Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska

June 5: After leaving the Hazleton area, we continued on Yellowhead Highway 16 and then took the Cassiar Highway (BC Highway 37) north. A one-lane wood plank bridge and the Nass River, which it crosses:




This is the point where a spur (37A) breaks off the Cassiar Highway and heads west and south to the very small communities of Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska. In fact, as you'll see, Hyder bills itself as the friendliest ghost town in Alaska.










Bear Glacier, which was used in the movie Insomnia:








We stayed in the Bear River RV Park in Stewart BC, which does not allow tents or soft-sided campers for reasons shown at the park entrance.




Wildflowers in the RV park:






American Brooklime (a type of Veronica):




For Sharon "The Great McGinty" Callie and her elementary-school friends:


Huge cow parsnips:


We spent June 5th and 6th exploring Stewart and Hyder.

The Portland Canal is actually a fjord (the fourth longest in the world) which forms part of the boundary between the United States and Canada. This ship in the fjord is being loaded with timber and will then set off for China.


Stewart's meandering estuary boardwalk looks out at the Portland Canal.








An abandoned house and pilings which used to hold buildings in the fjord:


Entering Hyder, Alaska:


The Hyder Post Office:


We enjoyed talking with Wes Loe, who owns the Hyder General Store. It was great to hear about everyday life in this small Alaska town - that gets about 30 feet of snow a year! The store, Wes, and just a few of the hummingbirds he feeds:






The greenish one kept chasing the other away. The green one might be a Broad-tailed Hummingbird; the other is a Rufous Hummingbird.




The Salmon River running through Tongass National Forest, north of Hyder:


Bill took this picture from the middle of the Salmon River. It sometimes runs bank to bank, and sometimes has exposed stone and sand flats.


A wolf print in the sand in the middle of the river:


Wildflowers along the riverbank

One-sided Wintergreen:


Dwarf Fireweed (the back is just as pretty as the front!):






Indian Paintbrush:


Sitka, Crimson, or Red Columbine:






A black bear walking along Salmon River Road and then into the woods:




The Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing Site in the Tongass National Forest:








A loon (?) with babies on the bank of Fish Creek:


Salmon Glacier Road:


Waterfalls along the road:




The next four pictures are of Salmon Glacier.








Bill and Brandon from Vancouver, who just moved to Stewart a few days before to work as a big equipment mechanic for the mines above the glacier. He will be flown to the mine area for six weeks of work and then flown out for two weeks off, and that cycle will repeat until his work is done.


This helicopter went back and forth over the mountain, hauling fuel - one bladder at a time - from a tanker truck to the mines.


Salmon River: