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The linchpin between
the Yellowhead and Alaska Highways, the Stewart-Cassiar Highway is
the only road that delivers adventurers to this awe-inspiring wilderness.
Sections are still unpaved, and services are few. Be prepared for
any eventuality, including encounters with passing bears and other
wildlife.
As you travel the Yellowhead Highway (Hwy 16) west from Prince
George, the fourth largest city in the province, you'll pass through
Burns Lake - a diminutive freshwater fishing paradise.
With almost twenty lakes nearby, this is the place for fishing, canoeing,
hiking, trail riding and exploring. Between Houston and Smithers,
the magnificent mountains of the Babine and Hazelton Range, and the
sheer pyramid of Mount Roche Deboule, is truly one of the most scenic
areas in the province.
Totems
in New Hazelton |
Turn north onto
the Stewart-Cassiar (Hwy 37) and follow a well-marked circuit in the
Hazelton Valley called the Trail of the Totems Tour. First,
stop to view the ceremonial poles in the village of Kitwanga,
one of several locations in the Hazelton region where such
poles are situated. The dozen poles here face the Skeena River beside
a century-old wooden bell tower and church. The weathered poles are
carved with an array of animal and humanlike images.
Then head north along the Cassiar Hwy (Hwy 37) to the small village
of Kitwancool to see what are reputed to be the oldest and
finest examples of totem poles in BC. Here are more than 20 poles,
some old, but also a trio of new ones. All are intricately carved
and very thought-provoking. Some of the tallest poles have been left
uncarved on their top halves and are surmounted by images of ravens,
bears, eagles, wolves, or humans. Nearby, a shed houses some of the
oldest poles, which have been laid to rest, beautifully weathered,
almost beyond recognition, with just an eye or a beak left to suggest
the original design. The three new poles mounted together directly
in front of the Gitanyow Band Council office are among the most intricately
designed ones of the whole group, and demonstrate that the carving
tradition here is stronger than ever.
The
Spectrum Mountain Range,
Mt. Edziza Provincial Park |
Stop again, this
time at Kitseguecla, a small Skeena River settlement near Hazelton,
to see their two poles, which are as wonderfully unique as any in
the region. Large sculptures grace the front yards of several homes
in the community. Drive slowly and smile - you're part of their view.
End the Totem Tour with a quick detour through Hazelton and Kispiox.
Pull into the 'Ksan Historical Village and Museum in Hazelton.
The village was originally called the Skeena Treasure House, and with
good reason, judging from its rich display of totems, jewellery, and
clothing. A museum in one of the long houses honours the Gitksan ancestors,
who were graced with such abundance that they had time to beautify
the items they carved for everyday use. Seven lovingly decorated long
houses are grouped together here at the confluence of the Skeena and
Bulkley Rivers. Several of the long houses are open to visitors at
no charge, while guided tours are offered of the Fireweed, Wolf, and
Frog clan houses for a small fee.
The Kispiox
ceremonial poles are the most animated of all, with carved tears dripping
off the faces of some figures whose eyes are inlaid with abalone.
On one, a human character holds a grease bowl in its arms, a reminder
that not only is this a modern-day trail, but also that it was once
part of a coastal 'grease trail' along which highly valued fish grease
obtained from eulachon (a sardine-sized fish whose body contains such
a high percentage of oil that it burns like a torch when dried) was
transported from the coast to the Interior. The views of the Skeena
River from here are staggering. Kispiox is built on high ground; about
18 miles (30 km) north of Hazelton on a paved side road, and its 18
poles have the appearance of being held in the palm of the Creator.
Back on Hwy 37, you're heading into the kind of wilderness that's
made the north famous, Mt. Edziza Provincial
Park and Spatsizi Plateau Wilderness
Provincial Park are home to hundreds of animal species. The Spatsizi
Plateau is one of the most important habitats for woodland caribou
in British Columbia, while both parks support a variety of wildlife,
including moose, grizzly and black bears, wolves, beavers, hoary marmots,
and more than 140 species of birds including gyrfalcons.
The village
of Iskut is the nearest "town"; just north of here, you'll
drive through a 70 km stretch of the spectacular
Stikine River Recreational Area. Stop and fill up at Dease Lake
before continuing through Cassiar country.
Melbern
Glacier in Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness Park |
Once you reach
the Alaska Highway, those who must find the real edge can travel west
through the extreme northwestern corner of the province to Atlin.
Along the way it runs alongside the immense, uninhabited wilderness
of the Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Wilderness
Park, which is in turn bordered on the north by Yukon's Kluane
National Park and on the south by Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park.
Up here, it's a tight little world of parks - the far northwest offers
explorers huge areas of unspoiled wilderness.
Nature,
it seems, conspires to keep this region a secret, but for those who
are prepared, the Stewart-Cassiar Highway supplies unimaginably rich
rewards. A handful of wilderness parks - Mount Edziza, Spatsizi Plateau,
Tatlatui, Atlin, and Tatshenshini-Alsek, cover some of the toughest
territory on the continent. Getting off the beaten path, even as meagre
a one as Highway 37 is a must for explorers; many areas can be reached
only be foot, horseback, helicopter, or floatplane. Those seeking
solitude can go for days or weeks in some areas without sharing this
rugged beauty with anyone else. Forged in fire, carved with ice, coloured
with sprawling verdant forests, crystalline blue lakes, and fragile
alpine meadows; welcome to the backcountry.
Continue
south on the Alaska Highway (Hwy 97) to Liard
Hot Springs; even in the depths of winter, which lasts eight months
here, the springs are hot enough to provide relief to weary adventurers.
Your next stop should be Muncho Lake Provincial
Park - Muncho Lake displays a perpetually blue hue, the result
of copper oxides leached from the bedrock. A little farther along
the highway is Stone Mountain Provincial
Park. The defining features of the park are the mountains; great
humps of raw stone rising from the valleys below, where only the barest
plant life
survives. You wouldn't expect to find much in the way of wildlife
here, and in truth, you won't find much on the bare slopes. But the
valleys are a different matter. Mountain caribou and Stone sheep winter
in some of the lower valleys, and mountain goats, moose and grizzly
and black bears also frequent the valleys. A number of bird species
live in the park, none more magnificent than the golden eagle. Enjoy
the rich and varied wilderness, a place where people are scarce, but
the exploits plentiful.
Next stop
is Fort Nelson, this is deep wilderness and offers true outdoor
enthusiasts some of the most pristine areas in this part of the province.
The jewel of this area is Kwadacha Wilderness Provincial Park. No
access by road, but guided hiking and horseback riding can be arranged.
Fort Nelson is a friendly town initially founded during the fur trade.
Don't miss the superb Fort Nelson Museum, showcasing the construction
era of the Alaska Highway. From Fort St. John, a busy modern
city that popped up as the oil and gas industries in this region expanded,
you'll arrive in Peace River Country. Visit the community of Hudson's
Hope, know as the Land of Dinosaurs, this area is where dinosaur
tracks were first discovered in North America. Return south on Highway
97 to Prince George, interesting stops visitors won't want
to miss include the breathtaking Bijoux Falls and the mammoth engineering
feat of the W.A.C. Bennet Dam. Or visit the vintage railway collections
at the Prince George Railway & Forestry Museum and tour Huble Homestead,
a fully restored early 1900s homestead and trading post.
Towns on or near this Route - Click on a town name to learn
more about that town.
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