firmly (not white knuckle). Seems I’ve developed some confidence towing the trailer. Don’t think for a minute I like towing it in those conditions though.

View from the boardwalk

I arrived at the Fish Creek Bear viewing boardwalk (about 500 feet long) around 8:15 am and stayed for 2 hours in the pouring rain. I saw no bears just screaming mew gulls (I thought they “mewed”, no they scream!) and lots of dead and dying salmon. There had only been one black bear seen earlier. Apparently, the bear numbers have been down all season. People were seeing both wolves and a grizzly along the river catching salmon so I decided to spend some time looking for them. All I saw were a bunch of bald eagles (okay I do love them, too). I talked for quite a while on the boardwalk with a kiwi family (New Zealanders). Did you know that the only native mammal in NZ is a small bat? There are no predators, no scary snakes, nada, just sheep and a few cows. They've had to adapt a bit to the bears here in Hyder. We talked of their trip of a lifetime and mine; although they came farther. They told me of beautiful coastlines, kiwis, glaciers, etc. and convinced me I should make the 30? hour (ouch) trip to visit New Zealand.

The blue lagoon at Fish Creek

Once I was hooked up I hit the border crossing, again, at Stewart. I was asked if I had any firearms, again (we just went through this yesterday), and said nope. There’s nothing in Hyder so I don’t know where I would get any. The Canadians have the border crossing so when you leave Hyder you have to stop. Even though it’s not staffed 24 hours a day, you still have to pick up the phone and let them know you are crossing if it’s between midnight and 8am. How silly. Apparently, last year they were actually gating and closing the crossing from midnight to 8am. The towns were in an uproar, protesting the cost-cutting measure. They even had BC and Alaska politicians involved. The gating lasted a little over two months.

Mew gull on quite a meal

Spawning and spawned out salmon carcasses

I thought I was on my way when I decided to stop at the only open gift shop in Hyder where I met Caroline at Boundary Gallery and Gifts. I bought more Christmas gifts and chatted with her for quite a while. She encouraged me to get a job with the forest service and move there; not to mention she has a house for sale. Her description of how things are done reminded me of my seasons in Stehekin when I worked for the National Park Service. Mail comes in Monday and Wednesday on the plane from Ketchikan. You order your groceries and their flown in; Amazon Prime is cheap. Once a year you drive to Terrace and stock up (Looks like a 4 hour drive, maybe). The pharmacy in Ketchikan sends 2 months’ worth of prescriptions because sometimes the plane can’t get in. There’s a hospital in Stewart (I wonder if that’s where medical services are provided) but it’s Canadian medical). They get a fair amount of snow but not as much rain as Ketchikan which is 75 air miles over the mountains. Hmmm…tempting.

So many cascades along the highway to Stewart-Hyder

Spawning salmon in Fish Creek

I had noticed that all of Caroline's items had some sort of security tag on them. While chatting she told me that people shoplift from her place. That's sad considering this is how she survives. She also told me that the worst shoplifters are widowed old ladies! She actually locks up the shop when she sees a tour bus full of them. Guess I can't blame her since there is no police force in Hyder.

Finally on the road! I had two different black bears run across the highway which was a surprise both times. Lots of room to enjoy them and not hit the brakes.

Bear Creek Canyon

The well-used southern part of the Cassiar highway has the Nass River bridge on it; a one lane bridge with a wooden deck which seemed out of place considering the amount of traffic.

Once I left the Cassiar Highway and hit the Yellowhead Highway I could really feel civilization again. I miss the wilderness feel already. Sadly, it’ll be this way most of the rest of the drive home.

I missed the ancient totem poles but I didn’t see any directional signs and the weather was miserable. I’ll be going back to Hyder for more time to watch for bears and wolves and to find the totem poles at Gitanyow and Kitwanga. It’s probably a 2 ½ day drive if you get your butt going in the morning.

Cassiar Highway

Made it to Lake Tyhee Provincial Park tonight in Telkwa. Too tired to back in perfectly so we’re trying not to roll out of bed since the trailer is at a downhill angle. LOL. Tomorrow on to the Prince George area and Highway 97, retracing my first two days of this entire adventure.

Lake Tyhee camp site

Wildlife- black bear (2), vole, Swainson’s hawk, belted kingfisher, bald eagles, common mergansers.

Lesson #19 Be confident in your ability to adapt and change.

Day 18 Hyder Alaska and Stewart B.C.

Kinaskan Lake

229 miles (Kinaskan Provincial Park to Camp Run-a-Muck) including a 45 mile round trip to the largest glacier one can drive to- Salmon Glacier. Unfortunately, you can’t access it on foot. I suppose if you're super adventurous you could hike down to it. 

Cassiar Mountains, I think

Finally left at a reasonable time this morning. Continuing down the Cassiar Highway I successfully crossed several of my favorite grated bridge decks and maneuvered the first 10% grade I’ve seen on the trip. Most have been 6-8%. It was a short section so no problem.

The Cassiar Highway was much busier today. There seemed to be a caravan of monster rvs and many more big trucks. It was still less busy than most roads back home.

Cassiar Highway

The Autumn colors are muted yellows and golds of cottonwood, alder, and willow along the highway. I don’t think it gets as cold as some areas to bring on the near fluorescent colors or the soils are different. It’s Autumn here, the scent of it permeates the air. Advice- When one pulls off to look at the scenery and finds a fresh pile of bear poop and there’s so much shrubbery around one can’t see what’s around- it’s a good idea to call out “hey bear” and maybe clap one’s hands. I didn’t see anything but was watchful, nonetheless.

Cassiar Mountains?

The further south I travel the more the forest changes. Firs have become dominant instead of the stunted spruce.  

I would like to have known the Cassiar Highway before the transmission lines. It must have been even more beautiful with the thickness of spruce and pine and fir and birch, alder, cottonwood, willow, and so many varieties of berry bushes. The views would have been forever clear in the shadow of the glaciers.

Bear Glacier

Once I turn off the Cassiar, the highway to the Stewart-Hyder communities looks just like home, deep evergreen; plus it’s cloudy and rainy. This is my side trip to Stewart, B.C./Hyder, Alaska. Check out a map because they are right next to each other and in two different countries. They lie at the head of the Portland Canal which is saltwater and the fourth longest fjord in the world. Quite the unique little communities that once boasted 10,000 people in the 1920s. Not even close today; Stewart at 699 and Hyder at 100. There’s still mining occurring, plus logging, fishing, tourism, and construction of more transmission lines through the wilderness. 

The drive from the junction of the Cassiar Highway to Stewart-Hyder is 40 miles of fabulous scenery. Bear River canyon, Bear Glacier, steep-walled high-rise mountains with 72 avalanche paths between the highway junction and Stewart. Rugged remote breath-taking country.

The bus

After I set up camp I head back to Stewart for clothes soap and lunch. I stopped at the Stewart Info center to find a good place to eat. Go to the bus; huh? Yep, it’s the Seafood Express in a bus- now in its 18^th year! Back I go to Hyder, turn into a neighborhood to find the only fresh fish in town. I had a delightful grilled halibut burger with fries and a small apple fritter (she threw it in because she had just made them this morning using her apples before the bear got them). She showed me her door that the black bear busted and the nail-filled board to keep it out. I watched the ravens and eagles play on the wind above the ridge while she cooked my fresh food.  Yeah, when in Hyder, eat at the bus.

the mountains and estuary at head of Portland Canal

I left the trailer at the Camp Run-a-Muck RV park and drove up a terrible road to the Salmon Glacier. There’s no way a trailer should be towed up this road. I saw rental RVs and others and am amazed they made it. It was very rough, very steep and windy in sections with a drop off to certain death, plus somewhat slick from the rain. Fortunately, I have 4wd so not a big deal when not towing a trailer. I did try to save my poor brakes coming back down by using every gear but 4lo. The Salmon glacier is big and blue and white. The clouds had moved in so I couldn’t see all of the surrounding mountains but I got the gist of it- big! The road leads past the Fish Creek bear viewing platform which I will visit in the morning (10 minutes from my camp site). They haven’t been seeing any grizzly lately but that’s okay, I’m game for whatever comes along. The spawners are mostly pink salmon with some chum thrown in. It smells badly. I’m at the end of the season so I guess there’s not quite as much activity. I read that the Kermode bears can be seen here; a unique white form of black bear. Wolves have been known to show up to snatch a salmon also (my next adventure is to see that).

Salmon Glacier

Hell of a road!

I’m not real impressed with the RV Park. There was a medical emergency so I just pulled in and found a spot knowing they’d find me later. There’s no wifi or cell service. The laundry is pricey and 8 minute showers are $3. They even lock the restrooms up at night and open them whenever they get around to it in the morning. I now have something to compare it with and no others lock up the restrooms at night. Cheap at $28 but barely worth it with all the extra costs and lack of other services.

Amanita muscaria- found all over the RV park

Camp Run-a-Muck camp site

Seeing the destruction from the transmission lines has been deeply troubling. My MP3 player was playing the soundtrack from the documentary “How the West was Won” while I traveled through some pretty massive damage. I grieve for the scars we are leaving on the land and pray that future generations forgive us. It just seems like there’s a better way to provide services to communities without destroying the land. When do we stop? We are all a part of this. Am I being selfish or judgmental that these communities don’t deserve electricity? I don’t know, I do know that other communities all over the world have found alternative ways to become self-sufficient that don’t cause such destruction. Painful. 

Bald eagle munching on spawned salmon carcass

Spawning salmon

On to frivolous things. Six motion pictures have been filmed in Stewart- Bear Island (1979), The Thing (1982), Iceman (1984), Leaving Normal (1992), Insomnia (2002), and Eight Below (2005). Famous, albeit, remote place.

Salmon River

Oh- the Canadians have a checkpoint between Hyder and Stewart so I had to pass through it to go to the store and then again to leave. Just keeping track of my movements.

Wildlife- heard varied thrush, crows (first I’ve heard since starting the trip), common loons, red-tailed hawk, bald eagles, and mew gulls.

Lesson #18- Stop to feel the land, inhale its unique scent, listen to its music through raven, loon, wolf. Remember the places you visit. Remember your place.

Day 17 The First Half of the Cassiar Highway

Cassiar Mountains

289.6 miles- Downtown RV Park to Kinaskan Provincial Park- on the Cassiar Highway which runs between the Coast Mountains and the Cassiar Mountains. What a great road! It’s definitely not what I would term a highway. No shoulders, sometimes there’s a center line but rarely, lots of chip seal road but sometimes nice and smooth pavement and, of course, gravel areas, especially construction areas. There was a long area of wet gravel road that then hit a steel grated bridge and curved to climb steeply up the other side. Always the adventure of a road.

Porcupine cutie

I hadn’t gone too far down the highway when I saw something very dark cross at the edge of the road and into the shrubbery. I sped up, stopped, grabbed my camera and jumped out of the truck figuring I’d get bit by some wild thing. Turned out it was a porcupine so I followed it. I've generally seen roadkilled porcupine in my travels (none on this trip) because they just cross with no attention whatsoever to what’s around them. Anyway, I spooked the poor little guy and he went for a tree. I took a couple of photos, thanked him, and let him be. Pretty quiet road, only one vehicle passed in that time. Not even one of the fast-moving semi-trucks.

The Cassiar Highway

The speed limit is 80km/hr. That’s not very fast but why go faster on such a picturesque road? There are lakes and ponds, diverse forests, huge mountains, glaciers, wildlife, and on and on. I rounded one corner and a car was stopped. An arm was pointing to the side of the road. I slowed and there was a big ol’ black bear gorging itself with grasses. Bears are in hyperphagia mode now so they have to gorge on food to build up the fat reserves needed for the long cold winter (look out Templeton!). I was able to take a few photos before moving on to let it gorge. Templeton didn’t bark (amazing) he just observed the big black dog.

Stopped at the Cassiar Mountain Jade Store. Apparently there is a Discovery channel reality program filmed here called Jade Fever. The Americans came and wanted to create drama in the show and make them wear certain clothes; basically staged. They declined. Then the Canadian company came with a better offer and no staging, etc. so that's who is filming the family. This is in a remote area along the road but apparently people come from all over to buy the jade. The store is full of jade as well as other stones. Yes, I bought some items. LOL

More highway driving

The Cassiar Highway is supposed to be one of the most scenic highways in the province, unfortunately, they put in huge transmission lines a couple of years ago that run for 200+ miles and wiped out up to 1,000-foot swaths of forest. Not only has this blocked the ability to photograph the scenery without giant powerlines in it, more importantly, it’s wiped out wildlife habitat. It’s being constructed to bring power to communities that currently rely on diesel generators. Too bad they didn't try other methods to provide electricity first. It does provide for at least one raven nest.

View along the way

Finally had to back up the trailer at Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park. I am too tired for perfection so I went with 'it's good enough,' besides it’s a spot on the lake. The weather has not held out and the rains have arrived. The camp site did provide for the haunting calls of loons in the evening and their cackling calls in the morning. The soothing sound of wilderness to me.

Ahhh backing in

Wildlife- porcupine, black bear, pair of trumpeter swans, common loons

Lesson #17 The wild may not be what it seems.

Day 16 Closer to Cassiar

The results of yesterdays 80 miles of Yukon Road

Badge of honor

289 miles today- Whitehorse Walmart to Downtown RV Park; much better. I’m back at the Downtown RV Park in Watson Lake. I really needed a shower and wanted to get some entries posted in the blog before I enter the real hinterlands down the Cassiar Highway! Unfortunately, I only get 2- ½ hour wifi sessions again so I’m posting these on the morning of the 17^th day so I can edit them when I’m awake.

Today started quite briskly in Whitehorse. Usually I get dressed in the morning and take Templeton out for a potty walk then return for breakfast and tea. Sometime during the night the trailer door popped open and since he had jumped off of the bed before I rolled out he decided to go on his own. We’re in a Walmart parking lot next to a busy road!! I jump outside in nightshirt and flannel pants and call to stop him. I finally convince him to come back when I walk to the truck and say let’s go for a ride. So scary. Damn door is curved and is a crappy design. My son Allen has spent a lot of time trying to get it to close properly which we thought was fixed. Unfortunately, the constant rattling of the Yukon roads are causing issues. Tonight it’s closed and bungee corded. Thank goodness we weren’t at Pine Lake- known for bears- because there was a bunch of dog food all over the floor (don’t ask)!

Templeton's new spot to travel. On top of the pile o'stuff behind and sort of between the truck seats.

Then after I posted my “badge of honor” muddy vehicle photos, Allen texted that one of my tires looked pretty low. All of the tires were 6 pounds under which may be the reason the 4wd wasn’t working quite right. I must have spent an hour literally driving in circles around Whitehorse trying to find air for the tires. All of the tire stores and automotive-type shops were closed- including Jiffy Lube. And the gas stations didn’t have air- well one did but I couldn’t get the trailer and truck into it. I finally stopped by the information center and they told me about one at the other end of town- been there twice now. Back I go and yay- they have air for my tire. The truck handled much better today. I didn’t get out of town until 12:30. Ugh. I really wanted to stop at a couple of museums but no time.

My drive was taken up listening to “Trucker” radio out of Ontario because I forgot to change out my CDs. I can only listen to the same ones over and over a couple of times. Trucker radio is country but not the new stuff that sounds like pop music. And they did interviews with various trucker people including a 22 year old woman who is a trucker. Different world.

Just another lovely river view

There wasn’t much Autumn color today. This section will be lovely a week or so from now. Like much of the trip the road is nearly always in the shadow of mythic mountains. So high above you that you are humbled by their magnificent size. I never get tired of being in their presence. I don’t know their names and really don’t feel a need to. I feel like I’m the size of a flea.

I went through an area called Carcross, short for caribou crossing. There used to be thousands of caribou in the area. Once the Alaska Highway was built the population dropped to a few hundred. The numbers are around 1,600 now. The highway cut through the migration path of the caribou, allowed for more killing of them, and loss of habitat from mining and logging. I have a lot of time to ponder such things and this highway is so much bigger than it seems. In 1942, in the name of security, the U.S. and Canada built a road through the wilderness with absolutely no regard for the people whose land it was nor for the wildlife that utilized the wilderness. This type of disregard for the First Nations/Native Americans is still occurring. Just look at the huge stand being taken in South Dakota. The tribes are standing up for their land and water because an oil pipeline is being shoved down their throats. How ridiculous. Greed has destroyed our planet, our water, our air, and so many people. When the hell do we stop? Maybe the South Dakota conflict will be the turning point to put the land, the wildlife, and the people first. Rant done.

Rainbow over the highway

Tomorrow I head a new way toward Prince George to save 130 miles but has so much beauty I hope to take a few days enjoying it. The Cassiar Highway offers Stewart B.C. with Hyder Alaska across the road. Hyder is the location of the Fish Creek bear platform where you can watch them fishing (google it and watch the videos). Also, farther south is Kitwanga, home of some of the oldest totem poles and the 'Ksan Historical Indian Village nearby. I have no idea where I’ll be camping except, hopefully, Camp Run-a-Muck RV park in Hyder tomorrow night. Maybe Kantishna Lake tonight. And somewhere near Kitwanga or along the Yellowhead Hwy 16. It's 2 days to home from Prince George.

See ya on the other side because I don’t know if wifi is available anywhere along the road.

Wildlife- American kestrels, red-tail hawk, magpies (I see them nearly every day), golden eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, and some sort of little bird that likes to sit in the middle of the road doing something (they have a slightly yellow breast).

Lesson #16 Give your dog treats whenever he gets in the truck to go for a ride, just in case of an emergency.

Day 15 Many Miles to Go

Moon Lake morning

409 miles today! Cantwell RV Park to Whitehorse Walmart. The most I’ve driven in a day since starting the journey and, I might add, too many miles. I ended up driving at dusk which is pretty tough in a landscape full of critters. Let me start at the beginning.

This morning was the coldest so far. I used the propane Mr. Heater briefly last night to take the chill off and this morning while making tea and breakfast. This was the first time on the trip I’ve seen Templeton shivering.

Kluane National Park

I overestimated my next camp site because I forgot I lost an hour when I left Alaska (they have their own time zone) and the 80+ miles of horrible road construction. Yukon road construction is NOT like Washington road construction. The road is torn up, washboards, potholes, and if it’s wet you might slip and slide if you go too fast. Sometimes there’s a pilot car, flagger, and/or a random traffic light on a box. My biggest problem is that when I put the truck in 4wd to gain better traction it won’t go back to 2wd. The little light flashes endlessly which meant driving 20 miles at 40mph tonight hoping it would shut off. It’s been doing this on the trip lately and I don’t know why.

80 miles of rough road

The drive past Kluane National Park was pretty much every superlative you can think of- pretty, beautiful, fantastic, spectacular- you get the point. The Autumn colors were at their peak. The area did not look like this a week or so ago. Wow, just wow. The yellows were fluorescent as were the pinks which brought out any greens still left. They were like stands of lights amongst the deep forest green of the spruces. There was also fresh snow on the tops of the mountains. Made for a lovely day with blue sky as the background.

Autumn colors with windshield bug 

I had planned to camp at Wolf Creek just outside of Whitehorse but then realized that was too far since I didn’t get on the road until 11am (Christmas and birthday shopping in Tok). My back up was Pine Lake just the other side of Haines Junction which is a good 2 hours or so from Whitehorse. Who knew that Canadians also celebrate Labour Day? For the first time I encountered a full campground. There were no others between Haines Junction and Whitehorse! And the Yukon doesn’t have a bunch of litter bin pull offs that one can slip into for the night, at least not in this section. I drove until 9:30pm to Whitehorse; yes to the Walmart parking lot. I knew I could find a free spot there and didn’t want to find out the Wolf Creek campground was full and then turn around.

View along the way

Part of the reason for stopping was the wildlife I was encountering on the road. First some elk cows were on the side of the road trying to cross. Fortunately, I was watching for just such an encounter and stopped to let them cross. The bull didn’t cross with them so I moved on in case I was intimidating him. Not far down the road, I saw one of the Yukon Territory’s wild horses munching on the side of the road. I stopped long enough for a couple of photos and moved on. It’s true, you never have the correct lens on the camera when you need it.

Fortunately for a red fox, as I was entering Whitehorse, my 4wd was stuck and I was only going 40 mph when it ran in front of me. It was pretty dark but I got a great look at it. Again, avoid driving at dusk. It explains so much of the roadkill and signs of roadkill I’ve been seeing along the road, plus the fact that people drive extremely fast.

Random stuff- there are Thai “restaurants” at every little stop in Alaska. I use the term restaurant loosely because most are a hut or a trailer. The pad thai I had at Glennallen was okay. There’s rarely Mexican or Chinese but Thai and American, everywhere.

In the Yukon Territory it’s the law that you drive with your lights on. Must be because of all the construction. LOL

Clouds and blue sky

Wildlife- elk, wild horse, ptarmigan, red fox, black-capped chickadees (while waiting for the pilot car), northern harrier (male), northern goshawk, merlin, gray jay, flicker, bald eagle, red-tail hawk, and a lovely family of Trumpeter swans- parents and 3 juveniles.

Lesson #15 Sometimes you have to push yourself way beyond your bounds- be cautious, be mindful, and be good to yourself.