Yukon Sights by Sue Thomas

Kinaskan Lake to Meziadin Lake, BC - Cassiar Highway

11 September 2009 - Part 2

South of Kinaskan Lake, the Cassiar Highway is good driving.
My feeling is the route is more scenic southbound than it is northbound.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Southbound on the Cassiar Highway, BC

As we drove by Tatoga Resort, I thought I saw a roadside sign that said the Cassiar Highway was closed ahead. Steve was driving and I asked him if he saw it. "Nope". Okay. We continued south.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Southbound on the Cassiar Highway, BC

At the Bob Quinn airport, all traffic was stopped due to a road washout; the sign tried to warn us! The route had been closed since 7 p.m. the previous evening.

The maintenance folks indicated it would be a couple of more hours. It was lunch time so we took a nutrition break and then walked the dogs checking out the other "rigs".

The semi-truck below looked similar to most trucks on the Alaska Highway that travel through the areas inhabited by bison. Before the bison were re-introduced to the area, this kind of hardware was not common.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Semi-truck with bison protector on the front, stopped at Bob Quinn airport

Turns out we were at the back of numerous lines of vehicles. Others had been stopped at the washout, some stopped at a gate closing the road further ahead, and then our group at the rest area by Bob Quinn airport.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Some of the line-up at the Bob Quinn airport, waiting for the road to re-open

True to their word, the highway opened after lunch and everyone did the mad dash for Bell II, which was the next fuel stop.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Bear along the Cassiar Highway

Bell II was very busy when we arrived. Its pumps are not well positioned and some of the larger rigs have problems fitting in and around the diesel pumps when there were folks lined up for leaded fuel.

After Bell II, we checked out a few camp spots that had been waypointed in the GPS on the way north. A couple were promising. Steve decided he wanted to sleep in civilization though, so Meziadin Lake Provincial Park became our destination.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Campsite at Meziadin Lake Provincial Park, Cassiar Highway, BC

Again, despite doom & gloom weather forecasts, the evening was sweet.
The lake was calm and the birds busy.

Cassiar Highway, BC
Two very different species of birds sharing the evening on Meziadin Lake

The loon was having good luck fishing so Steve decided to join the activities.

Cassiar Highway, BCSteve joined the birds, but the fish didn't join Steve

No luck fishing ... good thing we had two lake trout from Morchuea Lake!

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