The southern 300 miles (500 Km) of the Cassiar Highway can be simply described as trees, mountains and water. However, that would be an oversimplification. Yes, it is trees, mountains and water, but the arrangement of the three changes constantly to create some really spectacular scenes. The road starts a climb soon after Dease Lake and winds through mountain passes (the highest a little over 4000 feet,) along rivers and lakes and always surrounded by mountains. Most of the road, with the exception of three muddy (because of rain the previous night) stretches totalling about 30 miles, is paved or oiled gravel, so travel was relatively easy. 

It is the muddy stretches that are the signature of the Cassiar Highway. When we got to the campground, you could differentiate between those travelers who arrived via the Cassiar from those heading north by the mud caked on their trucks, trailers and motorhomes. We had at least 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) of mud on the undercarriage of the truck and trailer. The campground washstand was busy (at $20 per unit) with southbound travelers using the high pressure hose to knock down the "souveniers" of the Cassiar.

Our arrival at Kitwanga marks the end of our travel on unpaved or gravel roads. The remainder of our trip will be on the Yellowhead Highway, Icefield Parkway and TransCanada Highway, all good roads. The trailer should stay clean for a while.

Cassiar Highway Scenes