RubiKon Adventures

Tales and travels of "GrizzLee", "Looksha Lori" & "Yukon Johann"


Wednesday, July 27, 2011

RubiKon Adventure Quest 2011: The Drive Home on the Cassiar Highway

"To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward." ~Margaret Fairless Barber, The Roadmender

AWE THE CASSIAR... Perhaps the most remakable road in British Columbia.... Check that!  IT IS, the most remarkable road in all of B.C.
The flowers were in full bloom. We saw more bears than ever (0ver 20 in 2 days). RVer's at Jade CIty were complaining about the road.. We heard folks say "it's rough... narrow... dirty and has very little services... I'll never dirve this way again, worst road we've ever driven an RV on, etc...".  They forget to add that it's beautiful, remote and WILD.  Our kind of road! Folks, this is why we come up here. No strip malls, no services, no people. This is a true wildersness road without the gravel. It's too bad that soo few of these exist anymore. If you want malls and plastic trinkets made in China... STAY HOME!

Here is part of what we saw.....

Good Hope Lake. It's Good!


Flowers and more flowers.


Friendly natives who come right up to your window and greet you.


Meet the road crew.


These guys were busy building a dam across a culvert. They didn't seem to mind our presence and were quickly making the road a lake. I'm sure that some humans will disagree and re-claim the road soon after we are gone. 


These kids, or more commonly called "Kits", were cute little youngsters hangin out near their den. We saw no sign of mom or dad. They had the house all too themselves.


All of them disappeared as we approached. Except this guy, we was prepared to defend his home to the end.


This guy didn't appear to have a home. He wandered aimlessly along the side of the highway... looking for any meal he could find.


Hmmm... tourists. You guys look delicious.


Stay back boys.. or I'm going to have to eat you.


Who are you two? Are you new around here?


The views and the glaciers going to Hyder.


The flowers weren't bad either.


Hello. Surprised to see you here.


We toured some lava beds in New Aiyansh... or the traditional native village name "Gitlaxt'aamiks". Say that 10 times while holding your nose. 


Pictures don't do justice. The lava erupted 250 years ago wiping out most of the natives in the area. We are told that there is a volcanic cone nearby.  The lavea extends to the Pacific. There is a long canal that makes it way up to this part of the Cassiar coastal region.
BTW: It was a tough drive to get to this place. We took a side road off the Cassiar Highway to get here. It was advertised as a gravel road. It was one of the worst roads we've ever driven. The gravel was the size of baseballs and softballs. I guess there isn't a rock crusher in these parts on the 1st Nations land. I will never take a camper down this road again.


We did see many, many, many bears.


This cub was curiously turning over rocks, mimicking mom. Mom was close by and we didn't dare leave our camper. 
Driving through Burns Lake we see this "Flower Powered VW". It's the real deal.

Our 2nd to last morning in Canada (Jack O'Clubs Lake).

Our last wildlife sighting on the way home.

Our last day was spent at Bowron Lakes. We stayed at the Becker's Lodge campground. Lothar, the owner invited us as his guest. He even let us borrow a canoe. We paddled the length of Bowron Lake into the Bowron River up to an old heritage cabin, a 100 year old trapper's cabin. We saw about 7-8 moose in there, including a big bull with a huge rack. Non of them seemed to mind our presence. Unfortunately, the camera was left back at camp... DARN IT!!! All in all, we saw about 30 moose during our visit. We nearly got trampled by one at the lodge as it blindly ran up from Bowron Lake to evade some paddlers.

Our vacation/trek into the far north was a memorable one. We can't wait to go back again someday.

Until next time... 


1 comment:

  1. Just wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to share such beauty, especially the critters. That last shot of the coyote is priceless.

    Mike

    ReplyDelete