The Boomer Bus: 08-27-2014 Jade City

Post 08-27-2014 Jade City, Yukon, Canada

Leaving Watson Lake, we got an early start and headed South on Highway 37, Cassier Highway, toward Stewart, BC and Hyder, AK. Signs says 420 miles. A long haul for one day but we did it plus we stopped in Jade City for about an hour and a half. The first part of the highway was rough, lots of gravel and dirt, potholes and narrow curves etc. (Also very isolated, hardly any traffic, mailboxes, driveways, etc). BUT, the last 150-200 miles, through the Coastal Mountains was as beautiful as any drive anywhere in Alaska with glaciers, waterfalls, wild mountain streams and the rainforest, so lush and green. Yep, rainforest. Alaska, the Yukon and BC are full of them.

Jade City

In the middle of nowhere, about 119 miles from Upper Liard over a rough highway that was just full of tundra heaps and potholes and one I won’t ever drive over again we reached Jade City.

Jade City is a Jade stone mining town of about 85 people. Two of the three businesses are owned by the same Lady. One is a retail store that sells virtually anything made of Jade you could want. Prices run from less than $1.00 to over $20,000. The owner exports 90% of mined Jade ore to China and she owns a Jade design and manufacturing company there as well. This store will also cut jade rock you purchase from them and help you polish them.

Kylee Ryan

Jade Ore

basin Washbowl

Raw uncut Jade

They will cut it for you

Stone cutter

Everyone signs the board

Her other business is a First Nation Native Art Gallery and retail store that has everything imaginable on display and for sale. Everything is authentic native art. They had a few Jade pirate type ships on display and for sale, price tag of $65,000 on them and a couple others for a measly $35,000. I was going to buy one but my credit card was a little snippy and wouldn’t approve it (LOL). I’ve never seen so much beautiful and authentic First Nation Art.

This one is $65,000

This one is $35,000

On sale for $4,000

I had a conversation with the wonderful young girl who worked there as well as across the street at the Jade Store, Kylee Ryan, was only 19 and was of First Nation Heritage. She told me some of the history of the place, i.e. where the art pieces were made and about the owner. She is hoping to get more involved with the operation of the business as time goes by. I wished her all the good fortune in the world.

Kylee Ryan
The only other business there is a restaurant where we had a delicious breakfast (me) and lunch (Nita). Nita had a BLT made with Canadian Bacon on restaurant baked bread and a bowl of restaurant made Salmon Vegetable Soup that was absolutely scrumptious. We bought a quart to take with us and Nita met the cook and got his recipe for it. We’ll have some tomorrow. The cook, Andy, (loves to bake bread and make soup) is from Montreal but had lived in small towns from the age of 7 until he returned to Montreal to attend college. He can probably get a position in any restaurant he chooses, he’s that good, however, the owner as assured him that she wants him back next year when they start up again (usually May). He indicated he loved it there and will happily come back and maybe even to live at least in the summer-like everyone else. And, Andy, the soup was wonderful as we traveled down the road.

local having breakfast

Andy

A Jade table--see the rectangles of Jade. There were about 10 tables in the restaurant

The rest of the drive to Stewart and Hyder was much smoother and we made better time. The weather was rainy in some areas but just mostly a misty drizzle. By the time we got to Hyder it cleared up and was gorgeous. We saw some beautiful glaciers along the way and a black bear walking along the roadway. He was just ambling along eating some of the plants and berries. The 30 miles from Meziadin Junction is about as gorgeous as it can get.

In Hyder, we stayed at the Run-a-Muck RV Park, the only one in town and the closest to the bear platform and the Salmon Glacier. We’ll tell you about those in the next posting.