I'm getting caught up...wifi is good!
Prince Rupert,BC (June 20, 2012), to Stewart/Hyder, BC and North (June 22, 2012)
With our extra day in Prince Rupert, we took a friend?s suggestion and visited the North Pacific Cannery Historic Park. This is located in Port Edward and about 10 miles from our campsite. We were not sure what we were getting into; but paid our $10.00 each with senior pass. By chance the first day we arrived in Prince Rupert, we drove out to the cannery and ran into (not really) met the cook, who mentioned just how good her seafood chowder was. Being good chowder consumers, the first place we hit was the caf? and had her fabulous seafood chowder; it was excellent. Tours of the cannery start at any time they have a group ready to go. Our tour guide was a retired First Nations man name John. But then he gave us his traditional name which was ?Shaking Wolf?. He had also been employed at the cannery as a young boy and then on into his adult life. He told us he had worked many of the positions in the cannery and told us stories of what when on along; with his spiel of information about the cannery.
This was an excellent tour, we learned a lot about how salmon are canned; but we also got a good understanding of the different cultures involved with the caning process in the early years. The cannery employed Chinese, Japanese, First Nations and Europeans. There were different living areas for each ethnic group; and different cultures had their specialties in the canning procedure. John indicated that the Europeans were the pencil pushers. He also mentioned when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Canada also gathered up the Japanese and sent them to detention centers. That was new bit of history for us.
Apparently the various cultures got along fairly well. At its height there would be 500-700 employees including the fishermen. Each nationality had its own separate housing area and of course there was the company store.
After the tour we found a great hiking trail down to some local rapids. It was a tough trail with lots of ups and downs, nearly 3 miles; but it felt good and Charlie had a great time. The trail featured what they called reversing rapids. The rapids were located in a small inlet and the water would flow based on tidal flow, thus reversing rapids. The sun peeked out a few times; but when we got home we pretty much ?jelled?; we had been on our feet for most of the day.
On Wednesday, we pulled out of camp and began our drive up to the Cassiar highway. The sun was shining with big fluffy clouds everywhere. As I?ve mentioned before, the drive from Terrace to Prince Rupert is full of large snow topped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls and now we began to see more wildflowers. With no rain, fog, mist or clouds the scenery was altogether different as we traveled back east.
At the intersection of Highway 16 (Yellowhead) and 37 (Cassiar) Tim humored me and filled the motorhome even though we were only down ? tank. So now the coach and the little car are full of fuel and I?m happy. I think it was 97 miles from that intersection to the turn off onto 37A toward Stewart/Hyder. We had been combing the sides of the road looking for bear, moose, wolf anything wild. We saw nothing. Then just before the turn to 37A, Tim saw 4 black bears, a momma and her cubs. I missed them. A couple of miles down 37A, we saw another one. Those were the only bears we saw during the Stewart/Hyder stay.
The drive into Stewart was beautiful, dozens of glaciers, steep mountains, waterfalls everywhere?.just beautiful. We had decided we didn?t want to cross into Alaska and then have to go through Canadian Customs on the return to Stewart. Bear River RV park is a mile or so outside of Steward, so we stayed there. They advertised wifi, but it kept going in and out and was mostly OUT, so no internet. During the middle of the first night we woke to heavy rain; but the sun was out in the morning. We packed a lunch, loaded the dog, raincoats (they go with us everywhere now), cameras, and binoculars to drive up a 25 mile gavel road to the Salmon Glacier. The drive was in the US and we first drove into Hyder, Alaska. You get there through Canada and there was no US border because from Hyder you weren?t going anywhere else in the US so why bother. Canada did have crossing guards but it was all pretty casual. Stewart, BC is the town in the area. Hyder, Alaska consists of a few dirt roads and a dozen or so buildings of which only 3-4 were occupied. It took a few minutes to travel through Hyder but then we found the dead end gravel mining road that would lead us to the bear viewing area and the noted Salmon glacier.
Well?.. to say the least, we were a bit disappointed. First the bear watch area is swarming with construction workers and equipment. There are no bears and you couldn?t park anywhere to visit the viewing area. Last year the bridge washed out, a new one is being built. I?m thinking it will take all summer season to complete. We drive almost up to the glacier and are stopped by a construction worker who will not let us go any further due to liability. The mining company, that is further past the glacier, is doing something with a helicopter and has restricted the road. Plus there are NO bears?nada?zilch?not a one. The salmon have not started up the rivers yet; something about the weather being so unusually cooler than normal. But I?m thinking when they do start to come up and the bears come down to eat, the construction will probably keep them away.
Feeling sorry for ourselves, we drive back into Hyder, found the ?Glacier Inn? and have ourselves a local beer. Well, Tim had one, I had a good old Bud lite. We also found the general store where Tim could get a souvenir magnet and I asked the owner if he knew a resident there. My neighbor and friend at home has a high school friend who lives in Hyder?..found the friend?s house and marched up to the door, introducing myself all along the way. We got a few pictures, said good bye. There are about 40 residents who live there. They all say they love it, even with 35 feet of snow in the winter.
Our plans were to eat dinner at the Seafood Express, the tour touted unique experience everyone says you need in order to experience Hyder. We had the dog with us and were out of beer; back to Stewart we go passing through Canadian Customs. The cute little girl asked us several questions and tried to act tough; but she was all of 18?well, maybe a bit older, but not by much. That morning we stopped at the crossing going into Hyder to see what time they closed and I had talked to a very smiley-happy male agent?..cute I might add.
We get our beer, take the dog back to the motorhome and go back into Hyder to experience the Seafood Express. I have to admit, I didn?t feel it was all it was supposed to be. We had seared Halibut which came with tons of French fries and nothing else. Tim had a soda, I had water and the bill was $39.00. I know lots of folks think the food is spectacular, but I?ve had better elsewhere. I?m wondering if it was frozen and not fresh; perhaps that was the difference. The paper plates and plastic forks made us feel much better about the cost. When we got home Tim fixed another dinner.
Head back towards Stewart and realize we never took the beer out of the car, which was bought in Canada so now we are over the limit going back into Canada. Well, what ya gonna do?.pay the piper. As we approach, the nice smiley-happy agent I had met that morning was checking us through. Asked what we had done with our day and welcome back into Canada?.never asked about the beer?Whew?dodged that one.
To those following us or reading this to get ideas on travel, I think if we were to do it over again, we would park the motorhome at the Meziadin Provincial Park at the intersection of 37 and 37A and take the tow car or truck down into Steward /Hyder. You can do everything in one day. Tim and I were also getting the opinion the bear thing is pretty hyped up. Don?t get me wrong, the drive down is beautiful, the towns are cute, especially Hyder; but it might not warrant several days. At least call information in Stewart to see if roads are open to the bear viewing area and Salmon Glacier. The drive in and out of Stewart is breathtaking however and only a little over thirty miles.
Friday dawns with bright sun and it is sunny the entire way and getting warm even to the point that we have turned on the generator and air conditioner. We are now in Iskut, BC at a gorgeous campground called Mountain Shadow. It has 30 amp with water and a sani-dump. It?s at the base of a mountain range with a small lake, gravel sites with grass in-between. Very nice! We donned our shorts, short sleeved shirts, lawn chairs and a beer?.Oh wow! This is good. On the drive here we saw 3 black bear and one female moose. We are having a ball.