Day 43

After walking around town a bit and breaking camp we departed on the MV Kennecott. Next stop Bellingham Washington.

Departing Ketchikan on the MV Kennecott. Next stop Bellingham Washington.

Day 42

The weather was better today and so we took our flight over Misty Fiords Monument.

Our single Otter for the flight over Misty Fiords Monument.
Mary on board the Misty Fiords flight.
Another plane in Misty Fiords.
Clouds over Misty Fiords Monument.

Flying over Misty Fiords

The videos below are all short views of the Misty Fiords National Monument.

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Day 41

Wandered around Ketchikan and postponed our flight over Misty Fiords Monument as the weather is supposed to be better tomorrow.

Salmon monument at Ketchikan Creek where the Tlingit had a fishing camp for thousands of years.
View from Dolly’s north along Creek Street in Ketchikan.
This is the Married Men’s Walk out the back way from Dolly’s…a house of ill repute on Creek Street in Ketchikan.
View south towards Dolly’s along Creek Street in Ketchikan.
Ketchikan Creek after which Creek Street is named.

Day 39

Boarded the Malaspina and departed for Ketchikan by way of Juneau, Petersburg and Wrangell. About 41 hours but interesting the entire time.

Day 35

Up early for a flight to Pack River (about 20 minutes in a single engine Beaver on floats) Where we checked in with the rangers and then proceeded to a viewing area where we saw several different bears stuffing themselves with salmon from the creek.

Female grizzly surveying the fishing grounds.
The same female on the move upstream.
Admiralty Island bear at Pack Creek.
Bald eagle chowing down on the bears leavings.
The young son who was not a good fisherman.

Also took a wonderful walk through old growth forest to a different viewing station upstream from our first location. No bears but many birds including gulls, ravens and blue herons. Some of the fish are looking pretty beaten up by the time they get to this station.

Up stream viewing platform Pack Creek.
Another view from the upstream viewing platform Pack Creek.

Back to the beach and an uneventful flight, once we defeated the dropping tide, back to Juneau. It was pouring with rain so we, against all more virtuous thought, booked a room for the night.

A bear walk near the branch office of the Parks Service at Pack Creek.
Melissa’s remote office at Pack Creek.
Our flying machine to Pack Creek.

Day 34

Said goodbye to the Salmon Run campground in Haines and wandered the town. Eventually we decided to go up the inlet to the cannery and processing plant where many of the local fishermen sell their catch. And they sell things to tourists!

Mud Bay flats from the cannery near Haines.

Went for a last trip back up the Chilkat looking for bears ands found one who had been making a bit of a pig of herself…eaten 10 salmon by the time we arrived. We watched her get a couple more and then were treated to the sight of a momma bear with 3 cubs crossing the river at the weir.

Sow with 3 cubs at the weir.

Caught the ferry to Juneau at 5:30 and arrived in Juneau to pissing rain and, thankfully, a dry warm hotel room.

Lighthouse from the ferry between Haines and Juneau.
A view of Haines from the ferry to Juneau.
Haines and area map.
Mickie at the Chilkat Restaurant and bakery in Haines.

Day 33

Welcome to Haines totems.

Spent the day wandering around Haines and searching up the river for bears hunting salmon. I even tried fishing for Dolly Varden and the outlet of Chilkat Lake and only stopped because a bear appeared just downstream from me.

View up the Chilkat From the bridge in Haines.

Haines is a lovely place and in the words of an Arizona transplant “It’s as Alaska as I want to get.”

A couple of guys who said they were Harrison Ford and John Wayne.
Totem on the Chilkat River.

Also met Jamie who is working for the parks service and just made our day with the welcome she gave us and all the information also.

Female fishing at the weir.