1. A scene at Portland Arm (Stewart BC/Hyder AK This is the end of a 100 mile arm of the Inland PassageThe morning was very cool at 36 F although there was a bright blue sky. The day warmed soon also closing the trailer went easily. The first portion of the road toward Hyder was newly poured gravel and very dusty. Fortunately it was only a few miles and then two road stoppages for road work (one was wet road and added mud to the vehicles) That didn’t last long as we got onto a good tar/pitch road for 100 miles or so. They make the tires rumble but are quite smooth. Two large switchbacks coming out of river bottom after bridges were the most difficult but after Telegraph Creek road thois was “duck soup”. (Where did that expression come from?) Two stops along the way for a stretch and four stops along the way to photograph the bears. They seemed to be out this morning. The road winds its way , (nothing like the Telegraph Creek road) but was smooth driving, and by the time we reached a half way point (140 miles) the road became a very tight surfaced blacktop road. So the driving was much easier. This road here winds through a number of mountain ranges in western British Columbia. In the early miles we caught sight of Mt Edziza that we saw on the way to Telegraph creek yesterday. It soon was hidden behind other nearer mountain ranges. There were many “hanging glaciers” and a few larger ones. The bears we saw were a large adult Grizzly (brown) and two, month old cubs (our guess), and two less than a year old cubs all seemingly alone, but with a Sow in the wings I am sure. One just looked up at me from the side of the road while he ate fresh clover in its prime. and headed back to eating not 20 feet away.
We ate lunch pretty much “on the fly” as we do sometimes , stopping just long enough to get some food from the trailer and get right back on the road again. Usually Ruth likes to cut up an apple and some yogurt. (Don’t tell the Canadian authorities we brought those across the border.) I settled for a sandwich and a carton of grape “Juicy Juice” (lots of vitamin C.) We gassed up at a place called Bells Crossing at 1.44/L (no effect of the drop in oil per barrel here, although I saw $80/bbl yesterday.) The “turn” to go to Stewart/Hyder is really not a turn at all as 37 is the road that turns and 37b heads straight for the coast. I told Ruth that I thought that the temperature near the coast would be warmer than the 36 F we experienced in the morning. It did get warmer and as we passed the Bear Glacier on 37b it was already 70 F . THis is a glacier that comes to its own lake with the ubiquitous river coming from under the glacier. We stopped for pictures there and the stopping lot to view the glaciers, was now on the other side of the road from where it was in 1996 , which takes it away form the huge “falling rocks” that we often see on the roads up here. The glacier seemed to have moved back (retreated) some 1/4 of mile since 1996.
We arrived in Stewart and slowly made our way through the main street (looks a lot like the “old west”), and past the border into USA and Hyder. Stewart has a few thousand people and Hyder has a few hundred. (A sign over one store says “Hyder--Home to 100 friendly people and a few ____ heads”. Many stores are boarded as it is not a prosperous townsite. They are both at the head of the Portland Canal (Arm) which is a 100 mile long fjord that starts on the inland passage (Pacific Ocean) and ends here. As you drive the mile out of Stewart to Hyder, you pass the huge port facilities which are mainly concerned with logging and at this time a huge dike building program to prevent the Bear river from overflowing each year into the port area. PIles of sandbags were seen at one facilty. Thousands of logs are laying there ready for shipment to overseas. We will visit the causeway to the dike on Friday. Should see some sea otters and eagles there.
This night after a simple supper, we visited the nearby bear viewing deck some 5 miles from the campsite .(The RV Park is named “Camp Run- A-Muck”. ) We drove the very dusty road (I was blinded ( a white out) by a logging truck driving at full speed ) and the dust was lingering as there was no wind. I came to a full stop as I could not see for a few seconds.We did observe the bears on the boardwalk there along with 200 other folks on a very long and wide board walk overlooking Fish Creek , where the bears fish for Chum and Pink Salmon. It was roomy and the people were very quiet and respectful of the bears.There were a few bears while we were there and some just right under the walk. I was a good close view for all. A large ‘griz’ chased two bears away just by his presence.
Tomorrow’s another day! ...of Bears and glaciers.
Thursday the 11th
The morning was very foggy and with low lying clouds on the mountains the chances of seeing the glacier up on the high mountains , wa slim, but we felt that we had a chance that the sky would open later in the morning. So, after breakfast wee packed a lunch and headed up the long and winding road to see the mines and the Salmon Glacier. THis is the glacier that feeds the mighty Salmon River right next to Hyder AK. Having lots of experience on the telegraph Creek road this could not be worse. It wasn’t but with the morning rain and the road getting muddier as we drove, I could see that it was just a shade under the difficulty of the Telegraph Creek road. Of course the saving grace was that ti was only 20 miles long as opposed to 65. This is an old ‘Mine road” so has had a lot of heavy duty travels over the 100 years it has been here . There are three mines on the road , only one of them recently resurrected in an attempt to cash in on the rising price of minerals in the world. IT was windy, but more it was the uphill constantly that was a “knuckle burner”. LOts of switchback, and edges to the steep valley of the Salmon River below,. Ruth was quiet most f the way and we stopped finally about 3 miles from the Summit, to tae a picture of the “toe” of the Salmon Glacier. IT was a good thing we did as we drove another 2 miles it became so foggy that I had to stop , turn around and return down the mountain. I could not see the road for the clouds . BUt we did get to see the least part of the glacier and Ruth got some “intriguing “ pictures of clouds, water and glacier. gain it is best to keep focus and on the downhill I used the “super gears” again and was in 2 and 3 most of the way. We saw no bears, Moose or any wildlife.
Because we were back soon, we ate lunch in the trailer a sort of “picnic” in the trailer. After a brief respite, it was time to go to Stewart to get a few groceries and pick up a better map of Northern BC, and maybe get a bite to eat. We did that , after a brief stop at the customs office (the Canadians want to insect every car that has already gone into Hyder unchecked, and check them on the way out. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but then government can be intriguing. e did stop to get a map from Tyler at the Visitor center and gleaned some info about the stores in town. He know the answers. Then a trip to the grocery, but the pick-ins were slim as it is difficult , (just like it is in the “bush”) , to get fresh veggies and fruits. We are so fortunate in the Lower 48 to be able to do this. Always count your blessings and thank the Lord for all the blessings we receive. Then I showed Ruth the Mobile restaurant LIke a 1940‘s diner on wheels) set up on a vacant lot . The man from Saskatchewan (Seam Ackerman) has cuisine dinners and homemade bread. I talked Ruth into looking at his menu and she ordered his homemade “pulled pork” sandwich (no BBQ sauce!) a loaf of his homemade bread while I had his vinaigrette salad with calmelized broule’ slice on top. It was delicious and Ruth loved it too. The carmelized Broule’ added a special taste.The bread (after tasting at our trailer) was excellent (white and no additives) . He makes his own hamburger buns as well. We hope he has a continued successful summer. We played with the computer at a Wi Fi hotspot, as the Comcast connection has failed to send our email in to us. We played with tat for an hour but never did get a connection. We crossed over the border back into USA again and settled in for the evening with a heart dinner made from scratch. (Sean (the chef) pulls his own pork for the pork sandwich. IF the rain lets up enough we will go up to see the bears again at 6:30 just about the time they start to feed in the evening. (6:30 it s still raining hard!)
Hyder...a town of some few hundred people in which there are no “lawmen” no town council and generally no rules at all. Most everyone totes a gun for bear protection, and as Wes says at the General Store , you don’t want to meet a Sow bear with two cubs standing in just your shorts and a T shirt. The entry to the townsite (that’s what they call it) it a very rutted 1/4 mile stretch that turns onto a 1/2 mile mud (with rain) road , that is dusty dry when it doesn’t/. There is no street maintenance , so the ruts stay there I assume year around. People either like it here, have some work, or move on. There are many boarded up businesses in the first block f town, and I would defy you to be able to pick out the two restaurants in town. They are there but unobtrusive as possible.
In the after noon Ruth and i took a drive to the “wharf” which is a wooden , one lane, raised pier that goes put into the bay about 1/3 of a mile. There at the end os a small “Island” that is both a boat launch and a turn around. It is a fascinating drive over the water (low tide ) some 15 feet below. This is an all wood ,laminated, wooden post 8 foot wide structure worth seeing. I’ll try to get a decent picture tomorrow when the sun comes out !!! We did see some eagles by the water, a Great Blue Heron, and a few Oregon Juncos. No sea otters, but lots of work on the dike project to protect the town from the waters of Bear River in the spring.
Day 69, Fri. Aug 12, 2011 Hyder AK “Crossing the border three times”
Today was unusual as I went across the border three times, once with Ruth and twice without her. But let’s start in the morning when we made an appointment in Stewart (remember we have to go through customs going INTO Canada only from Hyder) So with a appointment for an oil change , we decided to see the bears in the morning after I had the 8:00 oil change. After crossing the border , I stopped at the “all purpose” gas station,** (more later on that) , but the mechanic would be tied up all morning so we agreed on 2:00 PM time to come back. I crossed back into the USA again and picked up Ruth to do some bear watching in late AM. It was fortuitous as two bears (a Sow and large cub) were putting on a show as Ruth got there while I parked the car and had a walk from the overflow parking lot (This place really gets crowded ). That went on for more than an hour as the Mom was teaching the cub how to fight and played with it for long stretches. (good videos of that match) Then it was “learn to fish” time. It was probably lesson 25 or 30 as the little one finally did catch one on his own and Mom continued to eat and get her fill. Bears must increase by 2 X their weight by winter so they have enough fat stored up to make it through the long winter. The fish here as we said, are Chum and Pinks. That was a terrific “drama” put on by Mom and son.(?)
Then we went to pack a lunch to eat in Stewart waiting for the oil change, and on the road into Stewart/Hyder (37) there are two large waterfalls that Ruth wanted to get while the trailer was off. So, back across the border INTO Canada customs again, and right to the waterfalls (10 miles down the road ) which are about 2,000 feet in all. Ruth got a video and some sunny pictures. Then back into Stewart where we parked at the city park (next to the Visitor Center) and had one of our few picnic lunches at a picnic table. Today in Stewart is “Bear Festival Day” so they were setting up the band for the night on a bandstand there. After lunch we walked the long board walk immediately behind the bandstand into the tidal basin to look for whatever we could find. Usually we could find flowers or a bird or two and we were not disappointed . Two new flower pictures , arctic dock, and a potentilla type were there. There were also Barn Swallows that we hadn’t seen in a while, too. Earlier in the day we observed Richardson’s (Canadian) Geese , a bit smaller that the Canadians we are used to in the east. The same Kingfisher was seen as well. Birds are not as plentiful here as some places. Later in the day I spotted (no pun intended) a Spotted Sandpiper by the RR tracks at the end of town. But... back to town where we left Ruth. I took her back to the trailer as it was to be 2:00 for the oil change and we had 1 hour to go. After a bit I headed back across the border INTO Canada one more time. When I arrived at the Petro Station, they said that the mechanic was unable to do it at two o’clock, as he had three tires repairs and a set of brakes to finish, but he would be ready at 3:00. “OK”, I said, so I tooled around town for a bit looking at beautiful flower beds, (They get 150” of rain here) and catching up on my log. At 2:45 I arrived to have the truck serviced. and he was ready .I drove out at 3:45 after getting acquainted with the help and how that station works. It is a place that does “EXPEDITING” of services. Ambulances, helicopters (to the mines) , tools and equipment to all services, etc. Quite a lot of things to keep track of. Besides that they are the only parts store (auto /truck) within 100 miles+ and also operate as a hardware store. All types of fuel oil, Propane, car washes, and the mechanical work. Mary Jane runs a steady ship with great help.
So I headed the car back and returned to the trailer one more time. Ruth and I had supper and headed for the Bear watch after 6:30 PM. We waited a while, but in the bushes across a small creek I spotted the young black bear peek out from the bushes. It stayed out of cover until it hit the bank of the dike that the viewing boardwalk was on. Then it zoomed past everyone and into the bushes at the other end of the boardwalk. It finally emerged alter 25 minutes (probably eating berries) down the river a ways. Ruth had the large lens on so the close up didn’t come out. She got a few and I got to see a running bear up close. IT was another special treat of wildlife.
That was the today and the last one here in Hyder where everyone can be their own person. Tomorrow we head south toward Houston (BC that is!) and start a string of one nighters until we reach SL City.UT. Ride along with us!
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