Done With the Cassiar, August 12-14

August 14, 2014

On the road again.  We hadn't had a rest day since Whitehorse, over ten days before, and we were feeling it today.  But we had a relatively flat road and a tailwind!  Yayyyyy!  

Few things make us happier than a tailwind, especially considering the near-constant headwind of the preceding weeks.  Another touring cyclist approached us from the other direction, and we talked with Melissa for a few minutes.  She told us that she had seen our friend Jess just up the road!  We had biked with Jess way up north, on the Dalton Highway in Alaska, and we were excited to see her again.  But the day was hot and we took a long lunch, including a nap, and when we started again, the sun was low enough to partly shade the road.  We finished the 20 miles to Kitwanga in pretty good time and, even though the store was closed (no ice cream for us tonight), we were overjoyed to see Jess and her biking partner Ricky next to the campground!  

We shared a site at the free campground in Kitwanga, a nice place off the main road with water and a pavilion, and enjoyed hearing their stories, including one about getting chased by a bear.  Tomorrow to Smithers, the first town with cell service we will have seen in almost two weeks.

Bears seen today: three, including a cute little cub!

- Danny

August 13, 2014

Heading back to the main highway from Stewart was just as beautiful as yesterday's ride going there.  

The Bear Glacier

Tam and I watched the river whenever we could and talked about how we would run the rapids.  Next trip: bikes and backpacks and packrafts.  When we crossed bridges over side creeks entering the main river, we got a refreshing blast of cool air on the hot day.

 We made it to the junction by lunch, leaving a goodbye note on a sign there for Pam and Monica since we were ahead of them and they were heading the opposite way from the junction.  Our paths will cross again someday!  

Pam and Monica

We ate lunch at the campground next to the junction then sleepily hit the road under the sun.  Perhaps our luck on the Cassiar had changed; we had a tailwind!  We rode for awhile and were going to camp in an open gravel area by the side of the road, but decided we should take advantage of the tailwind and did another 15 miles.  We found a little grassy area off the road with good visibility.  We're both a little more on edge than usual tonight since we saw four bears along the road today, all black bears, and the last three named areas we passed were Grizzly Creek, Brown Bear Creek, and Brown Bear Rest Area.  Not exactly heartening names when you're camping in the area.

- Danny

Bears! August 12, continued

Around 4:30, we set up our tents at the Municipal Campground in town and drop our bags off.  Then we head off to Hyder, Alaska, to see the bears.  

It's wonderful to ride without all our stuff, and the weather is perfect.  We're not far from the border, and there are no U.S. Customs.  Hyder is even smaller than Stewart, with only a few shops along the main street.  Most are already closed.  We bike a bit out of town and out to the public boat launch, a spit of land out into the inlet.  The tall mountains form a sharp contrast against the water.  Big barges and little ships decorate the docks, and the wonderful smell of sea water fills my nose.  The scenery is striking, to say the least.  It's a little farther out to the bear viewing platform.  We follow a big glacial river past more deep forests and waterfalls, then find a clear creek filled with salmon.  It's $5 for a pass to go on the platform, and totally worth it.  The "platform" is a long wooden boardwalk that parallels Fish Creek maybe 15 feet above the water.  At first we just watch the salmon.  There are two main types: chum salmon, which can weigh as much as a small child, and pink salmon, which are smaller but are the most abundant type of Pacific salmon.  Both look strong and powerful in the water.  How amazing to think about how far they've come to get here!  You can see on many of them how their bodies have started to deteriorate.  

It's so exciting when the first grizzly comes around the bridge.  We follow him on the "boardwalk" with a group of other people as he splashes through the shallow stream, each step sending salmon splashing and skittering away.  We watch him hunt fish and munch on the brush alongside the river.  When he catches fish, he only rips out the roe, the eggs, then discards the rest.  The grizzlies here are spoiled by such good fishing.  

After an hour or so, another grizzly appears.  This one has a thick, dark coat but is easily distinguished as a grizzly by her huge shoulder muscles.  She ambles downstream and stops right in front of where I'm standing.  Then she pounces and catches a huge chum salmon.  She drags her prize up onto the bank right in front of me.  People are racing towards where I am, cameras at the ready, but by simple luck I already have the best spot.  Unfortunately, a camera flash startles the bear and she moves out into midstream with the fish.  Luckily we still have a good view.  

I watch as she holds down the still-wriggling salmon with one paw, as if it were a limp rag.  Then with powerful jaws, she rips of pieces of skin.  I hear the skin ripping; I hear the backbone break.  This grizzly isn't just eating the roe; she rips out the salmon meat in huge chunks.  It's incredible to watch such a wild feeding!  Then another camera flash startles her (the ranger reprimands the person doing this) and the bear moves off into the brush.  We stay until 9:30 or so, amazed by both the salmon and the bears.  Then we head back to our campsite before it gets dark to have some of our own dinner.  

- Tam

An Amazing Ride to Stewart

We convinced Pam and Monica, the two cyclists we met at the campground last night, to ride the side trip to Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK, with us.  It's 80 miles round trip, and at the end of the road is a famous bear feeding and salmon spawning area.  We set off together in the morning and rode the most beautiful road down to the coast.  Snowy mountains with glaciers atop, waterfalls cascading down, lined the road.

Rivers, bears, a clear sky... what a great ride!  At one point we passed through a narrow canyon, the walls shutting out the sunlight, and rode next to a muddy, raging river.  Then back into the big mountains and sunlight.  

Tonight we are going to try and see some bears feeding, then tomorrow we'll head back up the scenic road to Meziadin Junction.

Adventures on the Cassiar, August 6-11

All You Can Eat, August 11, 2014

Bell II Lodge.  All you can eat buffet. We made sure to wake up and get there early, and we're glad we did!  There was fresh fruit, yogurt, cereals, blueberry waffles, scrambled eggs, potatoes, and four types of fruit juices!  Our taste buds and stomachs were in heaven.  

Numerous groups came in, ate, and left.  One guy asked the waitress the elevation of the lodge, and when she didn't know, he estimated 10,000 feet due to the temperature and her remark about the heavy snowpack in winter. We had passed a tiny sign the day before noting the elevation of that spot as 466 meters.  The highest point on the highway, which was about 150 miles north, was just over 4,000 feet.  Had I been traveling in a car, like this man who overestimated the lodge's elevation by probably 9,000 feet, I probably wouldn't have known those details either.  And while those by themselves aren't all that important, all the little things you notice and learn about the area while cycling add up and, in summation, equal a greater connection with the place.

After we finished our giant, yummy breakfast, we rode for awhile through beautiful mountains, sometimes next to rivers.  The road was mostly moderately graded, and the headwind was minimal.  And, contrary to yesterday's cold rain, it was clear and hot!  

The beautiful sunny weather and moderate road 

Fueled by the morning's calories, we rode all 60 miles in one go, stopping just a few quick times to pee and refill water.  We arrived at Meziadin Junction expecting to see a lodge with a restaurant, but it was all under construction.  So we proceeded to Meziadin Lake Campground and ate lunch.  It was $18 for a site, so we planned to leave and find somewhere along the road, but then we met Monica and Pam, two other cyclists, and they agreed to split their site.  So we stayed at the campground, went for a refreshing dip on the lake, and talked with them late into the night.  

-Danny

Wonderful Coincidences, August 10, 2014

We woke up this morning to the sound of rain.  No go.  Back to sleep.  Around 9:30, the rain stopped so we got up and debated whether to go or stay.  The ever-present headwind didn't figure in; it was the same every day.  To find out the weather forecast, we talked with the campground host, a nice German lady named Margaret who always lets cyclists camp free.  She said that tomorrow and the next day would probably be the same: overcast, windy, rain here and there.  We decided to go.  The wind was pretty bad, as expected, but we pushed through it and tried not to get frustrated.  The rain decided to stay as well.  About 25 wet miles in, a car pulled alongside and rolled down the windows.  It was Berel and Chris, our German cyclist friends we had spent some time with a few weeks ago in the Yukon! They were unsuccessful at getting a ride down the Alaska Highway from Whitehorse, so they took a ride to the Rockies down the Cassiar Hwy, where we were.  We made tentative and hopeful plans to meet up with them in a week or two.  They left us with higher spirits and two yummy muffins, which we had scarcely finished when a van stopped just up the road.  Out hopped Jeremie, Shannon, and Finn, the folks we had stayed with in Whitehorse!  They were driving south on vacation.  Tam and I were floored at these coincidences; good thing we had braved the cold winds!  Jeremie invited us inside their van/RV and generously shared some chocolate covered almonds, chocolate almond milk, and apples!  The food, the company, and the respite from the inclement conditions made for a perfect break from riding.  Thank you!

We stopped a few miles up the road for lunch.  I guess we were hungry, because, in addition to our regular ration of tortillas, hummus, and cheese, we each had a substantial dessert of 10 or so cookies with peanut butter.  And those extra 1200 calories or so fueled us well, because I didn't need any snacks for the rest of the day.  We were thinking of camping just outside of the Bell 2 Lodge and getting there early the next morning for the all-you-can-eat breakfast, but the thick brush and a couple of bears we chased off the road persuaded us to camp in a site at the lodge.

- Danny

August 9, 2014

Today was the second of our two shorter days.  We slept in at our quiet campsite then, feeling rested, began our 37 miles for the day.  The headwind was expected, and it started to rain as well after a little bit.  Fortunately the clouds were high enough that we could still see the beautiful, surrounding mountains, some with patchy snow in places.  We stopped in Iskut, the final grocery store we would see for a number of days, to supplement our food supply.  Along with beans and veggies, we picked up a pack of 45 cookies for only $5.99!  They will be a nice dessert for the next few days, or at least tonight.  We rolled by crystal clear lake after lake, finally reaching the Kinaskan Lake Park campsite, our destination, around 3:30 pm.  It had stopped raining, thankfully, and we enjoyed a late lunch at a beautiful site right on the lake.  

After, while setting up the tent, we heard approaching bells, as if someone had attached cowbells their car and they were now bouncing on the pavement.  Our attention was piqued, and we turned to watch about twenty horses trot by, some with bells around their necks, unaccompanied by anyone or anything.  What a random event!  We laughed and laughed.

We used the afternoon to change the tires on our bikes and catch up on writing postcards and whatnot, all to the pleasing beats of Toto.  Then in the evening I undertook shaving in the lake.  You may wonder why I bother shaving when I'm traveling all day and out in the wilds of Canada, or wherever.  Some people look like rugged mountain men after not shaving for a few weeks.  I, on the other hand, look like a scruffy teenager trying to look older.  It's awful.  So I try to keep the "scruffies," as Tam calls them, to a minimum.  

- Danny

August 8th

After a stop at the grocery store to fill up water, we're on the road again. We've been warned about the big hill we're going to hit going out of town- it's the Arctic-Pacific divide pass, more specifically called Gnat Pass. It's the highest point on the Cassiar Hwy. For those of you who are wondering- we don't see a single gnat. The climb is much more gradual than we expected and soon we find ourselves at the summit. A large sign says "Trucks check brakes! Steep grades ahead." What an exciting sign to see when biking! 

On the way down we meet Simon, a cyclist from Vancouver who's headed to Whitehorse. He's super energetic and excited about his first bike tour. We enjoy talking to him for a bit. 

After parting ways we continue down through gradual rolling hills that take us by more lakes and streams. It's partly cloudy today, and every once in a while we bike through a burst of rain. The headwind is ever-present.  Our road begins to follow a large river, then suddenly makes a giant U turn and crosses the river. Just after the crossing we stop to have lunch, then immediately start to climb again. No better way to digest lunch than a large mountain pass- right? Luckily, just over this pass we find our campsite. Our shorter "rest" day of 40 miles has taken us until 4:00pm to complete! 

The campsite is called Morchuea Lake. Down a long bumpy road we find the beautiful lake, providing us with a view of what the natives call the "ice mountain," the snowy, volcanic Mt. Edziza. Unfortunately, much of it is hidden in the clouds. As we bike away from the lake to look for a campsite we are stopped by a family who asks if we would like their site- they're leaving soon. Their site is right next to the lake and they already have a fire going- it's perfect!  As they take down camp, we talk, and they loan us their axes so we can chop wood to sustain the fire. This exercise reminds us how much arm muscle we have lost biking all the time. They're a wonderful family, and it's rather too bad that they're leaving. Thanks again! 

In the evening we enjoy the fire and take swims in the lake. It's great to wash off all the sweat, sunscreen, and bug spray! 

-Tamara

August 7th 

Fearing a horrible headwind, we wake up early and get on the road. Luckily for us, although we do have a headwind on and off throughout the day, it's not nearly as bad as yesterday. We do our best to ignore it. We're pretty low on food and determined to get to the Dease Lake grocery today! 

The morning ride is great. We descend into a beautiful valley surrounded by rounded peaks, each cloaked in dense forest. 

Then the road flattens out and we cruise from clear blue lake to clear blue lake. Occasionally we cross a delightful bubbling stream or roaring creek. It's only when we pass the occasional mine, or the town of Good Hope Lake, that I'm reminded that we're not cycling through a National Park. As we ride, we talk and listen to new music that we acquired from James's computer. So fun to have new music!

After lunch, our road follows the shore of the enormous Dease Lake. Naively we predict that the road will be flat. Wrong! It winds steeply up and down between the mountains along the shore. At points we are awarded with amazing views of the lake, but most of the time we can't see it at all. 

Tired and hungry, we finally reach the grocery and devour some garlic cheese bread before doing the rest of our shopping. Outside the store we meet Babette, a touring cyclist from Holland. She started her trip in Calgary and is headed to Anchorage. We camp with her behind the small college in town and enthusiastically share stories about what to expect along the road. 

-Tamara

August 6, 2014

I already wrote an update for August 6, but that was before we met James and Laetitia!  

This is the worst photo ever. Please forgive me for posting it.

They are world travelers, Laetitia having cycled all through Europe and Asia and James soon to.  They were planning on heading south to Argentina, but their hearts aren't in it, at least for Canada and the States, so they'll be heading soon to China.  Tam helped Laetitia with her Chinese while I talked with James about biking, music, birds, and all kinds of other things.  Together, we enjoyed a vivid double rainbow and a large, bright moonrise.  We would have loved to stay and bike the next day with them, but we were almost out of food and had to get to the grocery 72 miles away.  I'm sure our paths will cross again down the road.

- Danny

Awful Winds

We started off today by talking for a few minutes with a guy who was driving a tour bus-sized RV and towing a car.  Believe it or not, these behemoths of the road, these monstrosities of tourism, are common.  Taking your home with you seems to me to be too fast, too comfortable, and too expensive to really get to know the places you go.  It also seems extravagantly wasteful: not only do the drivers let their RV/tour buses idle, but upon stopping, they turn on the car they're towing and let that idle, too!  All this happened this morning right next to the sign that declared "B.C. is idle-free" and denounced idling for its impact on air quality.  Not everyone can bike tour, but it seems to me there are better ways to travel than driving a personal bus and towing a car.

Perhaps I'm just touchy today because the wind was as bad as it's been all trip.  The first ten miles weren't horribly headwindy, but after that it picked up and we struggled to maintain five or six mph on the flat sections.  

We were going this way: <----------

We would have stopped had Jade City, population 50, not been within reach just 20 miles farther.  So we pushed on through the gale and managed to get there just after it started to rain.  It turns out we weren't riding through a gale, just that this area of the country has severe and persistent south winds.  This is rather worrisome, as we'll be heading south for the next 500 miles.

They don't have a restaurant here, as we had hoped, but they do sell ice cream and provide wi-fi, which is how I'm sitting here now writing this.  They also have mountains of jade, as the name implies, cut in every shape and size you could ever want.  The table is jade.  There's a jade globe in the corner.  

What's not jade is painted jade-green.  It's pretty crazy.  There are two other cyclists staying here too; they've been here for two days waiting for the wind to lessen, and we're excited to talk with them more later on tonight.

On To the Cassiar, August 5th, 2014

RV parks in the morning are noisy places, but we're so exhausted from the 100 miles yesterday that we sleep until 9:30.  Our morning ride involves hills and long, flat sections.  The wind is blowing lightly, sometimes a headwind, sometimes a tailwind.  It's just under 25 miles when we start seeing signs for the junction with the Cassiar Highway.  Yay!  To make things even better, there's a restaurant/RV park/motel just before the junction, and it's open!  Since no other cyclist had told us about it, we had assumed it was closed like most of the other former establishments on this highway.  It's called Nugget City, and they serve food, baked goods, and ice cream.  The guy running the place is rather funny and advertises all the food to us.  We end up enjoying a large blueberry muffin and some ice cream.  A kilometer or so down the road, we turn south on the Cassiar Highway.  Immediately we are climbing a steep hill with a full-on headwind.  So continues the rest of our day.  Notable stops along the way include entering British Columbia (for good this time), lunch in the shade (it's super hot out today), and a stop at Blue Lake to fill up water.

 The area we're riding through was recently subject to a huge forest fire.  All the spruce trees are crisp and burnt.  In some places, they look striped, the inner bark creating a stark contrast with the charred outer bark.  It would look desolate if it weren't for the fireweed, which forms a dense, pink carpet among the trees.  And the smells!  The wind carries us the smell of chopped wood, fishiness from the lakes, wet burnt wood from the forest, and summer flowers.  It's really quite beautiful.  Thankfully there's much less traffic than the Alaska Highway, so it's easy to ride side by side and chat.  

Late in the day we enter back into green forest and reach our first campground.  60 miles.  We decide to push on, but the headwind has really picked up and it's tough going even though the road has flattened out.  At 70 miles we come upon a rest area where some RVs appear to be camped.  Exhausted, we stop and set up as well.