July 7, 2022
Not a great day.
Room last night was overly warm, but not sure why. The only heat source in the room was the refrigerator which was set on max cool. I set it to min cool so it wouldn't shed so much heat, but didn't solve the problem completely. On the plus side, all my soaked gear dried by morning.
Got away fairly quickly at 8:30 after breakfast at A&W. Heavy clouds but not raining. Got one glimpse of the surrounding mountains but no more than the last time I passed through here. A half hour later "hell and high water" arrived. The rain started and didn't relent until after Kitwanga Junction where CA-16 meets BC-37 N.
Mountains are increasingly spectacular going west from Smithers but only if you can see them. For me scenery consisted of green trees, white fog, wide, swollen, fast flowing rivers and occasional glimpses of snow streaked mountains.
Fuel stops at Kitwanga Junction and Meziadin Junction. The latter is where BC-37A branches off down to Stewart. Here I discovered there is a cafe around back that mainly serves work crews who also house in a kind of barracks building on the premises. I had a nice bowl of soup and a sandwich.
37A to Stewart runs along a gorge next to the Bear River. In good weather it is stunning. Towering mountains rise on both sides with glaciers spilling off their faces. But today much of that was invisible. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow or when I leave on Saturday. And it was windy. I was craning my neck to look up at the mountains and suddenly realized the bike was being whipsawed back and forth by a powerful and erratic tail wind.
I've been looking forward to Stewart and Hyder all trip long. Maybe I should have stuck with my memories. The King Edward Hotel is under new management. Its restaurant no longer has a liquor license and I'm told the food is now only mediocre. Also, the fun crew that was here in 2019 is gone, including the asian woman who managed the restaurant and whom I found so intriguing. Worst of all the Bus Restaurant in Hyder is gone. I go away for 3 years and expect the world to remain exactly as I left it when I return. How unreasonable is that?
Day ended well with a good meal and conversation.
Tomorrow if weather is good I'll try to get some pictures.