Grizzly sow eating a hearty breakfast of salmon and berries. Photo © Donna Hull.
By DONNA HULL
Welcome to week two of the Alaska Highway road trip where my husband, Alan, and I are exploring Northern British Columbia, Yukon and Alaska. Last week we took a Prince Rupert Ferry Ride. This week, we’ve driven to Stewart, B.C., Hyder, Alaska and Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. And we’ve checked Cassiar Highway and Alaska Highway off our “to drive” list. So what was the highlight?
On a misty morning at the edge of the Tongass National Forest near Hyder, Alaska, we walked a wooden boardwalk waiting for wildlife to appear at the edge of a salmon-filled creek. Suddenly a large female grizzly ambled through the rushing water alternating between feeding on salmon and berries. Photographers and wildlife watchers alike stood in the misty cold for an hour as our bear ate a hearty breakfast.
The Fish Creek Wildlife Observation site offers the chance to view grizzlies, black bears, eagles and wolves interacting with their environment as they feed on spawning salmon. The area is reached by driving on 37A, a side road off the Cassiar Highway, through mountainous terrain to the head of the fjord (also known as Portland Canal) at Stewart, B.C. Fish Creek Wildlife Observation site is just a few miles beyond Stewart and over the U.S. border in Hyder, Alaska.
Next week, our journey takes us to Dawson City in the Yukon as well as Tok and Palmer, Alaska. We’ll be driving the Klondike, Top of the World, Taylor and Glenn Highways. Will gold rush history be the highlight or is there a spectacular glacier viewing in our future? Check back next week to find out.
See the entire Boomer’s In Missoula Archive.
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Donna L. Hull writes about active travel for baby boomers at My Itchy Travel Feet, The Baby Boomer’s Guide to Travel. She is also the author of My Itchy Travel Feet, Breathtaking Adventure Vacation Ideas, available at Amazon Kindle, Nook and iTunes. See all of Donna Hull’s blogs.
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