Cassiar Up and Down

If you have any extra time when you get to Kitwanga you might want to take a drive west to Prince Rupert if the weather is nice that day. The scenery along the Skeena River is spectacular IMO.

Thanks for the mine info, Murray. I was sure one of you in the Far North would know about it.

fanrgs wrote:
The reason many of the respondents mentioned the heavy truck traffic on the Cassiar is not only the power-line project, but also huge, double-trailer trucks traveling at high speed from a mine north of Whitehorse to a ship-loading dock in Stewart. Their shop/overnight yard is located across the street from the Bear River RV Park and the trucks begin leaving there at 3:30 AM. However, I read that the mine had either closed or reduced production and staff, so that may not be a problem this year.

That was the Wolverine Mine, and they just announced today that they're shutting down until zinc prices improve.

The Cassiar was all paved and in pretty good shape in September of 2014 except for the Northern end where it got beat up pretty bad by the fire that went through there a few years back. Another good reason to go from North to South. The farther you go the better the road gets!
We didn't notice an unusual number of big trucks on the Cassiar in September.

explorenorth,

Great news!!! We were there in 2009 and they still had three sections of the Cassiar unpaved. We drove the Cassiar on our return to the lower 48.

golf_bears wrote:
Without reading 3 pages of responses, I'll share my recommendation. The Cassiar is wet and slick in the Spring but most likely dryer in the Fall. You don't want to be on it in the Spring. So travel on the Alcan in the Spring and return on the Cassiar in the fall.

The Stewart-Cassiar is all paved now except for a mile as it crosses the Stikine River.

The reason many of the respondents mentioned the heavy truck traffic on the Cassiar is not only the power-line project, but also huge, double-trailer trucks traveling at high speed from a mine north of Whitehorse to a ship-loading dock in Stewart. Their shop/overnight yard is located across the street from the Bear River RV Park and the trucks begin leaving there at 3:30 AM. However, I read that the mine had either closed or reduced production and staff, so that may not be a problem this year.

Sue T. would have more info on that subject.

And I'll put my vote in for using the Cassiar on one leg of your trip. IMHO, it is more scenic than the Alaska Highway segments between Dawson Creek and Ft. Nelson or between Watson Lake and Teslin.

Without reading 3 pages of responses, I'll share my recommendation. The Cassiar is wet and slick in the Spring but most likely dryer in the Fall. You don't want to be on it in the Spring. So travel on the Alcan in the Spring and return on the Cassiar in the fall.

tonymull wrote:
One thing, take the Yellowhead 5 from Hope to Kamloops and cut across to #1 or even take 5 all the way to Little Fort and take #20 across to #1. 5 is 4 lanes with very little traffic all the way to Kamploops but #1 is mostly 2 lanes with more traffic. And they don't call #20 the Fishing Highway for nothing. Kamloops is the last city you'll pass through with every major store chain and convenience till you get to Anchorage, although Williams Lake has quite a bit. I drive #5 several times each summer on the way to fishing...geez lots of years I don't even buy a WA license any more.

First off if you take hwy 5 to Kamloops is quite a pull out of Hope 17 miles straight up, when you get to Little Fort you would have a 10 mile hill @ 12 % if you went west which is a great rd to go fishing but is not hwy 20, that is further north @ Williams lake and goes to Bella Coola, if you go straight north from Little Fort you go to Valemount which is pretty flat except for one hill which is only 2 miles long @ 6-8%, you can turn left at Valemount and go to Prince George or turn right and go to Jasper and Hinton, Just a little note to clarify things as I live here, Thanks Johnny G1.

2gypsies wrote:
Be sure to stay at Williwaw national forest campground on your way down the Kenai. It's gorgeous!

It's on my itinerary. :)