Having spent the night in the forest, we missed a good showing of the Northern Lights. We were woken (late) by cruise ship people going canoeing just down the hill from our spot, on the lake. The day was clear and blue. It didn’t take long to get hot.
We spent today looking around Haines, gained access to an internet café and uploaded the last blogs. Went back to Alaska Rod’s knife shop and bought s lovely knife, and had a wonderful chat, but today a cruse ship was in, so they were very busy.
Looked about the 100 year old Fort Seward – all original buildings and many in disrepair, while others have been well maintained. Four ex-World War Two veterans and their families bough the Fort after WWII and restored it with the view to setting up tourism. Some of their descendants still live in Haines. The Captains residence is a lovely B&B. The cruise ship certainly adds many pedestrians around town, yesterday was much more enjoyable without the crowds.
We found an artist, Tresham Gregg, who’s father was one of the four WWII veterans who owned Fort Seward. He had an apprentice working with him. They spent some time with us and in particular Josh. They were carving a small totem of a Bear and an Eagle. We bought it, but it wouldn’t be finished until tomorrow. Took a photo of Josh with the Artists and the Totem in it’s infancy.
Chilkat State Reserve is out the other side of Haines, so we decided to explore that area with the view to spending the night and looking for Northern Lights. We were not disappointed on the site. We camped on a small isthmus, a narrow piece of land between a mainland and a knoll, bound by water on both sides. We were across but under the ‘Rainbow’ glacier, a hanging glacier and also overlooking Davidson glacier, with Lynn Canal on both sides of us. This was a spectacular camping spot, and very very quiet with an open sky. Took some lovely sunset photo’s, and watched the moon track low across the sky.
Watched porpoises and seals, it was so quiet we heard their ‘blowing’ before we saw them.
Sat out until after midnight waiting for the northern lights, and only got a poor showing of a haze of greens.
Weather – wonderful clear blue sky, low: low 40’s, high: 70, warmest day yet.
Wildlife: Porpoises and seals, Bald Eagles.
O/N N 59 20.148 W 135 33.982
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