Day 12 Heading for the Dreaded Cassiar Highway

Dear Diary,The Shady Rest Campground is very clean and decorated, there are tulips and daffs and high fences around them, deer are here.  We are dive bombed by hummingbirds when we get too close to the feeder.  Pretty feisty for little birds.  It’s about 40 degrees.  We leave the camp around 7AM and hear a stone caught in the tire tread.  Chances are it would work its way out but we don’t take chances with the tires.  Chuck uses a screwdriver and wedges the sharp stone out.  We move up Rt 16 to Houston, which flooded 2 days ago. As we enter there are still signs of flooding and the Bulkley River is riding high and flowing fast and wide.  A house and small farmyard is cornered by the river on 2 sides, this is terrifying water!  They have a nice city park with outdoor art and artifacts and the largest fly fishing rod in the world!  More A&W but this one serves burgers and chubby chicken.  As we drive along the creeks feeding into the river are to the top of the underside of the bridges.  We drive over them fast.  We begin to climb thank goodness.   This seems like some northern hemispheric weather phenomenon.  We are experiencing the west coastline warm current here to some extent.  We spot a red fox along the road looking for chickens no doubt.  Our RV has an antenna dish and will scan through to find local programs and we have a cable hook-up if we want it.  We tried last night and found a few channels but at this point TV seems almost intrusive and just background noise.   The RV radio in the cab is a Jensen system with lots of bells and whistles including a Sirius access.  There are two large speakers over the kitchen dinette for both the radio/CD and TV/DVD.  But we have come to prefer the silence.  We are heading directly to the coastal mountains the sun is trying to come out.  Fog and mist are prevalent with peaks just winking at us.  This is a big trucking route for all products, but it’s not like Ohio’s traffic.  Moose warning signs are everywhere but they remain elusive.  Karen just left a message saying she is in Sacramento, CA and it is unseasonably cool there, seems to be part of this trend.  School here is still in session and the youngsters are waiting for the bus on this main road after having to walk down a long drive.  Local gardens already have rhubarb ready to harvest.  We descend an 8% grade and are now next to the river, the current is unbelievable.  We come to Smithers home of the Hudson Bay Mt Ski Resort, boasting the highest in BC at 6k.  Smithers is about 5k population, 2k metro.  They have redone the town in a Swiss Alpine theme.  A statue of an alpenhorn player greets us as we enter the business area geared to tourism.  They get a lot of snow in the coastals so must be good skiing.  We see our first Jade Shop, they mine it in BC and will see shops closer to the mining off the Cassiar.  Smithers has an agricultural fair in August, so can guess how well things grow in the Bulkley River Valley, even though it’s flooding now.  Lots of sports venues of every kind.  Real people live here and a large school population is arriving at the schools this morning.  Smithers is not Banff or Jasper but it’s a nice place.  Most of the rivers and streams in the area have salmon and trout spawning signs on them and hatcheries in the area.  Fishing and seafood is a big part of BC’s econ.  We are following the Hazelton Mountains, seen through pink mist but at least it’s not raining!  These mountains are very different in shape etc than the Rockies and they are high enough to be snow covered still.  There are beaver dams all through the valley, they really change the landscape.  The Bulkley funnels through a short tight chasm at Moricetown, it’s an awesome sight.  We are starting to see Tlingit tribal names used for towns and businesses.  There are two small Indian Reservations in the area.  We are still on the

We awake at 5AM after going to bed so early.  We have gained an hour so it's actually 4AM for us.  Dawn is breaking, some clouds, can see low coastal hills.  Thank goodness it has stopped raining.  Alas, Russians around the fire didn't last, it began raining heavily.  It was un-nerving and wanted to keep looking out the window to see if water is rising near the campground.  Went to the showers for another dream sequence.  Each shower has its own room with a commode, sink, large changing area and lots of hot water!  Camp showers are not always possible but as Grandmother used to say, as long as you have a bar of soap and some water no need not to be clean.  So the little bath area sink gets a workout.  And the RV water heater is phenomenal.  Now have to see if we can move out of this area, don't know what lies ahead.  Will try to get info before pulling out.  We don't get much news but we are devastated for the people in Missouri who were hit by a rare double tornado.  The weather patterns have continued west and north, no one is spared this year.  Pat beat Chuck again at Scrabble last night.  We're sure it's travel fatigue.  Chuck has done all the driving.  At first it was for his ability to keep the RV on the road in the wind and now he's the most experienced on strange roadway.  We are beginning the alternative route up the dreaded Cassiar Highway.  One thing about campers is what happens when they meet.  Everyone has a story and rumors fly about road conditions.  We believe even legends are formed.  The Cassiar is one of those legends.  Canada has done a good job upgrading their roads even in the remotest areas, but nature will have its way.  Eating in the RV.  We usually have some cereal/oatmeal/toast/fruit and coffee.  We insisted on having a drip coffee pot which we do not consider a luxury.  We try to find electric hook-ups when we can.  If no electric then have to use a built in generator.  Lunch is usually lunch meat/cheese sandwiches, veg sticks, yogurt or pudding, and chips when we have them.  At night we usually fix a dinner from scratch.  Last night whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and stir fried veg and sourdough bread for oil dipping.  Some nights we combine leftovers.  It's a challenge to eat healthy on the road.  We have broken down and have cookie break mid morning.  The food is steps away and the road is mesmerizing at times.  Easy to keep the candy bag on the dash, but we haven't and believe we feel better.  Also realize that health issues are of more concern in these remote areas, not a second thought in our younger days.  Realize how very novice we are at this blog trog.  Am just now finding the spell check etc.  So earlier efforts are not fixed.  Also realize that exhaustion at the end of the day makes for some inconsistencies in content.  But that can't be helped.

Yellow Head Highway

, Rt 16.  The mountains form a solid wall along our route.  Road is fair to good condition, no heave or the dreaded washboard.  Our Oz friend Ray says they call it corruptions.  Just over the mountains to the west is the start of the Inside Passage.  We will be coming through there by ferry on the way back.  The Skeena River is flowing into the Bulkley, it makes an ever bigger angrier river.  No salmon are coming up these rivers for a while to spawn.  Aside:  Brenna has told us that the Mr. White Keys show is coming back to Anchorage this summer but won’t start until after we leave.  We know Doc Brian will be glad to hear it.  Finally we come to the Cassiar, Rt 37.  We are glad to turn away from the foaming Bulkley River.  This area is home to the white black bear, called spirit bear.  A white bear can have black cubs and it is not an albino.  Despite all the fears about the Cassiar the road condition is quite good but narrow with no shoulder and no cut back for visibility.  We can’t get over how large animals can become invisible by just moving behind a bush.  So seeing them in advance helps.  Lush forests of black spruce, birch, cottonwood and 2 other fir type trees abound.  Mountains line the road in pink haze.  Rt 37 is old logging road and still very active.  There is a lot of logging in this area and signs name the date an area was cut and reseeded.  Out in the wilderness and we get behind a road sweeper of all things!   There are long straight-aways and it’s tempting to get up speed but this is good moose browse and we can’t take the chance of hitting one for both our sakes.  We are traveling through flooded bog, the road is the high point in this area.  We spot a black bear boar along the road, we can tell we are remote because he is scared of the RV and runs.  We pass a logging camp and we believe this is not a high season for logging so we should not be seeing many of the big log haulers on this narrow road.  It is overcast again and makes the drive in tall trees without mountain views a little dreary.  We cross the Nass River on a lengthy 1 lane road plank bridge, the river is a raging torrent below, it’s obvious we have been traumatized by water this trip.  Skunk cabbage is blooming in the bogs and snow patches line the road on the north side.  We arrive at Meziadin junction at 37 and 37A leading to Stewart and Hyder.  This is one part of the trip we have really looked forward to.  Its 40 miles back to the head of the Portland Canal off the Inside Passage and the Pacific Ocean.  The Canadian town of Stewart, BC sits there and the Alaskan town of Hyder right next to it.  It’s a deadend at Hyder.  If you could go west over the coastal mountains you would be in Misty Fjords National Park and just a little northeast of Ketchikan.  A big black bear is sighted right away and he is scared by the engine.  We enter a narrowing valley of hanging glaciers and the most avalanche sights we’ve ever seen this close together and when it’s not an avalanche it’s a rockslide area.  There are winter chain advisories and avalanche gates.   But the drive is incredible.  We lose count of all the waterfalls coming off sheer mountain sides.   The road is in good condition but no shoulder. This is a lush valley that is well into spring.  The mountain sides are full of leafing ground cover.  The birch are bright green lacey early leaves.  Clouds and mist cling to the mountain ridges.  We begin to see a valley with multiple hanging glaciers.   We climb to Bear Glacier that is near the road at valley level.  We are able to stop for pictures.  There is a small moraine lake at the base.  The glacier is huge and it’s the bluest glacier we’ve ever seen.  We can hear it crack as it slowly grinds its way down the slope.  On the other side of the road is a big rockslide area.  We read that Bear Glacier used to fill this valley within the last 100 years.  What we are seeing in the landslide is the glacial moraine that has pushed into the other mountain by the glacier.  We follow the Bear River that emanates from the glacier through the valley and eventually it drains into Portland Canal.  We see higher mountains with more snow and know that the massive Salmon Glacier is there, but this RV cannot travel the undeveloped road.  Too bad.  We drive through a tight canyon that’s maybe 50 yards wide, the Bear River is running right next to us.  The mosses, undergrowth and trees show more evidence that we are in a rainforest.  We continue to see more waterfalls, they are everywhere.  Beavers are prevalent in this valley and rework the water flow with their dams.  We pass through yet another tight canyon with sheer mountain cliffs overhanging us in places.  We are greeted by dandelions.  The scourge of suburban lawns.  There are thousands of them and they line the road in profusion making a path of greeting.  Part of the road is an old railroad bed.  This area had gold mining as per usual in most early Alaska and Western Canada history.  There is logging in this area too, can’t imagine meeting a log carrier on this road.  We reach Stewart first, a cute historic town with most amenities.  We see the Portland Canal for the first time.  It is a long narrow salt water fjord that is 90 miles long before it reaches the Inside Passage.  The area is surrounded by sheer mountain sides with heavy tree growth and lots of waterfalls.  Stewart is Canada’s most northerly ice free port.  But it is so remote it would not serve well as a very active port.  The weather has cleared and we have bright cloud sky.  We cross to Hyder, on the USA side.  There is a teeny tiny town of about 75 people.  A motel, restaurant, bar, visitors center and lots of closed shops.  Calls itself the friendly ghost town.  There is no active border guard here, just the remnant of an old guard house and an American flag.  Hyder has the national park bear viewing area along one of the salmon rivers.  This happens in August.  We can go up there but the road is dicey and the salmon aren’t in yet.  We stop at SeaAlaska motel and talk with the owner.  She advises a walk out to the old pier about a quarter mile.  We walk out for closer views of the Canal.  It’s warm here at 65 degrees and we see the first Lupine wildflowers.  They are so beautiful, like a big blue hyacinth.  The pier is old and can’t handle the RV and after seeing its condition it’s better to walk.  The tide is out and the water is muddy from all the glacial water flowing in.  Would like to have seen it when the tide is in.  This is a big salmon spawn area but fishing is not that prevalent.  There is a small marina on the American side crudely cut into the tidal mud.  The view of the canal shows it moving through a narrow pass.  Apparently eagles, seals and otters are here but we don’t see them.  We drive back to Stewart but this time we have to pass through Canadian customs.  We are questioned and the patrolman asks to look into the RV.  Must be a slow day.  We travel on to the dock and get pictures of the logs floating in the water and all the tiny tugboats used to push them around.  There is a tall log loading thing, not sure how large the boat is that can come in here to take them out.  We eat lunch in the RV in the Visitor’s Center parking lot.  There is a long boardwalk into the estuary for viewing.  We think it’s used when the salmon come in and bears come to eat.  There is one stop sign in town and make sure to stop!  We bid farewell to Stewart and head back up the beautiful valley to Rt 37.  This is somewhere we could spend more time.  This time we stop off at Meziadin Lake campground to take pics.  The lake is huge and completely still.  Able to get good reflection pictures.   This is a beautiful new campground.  No amenities except outdoor loos but it would be worth it and not a problem self contained. This is one of only 3 lakes that have salmon spawning in the lake. Back onto Rt 37, we spot a black bear and then 4 more in succession.  6 more black bear by the road.  And then another one.  That’s 15 black bear sightings today.  The road abruptly goes from good pavement to rough pack paved stone with no lines.  This only lasts 15 miles and it’s really not bad.  The mountain peaks are large and snow covered.  Ground fog is forming where the warm air meets the snow and cold streams.  We come to our destination Bell 2 Lodge and Campground.  This is complex done in Swiss Alpine style, with a lodge and large cabins .  One duplex cottage has a sod roof, so cool.  The mountain across from us is clearing.  This river is below us but can be heard, yes another full and flooding river.  We drove 350 miles over 10 hours.  We have stopped by 5PM for R and R.  Steaks on the grill and maybe some s’mores tonight!  Another game of Scrabble?  Night.