Tom's Journal - Days 70-81, August 16 - August 27
The Road Back to the Lower 48
My last journal for our trip!
Far too much has happened to try and summarize. So much has happened that a lot of it is leaking out of my head. We are not home yet, but we are now headed directly home and plan to arrive in Folsom on September 1st, 86 days after leaving Folsom June 8th. We look forward to reconnecting with family and friends but less so to reconnecting back with reality. We have had a great time, seen so many wonderful sights, had a great time together experiencing it, and learned considerable. We met and talked with a lot of people and learned that many of our preconceived notions about towns, places, and people in Canada and Alaska were not as expected.
We had a great time and it was definitely well worth the effort!
Our route
On Sunday, August 16 we arrived in (see the map) 1-Stewart, British Columbia and Hyder, Alaska where we spent two nights. Stewart and Hyder are adjoining towns with Hyder being the southern most road-accessible town in Alaska. From Stewart, we drove southeast to 2-Smithers for one night and then onto 3-Prince George, a major city of British Columbia, for two nights for some laundry, cleaning, and shopping. From there, we headed to 4-Hinton, Alberta right outside of Jasper NP for one night. We then drove the Icefields Parkway through Jasper down to 5-Lake Louise. After two nights in Lake Louise, we headed southeast to 6-Waterton Lakes, Alberta, Canada's adjoining National Park to the US's Glacier National Park in Montana. We spent three nights in Waterton Lakes National Park.
Day 70 (Sunday, August 16)
We drove from Iskut to Stewart, British Columbia. The scenery was pretty but not as spectacular as other drives in Alaska and northern Canada.
Stewart, British Columbia is Canada's northern most Pacific ice-free port. However, the town is small and appears to be dwindling. It isn't used as a shipping port. Three miles from Stewart is Hyder, Alaska. Hyder is even smaller than Stewart, no paved roads, and even more closed buildings and "For Sales" signs.
For tourists, Hyder's claim to fame is the Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing Area, a platform from which you can, hopefully, view bears fishing in the creek.
Day 71 (Monday, August 17)
We drove across the international boarder to Hyder for our final hours in Alaska. We drove to the Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing Area. We weren't disappointed. As we arrived, we spotted a bear a ways down the creek but it continued on into the foliage. About 15 minutes later, another bear (Monica, named by the park rangers) appeared in the creek right in front of Becky. After Becky took several pictures and was finally able to get my attention, we, along with all the others on the viewing platform, watched Monica for about 15 minutes before she disappeared into the trees downstream. However, our mission was complete.
 The Fish Creek viewing platform |
 Cameramen in wait for the big moment |
 Monica makes her appearance |
 Monica looking for a live fish |
 Monica chases a fish...but misses |
 Monica chases another fish...but misses again |
We then took the Salmon Glacier Road drive, a 26-mile narrow winding road, to the top for a "no view" of the Salmon Glacier. We were fully encased in a cloud, standing in a drizzly rain, and seeing nothing.
 Becky playing in the snow |
We headed back down and said our "good-byes" to Alaska and again crossed the border into Canada, answering the same old questions: no tobacco, no firearms, no alcohol, we are staying about two weeks, no we don't have more than $15,000 in cash, we are not bringing any items in to sell or to give to others, etc.
Day 72 (Tuesday, August 18)
We packed up and started heading southeast. The drive was the usual pretty scenery with mountains, glaciers, lakes, streams, and canyons most of the way. As we approached Smithers, our destination for the night, the scenery started to change to fields and farm land.
 View of hanging glaciers on the drive to Smithers |
Smithers is a good size town with over 5,000 people. The main industry is forestry (logging and mills).
Day 73 (Wednesday, August 19)
We drove from Smithers to Prince George. The pretty scenery has now turned to fields, farms, and a whole lot more cars and trucks. We arrived in Prince George and stayed at a nice RV park, Bee Lazee RV Park, that we stayed at on day 5 on our way to Alaska, such a long time ago, it's now day 73.
Day 74 (Thursday, August 20)
Cleaning, laundry, and shopping day. Boy, did the inside need a good cleaning. The muddy, dusty roads from the past week find a way to get into the trailer.
Day 75 (Friday, August 21)
Our wedding anniversary, 33 wonderful years! We left Prince George and drove 282 miles through a corner of Jasper National Park to an RV park just outside of Jasper. On the way, we were treated to an elk and some Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep.
 Elk grazing along the road |
 Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep |
 Hey! Watch it, Junior! |
 Whew, that was a close one! |
Day 76 (Saturday, August 22)
We hooked up the trailer and took the Icefields Parkway drive from Jasper to Lake Louise. A beautiful drive through two of Canada's most beautiful National Parks, Jasper and Banff. While the views were spectacular they were dulled somewhat by a layer of smoke through the valley and on the mountains. The smoke ruins the opportunity for some really great pictures of the mountains and glaciers.
Along our drive, we stopped at Athabasca Falls, Sunwapta Falls, and the Icefield Centre. We arrived at our pretty wooded campsite in the Lake Louise Campground for two nights.
 Athabasca Falls |
 Sunwapta Falls |
 Athabasca Glacier |
Day 77 (Sunday, August 23)
A good day of sightseeing at Lake Louise, the smoke was mostly gone. We were here back in 2002. Today, we went over to the lake before the throngs of people arrived and had a clear view of the lake and the mountains.
 Tom and Becky at Lake Louise |
We then headed over to the Lake Louise ski area and took the sightseeing gondola to the top for a beautiful view of Bow Valley, the town of Lake Louise, and Chateau Lake Louise. There was even a bear foraging in the field across the way.
 The Lake Louise ski and sightseeing gondola |
 The ski lodge from the gondola |
 Bear on the ski slope |
 Bow Valley from the ski mountain |
Date night: To celebrate our anniversary (two days late), we got dressed up and headed over to Fairview Dining Room at the Chateau Lake Louise with a beautiful view of the lake.
 Our anniversary dinner at Chateau Lake Louise |
Day 78 (Monday, August 24)
Well, time to head to Waterton Lakes National Park, our final sightseeing destination. Waterton Lakes National Park is the Canadian side of Waterton - Glacier International Peace Park. It is connected to the United States' Glacier National Park in Montana. We drove 271 miles from Lake Louise to Waterton Lakes.
We arrived at our campsite in Waterton Lakes and were greeted by the local residents, the deer. There are numerous deer walking through and grazing throughout the campground and the entire village area. I had trouble getting them to move away from the trailer so I could set up. I had to get within two feet before they would move.
 Welcoming committee: thanks, fellows; yes there is the electrical box |
 A lot of help cooking dinner |
 My antlers are bigger then yours |
Day 79 (Tuesday, August 25)
We awoke to a beautiful clear day. We took the 15 kilometer Red Rock Parkway drive, with numerous stops, out to Red Rock Canyon and hiked out to Blakiston Falls.
 Red Rock Canyon |
 Becky on our hike |
 Blakiston Falls |
Afterwards, we drove out to see a local small herd of bison nearby the park.
 The local bison herd |
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Day 80 (Wednesday, August 26)
Another beautiful day in Waterton Lakes National Park; a good day for our last exploration and sightseeing day of our trip!
Today we took the Akamina Parkway to Cameron Lake but, along the way, we stopped and took a two-mile hike to Crandell Lake. Of course, Crandell Lake was much prettier because of the moderately steep-elevation hike we took to get to it. We had the trail all to ourselves.
 Our hike to Crandell Lake |
We then drove on to Cameron Lake and had a well-deserved lunch by the lake.
 Lunchtime at Cameron Lake |
Day 81 (Thursday, August 27)
It is with mixed emotions that we start our final leg for home.