Today was the Cassiar Highway. Last nights weather continued and it was blue skies this morning and it held for the whole day. The last time I had travelled on the Cassiar, it was still about 1/3 gravel. This is not the case today and the only gravel was the repaired sections from the washout last month.
The northern part of the road was narrow two lane chip seal with no lane markings. There was very little traffic in either direction. I think I saw more bicycles and motorcycles than RVs or trucks.
Lots of mountains, lakes along most of the road. I was really tempted to head into Stewart-Hyder but decided not to add 80 more miles to this trip.
The southern end of the road was starting to look more like civilization with lane markings and much more traffic. And the last 70 miles from the Hyder turnoff to Kitwanga was starting to feel like Fairbanks with a lot of vehicles passing me up.
The Cassiar campground at Kitwnaga is pretty nice. They have a nice grassy area for tent camping and, besides me, there are two other riders on a couple of well outfitted GS's. Plus there's free wi-fi!
Not too many picture opportunities. I saw 3 black bear today crossing the road but didn't feel inclined to stop, pull off my gloves, dig out the camera all the while hoping they stay put. On the first day, I saw three moose, two black bear and two small grizzlys. And lastly, today I saw a fox running along the road.
Today was the Cassiar Highway. Last nights weather continued and it was blue skies this morning and it held for the whole day. The last time I had travelled on the Cassiar, it was still about 1/3 gravel. This is not the case today and the only gravel was the repaired sections from the washout last month. 
Posted with Blogsy
Richard, this is beautiful. Better get used to traffic, there will be more the further you get South ;-)
ReplyDeleteThis campground looks lovely. I hope you had a good night's sleep there.
I don't think I will ever get used to traffic. One of the reasons I left southern California...
DeleteKeep it coming mate, I lve ride reports, plenty of pics please, us winter bound kiwis need a fix.
ReplyDeleteBut your winter is like our Summer...
DeleteI'm going to try not to compare your ride with my little rides around the county. We all have our little joys! What a wonderful adventure you are on!
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying this adventure. Even the rain, not so sure about the heat...
Deletepractice taking pics with the gloves and helmet on ;) glad you enjoyed the cassiar it was one of my favorites earlier this year.
ReplyDeleteI guess I feel better stopping rather than being distracted by the camera. But that definitely means fewer pictures.
DeleteI am glad you had some blue sky and sunshine after the wet start of your trip. Things will heat up as you head south.
ReplyDeleteAnd lots of critters to see too. I can understand not wanting to stop and take pictures of every little thing - there is so much to see you'd never reach your destination.
Hope you don't run into too much traffic.
Once I got about 50 miles south of Prince George traffic let up a bit. And it is starting to get really warm.
DeleteIt seems rather more civilized than I had envisioned from the hard core stories on ADVrider. I hestitatet recommend but miss as little as you can along the way. My regrets are the places I didn't stop when in had the opportunity. A rigid schedule can defeatbthat good intention.. Above all have fun, the memories have to last.
ReplyDeleteAll those AdvRider ride reports want to make Alaska seem like a grand adventure. It's closer to a cross country trip 40 years ago not like Africa or Mongolia...
DeleteFortunately I don't have a rigid schedule.
Richard,
ReplyDeleteSeems like you're making pretty good time up there. I grew up too close to the city to want to get my camera out when a bear is near. No thanks, man, they'll tear your face off. We spent a couple of weeks in California and that's all they ever told us. Don't screw around with bears cause they'll tear your face off.
The site looks beautiful, though (and wifi, seriously?!) Nice. That makes a good day great.
Brady
Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
Yep, pretty good time. This is my first long motorcycle trip so I wasn't sure how many miles per day I could comfortably travel. Now I know that it's between 400-500 miles no problem.
DeleteI would also give bears a wide berth. Remember, I'm from Los Angeles...
Glad you got drier weather Richard but like Chris said, practice taking pics with gloves on....I'm thinking a neck lanyard for your camera perhaps.
ReplyDeleteI think you're going to miss the lonely roads soon....
Dom
I miss the lonely roads already and the cool temperatures too!
DeleteNice!! That is just beautiful country. I know you are probably used to it, but I still haven't s een it with mine own eyes. Gld the weather was great and tenting was dry.
ReplyDeleteAfter a while it all tends to look the same. I remember taking pictures then look at them later and can't figure out what I was thinking at the time.
DeleteIt only rained the first day and yesterday everything got dried out. And so far, the inside of the tent continues to be dry...