The Cassier Highway (08-29-14)

There are two basic routes to get to Alaska- the Alaskan Highway (the Al-Can) or the Stewart Cassier Highway.  We took the Alaskan Highway on the way up, so we took the Cassier on the way out.  Part of the reason for that order is that the Cassier passes by Hyder, AK where the grizzlies are very active- but only in the late summer.  So, in order to see the grizzlies, we waited to travel that road later in the year. We waited a little too late in the year but it was worth delaying to see the Aurora Borealis.

The drive to Hyder took several days.  On the second day, we started looking for a place to spend the night a little early in the day since we were tired from staying up late every night.  The first place we checked out was Kinaskan Provincial Park, and we looked no further. The site we got was gorgeous, and right on the water.

Dozer enjoyed the lake as well.  There was plenty of fresh water to drink and wildlife to chase.  We sat outside for a long time, since for once, it wasn’t raining. The next morning we were up and on the road again.

Hyder Alaska and Stewart, British Columbia, are sister cities with Stewart being the larger of the two, with a population of 500. The road to get to them brings you through Bear Canyon and past Bear Glacier.

Hyder has the distinction of being the only entrance into the U.S. that does not have a customs station. It’s on the water, and I guess they figure there is no where you can get to from there.  When you cross back into Canada, you have to go through their customs checkpoint.

There are two main attractions in Hyder- the bears, as I mentioned, and Salmon Glacier. The road to get to Salmon Glacier is a scenic 22 mile trip, up and around some “hills”.
When we started the trek, the views were pretty awesome.

The clouds added a mysteriousness to the mountains and glaciers.

Once we got near the end of the road, we could see Salmon Glacier.  It’s unusual to see a glacier from this angle.  It looked like a gorgeous river of blue.

By the time we reached the end of the road, we were in the clouds and the rain again, but we went for a short hike anyway.

It was worth getting wet to hike through this beautiful area!













So, did we see the bears?   Stay tuned…….