Friday, July 21, 2006. We're heading down the Cassiar Highway, into British Columbia (BC).

 
Denis says "does it get any better than this". Caught native rainbow trout which means not stocked. He is quite surprised there is still Native Trout..
Saturday, July 22, 2006.  Stayed at Boya Lake CG on the first night of the Cassiar Highway and last night stayed at Upper Gnat Lake, boondocking. The drive has been very scenic but the views are dampened by the weather, which has been cool and cloudy...this means above 0C and below 10C! We are amongst the Cassiar Mountain range which is pretty desolate, but very beautiful with many lakes along the way, but the weather makes camping unattractive right now. Upper Gnat Lake area seems to be in a mountain pass. We will be in the Skeena Mountains soon.
Monday, July 24th. We are at the http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/kinaskan_lk/ and will stay for 3 days. Denis is hoping for some sunshine. We have not seen much of that this past week. BC Provincial parks charge $14.00 - $17.00. Fourteen dollars is with no Sani-dump nor free hot showers but have hand-pumps for drinking water. We have noticed that municipal visitor centers have sani-dumps, which is great.

Winding gravel roads on and off but the views are spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

 
There is not a look out for this picture, I just happen to spot it between the trees. There is a Glacier there. There is a look out further up but not as good.

This tennis look alike is called the Executioner. Up to now we have been laughing about this gizmo but since a week ago we have put it to good use with the mosquitoes. We bought it before leaving at the Bass Pro store and it sure works good besides making killing mosquitoes so much fun.

 
Denis checking to see what he has left to fish with. He still has his brook trout gear!

 
This little guy is fishing for food. It just happens we have some nuts for him.

We visited Jade City on the Cassiar. This is a world famous jade mining area. There are chunks of raw jade and lots of jade jewellery. There are two stores in competition here. One is the original, on the left if going south, the other across the highway!
The jade is called the Cassiar jade (Rhodonite). These local mines supply 75% of the world Jade. The most precious boulders are personally inspected and bought by Chinese, Hindu and even monk purchasers.

 

 
I really like this pink (raspberry) stone but I cannot remember the name. I did buy a cute little necklace from this stone. This also is a local stone mined in this area.


 
Wednesday, July 26, 2006. We are heading South on the Cassiar again. Weather has been 7 degrees in morning - 13 degrees mid-afternoon. Hope to go to warmer weather. We hear it's 100 in southern BC!. We're in mountain ranges. Costal Mountain Range, Skeena Mountains and the Cassiar Mountains. We should be staying at the Meziadin Lake Provincial Park CG to visit Stewart and Hyder.
Thursday, July 27, 2006. We have left our trailer at Meziadin Lake PP, since we will start heading west from there and driving from the Junction of Cassiar Hwy 37 & 37A. The views are spectacular and Denis is driving me crazy. The drive to Steward/Hyder is stated to be spectacular, and it is. Most tourist go a bit further to the fish creek boardwalk area, a US Forestry managed platform to see the salmon spawn and the grizzlies feed on them, BUT, there is a gravel road that leads on further for 40 kms or so, to the Salmon Glacier and this road is not to be missed. This had to be one of the most scenic roads we have taken! It's a cliff hanger that goes by many old and modern mines and takes you up to an overlook of the Salmon Glacier. The road went further, but we ran out of time, so start early!

 

Stewart, Hyder, Salmon Glacier

The Granduc (Salmon Glacier) Road was completed in 1965. It was originally built for  the Granduc Mine about 40 km north-northwest of Stewart. The road winds its way through some of the most spectacular and rugged scenery in the world as it passes along the eastern edge of the Salmon Glacier and Summit Lake to the site of the Granduc camp. As of 1983, mining activity has been closed. The ride to the Summit is soooo worth it.

Denis says when he dies he would like some of his ashes scattered here. This is "Salmon GlacierSummit". This summit is surrounded by Coastal Mountains. You have to see it to believe it.

This is looking west towards the Pacific coast and as far as you can
 see down the valley,  is the bear viewing platform shown lower here..
This is looking east of the Salmon glacier same vantage point as the picture to the left.
 

Stewart, B.C., is a small town. In 1902 Robert and John Stewart arrived in the community. The brothers laid out a town site and formed the Stewart Land Company. The community received its name in 1905 from Robert, who was the towns first Postmaster, using his last name as the official designation. Mining was Stewart's beginning.

 

A glacial pond.

 

 

 

 
A glacial  stream.

 

 

Hyder, Ak., next to Stewart BC, is located at the North end of the Portland Canal and on the south end of the Alaska Panhandle. Hyder is just 2 miles from Stewart. The town is surrounded by glacier crowned peaks, many exceeding 6000 feet. Some of the largest glaciers in south Eastern Alaska wind among the peaks and ridges of the Salmon Valley. Hyder was also a miners and prospectors town and was once known as Portland City but was changed in 1915, after Frederick B Hyder, a Canadian engineer working for the Juneau Gastineau Mining Co.
Have you ever been "Hyderized"?		  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing area.
This is unique opportunity to view and photograph Alaskan Brown (Grizzlies) and Black bears. The bears come to feed on the Chum and pink salmon which spawn in the creek. While we were there we had only observed one black bear but his/she was not hungry.
Friday, July 28, 2006. We have reached the end of the Cassiar Hwy today. We are now heading east on the Yellowhead Hwy. The Yellowhead highway will take us all the way to Winnipeg. We'll also be visit Denis' cousin in Houston on Sunday.

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