Almost everyone…

…I’ve met on the road has recommended taking the Stewart-Cassiar highway on my way back through British Columbia and, from there, venturing onto Route 38A to Stewart-Hyder if I did. I have not been let down yet from advice given by fellow travelers and that record today remains intact. Stewart is in BC; Hyder in Alaska. You can walk back and forth between the two. At one time, similar to other parts of Alaska and Canada, gold was the big draw and the two towns’ population boomed to 10,000; now, fewer than 500 inhabit the area year-round. The Glacier Bay highway (Rte 38A) might well be one of the most scenic roads I’ve seen on the trip so far and the Tongass National Forest, with hemlock, towering Sitka pine and a variety of other densely packed plant life, is breathtaking. I was too early to see the bears fishing for salmon (the timing varies from year to year), but when they do you can watch them from a platform in Hyder on Fish Creek only 30 feet away. BTW, Stewart has six major motion pictures to its credit, including The Thing with Kurt Russell and Insomnia with Robin Williams.