The Cassiar HWY is 724 km long and entirely paved and in very good conditions. It leads through beautiful landscape. On both sides hight mountains and some very nice valleys. Unfortunately there was a huge forest fire. Over weeks the HWY was closed an only once or twice a day a pilot car has led the travellers through. Some days it was completely closed. When we arrived the big rain had started and the fire was extingued - but heavy smoke was still there.

Junction at km 567 towards south. This 66 km long road is just beautiful. High mountains, glaciers, many waterfalls, and a fast river. Unfortunately it rained again. On the way we saw a black bear.

Stewart is still in Canada but Hyder (2-3km away is already in Alaska. There is no US border office since the road stops behind Hyder.

Hyder was founded as a mining town (gold and silver), than it became a ghost town and today a tiny (30 inhabitants) tourist place.

The visitors come because of: 

• to see grizzly bears fishing (Fish Creek Wildlife Viewing)
• and to see the Salmon Glacier

Unfortunately no grizzly´s (it was also too rainy for them and we skipped the galcier (too rainy for us).

But we met Claudia & Uwe from Nuremberg (also on their world tour) and Sabine & Theo from Luneburg (both live already some years in North America). We hiked together and we saw a black bear mother with a cub. We had a good time together.

This HWY leads from Prince Rupert via Prince George and via Jasper to Edmonton and further to Saskatchewan.

We drive it from Giwangak (where the Cassiar meets the Yellowhead) to Prince George (481 km).

This town and valley is mainly from Swiss, German and Dutch settlers populated.

We had to switch tires and changes the oil pressure switch - the reason to visit Smithers.

And what a surprise: The biggest Rodeo in BC and the Fall Fair took this weekend place. And of course we participated.

The first two nights we stood beside the information center (with a „hotspot“ and dumpstation).

We met other German „overlanders“ and we had a nice evening in a pub wiht a good beer and many interesting stories. 

There was also a parade through the town.

During the fair we moved to fair ground and got the most beautiful place opposite the riding arena. Around us horses, cows, goats, sheeps, etc. All have been washed in the animal „beauty-saloon“ before the auction started.

Their has been riding competiton (mainly ladies in very chic outfits).

Also many stalls with various products.

One of the highlights was the music. Many bands played throughout the day and the locals danced and enjoyed. We also enjoyed - except the temperature (3-4 °C) was too low for us. The locals in shorts and T-Shirts and we ....shivering.

Many settlers from Germany and Swiss talked to us and we got many good tips about the region - thousend thanks!!!

Two cowboys try to catch a steer. They race alongside the steer and one jumps on the back of the bull and craps one horn. At full speed he tries to wrestles the animal on the ground. A quite dangerous job.

Here the rider must run around three barrels as fast as possible without knocking down a barrel. Here speed and narrow turns is essential.

The rider must sit minimum 8 seconds on the wild horse - otherwise he will be disqualified - most of the participants are not able to do this. He is only allowed to to use one hand -  the other cannot touch the horse. Winner is who sits longest plus additionally who performs the highest jumps.

Here the rider sits on a wild bull. The most dangerous rodeo. Also here he must remain minimum 8 seconds on the back and one hand must not touch the bull. The shocks for the back and the spine are tremendous. Two socalled „bullfighting clowns“ are also in the arena. They must distract the bull when the rider is thrown off. Ohterwise the bull would seriously harm or even kill the rider. The pictures tell everything.

The HWY 16 (Yellowhead) leads via Houston to Prince George. Shortly before we stopped and stood overnight in Vanderhoof (directly at the new museum).

In Prince George we took the HWY 16 towards Jasper. A nice drive with high mountains on the right (Cariboo Mountains) and at the left (Rocky Mountains).

We stood overnight in McBride. A beautiful town with 2.000 people. The former train station is converted into a nice Cafe and Tourist Info Center. Her Mark - a farmer - talk to us and invited us to his farm. He showed us his Buffalo herd and we were allowed to stay overnight in his fields - to see wild life. But bear, moose, elck and all the others had their free day.

Mark has presented us buffalo meat - thousand thanks Mark and Irene for your great hospitallity!!

Next day we took at Tete Jaune Cache the HWY 5 towards South. Whoever drives this route and wants good bread here is the adress:

„Swiss bakery / 1020 Main Street / Valemount“. You get fantastic bread (full grain, etc.) and cakes and many other lecker things.

In Clearwater we had lunch and in Heffley Creek we turned left took a tiny road to the famous „Sun Peaks“ - a ski and mountain bike resort in 1.200m height.

We stood overnight in a parking lot and „Mr. Black bear“ and „family deer“ came to see us

Next day we continued a very small „gravel road“ - but most beautiful to Chase. Here we joined HWY 1 to Salmon Arm and took the small road towards Vernon.

In Spallumcheen we tried to find the road on the west side of the Okanagan Lake. We missed and landed on a tiny gravel road through the mountains which finally ended in front of fallen trees. We had to back by about 1 km which wasn´t that easy going

After we found the right road we also discovered a beautiful spot direclty on the lake front

We can only recommend the Okanagan valley. A very dry valley - partly dessert and on both sides stoney mountains. In the midst the warm Okanagan lake. And because of the sunny and warm climate you find here best wineries and all kind of fruits.

We stood overnight in Osoyoos at the NK`Mip campground of the First Nations. The NK´Mip people run besides this campground a hotel, a vineyard and other touristic business - they seem very successful. A nice trial shows the plants of the semi-dessert and connects to the life of the First Nation. They also show how to live with snakes.

Our campground was right beside the lake.

• End of the tour through Canada at 4. 9. 2010
   
• Driven distance in Canada and Alaska: 21.075 km
   
• Driven total distance from Germany: 22.302 km