Sunday, August 4, 2019

Cruising the Cassiar

There are two ways to get to Alaska from the lower-48.  The eastern route begins in Dawson Creek BC and basically follows the original road built by the US Army in 1942.  The western route follows the Cassiar highway which connects lower BC with the Alaska Highway near Watson Lake.  Since we were making a full loop, we took the eastern route up to Watson Lake and then followed the Cassiar highway back down. 

The Cassiar highway is very remote and challenging but offers some outstanding scenery.  The road is 450-mile-long narrow paved route with very few services. There is only one small town along the route and it is not uncommon to drive for 15-20 minutes without seeing another vehicle.

A 45-mile spur from the Cassiar connects to the Southeast Alaska town of Hyder which is a popular destination for travelers.  Hyder is a very interesting town in that it is only accessible from Canada.  It is curious that as you enter from Canada there is no US border checkpoint but as you return to Canada there is a Canadian checkpoint.


There are several lakes along the Cassiar that are stunning




One of our favorite places to kayak is on Boya Lake


Spotted this eagle in a tree just outside Hyder AK

As we were approaching Hyder we spotted a bear and two cubs crossing the road.  Mom was more interested in eating berries than worrying about us taking photos





No doubt the residents of Hyder feel like they live on an island in another country.  This sign was posted as you leave Hyder.

Salmon heading up the creek in Hyder to lay their eggs before they will die

Bear glacier on the road to Hyder


A beautiful spruce grouse near our campsite




You know you are in the north when you start seeing Fireweed.  The folk lore is that when the fireweed reaches the top of the stem that snow is 6 weeks away






Track Log:
Day 21 (71 miles) - July 27, 2019 – To Boya Lake BC

Day 23 (174 miles) - July 30, 2019 – To Kinaskan Lake BC

Day 24 (224 miles) – July 31, 2019 – To Meziadin Lake BC

Day 25 (193 miles) – Aug. 1, 2019 – To Smithers BC

Day 26 (242 miles) – Aug. 2, 2019 – To Prince George BC

Day 27 (266 miles) – Aug. 3, 2019 – To Cache Creek BC

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