Following the Barkers: Thursday July 31, 2014 Stewart, British Columbia, Canada

Salmon Glacier

At 9 everyone that was going to see Salmon Glacier met and we started on a caravan up to see the glacier. Bob and Rebecca rode with us. We went into Hyder, Alaska and Ben checked with the ranger station at the bear viewing area to see if there were any bears. There were none. We continued along the road. This is the only road leaving Hyder without heading back to Stewart, British Columbia and leaving town northbound on PH-37A. Shortly after passing the bear area the road went back into British Columbia and turned to dirt. The road eventually leads to a mining area. The way to the summit to view the glacier was about 20 miles and the road was very winding as it gained elevation. For a dirt road it was good having been recently graded.

Salmon Glacier

A hanging glacier

We sighted the Salmon Glacier about half way to the summit. We were looking at it from the side and it slanted up the valley. At first it looked like there was a road on the ice itself. But that was only a moraine, dirt that the glacier pushed up. On closer inspection it was plain that they weren’t vehicle tracks and that the surface of the glacier was split and fractured. No vehicle could have driven on it. The summit was at about 3400’. At that point we were looking down at much of the Glacier. Of course there was more ice going up the valley across from the viewpoint. Someone had told us the glacier starts at an ice field about 100 miles away. We have now seen glaciers by looking up, by approaching the face by boat and land, looking across a valley, from on the ice and looking down on one. We have seen alpine glaciers and tidewater glaciers. From the viewpoint we could see several other glaciers in the mountains in the distance.

Yellow Pond Lilies

There was a geocache 400’ from the view point. The cache owner had rated it a 2 star on both difficulty and terrain. Dave Johnson and I walked to within 45’ of ground zero. We couldn’t get the GPS to move off that distance. I suppose it was our proximity to the cliff. We looked in several likely spots and gave up. Getting to GZ certainly deserved more than 2 stars for terrain. The cache hadn’t been logged since August 2013, I logged a DNF.

Mountains around Hyder

We went back to the RV Park, taking pictures along the way. We checked again for bears in Hyder. None present. I forgot to say that when returning to Stewart from Hyder we had to go through Canadian Customs. They didn’t ask all the questions that are routine at other border crossings. They did always ask if we bought anything in Alaska. I don’t think there was anything there to buy. There is no US border checkpoint when you drive into Hyder.

Bob in front of a typical Hyder business, closed

We went with Bob and Rebecca to the Glacier Inn in Hyder for a late lunch. When we left the restaurant we were warned there had been a bear sitting outside by a black car. That was ours! The bear had moved off around some buildings and we saw it at a distance going further away from us. We went back to the RV Park to rest up before going to the bear viewing area later. This meant going through Canadian Customs again.

We had supper with the group. Several people had made chili for a chili cook-off. After the judging all the contestants won. Our staff also prepared desserts. After dinner we had a briefing on tomorrow’s travel.

A Brown Bear in Fish Creek

At 7 we picked up Bob and Rebecca and drove back to Hyder to see if there were any bears. We arrived on the boardwalk just in time to see a large Brown Bear walk out of sight down the creek. After minutes later another one came into sight up stream. We watched this one catch three fish before it sauntered off. A little later another large Brown Bear came into the area and put on quite a show catching fish. The bear chased one fish in a large circle before catching it. He too caught and ate three before leaving the viewing area. By now it was about 9 PM. We returned to the RV Park, again going through Canadian Customs. I think they know us by now. Not many questions except the perfunctory, ”did you buy anything in Alaska.”

A Brown Bear in Fish Creek

Tomorrow we travel 208 miles to Fort Telkwa, British Columbia. At our briefing we were assured that the road was good. Gerri went to bed to read and later reminded me that if I didn’t get some sleep I would have a hard time driving tomorrow. I had been working on computer chores and the service was still balky. I was in bed at 11:50.

July is gone and we have less than a week to go on this adventure.

Following the Barkers