8/25 Saturday
First thing this morning (morning being a relative thing), I blog, and we both work on trying to identify some of the as yet anonymous birds we’ve photographed.
We’re on the road by 1PM. It rained last night, and today it’s very cloudy and cold. We’ve seen a lot of rain lately, and being spoiled Californians, we’re getting sick and tired of it. Nancy tries to stimulate change by singing “Rain, Rain, Go Away…” I personally think we need a more powerful exorcism—perhaps we need to sacrifice a goat?
Today, on our way to Haines, we will have a nearly unique geographic experience (made NEARLY by the fact that the experience will be repeated on our return trip). We start this morning in the Yukon, then we’ll pass into British Columbia, and finally into Alaska…three states (or the functional equivalent) and two countries in one modest excursion.
Along the way we see a Golden Eagle, some ptarmigan, many swans and ducks, one Red Squirrel, and two Deadly Artic Ground Squirrels (we keep our doors and windows locked as we pass the ground squirrels for we know what these voracious little b-----ds will do to us if we’re not careful).
We encounter one long section of construction where an army of workers is scrambling to finish repaving 10-15 miles of roadway before the winter. In dozens of other similar situations we’ve needed a pilot car to take us through the area. Here, oddly, we’re sent forth on our own with instructions on how to dodge the giant asphalt trucks that are roaring back and forth. We feel a little like a fluffy, baby bunny trying to run a gauntlet of DEADLY ARTIC GROUND SQUIRRELS.
Otherwise, the road is high on our list of favorites. For much of the trip we are in a broad, alpine valley with Appalachian-like mountains to the east and Rockies-like crags to the west. Often we crest a hill and can see for miles across the tundra. Even though clouds wreath the taller peaks, and it rains occasionally, we begin to see glaciers to the west; and as we move closer to Haines, they are more prevalent. There are few other vehicles. We are reminded of The Dempster Highway in the northern Yukon, except this road is paved. In this wilderness of prime habitat, we continue to be amazed that we are seeing NO LARGE MAMMALS…NO MOOSE…NO BEARS…NOTHING.
I begin developing the theory that aliens are abducting wilderness mammals for some nefarious purpose. We haven’t actually SEEN this happen, but according to The Enquirer, it COULD be happening…late at night, luminescent metallic discs dipping from the cloud cover; radiant beams probing downward, illuminating a moose feeding on the tundra; a meteoric flash of light and eerie sucking sound; the grass singed; the moose gone, then “pfaaat”, the moose reappears, now inhabited by an extraterrestrial being with evil on one of its warped minds. The Enquirer headline begs to be heard, “NAKED MOOSE ON WHITEHOUSE LAWN DEMANDS TO SEE PRESIDENT”.
We stop at Million Dollar Falls and hike to the cataract. White water cascades over a series of falls through a narrow canyon—an interesting diversion.
I fish at Goat Creek. No fish, but using a tin can lure, I do land a 42 pound white goat…might be just what we need to appease the rain god.
The road ascends toward a mountain pass. At 3,600 feet, there are several patches of snow near the road after which we crest the pass and begin the long and steep descent to Haines. The landscape changes abruptly from scrub trees and tundra to thick forests of stately spruces and hemlocks. Soon the Chilkat River valley opens to the west. In a few places the river converges into a single surging channel, but most of the way it’s braided through a mile-wide, flat plain of gray gravel.
Suburban Haines has a 48,000-acre Bald Eagle Preserve. We see our first eagle even before we reach the preserve and then several more as we drive toward town.
Tonight we are in an RV park right on the bay. We expect the view from our front window will be breathtaking when the pummeling rain finally stops. Now where did we put that goat?
