From our overnight spot beside the highway we drove back up the Naas valley in low cloud and mist to the junction with the Nisga'a highway and into the town of new Aiynash. There was not a lot to see on the way because of the weather but the sea birds could be heard squawking away.
From new Aiynash we had intended to take a road called the Cranberry connector that joins the Nisga'a highway with the Cassiar, but when we got to the start of that road there was a sign saying un-maintained road, travel at your own risk. Now under normal circumstances that may not have stopped us from trying but the layer of snow that began 100 yards up the road did. The road had not been plowed all winter and I did not think that we could push through piles of spring snow for 30 miles without getting stuck. So we had to take the long way round, back through Terrace to the junction of highway 16 and the Cassiar near Kiwanga.
This of course gave us another opportunity to spend some time in the Safeway cafe at Terrace - I now feel like I have actually lived in this town.
The drive east back along highway 16 to the junction with the Cassiar revealed much less snow than a few days earlier when we had traveled west along this section of road. So spring and the warmer weather we have been having seems to be doing its job.
Onto the Cassiar and we stopped at the small town of Kitwangcool to check out the display of totem poles, the largest collection in one place in Nothern BC.
The drive up the Cassiar was easy, on a good road with great views north and west of the snow covered coastal mountains. The only problem was the snow, which despite my earlier comments about warmer weather and spring is still very deep - 4-6 feet just off the road - and hence all the picnic and camp areas are inaccessible. Eventually we decided to stop in a road side rest area - just a gravel pullout beside the road really, - with a big wall of snow beside it from the snow plow.
After being parked for a while Nina decided she wanted to explore an area over the other side of the snow wall and started to climb over the wall of snow. All went well for about 10 steps as the side of the wall was firm, but on top of the wall the snow was soft and you guessed it she stepped on that and sank up to her waist. This resulted in calls for help -help - I can't get my shoes out. I climbed up to her and sure enough her right shoe was buried about 3 feet down in the granular spring snow and I could not get it out by hand. I decided to go and get the shovel and walked back to the vehicle to get it. Meanwhile Nina continued to try and rescue her shoe by hand. She spent quite a few minutes sitting on top of this pile of snow, with one shoe off, and her hands buried in the snow pile fighting with the shoe. It was quick work to dig the shoe out with the shovel but by the time I was done Nina was claiming frost bite of the fingers, toes on one foot, and her rear end. Now I would not want to under play the trauma, but the air temperature was 50°F and she only sat there for maybe 10 minutes so I think frost bite is a bit of an exageration. But I am sure she was cold. Anyway back in the vehicle we warmed her up and all was well.
