6-20-09

Yesterday we moved from Haines Junction, which is Yukon Territory to the town of Haines in Alaska. It is about 158 miles of beautiful mountains partially covered with snow and in places the snow was still falling It is the prettiest drive we have been on yet. I will attach some pictures. There are beautiful lakes everywhere. We passed a couple of large fish wheel traps, that at first we thought were placed by some of the native people. After reading an article , we found that they are placed in the river by the state so they can tag and measure the fish for better tracking and management ,picture attached.

We met with Bob and Pat who had come down the day before the rest of us. They are in the ocean side RV Park which has a beautiful view of the bay and harbor. We decided to stay in the Elks RV area, doesn’t have the view, but it is half the price.

On the 20^th we drove around the area and into the woods on the south side of Haines ,which is a rain forest, which has lush under growth and ferns and other plants we didn’t expect to see here. We meet two camp hosts and as it turned out they are from Columbia where Gary and Maria Crawshaw live. They live in the same housing development. They have meet Maria several times at community meetings. The campground they host has a magnificent view of the bay as well as two large glaciers.

In or travels we wound up at a boat ramp. A young man and his 3 daughters were just coming off the water after running a gill net and catching some salmon. They were all very pleasant talked to us answering our questions and even allowed us to take their pictures with their fish. One of the fish had lost it’s head to a seal, but the seal left the body. In the past when seals have attacked my salmon they take the body and leave the head.

Last night we attended a free salmon feed put on by the local fisherman for the whole town . It was barbequed Sockeye and deep fried King and all the trimmings. It was very good and attended by probably 300 people.

This morning the local Elk’s served a delicious breakfast, that including, scrambled eggs, Eggs Benedict, hash browns, bacon, sausage, biscuits and gravy and sourdough hotcakes. No one left hungry. Fathers ate free.

All the people we have meet seem eager to help you in any way they can. They answer our questions about the area, give us directions and every one is friendly.

Margaret met a young women who demonstrated making glass beads and later balanced a beer on top of her head while doing the hula-hoop.

I world appreciate those of you who are reading this to sign on as followers, it give me an idea about who is interested. Right now it only shows 7 and I think there are more, thanks