Driving North - WAY North...

You are now entering the Yukon Territory

Ya, the Yukon. Way north. After almost two weeks of great climbing in Squamish, with both Meghan and I getting a bit stronger, now both confidently leading 5.9 trad; and getting on some cool routes, including a 10-pitch (roughly 1000 feet) link-up of a couple of routes on 'The Chief', we got a day of rain. It started around noon, and wasn't really forecast to stop for almost a week, so we decided it would be a decent time to move on. So we started driving north. We headed up through BC, stopping in a few places along the way whenever there was cool stuff to see. At one point, we were just driving along the highway and 20 feet off the highway in a field we saw a bald eagle fighting with another large raptor (Golden eagle?, Immature bald eagle) over a deer carcass. It was an amazing sight. Of course, by the time I pulled out my camera, all I got was them flying away...

Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle (?)

We continued on, stopping at random places that looked cool, like this wildlife sanctuaries.

Another Golden Eagle?

Not sure what kind of bird this is.

We also made a bit of a side trip to Takysie (ta-Kai-zee) Lake, where a huge osprey population come to feed. We rented a canoe and took it out on the lake, and got to watch them in action. They soar overhead, scanning the lake for fish swimming too close to the surface for their own good. Once it spots its prey, it enters a steep dive, crashing into the water, often emerging with a fish cluthed in its talons. Quite a sight.

An osprey circles, searching for prey

Taking back off out of the water, unsuccessful on this attempt

Continuing on, we started up the Cassair Highway, driving north through western BC. On the advice of some random strangers we'd just met, we took the detour west from the highway out to Stewart, BC and it's sister city (hamlet...) of Hyder, Alaska. We were treated to beautiful mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls along the highway on the way there.

Hyder is home to a wildlife viewing area, known widely for the great viewing of predators that come to feed on the salmon as they make their way upstream. Black bears, grizzlies, wolves, and bald eagles frequent fish creek, above which a long boardwalk has been erected for viewing. The salmon had only begin to run when we were there, so all we saw was one black bear, a few bald eagles, and a beaver, but it was still pretty cool.

Hyder is only accessible by the one road through BC, and as such the Americans decided it wasn't even worth the effort to put in a border station. Make sure you have your passports with you though, because the Canadian side of the border is manned, and you could get yourself stranded (though the border guard seemed kinda bored, and was more interested in casual conversation that the usual official questions).

The "Wall of Tears" on the drive to Stewart

Bear Glacier

A beaver who had built his dam adjacent to the wildlife viewing platform outside Hyder, AK

Bald eagle posing for the photographers, not realizing it was a little too dark to get really good shots

After that little adventure, we headed back to the Cassair Highway and continued north up to it's terminus in the Yukon Territory at the Alaskan Highway. A immature black bear was nice enough to have his lunch right next to the highway, allowing me to get a couple of great shots with my new camera. The scenery here is also very pretty, with lakes, mountains, and unspoiled wilderness everywhere.

A black bear having some lunch beside the highway

He didn't seem to mind the camera (don't worry, I didn't even get out of the van to get these shots)

Lakes, wildflowers, and mountains

We're currently in Whitehorse, YT, where we'll spend the night tonight. Tomorrow we continue west to Haines Junction, YT, where we'll head south on another side trip to Haines, AK; home to the Chilkat Bald Eagle preserve, among other things. Should be fun.

Ian