Captain's log:
2:00am Transiting Lynn Canal
6:25am Safely docked in Skagway
12:00nn Overcast skies, moderate breeze; 13°C
8:25pm Unmoored
9:00pm Commenced voyage to Glacier Bay
The noise of the cruise ship docking in Skagway woke us up. We had signed up for a day trip to the Haines Eagle preserve wildlife river adventure. For the almost 7hr tour, we paid US$189pp. We departed at the nearby pier at 10.00am by a smaller ferry. The trip took about 45min passing through scenic the Lynn canal (the deepest and and longest fjord in the world) and waterfalls. We had a running commentary highlighting the scenic spots along the way.
Haines is a sleepy town with a population of 3400, dwindling down to less than 800 during winter. It was voted the best town to live in America and was the filming location of movie "White Fang". This little hidden gem is also the gateway to the largest protected wilderness in the world, spanning over 20m acres and the host of the Bald Eagle festival in November. We met our driver cum guide who directed us into a retro (1950s?) school bus for our 30min journey inland to the Chilkat river and the Eagle preserve. Although it was suppose to be summer, autumn seemed to have arrived early here. The leaves had turned an attractive yellow and red hue. Upon arrival, we had a quick lunch of hotdogs grilled over an open fire and hot chilli before we were suited up with provided jackets, mufflers, blankets etc. We toured the Chilkat river on an open catamaran, we were the last group of the season and was warned that wildlife, being wildlife may not be cooperative. We did not manage to spot any wildlife other than the odd bald eagle sitting proudly atop a branch, a lone grey egret and a beaver's dam. Still, the scenery was spectacular as we passed cascading waterfalls and hanging glaciers. It was an exhilarating experience. We returned to land, returned the warm gear and boarded the school bus and made our way back to the pier. Unfortunately or fortunately, the ferry was late and we had a bonus tour around town and Fort Seward.
Back at the pier in Skagway, we took a leisurely walk into town. This town is the gateway to the Klondike and its most popular attraction is the historical railway to the Whitepass and Yukon. The town was almost deserted, certainly the train station and some shops had already closed for the day. This gold rush town had kept many of its buildings, with a little imagination, we could almost imagine what it was like during the pioneer days.
My log:
No of wildlife spotted: 2 (bald eagle and an egret)
No of meals consumed: 3