When we turned onto the spur road that leads to Hyder, it was like entering Jurassic Park. With mountains encroaching on either side, emerald green trees and bushes lining the roadway, and wispy clouds hovering just above ground level, it was a surreal scene...other worldly, for sure. Excitement peaked when we spotted Bear Glacier just off the highway.
Hyder is the southernmost, easternmost town in Alaska, although calling it a town is a stretch by any standard. To get to Hyder requires going through the village of Stewart, BC (modest in its own right), unless you come by boat via the Portland Canal, at least 75 miles from the Inside Passage. Where the pavement ends, Hyder begins. There is no border crossing, no one cares who comes to Hyder.
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| Stewart, BC |
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| Low Tide |
To call Hyder quirky is an understatement. There are no taxes, no government of any sort, and any services absolutely necessary (banking, power, etc) are secured from Stewart.
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| Honest John's Roadside Restaurant |
There are two reasons people come to Hyder: gorgeous scenery and bear watching. A possible third reason is to escape the law, ex-wives, bill collectors, etc. Surrounded by mountains, forests, glaciers, rivers and waterfalls, the scenery is incomparable. And when the salmon are running up Fish Creek, the bear watching is super good. In fact, the Forest Service built a boardwalk overlooking the creek to permit safe observation for the thousands who come for that reason. Unfortunately, my camera and skill at that time were not up to the challenge of photographing at the times the bears come through: pre-sunrise and post-sunset. In the dark, I got lots of blurry photos, much to my regret.
Since the bears usually ate only the salmon's roe, there were lots of eagles on hand to enjoy the remains.
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