Alaska: 30.07. – 06.08.2009

We have been in Alaska again. Nope we have not returned. Along the west coast of Canada there is a „small“ stripe that still belongs to Alaska known as southeast Alaska, and the so called inside passage goes through there. In this area most cities can only be reached by boat or plane, since there are very little roads in the area.

Our first target in the area was Haines. The travel guide didn’t lie by saying the Haines Highway is really scenic and the sun has done the rest. Short before the city we started our hunt for bald eagles, the national bird of the USA. Unfortunately we just got a few in front of our lens, it was just not the season for it. After we have found our Campsite we immediately began with the planning of the days to come. Since we had little luck with Glaciers and Whales up north we wanted to try it again in the Glacier Bay National Park. A road does not go there, but that park is supposed to be a dream of pure nature, so we thought there should be the one or the other possibility to get there. So we thought. But the Lady from the Visitor Center looked at us like a car just not as fast, and all she gave us was one little 4 page flyer with the comment „sorry, from Haines nobody wants to go there, that you have to organize yourself.“ And so the search through the internet started. Went on. The whole afternoon. The result: Two emails to companies in Glacier Bay. With the weather supposed to turn bad in the middle of next week we wanted to leave on Sunday (it was Friday). So we started waiting for a reply, and waited, with no one answering. So we had to take it in our own hands on Saturday morning we called on half a day through the whole park. You like a little example of one of the conversations?

Operator „Yes, tomorrow there is some space on our tour boat. “ Markus „You also got the flights from Haines, as we’ve read on your website, it comes as a package? “  Operator „Yes that’s right let me check that availability, hold on a moment… 5 minutes later …Sorry, there are no availabilities from Haines until Tuesday. (Remember the weather gets bad by then) In the company we work together a pilot is sick. If you want to come earlier you have to organize the flight yourself.“  Nothing easier than that. Within an hour of further calls, we called back for the boat. The same operator „We’re glad you could make it happen, so it comes to a total of …$. “ Markus „Hmm but wasn’t the price 60$ lower before? “ Operator „Yes, that is because you haven’t booked the flight with us.“ In the end we made it, but we now know how that look from the Lady of the Visitor Center has to be interpreted.

Anyway we still had half a day left, the sun was shining, and right on that weekend the Southeast Alaskan State Fair took place. There are no pictures (Sometimes even we get tired of taking pictures!), but it really looked like one of those fairs that we only knew from old wild west movies, awesome, just the band that was playing in the evening was not really our taste.

On the following day our adventure with the privately organized “private jet” to Gustavus started. Just the sky was a bit cloudy and in the distance the signs of forest fires could be seen. In the evening before another one started in the Yukon through lightning and the wind seemed to be “ideal”, it got blown in our direction.

We took it easy and built up our tent in the middle of the rainforest of Glacier Bay, it was a dream. The ground green, the tree trunks green, everything green. We would not have changed it with a fancy hotel room not even for free. As we were told, we are in bear country, we went for the dining room, the beach. Cooking should be done in the intertidal zone, so we did and while doing so we watched our first whales far in the distance. That is going to be a great day tomorrow.

Our mood lowered a bit the next morning, the smoke has settled over night, and pretty much everything a little above sea level was hiding in it. Hope dies last, but unfortunately it didn’t get much better through the day. We got to see the calving glaciers and some of the amazing scenery. Though any wildlife bigger than a seal seemed to be hiding in the smoke. We haven’t seen any. Nevertheless it was a beautiful day. Back in Haines we took the ferry to Skagway on the same evening. But first we checked on the Grizzly, on the creek just of Haines, taking its swimming lessons.

Despite city we were lucky and found a place to sleep outside of the Campgrounds, Thanks to a hint from Paul, who we met filming the swimming Grizzly in Haines. In the ghost town Dyea a few miles from Skagway close to a creek almost at the ocean we placed Nisto. On the almost common tour around the site Markus called Sonja to have a look. The creek was full of Salmon, hmm, Dinner? Since we both have no clue how to fish, it remained a thought. Not fife minutes later we got visitors. Two Grizzlies went after their dinner just in that creek. Of course we let go of everything and enjoyed the show from a safe distance, when do you get a personal show like that. After filling their tummies they left us for a nap and we finally could prepare our dinner with the brand new kerosene stove we just bought for some multiday kayak or hiking trips. It worked perfect and while the noodles were on we got another visitor on the search for dinner. Luckily there was enough in the creek, so he didn’t have to come for noodles but at least we were tense at that moment with the food in the open and a Grizzly within twenty meters.

The next morning we got woken by a Grizzly running up and down the creek like a madman, chasing after the salmon, just to have a little rest while eating one that he just caught. Before the running went on, but for us and the camera that was still too early. And as if we knew it just after breakfast we got another show with the two from the evening before. We could enjoy them feeding for more than an hour. Can one ask for more? After that show we left Skagway over the wonderful White Pass, but once more the beautiful, scenery was in the clouds as we passed the border for Canada. What we could expect here, well there will be another story.

Till soon

Sonja and Markus

Here it goes to the pictures…