Trip Notes - Haines, Alaska

[nitrah55]

The cruise ship stops at Skagway, Alaska. The dock is about a quarter mile from town, some people walk, some take a shuttle. We have been told Skagway is a giant t-shirt shop, so we are happy to avoid it by taking a ferry to Haines, about an hour away.

Two co-workers of the Bride's live in Haines. They moved there about a year ago from North Carolina. They still work for the same company, doing their work over the phone and internet. They do their work on Eastern Time, four hours earlier than in Alaska. Most of Alaska is in one time zone, which is pretty odd, considering the size of the state. In the case of our friends, Dan and Tammy, getting up at a very early hour is not so noticeable in the winter (when it's mostly dark, anyway) and summer (when it's mostly light).

The dock which the ferry leaves from is not marked. The ferry is not marked, but for one sign at the very end of the dock. Fortunately, we guess correctly which ferry at which dock will get us to Haines.

Haines is a little village, but big enough to have an IGA, and gets enough tourist traffic that someone is making a few bucks running a hammer museum. That's right, a museum devoted to hammers. $3 admission, kids under 12 are free. What a treat that must be for the kiddies.

We get some water and drive in Dan's pick up to Chugach State Park, where there's a hiking trial through forest to a lake. He pulls over where he sees a few cars pulled over, and we see in the river next to the road a young grizzly bear. Beloved Son gets out of the truck, but does not venture far to get pictures of the bear. When the bear turns in his direction, Beloved Son snaps one last picture and gets back in the truck. At that point, we figure the bear is about 15 feet away.

Before we start our hike, Dan straps on a pistol and hands me a container of pepper spray about the size of a small fire extinguisher. I am told to spray this in a bear's eyes, if the oppotunity arises. I check the safety device on the container, and hope that I do not spray it in my own eyes, if the opportunity arises.

The hike takes us through a very dense rain forest, which, as it is raining lightly, seems appropriate. It takes about an hour to reach the lake, surrounded by mountains sheathed in clouds. We see a bear on the far side of the lake.

Rather than take the trail back to the parking lot, we can walk the perimeter of the lake, about a half-mile. Dan says his friends have done it and that there is a trail.

After about an hour's hike around the perimeter, I can only assume two things: (1) Dan's friends have no problem clambering over large, wet rocks obsured by tall marsh grass, and (2) what trail there is has been left by whoever immediately preceded us through the tall marsh grass, probably another bear.

Wet, tired, cold, we get to the parking lot, and merrily get in the truck. We go to lunch at the Lighthouse, one of several little restaurants in Haines. The other one has great halibut tacos, but since we had those in Juneau, we go for burgers at the Lighthouse.

I feel a bit cold, but I realize how cold I am when I start eating and the tips of my fingers go slightly numb. I figure that my body cannot handle both keeping me warm and digesting food, so my circulation has been cut, temporarily.

It was this day that told me a lot about why people come to Alaska. You're responsible for your own decisions. Go off the trail, you better be ready for whatever comes, and you have to keep going.

[ne1410s]

Great report, nitrah. I do vicarious quite well, thank you.

[MarleysGh0st]

Did Dan tell you that story about how to tell black bear scat from grizzly bear scat?

[nitrah55]

Did Dan tell you that story about how to tell black bear scat from grizzly bear scat?

As I recall, grizzly bear scat has pepper spray cans and little bells in it.

To explain, tourists are told to make as much noise as possible when in the woods, so as to alert bears to their presence, because bears don't like to be surprised.

People are told to sing, talk loudly, and some wear little bells to make noise as they walk. Sceptical locals call them "dinner bells."