Day 10 .........Hyder Alaska and the Salmon Glacier

Hyder is about 3km from Stewart and has a population of about 100 people. It grew, as with Stewart, to service the gold and silver mines in the Salmon river valley and the copper mine at the base of the Le Duc icefields about 50 kms away. About 10kms up the valley there is a bear viewing platform where for a $5 fee you can come and go and wait to see bears gorging on the salmon in the river below. We arrived just too late to see a sow and her baby and decided to see the glacier and try to find the bears later in the afternoon. The drive to the Salmon Glacier is quite stunning. You start at the valley floor driving on the south bank with lovely views of the Tongas forest mountains on the north bank. About 17kms up the valley the road starts to climb steeply and passes the old Premier Mine. The road hugs the mountainside for the next 20kms with switch backs and heartpounding, sheer drops being the order of the day. This road is not for the faint of heart.

Eventually we made it to the Summit viewpoint and the view is truely spectacular, made even more so since we came during one of the only clear days that this area sees. This place has one of the largest snowfalls in the World. It's not uncommon for 12 feet to fall overnight. The glacier is the 5th largest in the world and the elevation is 4300ft.

We drove further on but decided to turn back as it was getting late and we wanted to see the bears too. Since we are staying an extra day I will come up again tomorrow and get to the Grand Duc Mine shaft since the scenery is supposed to be quite incredible.

Back down the mountain and alas no bears again, then through Canada customs.....they let Mum through.....and an early night to be ready for the day ahead.