{"id":6873,"date":"2016-11-14T08:10:54","date_gmt":"2016-11-14T15:10:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=6873"},"modified":"2019-10-16T20:59:22","modified_gmt":"2019-10-17T02:59:22","slug":"the-salmon-glacier-near-hyder-alaska-8-5-16","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/?p=6873","title":{"rendered":"The Salmon Glacier near Hyder, Alaska (8-5-16)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Day 7 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska.<\/em><\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP\u00a0hit the road again early (6:20 AM), still heading NW on Yellowhead Hwy No. 16.\u00a0 A cool, light rain fell under overcast skies.\u00a0 Lupe was happy.\u00a0 Vast forests continued to dominate, but every now and then\u00a0the Carolina Dog\u00a0had an opportunity to bark at cows or horses in fields near the road.\u00a0 The miles flew by.<\/p>\n

The day seemed to be getting darker, instead of brighter,\u00a0when\u00a0Lupe passed through Smithers in rain and fog.\u00a0 High mountains were close to Smithers, the first high mountains Lupe had seen since before reaching Prince George yesterday.\u00a0 Lupe was approaching adventure territory once again!<\/p>\n

On the way to New Hazelton, the rain stopped.\u00a0 The skies started clearing.\u00a0 It was going to be a bright day after all!\u00a0 After passing through New Hazelton, Yellowhead Highway No. 16 turned SW for a while.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP stopped for a short break at Sealy Lake.\u00a0 A sign told of an ancient water-grizzly named Medeek.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
This plaque at Sealy Lake tells of the ancient water-grizzly Medeek.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe went down to Sealy Lake.\u00a0 The lake was a small one with reeds near the shore.\u00a0 Impressive mountains were near Sealy Lake to the SE, but they weren’t what held SPHP’s interest.\u00a0 Across Sealy Lake, mountains with large snowfields on them were seen in the distance to the W.\u00a0 Before Lupe reached those mountains, she would turn N on the Cassiar Highway No. 37.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe at Sealy Lake. Before she reached the mountains seen in the distance beyond the lake, Lupe would turn N on the Cassiar Highway No. 37. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A little later on, Lupe was there, at the junction.\u00a0 Getting to the Cassiar Highway No. 37<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0was kind of a big deal.\u00a0 The Cassiar was going to be\u00a0Lupe’s road to adventure!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe at a sign near the junction of Yellowhead Highway No. 16, which she had been following ever since leaving Jasper in Alberta, and the Cassiar Highway No. 37.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lupe about to head N on the Cassiar Highway No. 37.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As Lupe and SPHP traveled N on Cassiar Highway No. 37, mountains and forests soon\u00a0took over completely.\u00a0 Gone were the fields of haystacks, cows and horses.\u00a0 The highway went by beautiful lakes and rivers.\u00a0 Lupe missed the cows and horses, and eventually fell asleep.<\/p>\n

At Meziadin Junction, SPHP turned W on Hwy 37A, a 61 km spur road to Stewart, British Columbia.\u00a0 Along the way, Lupe got to see the Bear Glacier.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Lupe got to see the Bear Glacier across Strohn Lake from Hwy 37A on the way to Stewart. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The Bear Glacier with a little help from the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Farther on, Hwy 37A crossed a bridge over the Bear River just before entering the small border town of Stewart, British Columbia.\u00a0 The Bear River valley was impressive.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP got out of the G6 to take a look.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe near Stewart, British Columbia. Photo looks N up the impressive Bear River valley.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stewart is a small town\u00a0at the end of\u00a0the Portland Canal, a long narrow arm (a fjord, essentially)\u00a0of the Pacific Ocean.\u00a0 Only 3 km from Stewart, Lupe entered the even smaller town of Hyder, Alaska.\u00a0 Alaska became Lupe’s 12th US Dingo State!<\/p>\n

Hyder, Alaska has two main attractions, other than being on the Portland Canal.\u00a0 A few miles N of Hyder is the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0 For $5 per day, visitors can view wildlife from a raised wooden observation platform along Fish Creek.\u00a0 Wild bears feeding on salmon in Fish Creek are the big draw.<\/p>\n

Although Lupe would have loved<\/strong><\/em><\/span> barking ferociously\u00a0at grizzly bears from the safety of a raised platform, this would no doubt have been frowned upon by the park service and every other site visitor.\u00a0 Nevertheless, SPHP stopped briefly at the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site to ask directions to Hyder’s other main attraction, the Salmon Glacier.<\/p>\n

The directions were easy.\u00a0 Just keep following the road past the Fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site.\u00a0 About 16 miles from Hyder,\u00a0the road reaches an observation point with\u00a0a tremendous view overlooking the Salmon Glacier.\u00a0 Interestingly, although the road through Hyder, Alaska\u00a0and past Fish Creek\u00a0provides the only access to the Salmon Glacier, the glacier itself is actually\u00a0a short distance over the Canadian border in British Columbia.<\/p>\n

The sky was crystal clear blue as Lupe and SPHP drove up the gravel road.\u00a0 The road went N\u00a0following the Salmon River valley, climbing ever higher up on the mountain slopes on the E side of the valley.\u00a0 Traffic was surprisingly heavy, and raised long-lingering clouds of dust.\u00a0 There were numerous small pullouts at viewpoints along the way.\u00a0 Finally, the Salmon Glacier came into view.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Salmon Glacier comes into view from the road to the main viewpoint. A helicopter is seen flying up the valley. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Impressive as it is, this first part of the glacier to come into view is only a small part of the whole Salmon Glacier.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0S tongue of the Salmon Glacier\u00a0which came\u00a0into view first was impressive, but\u00a0is only a small part of the entire glacier.\u00a0 The scene became more and more amazing as Lupe neared the main Salmon Glacier viewpoint.<\/p>\n

The main viewpoint was crowded when Lupe arrived.\u00a0 A dozen vehicles were parked along the road and in a small parking area.\u00a0 Two dozen or more people were milling around checking out the view.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP ignored the dust and commotion,\u00a0as much as possible.\u00a0 Lupe waited for a turn up on a small rise with a panoramic glacier view.<\/p>\n

Wow!\u00a0 The Salmon Glacier was absolutely stunning!\u00a0 The huge white glacier, streaked with dark gray rock and tinges of blue, flows down a high wide valley surrounded by mountains\u00a0straight\u00a0toward the viewpoint.\u00a0 Hundreds of feet below, the giant glacier splits into a\u00a0forked tongue.\u00a0 The larger end flows S (L) down the Salmon River valley.\u00a0 The smaller\u00a0N (R) end flows into a depression filled earlier in the year by Summit Lake.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe at the main Salmon Glacier viewpoint near the highest point on the access road. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The Salmon Glacier is in British Columbia, Canada, although the only access road to this amazing viewpoint goes through Hyder, Alaska.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Salmon Glacier was a glorious sight!\u00a0 What wasn’t glorious was how busy the main viewpoint was.\u00a0 Vehicles kept coming and going raising all kinds of dust.\u00a0 A road which goes 10 miles farther past the main viewpoint, was closed for construction.\u00a0 Construction equipment made more dust and noise as it\u00a0rumbled by.\u00a0 Several helicopters flew back and forth, apparently in connection with the construction.<\/p>\n

A two year old tyrant among the throng of tourists\u00a0had learned to screech commands every 20 or 30 seconds at his willingly subservient parents.\u00a0 A grandma in the same family pleaded with 2 older girls to please come and stand by her for a photo.\u00a0 After all, grandma had bought them lots of nice things, hadn’t she?\u00a0 With nothing new in it for them, the girls pouted and declined to have anything to do with grandma.<\/p>\n

Lupe loved one part of all these goings on – the helicopters!\u00a0 Lupe loves helicopters.\u00a0 In particular, she loves to run below them barking furiously to chase them away.\u00a0 With all the helicopters buzzing around, Lupe was only adding to the general tumult.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Several helicopters kept flying around near the main Salmon Glacier viewpoint, apparently in connection with road construction. Lupe loves barking at helicopters! The American Dingo’s frantic yelping only added to the annoying din at the main viewpoint.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fortunately, SPHP remembered reading online that there is an unmaintained trail going up the mountainside to the E of the Salmon Glacier viewpoint.\u00a0 The views would be even more spectacular up there!\u00a0 Lupe could bark at helicopters all she wanted to, far from the crowd.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP left the little parking lot (1:51 PM, 66\u00b0F), quickly finding several informal trails\u00a0winding up the mountainside.<\/p>\n

Making the climb above the parking lot was a great decision.\u00a0 As Lupe and SPHP gained hundreds of feet of elevation, the noise, dust, brats and general commotion at the main viewpoint faded away.\u00a0 Helicopters still flew by, even closer than down below, greatly\u00a0entertaining Lupe.\u00a0\u00a0She raced around barking for all she was worth, not bothering anyone.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP stopped for\u00a0short breaks\u00a0on a couple of hills hundreds feet above the road.\u00a0 Peace and tranquility reigned.\u00a0 Missing these incredible views from on high would have been a shame!<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe takes a break from chasing helicopters on a small hill hundreds of feet above the main Salmon Glacier viewpoint down by the road (seen near Lupe’s tongue). Up here, the magnificent Salmon Glacier could be enjoyed in solitude and tranquility (at least when the helicopters weren’t around). Much, much better! Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The upper end of the Salmon Glacier. Photo looks W using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Lupe atop one of the two hills where she took her first short breaks. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Looking<\/a>
Looking NW now. Part of the N tongue of the Salmon Glacier is seen below.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fields of flowers watered by tiny streams and ponds were in view beyond the small hills where Lupe took her first short\u00a0breaks.\u00a0 When her breaks were done, Lupe went SSE exploring this vibrant, colorful territory.\u00a0 She climbed even higher up to a\u00a0massive knob of rock where she found a big cairn.\u00a0 To the SE, Lupe could see the snow-capped summit of\u00a0Mount Dilworth<\/a><\/span> (5,446 ft.)<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe in the fields of flowers on her way to the knob of rock seen on the L. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Wildflowers<\/a>
Wildflowers on the slopes of Mount Dilworth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Lupe on the rock knob. The snow-capped summit of Mount Dilworth is in view. Photo looks SE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
Lupe on the highest rock knob she visited on the slopes of Mount Dilworth. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The Salmon Glacier as viewed from the highest rock knob Lupe reached on the slopes of Mount Dilworth. Lupe stands by the big cairn she found here. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
The upper end of the Salmon Glacier as seen from Lupe’s highest point of advance up Mount Dilworth. Photo looks W using the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Salmon Glacier ice viewed through the telephoto lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the rock knob, the views were amazing, not only toward the Salmon Glacier, but in every direction.\u00a0 The day was very warm and sunny.\u00a0 Conditions were ideal.\u00a0 For a little while, SPHP toyed with the idea of climbing Mount Dilworth with Lupe.\u00a0 It looked easy, but maybe the huge snowfield at the top was actually quite dangerous?\u00a0 Falling into a crevasse would be the end.\u00a0 Best to leave it alone.<\/p>\n

So Lupe made no attempt to climb Mount Dilworth, despite how tempting it looked.\u00a0 Instead,\u00a0the Carolina Dog\u00a0had fun among flowers, fields, and streams on the way back down to the main Salmon Glacier viewpoint along the road.\u00a0 The return trip was a wonderful time full of beautiful sights.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe on the way back down the slopes of Mount Dilworth. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Yes,<\/a>
Yes, this is what Dingo Vacations are all about!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Salmon Glacier from the slopes of Mount Dilworth. Photo looks W.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Flowers<\/a>\"Flower<\/a>When Lupe reached the main Salmon Glacier viewpoint back at the road, a new bit of excitement was going on.\u00a0 Someone had accidentally dropped their camera far down a steep slope, and attempting to retrieve it, managed to get themselves stuck in a precarious position.\u00a0 A rescue operation was in progress.<\/p>\n

While everyone else was gathered in one spot talking about the rescue, Lupe and SPHP walked over to a hill offering a better view of the N tongue of the glacier.\u00a0 Every year, typically in mid-July, this part of the Salmon Glacier unleashes a major natural hazard.<\/p>\n

In spring and early summer, Summit Lake forms from meltwaters backed up by an ice-dam at the N end of the glacier.\u00a0\u00a0As temperatures warm,\u00a0Summit Lake eventually breaks through the ice-dam.\u00a0 The lake then drains to the S beneath the Salmon Glacier,\u00a0flooding the Salmon River\u00a0where water levels rise suddenly by 4 or 5 feet for several days.<\/p>\n

Since it was August, Summit Lake had already broken through the ice-dam and drained away.\u00a0 Lupe could still see where Summit Lake had been, though.\u00a0 A small area of gray green water\u00a0remained at the bottom of a depression surrounded by collapsed ice and snow.\u00a0 The former high water level was easy to see on the side of the mountain above.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Lupe saw this view of the gray green waters surrounded by collapsed snow and ice remaining after the natural draining of Summit Lake under the Salmon Glacier in July. It’s easy to see the typical high water line of Summit Lake along the base of the mountain slope on the L. Photo looks NW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Collapsed snow and ice around the remains of Summit Lake.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe’s visit to the Salmon Glacier had been a most memorable occasion, but it was time to\u00a0move on\u00a0(4:07 PM, 76\u00b0F).\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP made a few more stops at viewpoints on the way back to Hyder while the glorious Salmon Glacier was still in view.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a>
Looking WNW at the huge sweeping curve of the Salmon Glacier for the last time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"<\/a>
S tongue of the Salmon Glacier. Photo looks N.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\"Salmon<\/a>On the way back to Hyder, the G6 said the temperature hit an incredible 84\u00b0F outside.\u00a0 SPHP fretted uselessly about the ultimate\u00a0fate of the Salmon Glacier.\u00a0 Things cooled off closer to Hyder, perhaps influenced by the nearby presence of the ocean.<\/p>\n

Lupe hadn’t\u00a0seen\u00a0the ocean since visiting\u00a0the Washington and Oregon coasts during her Summer of 2012 Dingo Vacation nearly 4 years ago.\u00a0 So when Lupe got back to Hyder, Alaska, SPHP drove her over to the end of the wharf to\u00a0see the Portland Canal.<\/p>\n

\"Lupe<\/a>
Lupe stands on a bench at the end of the wharf in Hyder, Alaska. Beyond her is the Portland Canal, an arm of the North Pacific Ocean. This was the first time Lupe had seen the ocean since she was only 1.5 years old on her 2012 Dingo Vacation to the West Coast. Photo looks SW.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"\"
Looking NE from Hyder, Alaska toward Stewart, British Columbia at the end of the Portland Canal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Lupe’s adventure to Hyder, Alaska and the Salmon Glacier was done.\u00a0 Lupe and SPHP went back through Canadian customs returning to Stewart in British Columbia.\u00a0 Although it was late afternoon already, the long Canadian summer days meant there were still hours of daylight left.<\/p>\n

Lupe and SPHP left Stewart taking Hwy 37A back past the Bear Glacier to Meziadin Junction.\u00a0 After gassing the G6\u00a0up,\u00a0Lupe’s long journey N on Cassiar Highway No. 37 resumed.\u00a0 Each mile took the Carolina Dog farther N than she had ever been before.<\/p>\n

Daylight was fading by the time Lupe crossed a big bridge over a river that looked like it was running very low.\u00a0 Beyond the bridge was the Bell 1 rest stop.\u00a0 SPHP pulled in.\u00a0 Time for a quick dinner before dark.\u00a0 For some reason, Lupe wanted to stay in the G6.\u00a0 Was she just tired, or was it true?<\/p>\n

A guy from Dease Lake had been talking to SPHP.\u00a0 He said his big brown dog sensed bears nearby, and claimed these woods were full of bears.\u00a0 He also talked about how the weather was changing.\u00a0 Last winter this area had received only 4 feet of snow.\u00a0 Ten years ago, typical total winter snowfall used to be 15 meters (49 feet).\u00a0 Another bad sign for the Salmon Glacier.<\/p>\n

Well, that’s why we are here now, Looper!\u00a0 To see it all while fate and fortune still smile upon us, and these fabulous\u00a0natural wonders of the world remain.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"
The Salmon Glacier from the slopes of Mount Dilworth.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Links:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Next Adventure<\/a><\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Prior Adventure<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Want more Lupe adventures?\u00a0\u00a0Choose\u00a0from Lupe’s 2016 Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska Adventure Index<\/strong><\/a><\/span>, <\/span><\/em>Dingo Vacations Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or Master Adventure Index<\/strong><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Or subscribe free to New Lupe Adventures<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/a><\/span><\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Day 7 of Lupe’s Summer of 2016 Dingo Vacation to the Canadian Rockies, Yukon & Alaska. Lupe and SPHP\u00a0hit the road again early (6:20 AM), still heading NW on Yellowhead Hwy No. 16.\u00a0 A cool, light rain fell under overcast skies.\u00a0 Lupe was happy.\u00a0 Vast forests continued to dominate, but every now and then\u00a0the Carolina … Continue reading The Salmon Glacier near Hyder, Alaska (8-5-16)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6849,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[726],"tags":[704,105,30,106,26,703,104,702],"class_list":["post-6873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-2016-canadian-rockies-yukon-alaska","tag-alaska","tag-american-dingo","tag-canada","tag-carolina-dog","tag-dingo-vacations","tag-hyder","tag-lupe","tag-salmon-glacier"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/adventuresoflupe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/IMG_1729.jpg?fit=1651%2C1238&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6873"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24009,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6873\/revisions\/24009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6849"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventuresoflupe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}