The good, the bad and the ugly cry.

Follow the yellow line... I know it's hard to see, but this update starts at Meziadin Provincial Park (about 30mins outside of Stewart, BC). It was a great drive from Prince Rupert up the Stewart Cassiar Hwy and there was so much amazing scenery. I arrived to my campsite on the beach, ready for a few days of exploring the area and some good sleeps with spectacular views to wake up to. Every morning I got to look at this....

In the early evenings I would sit and watch that view like it was a National Geographic channel. With my binoculars I could watch fish jumping, eagles catching them, and a couple of bears that would swim out to that island and then swim off the other side. It's the first time I wished I had a real camera with a good telephoto lens. So, even though you don't get to see it, it's a memory I will always have.

I spent one full day at the campsite just watching the lake and reading. It was quiet and very peaceful. On the next day I headed for the town of Stewart and to see if I could make it up to the Salmon Glacier. When I arrived in Stewart I stopped in at the Visitor Center and asked about the road to the glacier and was told not to attempt it in the car as they were behind schedule and it hadn't been graded yet and it was in rough shape. I was disappointed but headed in that direction because I wanted to check out the bear viewing in Hyder, Alaska.

When I got to the bear place (it's in the Tongass National Forest and run by the US Forestry Dept.) I chatted with the Forestry guy who told me unfortunately the salmon were late this year so there really weren't bears to see (it's a spot on the river where the salmon run and the grizzlies come to feed) so I really shouldn't spend the money for the permit to walk the viewing boardwalks. I was disappointed to say the least. Oh a whim, I asked him about the glacier and what he thought about trying to get up there. He looked at me and then looked at the car and said, "well, how confident are you in your driving skills?" I said, "confident". So he went on to say that he reckoned I would make it if I went slow. He also mentioned that I should keep my windows up cause the bears were around and they were ornery. Oh, and don't stop. But he promised me it would be worth it and I would never see something like it again by car or foot.
I figured I would give it a go.

Wow.

It took me 1.5 hours to go 16 miles. The pot holes were big enough to swallow the front end of the car. I think I came across 7 bears in that time - one of them basically walking in to the back side of the car when he popped out of the bush and I was right at the edge of the road trying to squeeze by a massive hole. (The road is an active mining road and very narrow, and definitely not graded. In fact, I came across workers in two spots clearing fresh mud/rock slides.) I wanted so badly to take pictures of the views and the bears and the road, but it took EVERYTHING to keep moving forward safely. I kept thinking to myself that if I was just a week later, I could have seen the bears AND driven on a reasonable road to get to the top, but this is a way better story, so....)

Anyhow, I made it to the top and I was alone and it was majestic. This is one of those words that took on a whole new meaning once I saw something that truly fit it. I feel like I have now experienced majesty. The pictures don't even come close to conveying the experience, but it gives you a glimpse...

I have so many more pictures, but you get the idea. Spectacular. I spent about 45mins up there, just staring.

Fortunately, the drive back down was WAY less stressful, now that I knew what to expect and had a pretty good idea of where I wanted to be in the road. I stopped back in to the Forestry guy to say "thanks - you were right, it was completely worth it."

Check out Stewart, BC. Isn't it a cute little town? I had a great meal at a little place called Toastworks and inside happens to be museum of toasters. It's like the tiny town that time forgot.

The next day I was heading for the Dease Lake area but didn't have reservation anywhere. When I woke up I was feeling tired and a bit cranky (some really obnoxious kids had moved in to the campsite next to mine the night before and it was NOT a calm evening or night and I didn't sleep well.), but I turned on some tunes and set out. It was a grey day but in my mind it was going to be an easy driving day.
As with all things travel, sometimes things don't go as planned or are far from what your expectations are. This was that day. And it unraveled quickly.  The picture below? That is the highway.

Seriously. It was a farm road. In about 300kms, I saw THREE other cars. And then I got to Dease Lake. And I lost it. It tipped me over the edge you guys.

In my mind, Dease Lake was a town. Dease Lake is not a town. Dease Lake is a glorified gas station.  I don't know why this was the beginning of my undoing, but it was. Maybe there was a road I missed? Or maybe I hadn't got there yet? Nope. (I know that a lot of places on the map are really just truck stop places, but I really, really, really thought Dease Lake was a town - with like, buildings.) Anyways, what's a girl to do? I got some lunch at a little food truck beside the gas station (which was delicious) and set out again. I knew there was a provincial park another 45mins up the road and decided I would just stay there and give up on the day. What should have taken a short time to arrive, turned in to 2 hours due to construction and by the time I arrived I was mad and defeated and frustrated and overwhelmed with life. I found a spot (the campground was empty) by picking the one with the least amount of bear tracks in it. Set up my tent, got out my new chair that was supposed to be inspiring me and stewed. I wasn't hungry, but I was exhausted and it was too early to go to bed or I would be awake at 3am. I tried to read, but it wasn't happening. Really, I just wanted to go home.
Night time finally came and I spent half of it awake, listening to a bear wander around my tent. Yes, I should have been sleeping in my car, but I had my heart set on stretching out in my tent (I had been sleeping in the car for several days because of heavy rain at nights) and I was so done that I yelled at the bear to go ahead and eat me if that's what he wanted. (drama much?)
Morning came and I was in one piece physically, but falling apart mentally.  By the time I crossed in to the Yukon, I could have cared less. I honestly only stopped to take the picture of the sign because I knew it would make you guys happy. So here ya go...

It was another rainy driving day, on roads with no people. I had just started down the Alaska Hwy when the tears started falling. At this point I had no idea what my problem was but I think I cried for about half an hour and questioned all my life choices.

And then Teslin appeared.

This is Teslin. A big trucker stop with gas and a diner. And cell service. My phone started dinging like crazy - messages from people from the last few days that all came through at once now that I was back in a service area. I read all the words and cried even more! I tried to reach the bff but got nothing. Radio silence. (lucky for her because it would have been a terrible call of incomprehensible sobbing.) Found a friend to vent with a bit and then I went and had some lunch in the diner. At that point I realized I hadn't eaten in more than 24 hours and can I just say, an egg salad sandwich on white bread with potato salad and a glass of cold milk solved half my problems. I ate. I sat. I regrouped.

Then I headed for Whitehorse.

God knew what I needed because through a series of events, I ended up at my friend's house for 3 days of normal. A family and a bed and meals together and a shower and real laundry and community.

My friend Wendy and her family restored me.

I'm sitting here, on a bed, in a borrowed teenage boy's bedroom, surrounded by laundry and lego and decks of Magic cards and after 3 days of mental, spiritual and physical restoration I am ready for what's coming next.

Travel can be hard. There are many, many highs, but there are also lows. When you are gone for a long time, you can get homesick and when you are alone, you can get lonely and it's just all part of it. Sometimes you have to adjust the timeline and the expectations (advice I needed to be reminded of while I was all teary and wanting to throw in the towel) and for goodness sake, you have got to remember to eat and sleep.

Don't get me wrong, travel is always worth it, but I think it's only fair to share the "other" side of it too. It's not always perfect - hahaha, so it's just like home really.

There you have it. The good, the bad and the ugly cry.

By the time you're reading this I'll be on the road again....