Skagway!

Bridge where we could see bears in the distance

Bear cub

Bear cub

Mama Speedy and cub

Chilkoot Lake

Davidson Glacier

Meg and Dave at Chilkoot Lake

Friday, August 12: Skagway!

We got up early because our excursion was early.  It was drizzling out, so we suited up in our layers and packed up our binoculars and cameras in our backpack.  We were supposed to meet at the Walt Disney Theatre at 7 am.  Fortunately, Goofy’s Galley was open for breakfast so we headed up to get some pastries and some much needed coffee. 

After our breakfast, we headed down to the theatre.  We were given Mickey Mouse stickers and soon we disembarking the ship.  We got on a bus, driven by Susan, and she took us to a different dock so that we could board our high speed catamaran ferry to Haines. Susan told us that bears had been spotted in the area where we were going, so we might be able to see some.  The trip was very pleasant, with a local naturalist pointing out sights and wildlife to us on the way.  We saw a few eagles and some harbor seals.

When we got to Haines a light rain was still coming down, but Dave and I were properly dressed and so did not mind it (and we did not get wet, either!).  We were met by Don and Judy who would be our guides for this trip.  Don was the former Head Ranger of Glacier Bay National Park and Judy literally wrote the book on the plants of Southeast Alaska (she is a published botanist).  We used the bathrooms at the dock, since we were warned that we would only have access to a portapotty once we got to Chilkoot Lake and then we boarded the bus.  Don was narrating and Judy was driving.  Don was fascinating and he know a lot about the area, as did Judy.  He talked about John Muir, the Tlingit native people of the area and the animals.  Don and Judy also told us about the behavior they expected from us if we saw a bear and we all agreed to follow the rules.  (Like if they told us to get back on the bus, we should get back on the bus, not take a few pictures and then get back on the bus!)

We pulled over to a bakery, which Don called a low-calorie bakery, because it was closed.  But Judy knew the owner and it was right on the river near where eagles could be spotted and an eagle’s nest.  We got out and looked at the gorgeous scenery and saw an eagle in a tree.  As we were looking at the eagles and the river, someone spotted a mama bear and two bear cubs in the distance!  I grabbed my binoculars and I was able to see them.  We were all so thrilled that we had gotten to see bears, even in the distance.  Bust our day was about the get better!

We got back in the bus and followed the road by the river upstream.  As we got to the salmon weir that crossed the river, we saw, not 40 feet away from us, the mama bear (nicknamed Speedy) and her cubs fishing in the river.  One of the cubs had a fishing lure stuck in his lip, but Don said that the cub would most likely pull it out on his own and it did not seem to be bothering him or keeping him from eating.  Although Judy was not really supposed to stop there, there was no traffic and she did, allowing us to get great video and photos of the bears.  Seriously, I could have watched them for hours!  We finally moved on when the bear family crossed the road and disappeared into the woods. 

After that magical encounter, we continued up the road until we got to Chilkoot Lake, where there is a park.  The lake is surrounded by the Takshanuk Mountains and you could even see Davidson Glacier, although there were clouds hanging on the higher peaks.

We got out and used the portapotty and then Judy led us on a fascinating nature walk up into the rain forest.  We went through 5 different ecosystems and Judy explained each one, pointing out the flora.  She also pointed out bear scat so that we could avoid stepping in it! 

After the walk, we got back in the bus and headed off to get lunch.  On the way back to Haines we were lucky enough to see *another* mama bear (this one nicknamed BMJ for Big Mama Jamba) and her three cubs on the other side of the river!  They did not get as close as Speedy and her cubs did, but BMJ is about 30 years old and a very wise and cautious bear!  Still, we could see them clearly and loved watching them fish and eat salmon. 

We went back to Haines and had our lunch at a local restaurant.  It was a bag lunch with a chicken caesar wrap, grapes, chips, a cookie and a bottle of water.  It was very good!  (We were supposed to eat in a Tlingit tribal house, but for it was too wet to do that, for some reason). 

After lunch we went back to the dock, said goodbye and thank you to Don and Judy and took the ferry back to Skagway, bubbling with excitement about the bear watching we had done.  Once in Skagway we did some shopping and enjoyed wandering around the little town, which we loved.  It had a charming rustic ambiance to it, and it really felt like Alaska to us.

Then we returned to the ship in time for dinner, although we changed first.  That night was the Taste of Alaska menu.  Dave had the elk and I had the salmon.  We thought the food was good, but we have actually had better salmon when my dad makes it.  Go figure!  We had a good time talking with our tablemates about the excursions that we had been on.  They we all envious of  our good luck with the bear sightings.

Then it was back to the room and out on the balcony for more scenic viewing.  (I was really glad that I had booked a room with a verandah.  We used it a lot!)  Then it was lights out, because we had another early excursion booked for Juneau!

(In hindsight, Dave and I both agree that Skagway and Haines were our favorite towns and that the Alaska Nature and Wildlife Expedition was our favorite excursion!)