Salmon Glacier on a beautiful day!
IF you want rain here in the Great White North just cut your hay crop! I woke up in the night to the sound of rain and knew, once again, the hay would spend days in the field trying to get dry! In some places the “hay” was only six inches high and NOT worth cutting. We have had VERY little rain and it shows.
I was out of bed at seven and job one was getting the garden ready for the trip. The good news was the rain eliminated any outside watering. I did take up a tank for the large green house. The peas and potatoes LOVED the rain and seemed inches taller than when I put them to bed last night.
The plan was to get on the road by ten and THAT didn’t happen.
We were heading up the driveway at about ten thirty. The equipment is still not in for the easement job. After trying to bully me into believing the easement ACTUALLY belonged to them and “they” could do with it as they wished, I believe the opinion for our local attorney cooled their jets. I didn’t come here to have legal confrontations BUT being run over like a bug isn’t going to happen either. The gate will remain and “unlimited access” to the river won’t happen through MY easement.
Our first stop was in Smithers to talk with our travel agent, also a fisherman, to get directions to a falls where we could observe the spawning salmon navigating the falls. He was out and after a quick stop at Tim Horton’s we were on our way.
The skies were blue and the temperatures were already in the mid seventies. Judith and Judy had packed a lunch and we stopped at a little rest stop on the Alaskan Highway, next to a beautiful stream, to have lunch. The salmon sandwiches were awesome.
I had promised Judy a bear sighting and my prediction came true as soon as we turned towards Hyder on the Glacier Highway. He stood patiently on the roadside while we fumbled for our cameras. A car approached from behind and we drove off as the bruin slipped into the bushes. The trip to Hyder is spectacular. The stream was roaring underneath Bear Glacier in this HOT weather. We got to Steward at four, checked into the hotel, and headed across the border.
Darrell cooling off a few meters from Salmon Glacier
This is our seventh or eighth trip to Salmon Glacier and it still amazes me. Judith asked me how many times do we need to see Salmon Glacier? AS MANY times as I can!! My brother, Ron, said it all on his visit “you could have told me about this place for a hundred years….. and I still wouldn’t have believed it”! While it is the Fifth largest glacier in Canada it is the biggest one that can be see without taking a helicopter trip. The road was the best I’ve ever seen it and there were still just a hand full of visitors. Darrell and Judy marveled at this natural wonder.
We stopped at the bear viewing station, which was full of people and NOT a bear in sight. The salmon have just showed up and the bears will soon follow. I the way back to Hyder I saw a fresh crab sign and stopped to check it out. The lady said they had it and would be opened in the morning.
Dinner at the Bitter Creek Inn is ALWAYS excellent and that was the case again tonight. We’ve had LOTS of fish so steaks were the order of the evening. OUTSTANDING.
We ended the day in the Bitter Creek Inn playing Pegs and Posts. We played two games and ended up winning one game each.
July 29th
I woke up to a rooster crowing and the sounds of the owners pet goose, Ripley, greeting the morning. I fought myself back to sleep and didn’t get out of bed until eight. Darrell had walked the town and determined that lots of businesses had been closed for many, many years. Welcome to Steward! We had a quick breakfast and headed back to the bear viewing station. Nothing, zip, nada.
The next disappointment of the day was stopping at the seafood place only to find out the “fresh” crab was FROZEN. Yuck! I passed on that and we headed back to River House. The surprise viewing of the day was a WOLF. That is a rare sighting!
We talked ourselves to taking the logging road to the lava fields. Darrell did the driving and I counted the bear poop piles. There were only thirteen today; a far cry from the “record” ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY FIVE we counted several years ago when we made this trip with cousin, Sher.
We have been through the lave fields many, many times bit somehow failed to stop at Vetter Falls. Today we did. It is a beautiful falls coming through the lava fields and is only a short, easy walk from the parking lot.
The drive from the lava fields to Terrace is beautiful winding through the mountains and seeing beautiful lakes along the way.
When we hit Terrace it was a few minutes after five and I made a beeline to the Indian (East) restaurant and was thrilled to find it open. The food is ALWAYS excellent, however, describing the service as slow would be a compliment; Two hours later we emerged FAT and happy.
Darrell took the first leg of driving while I caught forty winks. I took over at Kitwanga and after a short stop at Safeway got back to River House at ten thirty.
NORMAL people would have gone to bed. We broke out the cards and played the rubber game of Pegs and Posts. Darrell and I won and now are tied at 1-1.
Lots to do tomorrow; pick up the ATV, fish, pizza night…..a typical hectic day of retirees at River House!