DAYS 67-70 THE TRIP OUT OF CANADA

DAY 67: THURSDAY JULY 28, 2011  Last evening we returned to Hyder to watch for bears at the Salmon River.  We saw two black bears, and one sow had her cub with her.  As we watched  a large male brown or grizzly bear came out of the woods looking for salmon in the river.  We also saw a black bear and cub on the road back to Hyder.  We went through Canadian Customs for the last time today as we left Hyder and Alaska behind.  After a long day of driving in the rain we stopped at a Walmart in Prince George, BC. for the night. 

SIGN POSTED WHERE WE HAD LUNCH

SIGN POSTED WHERE WE TOOK A REST STOP

DAY 68: FRIDAY JULY 29, 2011  Before leaving Prince George we fueled at a Flying J/Shell truck stop where diesel was 1.189/Liter; a good price for Canada. We drove through a portion of Jasper National Park on the Icefield Parkway and were surprised to learn that there was a fee of $21.00 per day just to drive the highway.  We were able to find two camping spots in a small campground in the park, and after a lot of maneuvering got the motor homes situated between the trees with only about a foot clearance on each side.  Ben and Bonnie went exploring all the way to Lake Louise and didn't get back until 10:30 p.m.  Nancy and I went to "Ice Central" a sort-of welcome center with displays and information on the glaciers and the building of the Icefields Parkway. The Parkway construction was by the Canadian equivalent of our Civilian Conservation Corps. 

WE SAW THIS ELK IN JASPER NATIONAL PARK

THIS GLACIER IS ASSOCIATED WITH THE "COLUMBIA ICE PACK" WHICH IS SO LARGE IT SPANS TRIPLE CONTINENTAL DIVIDES AND IT'S ICE MELT FED RIVERS FLOW INTO THREE OCEANS, THE ATLANTIC, PACIFIC AND ARCTIC

FROM ICE CENTRAL YOU CAN TAKE A GLACIER TOUR IN A MODERN VERSION OF THIS CONVERTED BUS W/ICE TRACKS 

DAY 69: SATURDAY JULY 30, 2011  When we got up this morning it was only 38 degrees which really seems strange at the end of July.  I checked our GPS and discovered that our altitude was 5,266 feet, I guess that somewhat explains the low temp.  We departed out campsite and traveled to Lake Louise where we had a nice lunch.  It was very crowded as it's a four day holiday weekend in Canada and it was a beautiful sunny day, which isn't all that common here.  After we passed through the outskirts of Calgary we proceeded south on Rt. 2 where we found a roadside "turnout" where we're spending the night.  BTW, it was 82 degrees this afternoon, the hottest temperature we've seen so far this year.

BEN & BONNIE ON THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

VIEW FROM ICEFIELDS PARKWAY

ANOTHER VIEW FROM ICEFIELDS

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF CALGARY-TODAY THE SITE OF A DOG SHOW

DAY 70:  SUNDAY JULY 31, 2011  We continued our journey south and passed through US Customs and into Montana at 10:00 a.m.  The border crossing was very easy except we had to take the motor homes through the very narrow car lane.  The Customs Officer exited and directed us through the two large concrete posts with what seemed like an inch clearance for each mirror.  We got through okay, however when he directed Ben one of Ben's mirrors touched.        Just before we arrived in Piegan (Saint Mary's), MT  a black bear cub crossed the road just in front of us.  We checked into "Johnson's of St. Mary's Campground" at about 11 a.m. and we all had a great fried chicken lunch at their cafe; it was real home cooking and lots of it.  Later we went exploring and we checked out the Visitor's Center at the Glacier National Park.  The admission to the park was $25 for a 7 day pass; however, with our "America The Beautiful-Senior Pass" entry was free.  After checking out the Visitor's Center we drove the jeep about 5 miles into Glacier Park and we were very excited that we saw a black wolf, what a treat.

THIS AREA OF CANADA IS A LARGE PRODUCER OF CANOLA OIL AND FIELDS OF CANOLA LIKE THIS ARE VERY COMMON

DAY 66: STEWART & HYDER

The communities of Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska are located at the head of the 90 mile long Portland Canal.  They are surrounded by the majestic coastal range of mountains, the Cambria Ice Fields and various glaciers.  The area around Steward was used as Spring and Fall hunting grounds for the Nass Indians before the white man arrived.  The native name for the Portland Canal is "Skam-A-Kounst" which means "Strong House" or Safe House" as it served as a place of retreat during inter-tribal wars.  By 1910 Steward was a bustling town of 10,000 residents.  It was joined to Hyder, then known as "Portland City," by a two mile long road on pilings across the tide flats.  Buildings, like the road, stood on pilings above the water and the remains of the pilings from the buildings and road are still visible today.  Mining and exploration in the surrounding mountains was the mainstay and the reason for the existence of both communities.  At one time there were more than 150 mines in operation in the area. Some of the richest mineral deposits in B.C. were found in the area and made it one of the major gold-silver districts in North America.

The population of Hyder at the 2,000 census was only 97 and the estimated per capita income was $21,902 in 2009.  Stewart had a population of less than 500 in 2005 and major industries are mining, logging and tourism.  While visiting the area I can see little to encourage young people to stay in the area and I can understand why the population is declining.  There are many properties which are for sale and others which appear abandoned. It is a remote and isolated area, and the availability of consumer goods is limited and expensive.  I found it interesting that when you cross the border into Hyder, Alaska there is no US Customs check; however, to re-enter Canada you must go through Canadian Customs. 

When we arrived in Steward yesterday our motorhome and jeep were very dirty and remain so as the campground forbids washing (it's raining anyway). There were about a gallon of gravel/rocks on the front bumper, hood and cowl vent of the jeep, and the plastic protective film I'd installed on the front and windshield was tattered and full of holes.  The jeep windshield now has three major chips and we have one in the motorhome windshield.  I'm sure glad we didn't tow Nancy's Pilot on this trip as it would no doubt need glass replacement and re-paint by the time we got home.

I hope it stops raining soon as we plan to go bear viewing again this evening. We drove around and explored the area this morning and are just going to rest this afternoon. I hope to post some pictures next time if we have any success with seeing bear this evening.  We can't be sure when we'll have internet access again, but I'll post an update when we do.  Our plan is to leave here tomorrow morning and backtrack north 40 miles on Rt. 37-A (The Glacier Highway) to continue our journey on the Cassiar Highway to the Yellowhead Highway which is Rt. 16.

LOGS FLOAT IN WATER WAITING TRANSPORT

BEAR GLACIER

WATER FALL ALONG THE GLACIER HIGHWAY

DAYS 63-65: TOK, ALASKA TO STEWART, BC CANADA

SUNDAY JULY 24, 2011  This morning the temperature was 58 and cloudy when we hooked-up the jeep behind the motorhome and left the campground in Tok, AK.  We stopped for diesel before we left Tok because it would be our last opportunity to by fuel in the USA for many days.  The diesel was $4.689/gal. but, was still cheaper than we'll find it in Canada. Soon after we pulled out of Tok it started to rain, but not too heavy. We cleared Canadian Customs and entered Canada with only the normal questions, no searches or inspections.  The road situation on the Alaska Highway has changed somewhat since we entered Alaska as there has been a lot of road work.  Now we there are fewer frost heaves (still a lot) and more very long gravel sections, many 20-30 miles long,  where the dust ahead hangs in the air for miles.  The gravel (rocks) are quite large and pepper your vehicle and the risk of damage or broken windshields is great.  It was still only 62 degrees when stopped for the night at a pull-off beside the Alaska Highway and had begun to drizzle rain again.

MONDAY JULY 25, 2011  When we got on the road again it was 59 degrees and still drizzling rain.  We stopped for fuel at White Horse, YT and continued toward Watson Lake. BC.  We stopped again north of Watson Lake to top off our tank as we understood fuel is hard to find on the Cassiar Highway. Soon after fueling we turned onto the Cassiar and found the going slow;  the road is narrow and built-up above the surrounding land with no shoulders.  If one were to get too close to the edge the 45 degree slopes would quickly cause you to overturn.  We stopped for the day around 4:30 p.m. at a business located in the middle of nowhere called "Jade City" which has a free RV parking area.  However, I soon found out once again that "there ain't no free lunch" because their gift shop is filled with "must haves" and we more than paid for our nights' stay.  Ben talked with the driver of another motorhome also staying a Jade City for the night and the driver said he got too close to the edge when he met a truck and slid over the side of the road.  Five hours and a $2,100 wrecker bill later he was on the road again with only minor damage and a broken windshield; he was very lucky.

SOME OF THE CASSIAR MOUNTAINS

TUESDAY JULY 26, 2011  We departed Jade City at 8 a.m. and it was cloudy with a temp of 52.  The Cassiar Highway , which is Route 37, has lots of road construction and we hadn't gone very far when we had to stop and wait about 20 min. for the "pilot car."  We were lucky as we were the first vehicle behind the pilot car as the road was so dusty that we couldn't see Ben behind us and much less the vehicles behind him.  We found similar situations with construction and dust as we continued on Rt. 37, however, it again started to drizzle rain which did help control the dust.  After lunch we saw three black bears before we turned onto Rt. 37-A toward Stewart, BC.  37-A has long grades and sharp curves, lots of log trucks and beautiful views including glaciers.  We checked in to the Bear Creek RV Park in Stewart around 4 p.m. and had dinner with Ben and Bonnie; Ben grills an excellent steak.  After dinner we drove the jeeps to Hyder, Alaska in hope of seeing bears catch salmon.  I was reminded again of why we choose to tow jeeps instead of another vehicle, as the roads in Hyder and beyond are dirt and very rough, so the going was slow.  It was very interesting to see the salmon swim up-stream in the shallow river and wallow out an area in the gravel bottom in which to lay their eggs.  We didn't have to wait too long before a mother black bear and her cub came to fish.  The mother bear tried and tried to catch a salmon but they were all to fast for her; but, we sure had fun watching her try.

BLACK BEAR TRIES TO CATCH SALMON

BLACK BEAR SOW AND CUB

DAY 62: TOK

Tok, Alaska is the first or last town in Alaska depending upon whether you're entering or leaving Alaska.  It's the place where everyone re-provisions, and if they're entering Alaska cleans the Alaska Highway dirt and mud off their vehicles.  In talking with a local resident of 27 years I learned that Tok typically receives an annual snow fall of only 18-20 inches because it is in a very arid region.  She said it does however, get extremely cold and during the six month long winter they have only about four hours of daylight each day.  According to her, "cabin fever" is a real problem for many because you really can't be outside for very long.  Her solution is to get out at least once a day to interact with others; for example, she said if she needed to go to the post office and grocery store she'd do only one a day in order to create more opportunities to get out of the house.


This morning it was 59 degrees with sunny skies.  Nancy and I went to Fast Eddies' Restaurant for breakfast, and the service and food were excellent. We spent the rest of the day getting ready to cross the border into Canada tomorrow; grocery shopping, laundry, tinkering, a little shopping and exploring.  This evening Nancy and I enjoyed a nice seafood dinner at a local mom and pop establishment where all the food was home cooked and we had the entire restaurant to ourselves.  It was a very nice evening out and the seafood was excellent.


Once we enter Canada we will no longer have cell service, except for emergencies, until we re-enter the USA.  Because our internet service is via my cell phone I won't be able to post to this blog during our time in Canada unless we're staying at a campground that has internet service.  Our plan is to take a slightly different route through Canada and travel part of the way on the Cassiar Highway.  We'll leave the Alaska Highway and turn onto the Cassiar near Watson Lake; the Cassier  is 450 miles long and we're told has some rough sections, so travel will probably be slow.  The main reason we're going that way is in hope of seeing black bears in Hyder.  Hyder is in Alaska and we plan camp near Stewart, BC and cross the border for a day trip to Hyder in the jeeps.

TOTEM POLE IN FRONT OF TOK RESTAURANT

DAYS 60 & 61: KENNICOTT

Thursday July 21, 2011 - Today we awoke to a beautiful sunny day and a temperature of 63 degrees.   We departed Valdez a little before 10 a.m. and drove to Chitina, AK a set-up in a small RV park in the Copper River area. We then took the jeep and drove 60+ miles on an very rough dirt/gravel road to McCarthy a very small town which seems to exist for flight-seeing, backpacking and partying.  The road is on the right-of-way of the old Copper River and Northwestern Railroad (CR & NW) which discontinued service in 1938.  In 1941 the rails and cross ties were torn-up and sold for salvage and one of the risks you take when you travel the road is flat tires (they recommend you carry two spares) sometimes from rail road spikes. From near McCarthy we took a shuttle to the town of Kennicott.  In 1900 two miners discovered copper near the Kennicott Glacier and in 1906 Kennicott Mines Company was formed.  The problem was that there was no way to transport the copper ore from the mines, so in 1908 construction began on a rail line.  The CR & NW Railroad was jokingly nick named the "Can't Run & Never Will," however it did run; and in fact, it transported approximately 200 million dollars worth of copper ore.   The town of Kennicott began to grow quickly until there were 300 people in the mill camp and 200-300 miners in the mines three miles away.  Because of declining copper prices in 1938 the operation wasn't profitable and the mines and mill closed.  When the last train left so did most of the people and the abandoned town fell victim to time and the weather.  In 1998 the National Park Service bought the mill site and surrounding 3,000 acres of land, which became part of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, established in 1980.  The Park Service has started the process of restoring some of the mill buildings and now hikers and tourists frequent the town in the summer. 

STONE AND GRAVEL LIKE THIS AT THE FOOT OF KENNICOTT GLACIER IS THE RESULT OF GLACIER MOVEMENT OVER THOUSANDS OF YEARS.  MOST STONE AND GRAVEL SUPPLIERS IN ALASKA DON'T NEED A CRUSHER, THEY JUST SCOOP WHAT THEY SELL FROM RIVERS AND STREAMS .

KENNICOTT GLACIER

ONE OF THE OLD KENNICOTT COPPER MILL BUILDING

THIS ORIGINAL RAILROAD BRIDGE BUILT IN 1910 STILL IN SERVICE TODAY ON THE ROAD TO McCARTHY 

FISH WHEELS WHICH TURN WITH RIVER CURRENT AND CATCH FISH, LIKE THIS ONE ONE THE COPPER RIVER CAN ONLY BE USED BY THE PEOPLE OF ALASKA'S NATIVE TRIBES - IT IS ILLEGAL FOR ANYONE ELSE TO TOUCH THE FISH WHEEL OR EVEN TOUCH THE FISH. 

THESE ALASKANS ARE "DIP-NETTING" SALMON.  DURING SEASON EACH HEAD-OF-HOUSE-WHOLE  CAN CATCH 25 SALMON PER DAY THIS WAY AND AN ADDITIONAL 10 FOR EACH MEMBER IN THEIR IMMEDIATE FAMILY.  "DIP-NETTING" CAN ALSO BE DONE FROM SHORE AS WELL AS FROM A BOAT.  ALASKANS 65 OR OLDER CAN "DIP-NET" SALMON ANY TIME.

Friday July 22, 2011 - Today we relocated to Tok, AK and once again enjoyed sunny skies.  It really got hot, with a high of 77 degrees!  Below are some of the Yak we saw on the road to Tok.

    

MOUNT WRANGELL

DAY 59: SALMON FISHING

Nancy and I got up early this morning and we were at the Small Boat Harbor at 6:30 a.m. to catch our salmon charter boat, the "Martie Kay."  We chartered the boat with a very delightful couple from Candle Lake, Saskatchewan that we first met when we arrived in Valdez.  The Captain took us out about 30 miles to fish for Silver Salmon;  around August 10th the "silvers" will be close to Valdez and anglers will be able to catch them both from the shore and from boats, but of course we won't be here then. Today was our first experience fishing using "down riggers" which are used to keep the bait and a selected depth and today we fished at 25-35 feet.  It was really a lot of fun trying to land  the "silvers" as they put up a real fight when hooked, jumping out of the water, running out line against the reel's drag and darting and diving.  Nancy got her limit of six and out fished everybody, however the four of us together caught 20 fish weighing 10-12 lbs. each.  Nancy and my fish together netted us 46.5 lbs. of fillets.  Ben and Bonnie had good success fishing from the shore at Alice Point and together they caught eight "Pink Salmon."  It was really a beautiful day with bright sunshine and temperatures near 70 degrees which is very unusual for Valdez where it typically rains every day during the summer.

OUR CANADIAN FRIENDS SERGEI AND DIANA

OUR CHARTER BOAT THE "MARTIE KAY"

CAPTAIN STACY

NANCY AND DON WITH THEIR "SILVER SALMON"

DAYS 56-58: PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

DAY 56: Sunday July 17, 2011:  It was 56 degrees and cloudy this morning when we left for the Valdez First Baptist Church where we were warmly greeted. There were probably about 100 in attendance and the music was inspiring and the minister, who was obviously from the south, presented a thought provoking message.  

After lunch we explored Valdez.  Valdez was named by Spanish explorers, was deliberately not pronounced in the Spanish manner by american gold miners arriving in 1898, the same year as the Spanish-American War. American miners felt it was more patriotic to ignore the linguistic ties to the enemy.  So they dubbed the area "Val-deez."  The original town was four miles from Valdez's current location, an it's buildings were much older than the ones here today.  In 1964, the Great Alaska Earthquake, and the accompanying tidal wave, destroyed Valdez.  The US Army Corps of Engineers condemned the site and the town was moved to a new and safer location.

THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF VALDEZ

SIGN OT THE ENTRANCE TO THE SMALL BOAT HARBOR

DAY 57:  Monday, July 18, 2011:  It rained all night and we were worried that we wouldn't be able to enjoy the "Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruise" we'd booked for today.   However, the rain stopped and it was 56 degrees when we boarded the "Valdez Spirit" at 9:30 a.m. for the 9 hour cruise.  The boat is licensed for 149 passengers, but we were happy when we learned that our cruise would have only 68; so everyone had lots of room and it made for a very pleasant and enjoyable cruise.

SEA OTTERS FLOAT IN BAY, SEA OTTERS ARE THE LARGEST MEMBERS OF THE WEASEL FAMILY AND MALES CAN WEIGH UP TO 100 LBS.  THEY ARE NICKNAMED "OLD MAN OF THE SEA."

YOUNG STELLER SEA LIONS PLAY BESIDE OUR BOAT

HUMPBACK WHALE

NANCY WITH MEARES GLACIER IN BACKGROUND.  MEARES GLACIER IS 1/2 MILE WIDE, 9 MILES LONG AND 200 FT. HIGH AND IS AN ADVANCING GLACIER, WHICH MEANS IT IS GROWING LARGER EACH YEAR.

THIS HUMPBACK WHALE SLAPS IT'S PECTORAL FIN ON WATER TO SCARE SMALL FISH INTO A SCHOOL.  IT WILL THEN SWIM THROUGH THE SCHOOLED FISH  WITH IT'S MOUTH OPEN CATCHING THE FISH AND ALSO TAKING IN ABOUT 150 GALLONS OF WATER WHICH IT EXPELS.

WE WATCHED THIS BLACK BEAR ON THE SHORE

HARBOR SEALS RESTING ON GLACIER ICE 

ICE WHICH HAS CAVED FROM THE COLUMBIA GLACIER, ONLY 10% OF THE ICE IS VISIBLE ABOVE THE WATER, THE BLUE COLORED ICE IS BECAUSE THE ICE IS SO TIGHTLY COMPRESSED THAT ALL COLORS EXCEPT BLUE ARE FILTERED OUT THROUGH REFRACTION, AS THE ICE MELTS AND SOFTENS IT TURNS CLEAR AND THEN WHITE

TWO BALD EAGLES

Tuesday July 19, 2011: Today we moved to the Bayside RV Park in Valdez.  In Valdez is the terminus of the Alaskan Pipeline where there is a 1,000 acre facility which stores the pipeline oil and pumps it into tanker ships.  Currently the pipeline carries 640,000 gal. of heavy crude per day.  Contrary to what I've always heard, ALL of the crude oil goes to american refineries, most located on the west coast.  I also learned that once the pipeline is no longer used, the oil companies are required to dismantle and remove all trace of the pipeline, pump stations and the Valdez facility.

SOME OF THE 183 FISHING BOATS WHICH OPERATE OUT OF THE PORT OF VALDEZ, THERE WERE 185, BUT 2 SANK DURING THE LAST MONTH.

OIL STORAGE FACILITY AT VALDEZ

INCOMING EMPTY TANKER-NOTE THE RED LINE

OUTGOING LOADED TANKER-NOTE THE RED IS BELOW THE WATERLINE, THIS TANKER HOLDS 1.4 MILLION GALLONS OF CRUDE OIL.

LOADED TANKER WITH ONE OF IT'S TWO ESCORT TUG BOATS WHICH ARE REQUIRED AS A RESULT OF EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL, ONE TUG IS CONNECTED BY A LINE TO THE STERN OF THE TANKER TO ASSIST WITH STEERING OR IN CASE OF PROPULSION FAILURE AS INSURANCE TO PREVENT THE TANKER GOING AGROUND, THE SECOND TUG IS ON STANDBY IN CASE IT IS NEEDED.