August 3, 2016 We managed to get up out of the valley from Tweedsmuir Provisional Park without meeting any tractor trailers along the winding climb. Our van is now in desperate need of a bath but it is still quite healthy. A long driving day through valleys lined with mountains and glimpses of rivers that are a startling milky blue. Mark just informed me that ever time I've fallen asleep in the car he has taken my picture – “and, there are a lot of them” The biggest Inukshuk ever suddenly appeared at the side of the road. Marble Canyon Provincial Park along the lake will be our campground tonight. Eating up all the perishables in anticipation of crossing back into the USA tomorrow. No fruit, meat, fish or cheese allowed.
1 Comment
August 4, 2016 As always, driving back through US Immigration gives me a feeling of coming home. There is something special about the United States. Today I remembered that my Dad always wore a flag pin – his way of honoring our nation and our freedom. Our last bit of Canada involved short hikes to two beautiful falls. The first, just south of Pembrook – Nairn Falls – was a great example of the power of water to cut through rock, leaving behind a bridge. The second, just south of Whistler – Brandywine Falls – was accompanied by a rainbow. What a wonderful symbol of the future and promise to come. We’re going to get to see Adrian and Blake tomorrow and I can’t wait. Spending the night in Mt Baker National Forrest Douglas Fir Campgound. Off the road and quiet and peaceful. Sleep tight
Aug 2, 2016 Our last adventure – the road to Bella Coola – was less of an adventure than planned. There was one piece of excitement as we climbed to 5,000 ft to the Heckman Pass on a gravel (aka dirt) road. Up the muddied road to a beautiful view followed by a descent through many switchbacks and a 18% incline to the sea. We arrived in Bella Coola with the goal of finding out when the ferry sailed to Port Hardy in the morning. No schedule posted at the ferry doc but a note saying ‘assembly at the COOP’. So, off to the COOP we went only to be told to check the post office. At the post office they told us to go to the visitors center. Visitors center closed at 4:30. Time for plan B – drive back the road to Williams Lake. Perhaps sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason and better left untraveled. The campground in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park is located next to a rushing river.. The sound of the water is a lovely way to fall asleep.
July 29, 2016 Driving back up the road from Stewart we got more glimpses of glaciers. They seem to be everywhere. The weather shows us the base of the glacier but not the tip of the mountain and so the scale is lost. Still, I can’t help but be awed by the blue color of the ice and the waterfalls that form as that ice melts. A stop at the fish ladder slightly south of Lake Meziadan resulted in a wonderful talk with the man who runs the camp at the ladder. He is invested in catching fish for his tribe. Most interestingly, he has worked hard to create a camp that teaches the youth of his village how to fish. The fish they catch during the midsummer is for the people followed by the season of commercial fishing that is for income. It’s hard to know what was more insightful, seeing the King Salmon jump the falls to continue upstream or watching a native fish with a dip net while tethered to a tree. We decide to take the National Forrest Service Road (unmaintianed) to go see the lava beds from a volcano that erupted in 1750 killing 2000 people of the Nisga’a Nation. A bit of a rough ride but we’ve become so much more comfortable on these roads that the 55km seems quite mundane. The lava fields come into view and I can’t help but compare them to a bulldozed parking lot. In 266 years all that is growing is lichen. Taking the drive out to the end of the road, and the farthest out of 4 villages, we stop at the most amazing museum. It’s a beautiful building with impactful displays of art and ceremonial works that have been returned to this nation from various museums around the world. A tour by a young woman lends insight into the culture and the meaning for the objects. At the end of the road we stop for dinner at the recommended (only) restaurant – U Seafood U EatIt. A delightful conversation with the owner and delicious hailibut was the perfect end to a very thoughtful day. As a special treat we say a moose in the road on the way back to our campsite in the Nisga’a Memorial Lavabed Provincial Park August 1, 2016 Both Mark & I remembered to say rabbit rabbit this morning – Grampa’s spirit is in our hearts – so looking forward to a month of good luck. Today is BC Day. Not really sure what it is and neither did the kid in KFG but he did know he was getting paid overtime since it was a holiday. In the small towns everything is closed. In the bigger ones we drove through—Smithers and Prince George – the gas stations and supermarkets were open. We’re all gassed (dieseled) up and have food for our last Canada adventure tomorrow out to another end of the road. Ten Mile Lake Provincial Park Campground has showers. HOORAY!
The dining ‘luxury items’ that make this van seem more like home: • Corelle plates and bowls • Stainless forks & spoons • 2 ceramic mugs • Cloth napkins • Cushions for the top of the cooler and the top of the ottoman • Bread knife, paring knife and cutting board • Salt, pepper, seasoned salt, garlic powder, cinnamon & oregano July 28, 2016 Awake at 4:30 for our drive to Hyder Alasak to try to see the bears at Fish Creek. After an hour and a half of watching the salmon fight their way up the creek and dig their redd to lay their eggs. The salmon had morphed from their normal silver color to a striped green and red as they made their final journey. It was mesmerizing to watch them swim. And, they were undisturbed by bears. After breakfast back in Stewart, BC, we took off for the drive up the mountain to see the Salmon Glacier. When the ice dam breaks a Summit Lake at this glacier it empties ice into the river and creates fog. Couple that with a rainy day and the view at the top of Salmon Glacier is less than stunning. Still there were peeks at this magnificent remnant of the last ice age14,000 years ago. The road climbed to 3,500 feet.
Our final trip to Fish Creek and we pay dirt. A HUGE black grizzly bear strolled down the creek, grabbed a fish, ate in on the bank and strolled back up the creek. What a breathtaking way to end a grey and rainy day.
July 26 As if the road to Dease’s Lake wasn’t already muddy enough we passed the water truck that was doing it’s job (?) to reduce the dust on the construction site. Mark’s comment “Improving the Cassiar Highway so more people can go to the Jade Store.” More than 90% of the world’s jade comes from this area. We’d hoped to get information on the road to Telegraph Creek but the RCMP was closed and the Department of Transportation was closed for lunch and the woman in the tiny gas station said “oh I was down there on Friday and was slipping a sliding and it scared me to death.” I order to satisfy Mark’s missing his car we decided to brave the 70 mile gravel road to see the sights. It had it’s times that not doubt rivaled his experience during Driver Education on the track with 20% road grades and hairpin turns. But, the views were spectacular and we followed the Rivers and gazed down into the river’s canyon The guidebook told of two national Forrest service campgrounds outside of Telegraph Creek. The road got bumpier and bumpier. We finally stopped and called to a family eating dinner outside. Turns out the campgrounds are no long being maintained so he offered to let us camp on his land. Our first dry camping experience which should be ‘interesting.’ Oh, and Bono is happy as he plopped down in the creek and now smells like a wet dog. So glad that Mark got his DE (Driver Education) fix today .
July 25, 2016 A slow day driving along the Alaska Highway back to Watson Lake. It was a cloudy day seemed fitting to listen to Corelli while driving. Showers, groceries and a bit of wifi time at the visitor's center. We took another look at our sign in the Sign Post Forrest We stopped for the night at a Body Lake Provicial Park on the Cassair Highway. After taking Bono down to the lake and throwing sticks so that he got a swim we stopped to chat with some cyclists. Suddenly I realize that one of them was Nick, the guy we saw in Chicken 3 weeks ago. What are the odds? |
|