Bear Watching (Hyder, AK)

We made a day trip back into Hyder, AK since we heard from our fellow campers at Meziadin Lake that the pink and chum salmon were spawning and the bears were gorging themselves in the streams around town. We saw this black bear cross the road right towards us. At about 20 m away, it ducked under the boardwalk we were standing on to feast on the berries along the stream's banks. As the sun set at 10 pm, we were able to see a young grizzly fishing in the river and wrestling with the salmon it was having for dinner. The girls both fell asleep on the trip back to the camper and Mark and I saw about seven more bears at the edge of the highway before a multitude of stars was revealed.

The Swimming Lakes (Muncho, Boya and Meziadine)

After two days spent soaking in the steamy hot springs, we continued an hour's drive down the road to Muncho Lake Provincial Park. The weather was a balmy 18 degrees and we decided to settle down for a few days of rest and relaxation. We went for daily and nightly swims in the 15 degree water and drank mugs of hot chocolate to recover from the hypothermic lake. 

From Muncho Lake, we returned to Watson Lake to get supplies before continuing down the Cassiar Highway to the hidden gem of Boya Lake Provincial Park in northern BC. With waters of turquoise blue and hikes along the lakeshore, it was a memorable place to spend the night. The water was slightly warmer at about 16 degrees and Mark amazed us all when he swam across the lake to the distant shore without freezing midway!

Our next stop was Meziadin Lake Provincial Park at the southern terminus of the Cassiar Highway. We spent two nights on the shores of this beautiful lake filled with sockeye salmon. We swam in the glacial waters and lounged in the brilliant sunshine. The park had a resident grizzly on the prowl and a mama black bear with two cubs, so we had to keep a close eye on the ladies to keep them from turning into someone's dinner!

Muncho Lake, BC

Boya Lake, BC

Meziadin Lake, BC

Liard Hot Springs

From Alaska, we headed back into the Yukon and beautiful Kluane National Park. The road from Tok remains a rough one and we were happy to pull into Cottonwood RV Park. Five minutes after parking the camper, we looked at a deflated camper tire and Mark let out a long sigh. It had been an exhausting day on the road and this was our fourth flat tire of the trip. It was drizzling and everyone just wanted to eat something and collapse into bed. As he hauled out the jack and got to work changing the tire, this rainbow appeared over the lake and everyone's mood brightened. Sometimes you just need a little reminder that the sun is still up there somewhere.

The next day, we stopped in Whitehorse for lunch, groceries and a quick tire change before continuing out of town. God bless the invention of the portable dvd player, as it bought us an hour or more of sweet silence before arriving in our campsite for the night.

We set our sights on Liard Hot Springs the next day and passed right beside a herd of bison foraging near the side of the road. I didn't even realize there were herds of wild bison left roaming around the Yukon! When we finally pulled into the campground, everyone was giddy to get into the steaming hot pools. Our tight muscles relaxed and the girls made fast friends with two kids from Sundre. We spent the next day soaking for a few hours in the morning and evening getting good and wrinkly. They explored the muddy caves along the banks of the hot pools and climbed onto the tree which served as a balance beam stretching across the steamy waters.We saw moose near the hot springs and there was a mama black bear and two cubs near the boardwalk to the pools, so we had to keep a close watch on our little cubs.

Kluane Lake, Yukon

Liard Hot Springs

Valdez, Alaska

We arrived in Valdez, AK yesterday in the rain. All day and all night it has been wet and grey with the famed mountains of Prince William Sound shrouded in fog and low lying clouds. We caught glimpses of glaciers and waterfalls during our drive from Thompson Pass, but the spectacular scenery of the area has been hidden behind a veil of mist and fog. We ventured out to tour the town last night in the drizzle and and Mark posed for pictures at "The Fat Mermaid." We wandered the marina and got the forecast for the rest of the week which calls for rain, as much as 40-50 mm on some days! (Of course, this town also gets 40 feet of snow every winter!)

Despite the wet weather, we decided to stay an extra day to tackle laundry, homeschooling and blog updates before heading off to Tok, AK. Mark took the girls fishing from shore at Allison Point this afternoon in the hopes of letting the girls practice their casting while reeling in the pinks. They saw Stellar sea lions gorging themselves on salmon and the girls were able to catch fish on their own. Heidi grabbed the fish with her hands and was able to catch them like a grizzly bear. Nicole even had a pink salmon release her eggs all over her when she held it up for a photo. The hatchery at low tide stinks like something awful and Nicole caught a fish head and they both played around with "zombie" pink salmon. We have the makings for halibut fish and chips tonight for dinner and TV for the first time in 3 months, so I'm sure the kids will be happy!

Heidi is rocking these accessories at Fred Meyer

The girls practice casting en-route to Valdez

Allison Point - Fish Hatchery in Valdez, AK