Bear River Coffee Walk

Hi Blog!

Thursday, May 19, 2016, was our first full day in Stewart, BC. We stayed at the Bear River RV Park situated on the banks of the Bear River just a few miles from downtown Stewart, BC.

With coffee in hand, we headed out to explore our neighborhood.

At the north end of the campground, Brooklyn's Bridge took us over a small creek that ran between the campground and the roadbed of the Old Portland Canal Shortline Railway that holds back the mighty Bear River during times of flood.

As we poked our heads out from the woods surrounding the campground, the Bear River Valley opened up before our very eyes. Things are just bigger up north - bigger rivers, bigger mountains. Even the clouds seem small by comparison.

The Bear River starts at Strohn Lake at the base of Bear Glacier. Ice once filled all of Bear Pass, but in the 1940’s, the glacier began to retreat and Strohn Lake formed in the exposed basin. Five times between 1958 and 1962 Strohn Lake emptied underneath its ice dam in a catastrophic tumult of muddy water, rock and ice. This type of flood is known by the Icelandic term “jökulhlaup” (pronounced "yokel-lowp").

The sun hadn't yet hit the valley when we started our walk along the old rail line.

The Bear River Valley is a popular route for the helicopter glacier tours. It must be very dramatic to fly low in the valley and then right up and over the glaciers.

We saw a waterfall coming down from the cliffs on the opposite side if the river and decided to head that way. We probably walked about a mile before we reached it. When everything is so wide open and big, distances are harder to judge.

We weren't alone. Apparently, others in the neighborhood like to use the old railroad bed to get around town.

We stopped for one last look at the river before we headed back to camp.

Not a bad way to start the day.