Friday: Grizzly, We Think.....

Onwards again, heading further south from Dease Lake to Stewart.

Today has been the most amazing day for bears.  To be honest, we stopped counting but we probably saw around 10 black bears and this chap.  It almost seems redundant to mention the scenery - I don’t really have the words to describe it continuously, particularly as it is just constantly stunning.  

We met our first COVID denier.  We pulled up for coffee at a camping ground that advertised itself as a coffee stop.  We had previously stopped at an earlier shop but moved on when it said that only locals were allowed.  Most places mandate masks so we are respectful of that.  So we entered said camping ground - K. was wearing a mask but I wasn’t at that point.  The guy serving us seemed hostile from the outset but then asked where we had travelled from.  We said we lived in Vancouver and he said ‘so do you have the virus?’ to which we said no, we didn’t.  ‘So, why are you wearing a mask?’.  ‘To be respectful’, I said.  At which point he launched in to a diatribe about how it was completely disrespectful to wear one.  Either K. was wearing it because she had the virus or she was wearing it because we thought he had.  Either situation was disrespectful and he didn’t want us in his shop (as he continued to pour our coffee and charge us for it.....). 

Then it was on to how we had been brainwashed and it was all a conspiracy theory.  We were definitely left somewhat dumbfounded and just went silent on him........at which point he apologized for offending us and then just went on to repeat all his previous arguments, thereby simply re-offending.  To be honest, he was very grumpy and unpleasant from the start so the issue was with him and we don’t feel bad about it, just a bit bemused.

Anyhoo, we are now in Stewart, which feels like one of the last outposts.  It was a bustling gold town/trading community until 1929 and is now a fishing community of sorts.  It’s 3 miles from the border with Alaska with the town of Hyder being just over the other side.  Hyder has suffered a bit with the border closures as it relies so much on Stewart for amenities.  

As for the bear, we think it’s a grizzly but we asked a few people in the restaurant tonight and the jury’s a bit out.


Extras:
- Stewart, by night
- Stewart, by day
- Stewart estuary walkway