After meeting up with the rest of the PB’s on the trip I joked about the wake up time. One of the PB’s is notorious for being an early riser so we agreed upon a kick stands up time of 8:00. We all were up early in some regards. One goal of the day was to get Hexnut to smile in the morning. We may have been successful.
As we gathered and packed the bikes to leave at 8:00 we played the “who gets the slow gloves” challenge. Fondly called the Pope Trophy (IYKYK). Today’s award goes to Danger Dan. We then got a bit confused about where there was gas because we didn’t see the one about 200 meters from our hotel.
We continued on the Yellowhead Highway through some pretty decent rain and then the heat started to kick up. We were dressed for the 40’s and when it hit the 60’s we all got uncomfortable. We got up to 79 degrees and I was cooking. The interesting part of this segment was somehow we wound up in the middle of a funeral precession. This precession was large and went on for a very long distance. We tried to get them to pass us but they weren’t comfortable. Eventually we found a pull of to let it and the traffic it created go by.
As we got to the junction of 37N we did what had to be done and stop by the North to Alaska sign. I had been here in 2010 so I knew to stop. We also got gas because as we enter this part of the journey it becomes real wilderness and it is always better to have enough gas.
The next segment was the Cassier Highway. In 2010 when I was there it was pouring rain, so I had no idea what it really looked like. It was tree lined most of the way but large snow covered mountains appear on a the horizon. We got into some deep chats on this section and then we hit the junction of 37A after a few hours. Again a quick top off of gas so we didn’t have to rely on the one station in Stewart happened and we headed to Stewart/Hyder AK.
This is a beautiful stretch of road that has the ever shrinking Bear Glacier and eventually puts you in the metropolis of Stewart BC. :-)
The sun was at its worst position to take pictures. However, I got a good foot up pictures (see my last trip to AK and it was a thing).
<insert Video of 37A> Video to come.
As we got into Stewart we drove to the check address that had no lodging proprietor there. Shortly, a man in a van pulled up and said he was Martin and asked if Steve was there. He then had us follow him to the lodging house. When we got there he then told us that all of Stewart and Hyder had been in a power outage since yesterday and they hoped it would be on by 9 p.m. What that meant was most restaurants would be closed. He then said the pizza shop was still making pizzas to go though.
As we got off the bikes we decided to unpack and go to the Pizza place. We got there and it was locked up. The “gentlemen” that worked there was none to happy to tell us they had run out of pizza. So we had basically given up to eat my Oatmeal and Mac&Cheese that I carry for roadside meals. Before we did that, we all ate some hiking bars and decided to go to Hyder. On our way we saw the market was open and we got excited for better food options. So much when we got to Hyder we decided not to explore the vast shopping and tourist district, but to take some pictures and cross back into Canada. (That was sarcasm, Hyder doesn’t even have a store).
So we crossed into the US and took out pictures then headed back to the Canadian border station. We were grilled about what we were crossing the border with. Mind you the border guards could see us the whole time and nothing exists in Hyder AK that doesn’t come from Stewart, they don’t even take US currency there (Last time I stayed the night in the now closed SeaAlaska Inn).
Then to the market which was a full blown market. Most of use got sandwiches and drinks but Alf bought some sausages to cook on the grill. As we returned to the lodge, we sat in the yard at a table and ate our dinner. The sandwiches were great, the sausages were excellent so all in all it worked out and was enjoyable just to sit and eat and relax.
All in all it was a great day. Albeit a bit hot, that is much better than really cold and wet. Tomorrow we head to Watson Lake via the Cassier Highway and we enter the Yukon.
Phat Barstewards 