Day 19 Rabid Grizzly to Lava Bed BC Park July 27th

Today had a little bit of everything, highs a low and some wows and a few wrong turns. Diving down hwy 37, I pull off at Kinaska Lake BC Park, it’s still early just 8 am but I’m pulli 

ng off for a lay down break. About ½ an hour later, take a look at the lake and notice Old Man of the Forest boletes a choice find in choice condition.

Leaving there I continue down hwy 37 and I do mean down, for the last 200km it seemed that I have been going downhill all the time which can’t be right.  I pulled in for a late breakfast at the Lost Frontier Heliskiing Lodge.

Lost Frontier Heliskiing Lodge turns out to be a great place for breakfast, both for offering he best breakfast of the trip and likely for the last couple of months, but also really good value. $15 for coffee, 3 egg cheese omelet, roasted not fried hash browns, the best ever, toast and a little fruit to finish even a few of those wild strawberries.  I plug in the computer, no internet for walk-ins but I get some needed photo editing done. Turns out the guys behind me are miners talking shop. Even though there is no skiing in the summer the lodge is ½ full with mine bosses, they provide helicopter transport to remote mine sites and full service lodging.

Continuing to head south on 37, I see the first of many black bears running across the road.  Arriving at Meziadin Junction I pull off for fuel $1.225 and notice that my rear right tire is low and getting lower fast, I pull  away from the pumps and its flat within 20 yards. Fixing the very bold tire takes about an hour, I look at the other side and it too needs to be replaced very soon, driving without a spare tire for a while does not feel good.  

I return to the hwy thinking I’m on 37 but it has become 37A, which turns out to be a 62km wrong turn.  37A to Stewart is a fantastic drive; the road descends into a meadow and I get a real whiff of pine forest scent, the trees get bigger and you see a real lushness to the forest. Before long I see glaciers peeking over the mountains (Ludec Glacier) on both sides of the hwy. There is one glacier that comes all the way down the mountain to a glacier fed river. Several large waterfalls feed the river giving it that light aqua colour, the road narrows and it descends deeper into a gorge.  A few twists and turns things level out and the valley widens, I’m getting nearer to Stewart, a forest town, in the business of cutting down old growth forest in the area and by the road side, also provides Heli fly overs to the glacier.  

Just past the gorge area of 37A I get a really great picture of another bear, eating orange coloured raspberries.  This time I’m out of the car and looking down to the bear from behind a barrier of a bridge. Driving back you see things you did not see before, more glaciers and more waterfalls.

Returning to hwy 37, it is not long before I see the 3^rd bear also crossing, than another and the sixth bear is at the side of the road.  I switch lenses and back the car up, it starts to walk up hill towards the forest and then turns around facing me sits down and starts to scratch a perfect pose

I intended to take Wheel Drive a 60km dirt road to Ness Camp but missed the turn only realizing my mistake at Kitwange some 78km past; to make up, I turn onto 46 West passing through Seven Sisters Peaks and start to see several fishermen along the river, I guess the salmon are starting to arrive. 

 Pulling into Terrace, I look at the municipal camp ground. I located on an island within the river. There is a big sign saying “bear in the park”, it’s very busy cost $26 with 1 bundle of wood, I decide to move on. Driving north on hwy 113 I look at Rosswood I pass municipal camp ground, but stop to take pics of abandoned buildings and then decide to go back and look at the camp. $5 includes wood, however they have had a forest fire and so the camp ground is among the dead trees.

Returning to hwy 113 I see what would have been the best bear picture ever, right where was standing taking old building pictures and mother bear and two cubs walk across the road. So while I’m taking pictures walking through the high grasses unbeknownst to me there is a mother bear with two cubs likely very close by, bring to bears seen today to 10.

Highway 113 goes though Nisaga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park and I pull into the camp ground. $16, no wood around but I have some. Very small camp just 16 sites but each site is very big and at least 10 years apart.