We woke at 7, and had our gear packed and we were off by 8.  First stop, Dease Lake for gas and breakfast.  It was about 3C, and a warm car and hot coffee were calling.

The day was clear, with fog gathering over the lakes creating lots of low lying fog in the early morning.

After a couple of hours the bright sun burned it off. Majestic mountains, wild rushing mountain streams and glacial lakes. Breathtaking!

Oh, and did I mention bears??  As we were driving south we came upon one as we turned the corner… a shy one as he/she ran off before we could get the camera out.  But then Dan saw another one, and they were more comfortable posing!  We actually saw a third who reared up and then took off into the woods.  Exciting drive!

As we travel south the trees get taller and the temperatures are warmer.  Currently hitting 19 C according to the car thermometer.  Just doing some quick calculations, we come about 2000 kms south of our furtherest north point in the NWT and are still considered to be quite far north in Canada!

We made it to Meziadin Provincial park in good time.  What a beautiful park and a perfect day to explore.  We got the camp set up in record time and soon we’re on the road to Stewart for a quick look around and possibly a seafood dinner!  The skies are so clear we’d hate to miss the Pacific because of fog or rain!

On our way there, we passed Bear Glacier, one of the few glaciers visible from the highway. Of course this was preceded by our 4^th black bear sighting today!

On we went to Stewart. A beautiful day for a drive through the mountains following the bear river to the town.

Once there we parked the car and headed towards the visitors centre.  It was closed, but there was a lovely park with a boardwalk heading out into the wetlands at the head of the sound.  As we walked, we decided to head out towards the border crossing to Hyder, a town on the US side.

As we approached we got to the Canadian fisheries checkpoint and Dan decided he wanted to dip his toe into the Pacific Ocean.  A little cold and a lot murky, but he did it!

After that we headed back to the little café in town for dinner. After some uneventful fish and chips/salad we headed back to our campsite for a drink by the lake and a campfire. Beautiful end to a beautiful day!

Tomorrow, Prince Rupert. Until then, stay safe!