It was an overcast morning as we packed the bikes and headed from the campground into Jasper for gas before hitting the road. The two gas stations were slammed with RV's and cars and it seemed to take forever to get gassed up. We ended up eating breakfast at a restaurant after fueling and the waitstaff were pretty rude, as were the cashiers at the places we visited. Generally as we have moved northward the people have proven to be less and less friendly.
It felt good to be moving again, our destination Prince George as we had decided to go west for the Cassiar highway and Hyder, Alaska. The beautiful terrain slowly changed as we hit the McBride area for a stop to take a break at the old train station.
After a quick lunch on the outside bench we wandered over to a little community market, talking with several of the ladies selling home canned goods, knitted things and such.
As we talked over the headsets on the road west, I suddenly heard Kim shouting "Bear! Bear!" and caught a glimpse of a black and cubs eating on the roadside as we shot past. It was a surprise as we have seen almost no wildlife on this trip...
Another great couple who wanted to talk to us and make suggestions on where to go with big hugs when we left. So many roadside encounters like this...
The day passed as we rolled through rolling hills and nearby rivers until we finally hit Prince George, an industrial town that lacked personality or character but likely provided the influx of money needed n the region. We grabbed a cheap motel to get batteries charged, clothes washed and to get a massage for my frozen neck. I'd somehow pulled a muscle in my neck and the pain had been excruciating for a few days.
We left Prince George the next morning for Smithers, the terrain becoming more mountainous and beautiful along the way. Smithers proved to be an interesting town with a good vibe, especially after Prince George. We stopped at the local outdoor gear store to ask about campgrounds and the sales guy told us to hit the city park on the river. It turned out to be a great spot along the river with both tent and rv spots, as well as wifi.
The forecast had been for rain but it never came. We headed down a trail along the river and shortly were approached by an Australian woman telling us that a bear had been spotted a few moments earlier on the trail. A quick trip back to the tent for bear spray and we were on our way for a great hike before ending the day by the fire.
Our next destination was Hyder, Alaska, and the weather showed it to be 100% rain and 39º, so we debated waiting another day in Smithers or continuing on... then we headed on for Hyder in the Smithers sunshine.
Rolling westward, the terrain got more interesting and mountainous, each day in Canada bringing more beauty and scenery than ever imagined. Stopping at river crossings, salmon could be seen amidst the rapids and white foam. Fall was definitely in the air, pale yellows appearing in the trees on the mountainsides and leaves flickering down on us as we rode.
At the Petro-Canada station at the junction of 16 and 37, where we would turn north for the Cassiar and Hyder, the rain was coming in spats. While refueling I spoke with a woman who ran adventure tours in Canada who'd just returned from the Dempster Highway in Canada. She said torrential rains had wiped out a portion of the road just as she made it out and it was closed for repairs. She said the weather had been rainy her entire time in Alaska and warned us to prepare.
We crossed the Skeena River moving north and continued to Meziadin Junction where we topped off with gas, a lone Harley rider pulling in beside us. I asked where he was headed and he said "Home. I've been to Sturgis." and rode off north.
The sun had long disappeared in the gray threatening clouds and fits of rain up to Meziadin, but as we turned west on 37A for Stewart and Hyder, the rain came in earnest. The ride in was with chills and cold air, rain, mist and exclamations of wonder. The road in was between tight high mountains with billowing fog and clouds. The river along the way was swollen and muddy, roaring along the roadside and at points seeming about to come over the road. From high above, waterfalls cascaded down sheer walls, some white and others reddish brown with muddy torrents from on high.
Rounding a corner to the view of a blue and white glacier across the river was an awesome sight, causing us to peel off the road onto a gravel waiting area. It was an amazing sight for sore Texas eyes, the rain not diminishing the excitement..
We rode on in the rain, and between comments on the sights Kim told me her boots had finally leaked and her feet were soaked. I could feel a bit of clamminess in my new Formas and had the feel they were weeping slightly near the toes but it was not major, thankfully.
To the right of the roadside lay a huge pile of logs from a rolled logging truck and on the river beds lay huge piles of logs and dead trees washed down in the torrential, rain-swollen floods.
A rain soaked sign for the "Bear Festival" told us that we'd missed it by a day or so as we rolled into Stewart, Canada a quaint and interesting little town. As we arrived, the rains lifted and we could see the tidal plain and past it to the fjord, according to the guide book one of the largest in the world.
As we passed the next couple of miles into Hyder, Alaska, the rains came back heavily. It was a surprise to see no US Border checkpoint. The little town was mainly abandoned and looked even worse in the heavy rain. We rode around the few streets, finally spotting a hotel with an adventure bike parked under the stairs to shield it from the deluge. I knocked on the lobby door and an old man answered, saying the motel was full for the evening, despite the fact there were no cars in the lot. I distinctly felt he just didn't want to be bothered and stepped back into the pouring rain where Kim sat on her bike.
The man had suggested trying the Sealaska Inn, but telling me to go bang on the door of the log cabin behind the inn and try to roust the lady who owned it. As we pulled up, the hotel looked closed and derelict and we didn't bother even trying. One more stop at a building that said "B&B", "Pawn Shop" and other things proved interesting - the door opened and I eventually found a grizzled guy in the back near the guns and when I asked about the "B&B" he said nothing was available - again the sense he didn't want to be bothered and continued smoking his cigar, a bit irritated I'd come in.
Anything that looked like it offered accommodations was our target
We finally bailed on Hyder to check out Stewart, and as we rolled back up to the Canadian checkpoint, the rain ceased and a spectacular double rainbow appeared. It was very intense and both the border guards had stepped out of the building with their cell phones to capture a pic of it.
The female border guard was friendly and we passed back into Canada where I was able to capture the last bit of the rainbow from the roadside by the tidal plain. Stewart seemed like Manhattan after Hyder, and we found lodging at the Ripley Inn, a series of old buildings converted into rooms and cabins. It felt good to get out of the rain soaked gear and warm up. It also felt good to say we’d reached Alaska, albeit a tiny point on the southern end. Still, a milestone for two Texans.
