Some of my greatest leads come from locals, which only happens after extended visits in a community. When we decided to come to Haines, our main goal was to try and get some fish and crab for the freezer, as this would be our last visit to the ocean this season. Having never visited Haines before, I didn't expect anyone to be stopping by with local leads, but that is precisely what happened. I was told about Taiyasanka Harbor, from a local that had stopped by to gift us a jar of home made canned salmon. At this point, we had already found the good crabbing and fishing holes we were hoping for, so having a historic lead to chase down was just a bonus.
Sure, this is just an old wooden barge, and to many people it is even unrecognizable, but to me it is history. I love to see these old relics of a time come and gone, and in a state of deterioration like this, you can really get an idea of how it was built, used and what it could handle. Before the road systems were established into Alaska and the Yukon Territory, barges like this were the lifeblood of the North. I would love to see this barge before it had reached this state, but to see it at all is a pleasure.
The ocean was kind to us during our visit in Haines. Even on the rough windy days, we still had safe trips and crabs in the pot, but when the waters were just too turbulent, we got to enjoy some time on Chilkoot Lake. I did not plan to go up and visit the lake during this stay, but I am so happy that we did. The drive up from Haines is short, but it is absolutely beautiful, and this time of year the water is a perfect clear blue. The salmon are running and the bears are happy, the perfect time to come up for a closer look. During a Salmon run, coastal bears present a completely different behaviour due to the abundance of food. Bears of all size and species come to the rivers to indulge on the spawning salmon. Thousands of salmon swim up the river, and for a bear it is easy picking. So easy in fact, that the bears can be selective of the fish they choose to eat. Female salmon are number one, and often just the eggs are squeezed out and eaten, and the rest of the carcass discarded. Live salmon are chased, or even grabbed out of the air as they make their way upstream. Dead salmon are scooped up by the younger and older bears, that don't have the skill or energy to pursue the faster lively swimmers. Regardless of the fish chosen, there is no shortage of food to eat, therefore no need for aggression. Even the biggest, ugliest most fearsome Grizzly will pose nicely for a photo during Salmon season, and that was the purpose of our visit to Chilkoot Lake.
We were fortunate to see one bear on the way up to the lake, and quite a lot of salmon once we got on the water, but unfortunately that was it for wildlife during this adventure. Never the less, the scenery was absolutely beautiful, and a good time was enjoyed. Haines is definitely on the list for a revisit.
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