Do the Stewart/Cassiar highway to or from AK?
We are making the Alaska adventure happen during 2015 for about five months. We plan to cross the US/Canada border somewhere close to early May or later and will be in no hurry. We will head north to...
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Site 37 for me at Meziadin...no luck for me with the lakeshore or the hill sites as the campground was almost full that day :
Marvin was a great host and helped him out a little bit with all the work he was doing, as he told me it's almost time to finally start taking his vacation.
Out of the three BC Provincial Parks of the Cassiar Highway mentioned, I have never stayed at Kinaskin Lake PP just solely on the timeframe of my travels which seems I always reached the area around mid day, but it sure looks inviting when travelling southbound as it looks very scenic :
Boya Lake PP has that remote feeling with lots of trees and bugs as I occupied site 21 (at lakeshore) :
As far as Stewart and Hyder is concerned upon my first visit in 2010, I figured July would be ideal enough for fish runs to appear like practically everywhere else in Alaska...as July 9 to my surprise showed no activity for runs in Fish Creek as the USFS staff mentioned to me as early as Late July and later would be the best ideal time to visit there.
My second visit was a little more promising in September 2013 for wildlife viewing, although I only seen one brown bear at a far distance feeding in Fish Creek, a lot of fish and bird activity were happening throughout the day as one wolf was also spotted at a far greater distance.
Only good enough picture I have of brown bear at zoom mode :
Fish Creek :
On my way towards city hall, I was cleared by security :
I was also lucky enough to be personally greeted by the mayor of Hyder (rolled up the window real quick) :
Along with witnessing the Hyder Chamber of Commerce during a meeting :
Both my first and second visits in Stewart and Hyder were great sunny weather with clear skies (2010 and 2013), as in 2011 the Cassiar Hwy. had closed due to road washouts so that route was aborted, and in 2012 the weather was so crappy at Bell II lodge with low clouds and heavy rain funneling thru from the west, I decided not to make the sidetrip to Stewart and move on hoping I would have better weather in the Canadian Rockies....which turned out great for me as I really lucked out later on with 12 consecutive cloudless days of perfect weather thru the Kootenays and the Canadian Rockies and didn't see cloudy skies again until I reached Johnson's Crossing area in the Yukon.
The 2013 visit I timed it perfect upon Labor Day Weekend passing thru on the Cassiar Hwy. in the area with the major transmission grid line project going on, as there was no work activity over the holiday weekend which was nice with no road delays between the Bob Quinn and Bell II stretches.
So beware that they are still extending the grid line as every single turnout or cleared real estate along the Cassiar Hwy. of immediate work zone areas being worked on is occupied for staging all the infrastructure, supplies and equipment, so more likely there will be delays travelling thru work zones.
Marvin was a great host and helped him out a little bit with all the work he was doing, as he told me it's almost time to finally start taking his vacation.
Out of the three BC Provincial Parks of the Cassiar Highway mentioned, I have never stayed at Kinaskin Lake PP just solely on the timeframe of my travels which seems I always reached the area around mid day, but it sure looks inviting when travelling southbound as it looks very scenic :
Boya Lake PP has that remote feeling with lots of trees and bugs as I occupied site 21 (at lakeshore) :
As far as Stewart and Hyder is concerned upon my first visit in 2010, I figured July would be ideal enough for fish runs to appear like practically everywhere else in Alaska...as July 9 to my surprise showed no activity for runs in Fish Creek as the USFS staff mentioned to me as early as Late July and later would be the best ideal time to visit there.
My second visit was a little more promising in September 2013 for wildlife viewing, although I only seen one brown bear at a far distance feeding in Fish Creek, a lot of fish and bird activity were happening throughout the day as one wolf was also spotted at a far greater distance.
Only good enough picture I have of brown bear at zoom mode :
Fish Creek :
On my way towards city hall, I was cleared by security :
I was also lucky enough to be personally greeted by the mayor of Hyder (rolled up the window real quick) :
Along with witnessing the Hyder Chamber of Commerce during a meeting :
Both my first and second visits in Stewart and Hyder were great sunny weather with clear skies (2010 and 2013), as in 2011 the Cassiar Hwy. had closed due to road washouts so that route was aborted, and in 2012 the weather was so crappy at Bell II lodge with low clouds and heavy rain funneling thru from the west, I decided not to make the sidetrip to Stewart and move on hoping I would have better weather in the Canadian Rockies....which turned out great for me as I really lucked out later on with 12 consecutive cloudless days of perfect weather thru the Kootenays and the Canadian Rockies and didn't see cloudy skies again until I reached Johnson's Crossing area in the Yukon.
The 2013 visit I timed it perfect upon Labor Day Weekend passing thru on the Cassiar Hwy. in the area with the major transmission grid line project going on, as there was no work activity over the holiday weekend which was nice with no road delays between the Bob Quinn and Bell II stretches.
So beware that they are still extending the grid line as every single turnout or cleared real estate along the Cassiar Hwy. of immediate work zone areas being worked on is occupied for staging all the infrastructure, supplies and equipment, so more likely there will be delays travelling thru work zones.
