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Highway to Stewart
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Glacier on mountain behind Stewart
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Glacier gives birth to falls
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Stewart Boardwalk to Portland Canal
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Stewart main street
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Waterfalls veil
Story & photos by Barb Rees
Gigantic glaciers and fabulous falls
A photographer’s dreamscape waits when you head north on #37, the Stewart-Cassiar Highway. It’s a land filled with retreating ancient glaciers, which create awe-inspiring cascading waterfalls. It’s a trip of WOW moments, so get your camera ready.
Our first stop was Meziadin Provincial Park (152 km from Kitwanga) beside beautiful green Meziadin Lake with 66 campsites snuggled up to the lake and the hill. Eighteen of those have power and the park is open from May 1 (or when the snow leaves) to September 30. www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks
Leaving our lovely lakeside spot we took a day trip up #37A to Stewart, BC. What a spectacular 62 km of towering mountains draped with gigantic glaciers, some of which are accompanied by magnificent falls. At every corner it was another “Stop I need to get that picture.” It’s a good thing we now have a 24 ft C-Class, which makes it much easier to pull over for a photo op. Three glaciers with waterfalls on the sides of fall coloured mountains got our attention in short order. Dave pulled onto a side road so I could get a better picture of the back of a glacier and we got more than we bargained for. There in front of us was a waterfall showering over the rocks like a bridal veil. What a gift. It turned out we were taking pictures of the back of Bear Glacier, which we saw in all its blue wonder around the next corner. At one time the glacier was closer to the road but it has since receded creating a lake before it.
There were more “oh look at that” moments and then we rounded a corner and Dave slammed on the brakes with a “Holy Smokes.” He pointed hundreds of feet above us to the top of a glacier-capped mountain. The glacier was birthing a waterfall, which dropped straight off the top. I’ve never seen anything like it.
Many more glaciers and waterfalls later we crossed Bear River Bridge where the Bear River Trailer Court and RV Park sits beside the river. There is also Rainey Creek Municipal Campground in town.
The area’s history goes back to the Nisga’a who called Portland Canal ‘Skam-A-Kounst’ meaning ‘safe house’ because it was where they would retreat when they were being harassed by the Haida or Tlingit. In July of 1793, Captain George Vancouver found the canal and named it Portland Canal. Mining claims started as early as 1899 north of Granduc, which would become a thriving copper mine leading to the growth of Stewart.
In 1910, Silbak Premier Mines were staked producing 4,700,000 tons of gold, silver and copper from 1924-1953. Granduc operated from 1904-1942. Walking the street is a walk back in time. Pre-World War One, the population was 10,000, a far cry from today at fewer than 500. People come here for the fishing, hiking, scenery, or bear watching. “Toasters” is a funky café filled with antiques, and there is an unusual collection of hundreds of antique toasters at the Ripley Creek Inn. We had a delicious lunch immersed in the ambiance of a bygone era.
Only three kilometres away you can cross the unguarded border to Hyder, Alaska. The big drawing card there is to get “Hyderized” at the 1929 ‘Glacier Inn’ where in 2009 we bravely gulped a shot glass of 150% alcohol to earn the Hyder card. That’s being Hyderized. The walls back then were covered with $85,000 in bills.
A short jaunt up the road is Fish Creek with a boardwalk-viewing platform, so visitors can see the grizzlies safely. However, there were so few bears this summer we didn’t bother going. Farther up the road is Salmon Glacier. It is a mind-blowing experience according to those who have experienced it, but it’s still on our bucket list.
Our trip back to Meziadin was filled with more WOW waterfalls and glaciers. At one point a glacier sat close to the road. And we gaped at the yawning mouth of an ice cave at its base. This drive is one that awes and astounds. Take your time, and have your camera ready.