Day 11

Tuesday, June 27

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Tuesday June 27, we drove 317 miles from Burns Lake, British Columbia N54 12.576 W125 41.473

 to Hyder, Alaska, N55 54.655 W130 01.265

 

 

11 kitwanga-alcan047.jpg (1638786 bytes)

 

 

 

 

A history about the Cassiar Highway area.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A field of flowers along the highway between Burns Lake and Smithers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now there are clouds in the sky, some of the first we have seen since starting the trip.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looks like rain ahead. Patty is happy, rain means we will not sleep in the tent tonight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at visitor's centers when we could. Patty used their internet to keep in touch with friends, and we could get information on the area. This man was the director of the center in Smithers. He wanted a picture of the car, Patty has a policy if you take a picture of the car, she takes a picture of you and the car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a beautiful place for a house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the river has salmon in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for a full tank of gas here in Kitwanga. We are about to turn north on Highway 37. The next gas is about 100 miles. We bought some deli sandwiches and a soft drink so we could stop on the way and have a picnic lunch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

North from the junction of Highway 16 and 37 at Kitwanga, is the Cassiar Highway. This is a scenic road, and will take us to the little town of Hyder, Alaska, and then north to the ALCAN highway near Watson Lake.

Notice the price of gas? It's in liters and is just as expensive as California.

 

 

 

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Patty got this map at a visitors center, it helped us to plan our stops. The map also showed up to date road conditions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a great display of native Totems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read the sign.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These Totems are on native "First People" land. They are used in  ceremonies and are not just for tourists.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These tall straight trees could be used to build a cabin or make a Totem.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A more typical day, clouds and the weather is warm.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are still driving on pavement and enjoying it while we can. The pavement will stop every now and then after Meziadin Junction. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came upon several one lane bridges, most of them under repair. They were under repair 30 years ago too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am glad there is a bridge here I don't think the car could drive across this river.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mountains in the distance with snow on them is becoming a routine site.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the turn off at Meziadin Junction on Hwy 37A for Hyder.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a while the scenery becomes routine, beautiful but routine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are nearing Bear Glacier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This road takes us to a view point for the glacier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More mountains with snow and green trees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is Bear lake which is formed by the melting of Bear glacier. Not surprising Bear river runs from Bear lake.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here we are at Bear glacier. It feels odd for it to be warm and sunny when there is such a mass of ice just a little ways off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another view of the glacier.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This picture was taken from the Canadian side looking back at Hyder, Alaska. You don't see any border guards here because there are none. This is probably the only border crossing still unmanned. If you research it you would find that there is no need to fortify this crossing as there is only this little town here, and the road ends. The area is also self policed, Alaska does not station any troupers there. The Canadian's have a border crossing guard on the Canadian side.

 

 

 

 

Here we are looking from Alaska back toward Canada. The building in the background is Canadian Customs, the closest thing there is to Law in the Hyder area.  I get a kick when the Border Guard says, where are you coming from ? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Main street Hyder, Alaska. For many years the school age children went across the border every day to school in Canada, There now is a small school on the U.S. side. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is the Hyder Post Office. Notice the pole barn roof over the trailer. They get so much snow the second steeper roof is needed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the only restaurant open when we got there. We asked around about where to eat, everyone said "the bus is the only place open".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The food was good and fresh. A couple and their son run the place, he goes fishing and the wife and son run the business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our fish dinner we went to the local Saloon-Motel and got a room. We saw this rainbow from our porch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patty and I decided to take a walk before bed, it is about 11pm and the sun is still out. The temperature has dropped and it is cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We walked out on this jetty, it went on for a mile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Relax Patty, the Bear went that way. As we were walking back an animal ran in front of us across the road, it was a bear. 

 

 

 

 

 

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