Yellowhead to Prince Rupert.

On advice of a Canadian friend, I booked on the Prince Rupert to Prince Hardy BC Ferry.  You take the only road to Prince Rupert.  Have reservations, because things are sparse out there...lodging and people.  The coastal range starts at the "Little Switzerland" of Smithers.  The ride from Smithers to Prince Rupert should be a national park, rivaling anything in the Canadian Rockies.  The Ferry is the only thing to go for.  Otherwise you turn around and go back.  The Stewart-Cassiar (Hwy 37) highway goes north up to Alaska from the Yellowhead (Hwy 16), and connects to the Al-Can.  71 miles is still unpaved.  I did not want to take a touring bike up there.  The road to Hyder is paved (I was told later) but that would make for a long day, unless you camped out somewhere.  Not much in Hyder, but I am told the ride to it is spectacular.

The day from Prince George to Prince Rupert on Yellowhead Highway 16 is very long, over 10 hours.  Smithers would be a better place to leave for Rupert.  Prince Rupert is very wet, rainy, being on the coast.  It is the terminal of the railroad and a deep water port, but I would say very isolated.  Canneries and fishing is the big thing there, and I would also say that they are not doing well.  You catch the Ferry to Vancouver Island there, as well as the Ferry going north to Alaska.  The Alaska ferry is not Canadian, leaving from Bellingham, Washington.