Donald DymerMuch water has gone under the bridge since my last update – literally – much rain has fallen! Stick with it, this is a long read!
So let me tell you about a stretch of this great area of the northwest of the American Continent. It never ceases to amaze and surprise, sheer beauty, vastness, and undeniable strength.
This update deals with the journey from Tagish, in the Yukon, to Telkwa in British Columbia, maybe some 1,000km, or about 600 miles. It also shows how you need to be prepared for any type of weather.
I had got of the Haines to Skagway Ferry and driven uo to Fraser, the Canadian Border along the most breathtaking of roads, just raw country, and having passed back into Canada, checked by a Canadian customers agent who originated from Glenlivett ( a lovely Scotch Whisky), in Scotland, I went on to a small Native Campground and “Dry Camped”. That means no electric, water or sewer, some say real camping. Sure it is, with a generator, a tank full of water, and an on board toilet!.
Anyway, next morning I decide to unhitch the Jeep, and take the 60 mile drive to a town called Atlin, a place at the end of a road on a lake. The area is really Native land, but is inhabited by many non natives, well if 150 is many!.
It’s a beautiful little place, has a small harbor, of course a seaplane base, and a great museum specializing in catalogued and numbered exhibits of old machinery. It was a crystal clear day allowing views and photography. Windy but sunny.
So after the return trip and having filed up I left for the next stop at Dease Lake in British Columbia, via the Yukon. Lovely drive but did I mention changing weather?
An hour in to the four mile trip the snow cam down, remember this was August 19th!! After about three hours I quit and dry camped again in a rest stop where other travelers had done the same. The next morning a covering of snow on everything except the roads which were too warm.
Eventually reaching Dease Lake I took a day trip in the Jeep to Telegraph Creek, a 60 mile thrill ride through winding muddy roads and through canyons and along cliff edges. Truly a great ride, especially for someone who can’t do heights!
Then it was on to Hyder Alaska, yes Alaska, this is the bit of Alaska only accessible through Stewart Canada. There is no U.S. Customs Post, but to come back there is a Canadian Post. Each time you got to the grocery store, post office, to get gas, and most restaurants (what there are), you have to go through immigration into Canada, but anyone who can get into Canada can go into Alaska here without a check. No big deal. You can’t go any further!
Both Stewart Canada and Hyder Alaska are suffering despite tourism, and for sure if the tourists stop coming Hyder is done for. Stewart still has a major logging operation.
A couple of days watching the salmon spawn and die in Fish Creek, and looking for the bears feeding on them, and it was time to move on southwards towards Jasper, BC.
