The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
saw 5 grizzly bears in
Hyder, Alaska

Hyder is 2.3 miles beyond Stewart, British Columbia, Canada. There was NOT any border check crossing from British Columbia, Canada into Alaska (USA), but there WAS a border check from Hyder back into Stewart. Population of Hyder is about 100. Most stores in Hyder were boarded up and it is known as a ghost town.
sign - Hyder townsite limits - entering Alaska
sign - welcome to Hyder, Alaska
Stewart and Hyder are on a spur of the Cassiar Highway, at the head of Portland Canal, a narrow saltwater fjord approximately 90 miles long. The fjord forms a natural boundary between Alaska and Canada. Stewart has a deep harbor and boasts of being Canada's most northerly ice-free port. Hyder boomed with the discovery of rich silver veins in the upper Salmon River basin in 1917-1918. Hundreds of pilings which supported structures during this boom period are visible on the tidal flats at Hyder. Hyder became an access and supply point for the mines, while Stewart served as the center for Canadian mining activity, Mining ceased in 1956 with the exception of the Granduc Copper Mine which operated until 1984. Today the economy is driven by forestry, mining and tourism.
funny but true sign - How to lose face with a bear
The "ghost" town of Hyder
- only a few stores were open, such as Dollie's Photo Shop -
the ghost town of Hyder
painting on Dollie's Photo Shop
Below: Day 1 in Hyder! Fish Creek viewing area on Salmon Glacier Road is operated by the U.S. Forestry Service. Both grizzly and black bears can be observed and photographed here as they fish for chum and pink salmon in the shallow waters of Fish Creek and Marx Creek from mid-July through September. Viewing is from a boardwalk viewing area - shown below. There is a daily charge per person.
sign - fish Creek Wildlife Observation Site
the famous viewing bridge
Below: View from the bridge. When the two RV Gypsies arrived at the bridge, there were a lot of professional photographers with big fancy cameras set up facing this side of the bridge so that is where the two RV Gypsies thought the bears would come from. Wrong - they came from the street!
the backside of the river
the backside of the river
Below: The view from same side of bridge
as above but in the other direction
Below: ducks swimming on the
other side of the bridge
the backside of the river
lots of ducks in the water
Below; Around the corner, just past the street, scientists were lining up the salmon, counting, and weighing them. It is said by some that these humans then leave their scent in the water and that could discourage bears from coming around.
scientists studying the fish
scientists studying the fish
Below: Salmon in the river - waiting for the bears to eat them
salmon in the river
salmon in the river
Below: Here comes bear #1 - a grizzly bear, just walking down the street
grizzly bear #1 in the street
grizzly bear walking down the street

Below: The grizzly crossed the bridge, and glanced down into the river, then continued down the road a bit before walking through the trees and into the river. Everyone on the bridge ran to the far end of the bridge to take photographs.

grizlly crossing the road bridge
grizzly's first appearance in the water
Below: Then the grizzly started running upstream towards the bridge
grizzly running upstream towards the bridge
grizzly running upstream towards the bridge
grizzly running upstream towards the bridge
grizzly running upstream towards the bridge
Below; Then the grizzly turned and ran back down the river - just playing and splashing and having lots of fun. Meanwhile, everyone on the bridge ran and back and forth, following the grizzly. It was really funny!
grizzly turns and runs downstream
grizzly turns and runs downstream
Oops - there he goes again - in the other direction - and so the people on the bridge also ran and scrambled for the best view point, once again.
grizzly playing in river
grizzly playing in river
Below: Now the grizzly turned again and went to the part of the river just beyond the bridge where it caught a salmon and ate it.
grizzly caught a fish
grizzly getting ready to eat the fish
grizzly eats the fish
grizzly eats the fish
grizzly eats the fish
grizzly with fish hanging out of its mouth
Below: Now that the grizzly has eaten, he decided to have more fun running and splashing in the river.
grizzly playing
grizzly playing
grizzly playing
grizzly playing
Karen Duquette took lots more photos of this bear, and she also took a real nice video. So now the two RV Gypsies decided to drive up the road towards Salmon Glacier.
Below: A bigger grizzly bear (#2) upstream from the bridge
a bigger grizzly bear # 2 in the river upstream
a bigger grizzly bear # 2 in the river upstream
Below; The bear kept walking down the river, and when it went behind the bush, Karen Duquette took the opportunity to photograph the river and her car on the muddy road beside the river.
the river upstream
muddy dirt road and the toad of the two RV Gypsies
Below: "The bear is back in view", said Lee Duquette.
"The bear is back in view", says Lee.
grizzly bear #2
grizzly bear #2
Then the two RV Gypsies continued driving up the road to see Salmon Glacier.

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August 16 - 19, 2009
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Hyder Alaska, and bears (this page)

Salmon Glacier

A bear caught and ate a fish then ran up and down the river

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Hyder Alaska and Stewart, British Columbia form the dividing line between Alaska and Canada. The two RV Gypsies camped in Stewart and drove across the border to see the bears in Hyder. You have already seen the bears, now see the campground and the new RV friends of the two RV Gypsies, then continue the journey of the two RV Gypsies as they leave Alaska and travel through Canada again and they encounter MORE BEARS, including a black bear. There was no security going from British Columbia to Alaska here, but there was security going from Hyder to British Columbia.

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