Ahh........Back to Civilization

We have learned what it is like to not have cell phone or internet service.  After leaving Skagway we traveled through Teslin, Dease Lake, Stewart, and Smithers.  Even the internet service that was offered in the campgrounds was intermittent.  So, we have gotten behind in our posting of our trip.

The mountain views were awe-inspiring as we traveled to Teslin.  After arriving at Yukon RV Park we visited the George Johnston Museum.  He was a Native American who lived in the Teslin area all of his life.  He was bold and innovative. He was the first person who purchased a Kodak Brownie camera and documented events and activities of the residents.  Today he is still respected for his photos and praised for his efforts in chronicling the life of his clan.  In 1928 he purchased the first car in the Yukon when there were no roads.  That did not stop him.  He had it shipped by ship, and he cut

a road through the bush to get it to the Teslin.  You had to admire his ingenuity.  He took his car to cross the lake to go hunting in the winter but, the dark car was easy to spot against the snow.  So…he painted it white with house paint to blend in with the surroundings, and later in the year he gave it another coat of dark paint to again blend in with the darker foliage. 

On our way to Dease Lake we stopped at Jade City.  I was amazed at the size of the jade stones which were being cut.  All jade that I

had previously seen were small stones used to adorn jewelry.  The jade at this shop were as large boulders.  We watched the jade being cut by large circular saws into smaller pieces that could be carved into small statues or polished and used as jewelry.  We purchased a few items including new earrings for Bettie.

Next we traveled to Stewart which is near Hyder, AK.  Up to this point in the trip we had only seen bears in the distance or quickly moving along the road before disappearing into the bush.  We drove to Hyde which is known for bear viewing.  Hyder Park has a wooden boardwalk which is designed to be a safe way to watch bears close by in safety.  In the morning we saw a black bear catching fish but, no grizzle bears.  We left and drove to Salmon Glacier.  What a rough road….we traveled at 15 miles an hour but, the journey was worth it.  The road took us to a peak where we could look down on the glacier and appreciate the vast area that it covered. That evening we went back and saw two grizzle bears which were no more than 10 feet away.  Now I have a least a dozen pictures.  It was exciting.

We had our last dinner with the group at Smithers and headed to Bozeman on the Ice Fields Hwy. but, smoke from the over 120 forest fires prevented us from taking good photos of the amazing scenery.

Looking forward to the visit with the kids in Montana.