Cassiar Highway

Along the Cassiar Highway

Departure at 7:15 with a temperature of 8°. After Hazelton, the landscape changes and is surrounded by high, jagged peaks and glaciers overlooking the valley. We stop for fuel at the station located at the intersection between Hwy 16 and Hwy 37, the notorious Cassiar Hwy., which is almost 750 km long, with 115 km of unpaved road, limited services, and virtually no overnight accommodation options. It must be completed in a single day! However, it has been improved over the past few years, and paving works are still underway. When asphalt resurfacing work is carried out, the old asphalt is melted at very high temperatures and mixed with new tar. This prevents the unnecessary transportation of raw materials for hundreds of kilometers. We pass through Kitwanga, which serves as a kind of gateway, and we cover the first 100 km, which are pleasant but not particularly exciting, through a hilly forest that is quite impressive. In Mezidin, we take a detour of 23 km towards Stewart in the west to admire the Bear Glacier that plunges into a glacial lake. Speaking of bears, while We return to the Cassiar. let's meet up a black bear I was trying to eat grass by the side of the road.

Arrival at Kitwanga

It has a playful appearance, but the photos we take from about ten meters away are strictly taken from the car. By around 2 PM, we enjoy the salmon "caught" yesterday at a Rest Area. The few vehicles we encounter, when not related to the many road construction sites or the transport of logs (limited to the southern part), are caravans pulled by pick-up trucks or campers with proportions completely unusual for European standards. Cars are scarce. last stretch of route 37 winds through low central hills, the road often has potholes despite being fully paved. Shortly before the intersection with the Alaska Highway (at 7:00 PM), we enter the territory of... Yukon, whose very name inspires respect just by thinking about the history this desolate land has witnessed. Near the junction, we spot a possibility for an overnight stay at the Nugget City bungalows, which includes a bar-restaurant and a shop selling souvenirs, as well as a petrol station. We take advantage of this last opportunity since the alternative heading west would cost at least another 200 km of travel! We have dinner with roast beef, but we particularly enjoy the homemade desserts made with local berries, which are plentiful. Before dinner, the temperature still reaches 27°, while mosquitoes begin to feast on our blood. Everywhere, the rooms are protected by sturdy mosquito nets, but it becomes difficult to protect yourself when you go outside. After dinner, we take advantage of the fact that at these latitudes, in summer, it's easy to stay up late for a walk as it gets dark around 10:30 PM. We are warned to make noise to scare away the bears that frequent the area. Along the path, I find a shovel and bang loudly against a rock to inform the bears that we are in the area. There are no animals to be seen, except for a beautiful sunset over the lake.