Day 8, 9 BC Hwy 16
Riding out of Jasper we caught our breath after the exhilaration of The Icefields Parkway. We then rode into a soothing countryside… Patches of farming and logging mixed into the rolling forests lush from the maritime influence of the Pacific moisture flow. The beauty came from the relaxing culture, the vibe, and again the continuing pristine pavement that our steeds loved.
We spent the night in Prince George, BC in an AirBnB fully equipped new apartment complete with everything we needed to launch off to New Hazelton the following day.
Day 10 BC Hwy 16 to Hwy 37 (The Cassier Hwy) Hwy 37a to Hyder, AK
The best thing about the Buckley Motel in New Hazelton was seeing that dump in our rear view mirror.
The road out of town quickly turned the views into a feast of mountain types we have never witnessed! Wow, that happens a lot on this trip. Many times I wish I had my good friend, neighbor, and master geologist George Hampton with his sweeping enthusiastic knowledge about the origins of the mountains and their formation as our traveling tutor!
As we descended into Stewart/Hyder fjord we began to see the massive glaciers in the upper reaches. This is Bear Glacier. Note sign to far right. If nobody is around does it matter?
Cameras cannot capture the deep blues that glow out of the depths of the countless crevasses. Waterfalls cascaded down the rocks above on all sides of the misty drive into town.
We also said hi to a beautiful black bear on the shoulder of the road. It’s a much different feel riding a few feet from a bear when exposed on a bike versus in the protective shield of a car!
Arriving in Stewart, BC which borders with Hyder, AK, we dropped our gear at the lodge to lighten our bikes and headed up the steep dirt road to the world’s largest road accessible glacier called the Salmon glacier. 48 miles round trip and on the way up we encountered a large grizzly bear in the road in front of us. He seemed to have no interest in having motorcycles pursue him and he ran for a 100 yards ahead then darted into the brush in front of us and disappeared. Umm…yes our pulse and breathing rate soared!
Motorcycle Adventure from Colorado to Alaska & Coast to Coast 