Update, July 5 - Steward, Hyder AK, and the Salmon Glacier

We got up about 7:30 this morning in our rustic little cabin by the Tatogga Lake. It was a cool 47 degrees out but Sandy got the wood stove going so we slept warm.

The same airplane that we saw takeoff yesterday was moored right beside us at Tatogga Lake. I walked over and looked at it and it was a turbo Otter. As we loaded up I heard it start up and then I got my camera out and took some pictures as he took off. Here is one picture but the video is took big to upload over wifi. 

[Post note: The video is much easier to upload now so here it is:]

We loaded up and headed down the highway about 8:30 intending to stop for breakfast at Bell 2 Resort about 98 miles down the highway. Here is a map of our ride today:

Not too long after we got going I came around a corner and saw a large cow moose standing beside the road. She saw us and ambled down the bank and disappeared quickly. 

Then a while later I saw a small black bear on the side but he scurried away. Then some time later I came around a corner and a medium size black bear walked out into the road in front of me. I had to put the binders on a little for him (not too bad). He hurried up a little as we approached and ran away into the trees. There was a car pulling a camper behind us that we had passed and we ran into the 2 women later down at the Bell 2 Resort. They said they saw us stop and they also braked hard and blew a tire out. Not sure why unless it was about to go anyway. 

It was a beautiful ride in and out of the mountains, beside lakes and across rushing rivers. We stopped many times for pictures. 

It was another day of broken cloud cover and riding in and out of sun and then a little rain and back to sun again, over and over for most of the day. It was beautiful to see the clouds give the mountains a '3D' effect as they moved slowly as we rode.

I had heard and read many times that the Cassiar Highway is much more scenic than the Alaska Highway and we sure saw that today. Much more remote with very few services.

We finally got down to the Bell 2 Resort about 10:30 and got gas. We found out the restaurant didn't open until 11 am so we had a cinnamon roll and a bowl of curried cauliflower soup. That was delicious! And of course it warmed my barkin' fingers up from the morning ride. 

Here was an example of how spotty the Wifi coverage can be at these places. I asked about Wifi and the woman behind the counter said the Wifi was for lodge guests only. 

The Bell 2 Lodge and Resort - notice the grass growing on the roof

It was another hundred miles or so I think down to Stewart which is a turnoff detour from the main route. (Highway 37A). The ride on hwy 37a into Stewart is another highlight of the entire trip - it is a stunning ride through the mountains! Here is a map to give you some idea.

 Here is a closer view of the 40 miles or so from the Meziadin Junction into Stewart

Here are a few pics along the way. I wish I had taken more but there weren't that many places to stop.

I don't know the name of this relatively small glacier along the way into Stewart

There were many many of these silvery vertical steams falling down the mountainsides

Stewart is an old mining town in BC but what was important to me was to get to Hyder which is 2 miles down the road and it is in Alaska. 

The significance of Hyder is that it is the end of the Iron Butt Association's 49 states ride in 10 days. Hyder is the closest point in Alaska that you can get to from the lower 48. Also, it is the place for the popular "Hyder Seek" motorcycle gathering and party every year at the end of May (I think). Several hundred long-distance motorcycle enthusiasts ride all the way up here in May from wherever in the states just to attend the Hyder Seek party. 

Here are a few pics of Hyder and the famous Sealaska Inn.

Here is the famous Sealaska Inn.

We also heard about the Salmon Glacier. We talked to several riders who said it was awesome - so we had to go. It is on a dirt road leading out of Hyder and climbs up the mountains for about 22 miles (we went several miles beyond that point). The views get better and better as we climbed from basically sea level to the top around 3600 feet. 

The road was mostly dry with a lot of potholes and washboard. It really beat up the bikes badly. It was much rougher than the road on the Top Of The World Highway. It twisted and turned along the contours of the mountains climbing up and up. We stopped several times to admire the stunning views and take pictures.

This is looking north up the valley at the bottom of the glacier.The road continues climbing to the right.

Here you can see the turn of the glacier. The previous pic was from the left and down the valley, the next pic will be to the right of this one and looking up toward the top of the glacier which is to the upper left. It is really HUGE!

Here you can see how far the glacier goes back up the valley. It comes down and turns to the left.

Looking to the right

When we got to the top the glacier was absolutely magnificent! Someone told us it is the largest glacier in North America that you can drive to. It is HUGE! I will let the pictures speak for themselves. But I know pictures don't do it justice, and I can only upload 1600 pixel pictures due to the poor wifi I get so they really aren't that good. But I hope it gives you some idea of the grandeur of what we saw today. This has to be the highlight of the scenery we have seen on the trip.

This is looking toward the top of the glacier, it comes down and turns 90 degrees to the left.

So we rode all the way back down to Hyder and then through the Canadian customs to Stewart for dinner.

Quick pic of the general store in Hyder. Can you read the sign?

Quick sidebar: There is no US customs going into Hyder, but there is a Canadian customs coming from Hyder. But there is no other way out of Hyder - it is a dead end. So what exactly are the Canadian customs people looking for??? Why are they even there???? I mean, is that the most worthless job in the world???  Sorry, I digress...

So we stopped in the Bitter Creek Hotel and Cafe for dinner. It is an historic old hotel from 1925 and very nicely done inside. We decided to splurge a little this evening and instead of getting hamburgers for dinner for $12 to $16 we got the "Pistachio Encrusted Halibut" for $23. Plus a beer for $5. But it was a gourmet dish! I should have taken a picture of it. Delicious!!! 

So then we rode over the the Bear Creek RV park and checked in for a $15 tent spot (which we split). Nice place, good showers, free firewood for the fire pit. 

I have to say that my costs are a little different from what I expected on this trip. I expected to stay in a motel about every 4th night and camp for 3 nights, but we have been tenting for almost every night except for Fairbanks and the cabin last night. I can't count the days now but just about since Sandy and I started riding together we have been tenting. Tent spaces go for $10 to $15 which Sandy and I split.

But the food has cost more than I expected. We generally eat 2 meals a day - breakfast about mid-morning after we ride for an hour or two, then snack on apples or peanut butter and Ritz crackers, then dinner. But the meals are more expensive than I expected. A basic breakfast of 2 eggs, some meat, some hash brown potatoes, and a coffee is usually $12 to $16. Dinner has been mostly hamburgers or dinner salads for $14 to $18. So it seems I am spending more on food than on lodging, and I thought it would be the other way round. 

So tomorrow we head back out this side detour to get on highway 16 down to Prince George. Sandy needs to get a rear tire and has made arrangements at the Suzuki dealership there. I think from there we will head down to Watson Lake, or is it Williams Lake, I don't remember. That is where we will probably part ways as I head down to Vancouver BC and down I-5 to see my sister in Vancouver, WA.

Side note: For those family and friends of Sandy - please get him a new tent for his birthday or Christmas! He is so jealous of my tent that I set up in about 60 seconds while it takes him 5 minutes or more! It really is funny as he seems so self-conscious about it because I wait for him every morning when I get done packing and loading up before him. 

Sandy: When you get home a week or more from now and read this remember that the tent you want to get is the 2 man "Catoma" tent. And BONUS - it is waterproof too!! (unlike your tent!) 

http://www.catomaoutdoor.com/Catalog/ProductInfo.aspx?id=172

So now it is time for me to sign off again. Sandy has been in bed for an hour while I sit and write all this stuff up and upload pictures. But I am sure it will be worth it later when I get home and get to relive all this. It is all just so surreal now!