Hyder Seek 2005
By Linda Androws
This is a narrative on Bill and Linda’s tour to Hyder Seek in Hyder, Alaska
Day 1- Monday, May 23 4:55 am
Bill and I were on the bike headed to 580 west, the Richmond Bridge and Hwy 101 north. We left Livermore , CA with clear skies and a 50 ° temperature. We were pleasantly surprised by the light commute traffic through the valley as well as towards San Francisco . Hwy 101 up the coastal regions was beautiful, warm and sunny with no fog. Rhododendrons were in full bloom near Yreka and Crescent City . We departed from 101 to 199 east and then 46 heading to the Oregon Caves . We had a 90 minute tour of these fantastically beautiful marble caves, traveling 200 ft. below the surface and 500 stair steps, up and down, across bridges with subterranean steams below and water often trickling from above, soaking one’s head. There were amazing formations, stories of the discovery of the caves and many interesting facts. If you have never been there, it is well worth the trip and a great scenic ride. We left Oregon Caves at 4:30 heading back Hwy 46 to Hwy 199. We then hopped on Hwy 5 for a short distance to get to Hwy 42 just before Roseburg , a great 62 mile twisty road leading back to Myrtle Point and 101. We stayed at the Myrtle Trees Motel, a cute, clean, friendly place with a great view of a wetlands and a cove. Dinner at a café a block away and to bed by 9:30 .
Throughout the day, our Street Pilot III was behaving erratically, freezing up and giving us weird directions, prompting Bill to turn it off and back on resetting several times, messing up our mileage count. Also, adding to a little frustration was the fact that I broke my index toe on my left foot and hobbled most of the next 3 days. My heavy waterproof Redwing boots are actually good for a broken toe, as the sole of the shoe didn’t bend much and held my toe still nicely!
Day 2 - Tuesday, May 24 6:30 am
We left Myrtle Point greeted by a fairly thick fog. Visibility was good. We could see blue sky to the east. We knew it was going to be another gorgeous day. An impromptu stop at Oregon Dunes for pictures and we were on our way again. We continued up Hwy 101 with gas stops and snack breaks enjoying beautiful coastal views, warm breezes and sunshine all the way to Astoria , the bridge across the harbor and into Washington . We traveled the last 129 miles and arrived in Port Angeles’ Super 8 Motel at 5:30 pm . Dinner at a restaurant next door and again to bed by 9:30 .
Day 3 - Wednesday, May 25 7:30 am
We were sitting on the 1800, second in line at the Port Angeles , MV Coho Ferry for the 8:20 am departure. Unfortunately, we were the very last to drive onto the ferry, as they load motorcycles last going over to Vancouver Island . It was another warm and clear day…can you believe our luck? The 1 ½ hour ride across the sound was smooth and enjoyable, offering great views of Port Angeles and Vancouver Island . As we drove out of the port, we realized that each of us thought the other had the directions to the Butchart Gardens ! Our GPS saved the day and directed us on a nice alternate route down beautiful country roads. Vancouver Island country side is breathtaking, green, lush and fragrant. We toured the exquisite Butchart Gardens for a couple of hours and then headed back to Port Angeles and the hotel as Bill was under the weather with a sore throat. Returning to Port Angeles, motorcycles board first back into the States! Dinner at The Bushwhacker was yummy! Early to bed tonight for our 4:45 am departure for the Port Townsend Ferry.
Day 4 - Thursday, May 26 4:45 am
On the road for the 45 mile ride to the Port Townsend Ferry which departed at 6:30 am . We arrived 60 minutes early, worried about commute traffic. (Hint.) There is no commute traffic between Port Angeles and Port Townsend. Second in line again today and this ferry boards motorcycles first! The 35 minute ride to Whidbey Island was very warm. We have been so lucky with the weather so far. We next took the bridge from Whidbey Island to Anacortes and then over to Hwy 5 for the 495 mile ride to Prince George , BC . Tonight, we meet up with Bob Hole and the Kappenbergers (who have traveled from Westminster, Colorado ). We will celebrate our 32 wedding anniversary with dinner and our friends!
Traveling north through British Columbia , we ran into lots of road work and construction delays. Along the “150 Mile House” area we saw many beautiful horse and cattle ranches, dairies where cows actually roam green pastures...farms where homes, fences, all out buildings and barns were log construction (gorgeous), As for wild life…buffalo, llama, elk, and the biggest prairie dogs the size of a big house cat. About 100 kilometers from Prince George , we saw a bright yellow jacket and a GoldWing up ahead. We knew who it must be! We finished our 596 mile day riding with our good friend, Bob Hole! We checked into the Best Western, Prince George at about 6:00 pm anticipating the Kappenbergers arrival. Unfortunately, Lisa and Reiner were delayed for 4 hours in Jasper due to a bad accident. John from Idaho and Dan from DC, also riding to Hyder Seek, happened to be staying at our Best Western and they joined us for dinner. Thank you to Bob for buying Bill and me our delicious anniversary dinner! We waited up in the hotel parking lot for the Kappenbergers, who finally made it in at 10 pm. Cheese, crackers and smoked salmon bill and I bought at the Tillamook cheese factory in Washington and beer courtesy of Bob were waiting on the picnic table outside the hotel. We welcomed Reiner and Lisa’s arrival- safe and weary. They did get to see many moose and bear on their journey through Alberta , along with rain, hail and wind leaving the States.
Day 5 - Friday, May 27 7:00 am
We left the Best Western in Prince George riding with Reiner and Lisa the remaining 434 miles to Stewart , BC . Bob had left earlier riding with John from Idaho and Dan from DC. We saw more beautiful farm land and then as we got closer to Stewart , BC the mountains became more dramatic. We saw many crystal clear small lakes and ponds reflecting the snow capped peaks and glaciers. One glacier in particular, Bear Glacier was fantastically beautiful and frightening. The blue of the ice, reflection of the mountains, waterfalls and mini icebergs floating on the lake is an image I will never forget. We finally reached Stewart and the King Edward Hotel at around 4:00 pm . We checked in, dropped our bag and headed down the road to the Hyder/Stewart border crossing. After crossing into Alaska through the check point, the paved road immediately ends and becomes a dirt road. Hyder call itself the “friendliest little ghost town in Alaska ”. It is! I almost forgot, we saw one black bear and I saw my first and only moose.
We hung out in Hyder, watched people arrive, said hello to friends from Chili Burger, took pictures, shared tales of our rides in, and made new acquaintances. Dinner of salmon, halibut, coleslaw, potato salad and bread was delicious. The halibut was so good we had to go back for seconds. Alaska Ale is my new favorite drink…y-u-u-m-m!
We just couldn’t get over our good fortune with the weather! The locals said that the temps were at least 10 ° warmer than usual. Shirt sleeves and tank tops were perfectly comfortable. Maybe this is why the mosquitoes were out in such force. They were ravenous and huge. So, we keep ourselves protected with repellent and never had one bite. There was also a little fly that kept flying up some people’s noses!
The late sunset had us all thrown off. 10:30 came around and it was just becoming twilight! Most everyone was in their hotel rooms early as all were tired from their long rides.
Day 6 – Saturday, May 28 8:00 am
We slept in late! After a relaxing breakfast at the King Edward restaurant, we went back into Hyder for more visiting, touring the town and souvenir shopping. We bought the obligatory postcards to send to the family but missed the post office closing by 8 minutes. We luckily found a nice shop owner at “This and That” who sold me the only 5 stamps she had. Everyone in Hyder is very friendly. It really is a very remote place. The average winter temperature is 22 ° and average snowfall 30 feet. The most recorded snow they had was 1199 inches in 1973, almost 100 feet!
We and Kappenbergers felt adventurous. So, we took the 1800’s down a 3 mile long dirt road to Fish Creek. We hoped to see bears fishing but it was early for fish spawning. We enjoyed the quiet sounds of the creek, and nature and the very warm sun. Bill and I parted from Lisa and Reiner and went back to the hotel for a nap before dinner back in Hyder. This was the last night there and we knew we would be up late and then have an early departure for the long trek back home. We all saw a bald eagle circling over the harbor.
Back to Hyder for dinner, group photo shoot, 48+ recognitions (49 states in 10 days or less!), raffle and more beer! Grand prize was an Ayers’ tour of Latin America . We didn’t win the tour but Bill did win a sheepskin seat pad! He really needs it as the saddle is bothering him greatly after a couple of hours. We called it a night at about 10:00 pm and went back to our room.
Day 7 – Sunday, May 29 6:30 am
We left Stewart with Bob, Lisa and Reiner, made a fuel and breakfast stop in Kitwanga , BC preparing for the long day of riding. We all had high hopes of seeing some Grizzly bear or moose before we left BC. Lisa, Reiner and I saw two black bear, a female and two cubs. I saw a large fox sunning itself in a meadow, three juvenile bald eagles, and one carrying a good size fish in its talons! We also saw several elk along the route. Temperatures this day reached 89 ° ! We all rode together until Williams Lake where Bob was staying for the evening. We parted company with Lisa and Reiner at that time too as they were veering off Hwy 5 back to Colorado . Just after we left Williams Lake we had a wolf run across the road between us and the car in front. He had plenty of room and we were glad he made it across safe.
We did run into a brief 5 minute thunder and lightening storm, which prompted us to stop, gear up and cover the bag. It stopped and we chased clouds and sun but no rain the remainder of the day. We rode until about 8:30 pm , when Bill decided we should check out the hotel situation little town of Lytton . We found the Totem Hotel, a sweet place with a Victorian house turned into the owners living quarters and three rooms. The property also had several private cottages that were darling with flowers and quaint touches. Our “room” was actually a suite with private bath, bedroom and a combined area with a kitchen, living room with TV and a small dining table. The kitchen was even set up with a fridge, four burner stove with oven, sink, and cupboards with china, glasses, bowls and utensils. We rushed to the dinner back up on the highway a mile for a late dinner. The Jade Palace restaurant run by some Chinese folks had excellent stir-fry. We were famished and tired, ready for a good rest. This was the first of my two personal records on the way home. We rode for 763 miles this day! My previous longest ride was 680 miles in one day. We flopped into bed at about 10:30 , lulled to sleep by the very high, warm winds that blew hard all night.
Day 8 – Monday, May 30 5:00 am
We left Lytton at daylight to gentler winds, thank goodness! We rolled through the mountains without any problems, no deer, wind or rain. At our first gas stop, about 2 hours out, we had our first “oops!” of the day. I went to get my wallet for a cup of coffee and couldn’t find it. I hadn’t used it since the day before. The first words out of my lady-like mouth were, “Oh, shit” repeated several times. I did find the wallet and we had a sigh of relief. At the border crossing back into WA we were quizzed about some seed packets I had purchased in Victoria , BC . The guy at the crossing said, “ They’ll say anything to get you to buy!” I guess it didn’t matter that they had cleared US customs leaving Vancouver , BC going back to the US once already. We had to get off the bike and go into the office to have them inspected. Back on the bike and on the road again.
Approaching Fife just outside of Tacoma …second “oops!” we heard the unforgettable sound of a laser hit on the radar detector. The first words out of my sweet husbands mouth…”oh, no”. What a guy! The state trouper came up to us smiling and saying, “Hello, did you know you were going 71 mph?” It was a 60 zone! He then asked where we had been traveling from. Bill said, “ Alaska .” The trouper asked if we took the ferry or if we went through Canada . When Bill told him, “ Canada .” The trouper said, “Anyone who can endure a ride like that, I’m not giving you a ticket.” He checked the ID and came back and let us go with a “have a good ride!” and a big smile. He was really cute! Bill and I laughed and sighed once more for several miles. What a relief!
I had decided in Hyder that I want to qualify for the IBA. Bill thought that a straight ride home would be a good test of my endurance. He said he would drive until I said stop. We made stops every 2 hours or so for potty, gas and visor change. We made it home through Hwy 5, 505 and 680 Memorial Day traffic in approximately 15 1/2 hours. My second personal best day, we rode 1050 miles!
I could go on and on with more reminiscences and pictures but I’m sure I’ve gone on way too long. I hope I’ve been able to impart some of the flavor of our trip to Hyder Seek, AK. It was a very memorable trip. I hope to make it to Hyder again next year. I so enjoyed our time with our cherished friends. Meeting so many great people who love riding so much was inspiring and invigorating. I will proudly wear my Hyder Seek 2005 shirt to the next CA2Q meeting. After 2 days rest, I’m ready for our next adventure!
