ISKUT & STEWART

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August 12 -13, 2011 Iskut & Stewart, BC
Our night in Watson Lake was quite interesting as we met the owner and hostess of the RV Park in their Restaurant for a dinner together. She was born and raised in the Yukon and the family owned and operated a Jade mine. We learned a lot about Jade which is a very hard stone. Apparently they have a large piece of Jade in front of the Jade Gift shop with a sledge hammer for you to try to break it. So far, no one has been successful!! We were able to get some great pictures of a stone cutter working on the Jade with a large saw. Inside the store there was a lot available to buy – figurines, jewelry, carvings etc. That evening we also met one of the best woodcarvers in the area who talked to us and showed us some of his work – magnificent.
Our campground for the night was in a place called Iskut and one of the most beautiful places we have stayed. The owners have built their own log home on the property with a view from the kitchen window across a river flat to the lake with the mountains behind. That evening we had another social time around to camp fire with cocktail frankfurters, beans, chips, crackers and cheese or salmon spread. Then the chocolate fountain was brought out with fresh strawberries, angel food cake, cookies and marshmallows!!! As you can tell, we are really “roughing it”!! Then there was the wine as well (which we do not care for). Next morning I walked down to the lake and got what I would say is the best picture on the whole trip – beautiful reflections in the still lake.
Our drive today took us down the Stewart Hwy. to the small township of Stewart. Unfortunately it was raining so we were not able to see the full majesty of the mountains; however we were able to experience the deep gorge along the glacial river with waterfalls and glaciers reaching right down to the road – so close. Later in the afternoon after we were all settled in our spaces a bus picked us up to take us across the border into Hyder, AK and about 20 miles up a wet gravel road to a place on the river where the grizzly bears come to feast on the salmon. The river was thick with fish. This area in now a National Park and a viewing platform has been built so you can safely watch and photograph the bears. There was only one bear in the river while we were there but we got some great pictures of him catching and eating the fish.

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