Alaska Part 1 Arrival

 We departed Boise Wednesday morning and flew to Seattle and then to Juneau where we caught the Alaska Marine Highway System Ferry to Haines (We rode the southern part of this route two years ago from Bellingham to Ketchikan).  While waiting for the ferry to depart Juneau, I observed two Orcas swimming between fast boats that were trailing the whales for paying customer viewing pleasure.  The Ferry ride was pleasant and seeing the Lynn Canal from boat was fabulous.  The mountains were green and lush with waterfalls cascading down the steep terrain.  Glaciers hung in the high valleys. 

We arrived in Haines at 830 on Wednesday night, purchased a few perishables at the grocery and headed to Don's cabin in the woods. 

Don's cabin is dry, meaning there is no running water or indoor plumbing.  An outhouse with a comfortable wood seat was a walk away into the dark woods.  We obtained water from a nearby spring, transporting it in 5 gallon jugs to the house.  Other than the lack of plumbing, the house had electricity, wood heat, and shelter from the rain.  It is unfinished inside, so much that the walls are plastic coated insulation- no drywall up yet.

The next day was full of viewing pleasure as we did a little work and site seeing.
Work consisted of building the insides for Todd's shelter in the woods...using shipping containers is an Alaska thing it seems, not hipster decked out with IKEA but with pine 2x4s and foam board:


After our day's work we went to the Haines Brewing Company and met the owner/operator Paul Wheeler.  We enjoyed a pint of Black Fang Stout.  It has been rationed and sitting in the keg for a few months.  Well seasoned, it went down very nice.  Since it was so precious, we were unable to get a growler of it, so we went home with the IPA.  Instead of driving straight home, we toured some of the local sights.
One place we drove up to was Chilkoot Lake, a glacial blue lake with a fantastic backdrop of snow capped jagged mountains.  Along the way up the outlet river we observed brown bear strolling along fishing.  On the river banks were fishermen who were shooed out by the bears and photographers who were brought in to see the bears.  Sorry, we do not have any photos of the bears.

The Burroughs of Haines is cute and quaint, but still a fisherman and working person's town.  A bit like McCall, most people here are just getting by financially but enjoying the place they live fully.  And there are some retired folks along with those you can only wonder how they have as much money as they do when they work so little and at a piddly low paying job.