What a day! Kicked off the morning with a movie in our p.j.'s and then off to the landfill for a visit with Viri during her lunch hour. Viri works as a casual labourer for the town of Stewart and so her tasks vary from day to day. Today she whacked weeds around the landfill property at the same time as she monitored and managed the activity there.
Since the day is getting sunnier as it goes on....we decided to seize the opportunity and head for Hyder and beyond to see if we'd be lucky enough to view the Salmom Glacier. The glacier is in BC but you have to drive through Hyder Alaska to get there. It is really interesting, there is a border but locals,are back and forth across it so often that it must seem kind of silly. The only way in or out of Hyder is through BC so why it is US territory or even exists is beyond me.
The gravel roads we had to travel and that are on US soil were pretty rough but once we got back onto BC roads heading up the mountain...they were graded and much improved. It's a really wide road (no problem for two vehicles) and the scenery is MAGNIFICENT!!! Waterfalls everywhere, majestic mountains that are so close you can reach out and touch them, and when the toe of the glacier comes into view it actually takes your breath away it is so big. The other thing I thought about the glacier is that it made me think that it could be described as Mother Natures zen garden. You know goes sand gardens that you rake curvy lines into? Well, the surface of the glacier looks just like Mother Nature had taken a rake and put those same lines into it!
Looking out over the glacier from the top viewpoint really does invite you to sit and think about just how lucky we are and how tiny we are and how cold it is and how far from civilization we are and how everything is right with the world and how many damn mosquitos there are! LOL. As well, once you've reached that lookout, you're above the treeline so you've left the trees behind and are well
into the alpine meadows that are filled with a variety of beautiful tiny little flowers and different
vegetation than you see down in the valley far below. Also at the lookout, we met Keith (who is known as he bear man) and who lives in a little dome tent at this lookout that he has called home for the months of June, July, August, and part of September for the past 31 years! He spends the rest of the year in New Brunswick. Once a week he makes the hour long trip to Stewart for supplies. His water comes from a natural spring across the road from the lookout...he lives a very simple life with income and human interaction coming from sales of his bear DVDs and postcards.
The drive back down the mountain was just as spectacular as the drive up! We stopped several times in both directions to marvel at the views and appreciate the experience. A couple of times mountain marmots even crossed our paths...I'm pretty sure rodents seek me out no matter where I am! For those of you who know me well, you will know that is NOT a good thing!
We sure appreciated the clear skies and no rain as it was obvious the havock wet weather had caused
on the road. A fallen tree, a washed out hillside, mini slides (with much bigger ones threatening to
take out the entire roadway), gushing torrents of water barely fitting into the culverts intended for it...you get the picture I'm sure.
On our way back through Hyder en route to Stewart, we peered through the shrubs hoping to see a grizzly chowing down on the salmon in Fish Creek at the viewing platform but alas...none there so
we just continued on to the border and home for the crock pot stew that Lynda put on this morning before we left.
When we retuned to the house we could smell the stew but alas...it was a long way from being cooked through so some creative repotting for quicker cooking took Lynda's focus. My attention was diverted because at the same time Mitch and Viri's couch surfing guests arrived at the door. Mitch and Viri open their home to couch surfers often and for many years now (both here in Stewart and before in Mexico). This time is was two travellers who met somewhere on the road north of here.
Both are on motorbikes. John is from England and Gabe is from Ohio. Both were great guys and
appreciative of the warm welcome that included a bowl of Lynda's stew. After dinner Viri hopped on the back of John's bike and Lynda and I climbed back into the truck for a return trip to Hyder in search of grizzy bears looking for dinner.
On our way to the viewing centre a little black bear crossed the road in front of us and we took it for a good sign which in the end...it was. When we arrived at the viewing centre a young grizzly was fully engaged in fishing and enjoying the fruits of his labour. We watched him catch and consume 2 huge salmon before he wandered off down the creek, under the bridge, and out of our sight. In all we had over two hours of watching him from across the creek. On our way back to Stewart we tried to stop in to the Glacier Hotel to get Hyderized but alas....it was not meant to be this night. The bar was already closed.
Night here doesn't fall until well after 10:00. I'd say it is almost two hours later than in Summerland. The lineup to cross back into Canada was long and in comparison to our previous crossings this was a real change! Every other time we've been the only vehicle in sight so to have to wait at all seemed strange. As well, Mitch's truck has a very loud squeal so you can hear it coming from a km away (I'm not exaggerating!). Lynda had been very bought full and had turned the vehicle off every chance she had during our wait at the border. She'd wait for 4-5 cars to go rough and then move up, turn it off again and repeat. By the time it was our turn at the border the guard inside the building nodded to us as she laughed and said "I knew it was you two long before I could see you!" You know you've arrived when the border guards know who you are. LOL.
It was a short drive back to the house where we settled in for a visit around the kitchen table to round
off this very full and fantastic day. Heh...look at that ...Really Good F Words are finding their way into my blog too! Speaking of which , if you haven't yet heard and if you'd like to support me in my latest undertaking...my book, Really Good F Words is now available on Amazon. It officially launches on Nov 1st but all pre- sales before that date will be added into the total sold that first hour of the launch. Amazon determines their best seller list based on an hour of sales so...when you have a launch there is that one opportunity to capitalize of the technology and get on the best seller list, which is a VERY good thing! So, if you're of a mind to check it out go to Amazon.ca
Till tomorrow,
L & L
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