RV ALASKA - Misery at Meziadin

Maybe our expectations were too high; maybe our timing was all wrong.  Whatever the reason, our run down the Cassiar Highway – at least in reference to wildlife sightings – was definitely not all we had hoped for.  The drive from Kinaskan Lake Provincial Park to Meziadin Lake Provincial Park was a delightful treat with beautiful scenery everywhere.  It would have been much more enjoyable if some of God’s critters had made an appearance.  My disappointment made me think of the old proverb, “If wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.”  Meziadin Lake, however, did NOT disappoint!

Date(s) – August 18th

Total Miles Traveled to Date – 14,177

Wildlife Sightings to Date – No wildlife along the Cassiar Highway.  Again.  What’s with that?!  Luckily, thanks to the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site in Hyder, Alaska, the day was not a total bust.  We saw 1 black bear and 1 brown bear there.  (Brown bears - that’s what grizzlies that live in coastal areas of Alaska are called.)  Yay!  More bears!  You can never see too many bears!

Now, our current tally of wildlife sightings is: 1 fox; 4 feral horses; 1 ptarmigan; 1 osprey; 97 eagles (including 2 fledglings); 4 seagull chicks; 16 swans (including 2 fuzzy cygnets); 9 sea lions; 27 seals; 17 sea otters; 4 cow moose; 1 bull moose; 5 grizzly bears (including a sow with 2 cubs and the back end of one grizzly retreating into the brush); 8 black bears; 1 coyote; 1 snowshoe hare; 3 rabbits (including one very fast bunny that just managed to cross the road safely); several small herds of bison with at least 2 dozen young calves; 9 deer (2 of them bucks with their racks covered in velvet); 9 mountain goats (including 3 tiny and adorable kids); 23 bighorn sheep; 62 elk (including 7 calves that hadn’t yet lost their spots and a number of bull elk with full racks covered in velvet); several small herds of pronghorn antelope (including 2 mamas with 3 newborn fawns between them); 3 great blue herons; dozens of American white pelicans; at least a half dozen families of adult geese with goslings; and several dozen ducks (with lots of little ducklings).

Highlight(s) of the Day – The scenery continued to impress.  I found it rather surprising that we had been on the road for weeks upon weeks in Alaska and western Canada, and there were very few days when we didn’t see spectacular sights during our travels.  So many magnificent mountain ranges, swift running rivers and serene lakes dot this landscape that I don’t see how anyone could be disappointed.

Meziadin Lake Provincial Park was another gem!  Even though we arrived early, the lakefront sites were all taken.  Still, we enjoyed this park tremendously.  Canada’s public parks continue to rate extremely high on our list and have earned our appreciation yet again here at Meziadin Lake.

The drive from our base camp at Meziadin Lake down through Stewart, British Columbia, and on into Hyder, Alaska, was stunning – mountains, glaciers, waterfalls!  It reminded me of the drive through Thompson Canyon when we were on our way to Valdez.  Since we had decided to leave the trailer at Meziadin Lake and commute down to Hyder, the incredible scenery made the 2 hour round trip exceptionally enjoyable.

The Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site in Hyder, Alaska, was excellent!  This wildlife viewing facility is operated by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to allow structured and safe bear viewing along Fish Creek.  Well, as safe as is reasonably possible when the salmon are running and the bears are hungry.  While we had been overly conservative in our outdoor activities in grizzly country up until now, even I didn’t have concerns about visiting this observation site.  Because Fish Creek runs right along the road and because bears often cross the road to get to the creek, exposure to risk is the greatest when you’re in the parking lot – especially the second lot, farther away from the entrance.  The USFS advises that you move promptly from your car to the specially designed boardwalk to reduce your risk of inadvertently running into a bear.

The boardwalk is sturdily built, but I believe its protection comes more from the fact that the bears expect people to be there and have learned they’re not a threat when they’re on the boardwalk.  Honestly, if a bear really wanted a bite out of you, I don’t think that boardwalk would offer 100% protection.  Personally, I had no problem betting on the expertise of the USFS, and I was completely comfortable walking the boardwalk watching, waiting and hoping for a bear to appear.  (So was Alan.)  That was until I realized that the staff wasn’t carrying anything more powerful than bear spray for protection just like we were.  I definitely would have preferred seeing .44 Magnums on their hips next to their canisters of bear spray, but what do I know?

Just as we were parking the truck, word was spreading that a large black bear was at the edge of the woods near the creek. It was still very early in this particular salmon run, so we were lucky that we appeared at the same time this bear did.  The USFS expected the number of visiting bears to increase as did the number of salmon.  I was impressed by the older USFS staff member manning the entrance booth.  He encouraged us to go see the bear first, then come back and pay our entrance fee.  Granted, if they didn’t get our $11.00 each for a three day pass, the USFS wouldn’t be in the hole for much.  Still, it was refreshing to find someone more concerned about the experience than the dollars.  We did see the black bear, but not much of him or her before it disappeared into the brush.  We (and a number of other visitors) patrolled the boardwalk, hoping for a reappearance, but it was not to be.  So, no photo, but at least we got to see a big, beautiful black bear.

What I liked about the facility is that each USFS staff member carried a radio, so the reports of a bear sighting went out immediately to the entire staff.   Because of the radio contact, we decided to hang out by the USFS guy at the end of the boardwalk.  When he left to refill his water bottle, the very kind gentleman who had encouraged us to go see the black bear came out in his place.  I really liked that guy!  I just wish I had gotten his name so that I could give credit where credit is due.  At this observation site, you pretty much just sit around hoping that one or more bears will show up.  So, while we waited, we chatted up Mr. Friendly.  At age 17, he left his home town of Hyder (current population: 16 – yes, seriously) to attend college in the state of Washington.  It wasn’t long before he realized that life in the lower 48 wasn’t for him, and he returned to Hyder.  In the winter, he’s a heavy equipment operator and plow driver; in the summer, he signs on for a temporary position with the USFS.  What I liked about him was his enthusiasm for the bears and for helping people to see the bears.  All of the USFS staff members we talked with at the observation site were extremely knowledgeable about bear behavior and very willing to answer questions from their visitors.

At one point during our conversation with Mr. Friendly, a radio call went out indicating that a brown bear was spotted by the bridge near the entrance to the boardwalk.  Mr. Friendly took off like a shot, with a string of visitors walking very briskly behind him.  When we arrived at the bridge, the bear had disappeared into the brush, but all hands were on deck (literally) watching for a reappearance.  Suddenly, Alan spotted the brown bear up on the road!  I saw it, too, but I sacrificed my photo to quickly find and tell Mr. Friendly.  Later, after the bear had taken off for parts unknown, I mentioned to Mr. Friendly that I had given up the opportunity to get a photo of the brown bear in order to find him.  He laughed and assured me that my sacrifice was appreciated.  He also laughed about the Forest Service’s cardio exercise program for guests in reference to the brisk trot he led back to the bridge.  THIS is the kind of person that enriches our experiences and makes them extraordinarily memorable, and I will always remember Mr. Friendly with gratitude.  So, yes, one black bear, one brown bear and no photos.

Lowlight(s) of the Day – We had no reservations in place for the time we’d be spending in Canada on our return to the lower 48 – and I was okay with that.  As long as we were in Washington when our reservations kicked in late in August, we were golden.  During our time in Canada, we were free to adjust our schedule as we saw fit.  We chose to camp at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park due to its proximity to Hyder.  And we were lucky to get a spacious and private campsite on the day we arrived.  When Alan and I saw how beautiful the lake was and noted the campsites at the water’s edge, we decided to extend our stay – if we could snag one of those waterfront sites the next day.  Meanwhile, once we got the trailer set up, we decided to make a run to Hyder, thinking that late afternoon might be a good time to see bears.  But what if we weren’t around when the campground operator came to collect our camping fee?  We left a note clipped to our post to let him know where we were and that we’d be back later to pay.  (I REALLY don’t like this system AT ALL.)  Well, he never came around, and we ended up driving around that evening to find him.  He said that he saw the note on our post when he drove by and assumed it was our tag.  It seemed to me that he wasn’t very good at bookkeeping if he didn’t realize that we hadn’t paid for the site.  That was Annoyance #1.  We then asked him about the possibility of moving to a waterfront site the next day.  We had been thinking about it, but we overheard someone at the Fish Creek Observation Site say that a grizzly had been at the beach in the campground the evening before.  That upped our interest in staying considerably.  The campground operator told us that one of the sites was opening up, and we could just move down there when we saw the current campers pull out.  We offered to pay him then and there for the waterfront site, and he declined the payment, saying he would catch up with us the next day.  Fine.  So, Alan and I changed our plans to return to Hyder early the next morning, figuring we could go later in the day after we had changed campsites or even the morning after that since we had days to play with in our schedule.  The next morning, we were keeping an eye on “our” site, but the folks were slow in packing up.  We kept watching and waiting.  Then we saw the campground operator talking to a couple with a small Class B, and the B moved over in front of “our” site.  We figured that the campground operator had just given away the site that he knew we planned to move to that morning.  So, we tracked him down and asked.  He tried to cover it up, but the bottom line was that he also told the couple in the Class B about the site opening up.  With their rig being small and easy to maneuver, they were able to just wait in front of the site so they’d be ready to move in when the current campers left.  That went above and beyond Annoyance #2.  We were NOT happy.  I understand that the campground operator can’t guarantee site availability when there was no reservation.  HOWEVER, could he not have had the courtesy to double-check our intentions before broadcasting the waterfront site’s availability?  He knew darn good and well that we were planning to move to that site, and Alan and I both thought he handled the situation poorly.  To me, it speaks volumes about his integrity – or lack thereof.  We were so ticked off that we decided to continue our southbound journey and forego another visit to Hyder.  That was the single worst incident that occurred at a campground during the entire expedition, and it’s a shame that the wonderful Provincial Parks system in British Columbia has such a piss-poor ambassador.  Excuse my French.

A second incident occurred while we were at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park that also left a bitter taste in my mouth.  We stopped for gas at a station in Meziadin Junction on our way to Hyder.  Alan and I usually take turns pumping gas and that turn was mine.  When I had finished pumping, the receipt didn’t print.  Annoyance #3.  Non-printing receipts have annoyed the heck out of me since our kids were little.  If Alan wasn’t with me, I’d have to get the kids out of their car seats just to go in for a receipt.  I actually stopped going to one particular gas station in a convenient location to home because it happened so often.  But I digress.  At Meziadin Junction, I went into the station, spotted a young man at the register and said, “Good morning!” as I approached him.  He didn’t say a word.  Unbeknownst to me, he had already printed out my receipt and it was sitting on the counter.  He flicked it toward me with a smirk (what’s with that!), and never said a word.  Look folks, I’m an introvert, but I always make it a point to cheerfully greet cashiers, restaurant servers and anyone else like that with whom I come into contact.  Alan does, too.  When someone can’t respond to a “Good morning!” with even just a smile or a nod, that gets me.  I can’t say that we were sorry to see Meziadin Lake in our rearview mirror.  It really was sad that the actions of two local people made such bad impressions and tilted our experiences there into negative territory.  Not good for tourism.

Campground(s) – Meziadin Lake Provincial Park was as lovely as any of the other Canadian parks in which we had camped.  Our site even had electricity!  It was quite private, with tall stalks of unusual, but pretty, flowers forming sort of a hedge all around us.  Even if we weren’t able to get a waterfront site, we probably would have stayed in that one another day or two.  We paid $27.00 per night (Canadian dollars) for our campsite with electricity – which torpedoed our carefully calculated $20.00 per night spending plan for provincial parks.  Alan and I wouldn’t return to Meziadin Lake simply due to our experience with the campground operator.  Once burned, twice shy.  (Apparently, my mind is just full of proverbs today.)  Still, it is a beautiful park.  And, just in case you’re interested, Meziadin Lake Provincial Park is closed to the public for the rest of the 2024 season due to an escalation of bear activity.  See, we probably would have seen another grizzly!

Tip(s) – If you plan to visit the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site in Hyder, my suggestion would be to pack food and drinks and plan to stay awhile.  (Food and drinks MUST be left in your vehicle and consumed there for safety reasons because, well, bears.)  There is just no way of knowing if and when a bear might appear.  Mr. Friendly told us that early morning and evenings are the best times, but he also said that the bears have and do appear at any time during the day.  Their appearances are unpredictable, that’s why it really is a sit and wait kind of place.  If we return in the future, we’ll pack food and drinks and plan to stay for at least several hours.  I’d also bring a book or something else to pass the time.  Since the USFS staff has radios, and they’re all watching for bears, I don’t think many would sneak past even if I had my nose in a book.  I do think the U. S. Forest Service deserves a round of applause for maintaining this facility, giving those of us with a fascination for bears a (fairly) safe and excellent opportunity to see them in the wild.

Observation(s) – We thought the Customs setup at Stewart, British Columbia, and Hyder, Alaska, was kind of odd.  You have to drive through Stewart to get to Hyder.  Canada maintains a Customs outpost there at the border; the United States does not.  So, anyone can drive into Hyder, but you might not get out if you don’t remember your Passport.  Sure enough, on our way back to Meziadin Lake, the Canadian Customs Officer stopped us to question us.  We found that rather intriguing.  If you don’t actually live in Hyder, really the main reason for going there is the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site.  And if you drive to Hyder, you’re going to drive back – unless you hitch a ride on an ocean-going vessel.  Ah!  Maybe that’s why Canada maintains an outpost in Stewart – as an attempt to stop the smuggling of drugs or other contraband.  And maybe, with only 16 residents, there aren’t enough people in Hyder to staff a U.S. Customs office – and no reason to.

Fun Fact(s) – Hyder, Alaska, is so small that the community uses Canadian money instead of American dollars.  (No cash is accepted at Fish Creek – only cards.)  There are no banks in Hyder; everyone does their banking in Stewart, British Columbia.  So, what’s the sense of walking around with American dollars in your pocket?

Pics(s) of the Day

These first five photos were taken on the Cassiar Highway between Kinaskan and Meziadin Lakes.

Camera?  Check.  Binoculars?  Check.  And no bears on the Cassiar.

These seven photos were taken along Highway 37A between Meziadin Junction and Hyder

That small building in the background is the entrance to the observation deck at Fish Creek.

I'm thinking a bear could easily climb over that if he really wanted to.

Fish Creek

And here are the salmon that are in Fish Creek!

Gorgeous Meziadin Lake!  Just think - one of those sites could have been ours!

But Site #27 served us well, just the same.

Up Next – Well, we didn’t really know what was next!  We only had another half day on the Cassiar Highway (last chance in the famous wildlife corridor!), and then we’d turn east on the Yellowhead Highway, heading toward the city of Prince George.  Slowly, but surely, we were making our way through western Canada.  Hmm.  Wonder where our next “home” will be?