Unfortunately during last nights dinner I had ordered something which did not agree with me and so I had a slightly challenging night and was disappointed as it meant that I would not be able to go on the Wildlife Photo shoot which was the only Tour that Noel was looking forward to.
We did meet up with the F & B manager when I questioned how last nights BBQ chicken etc had been prepared it it looks like it was either the Blue Cheese dressing which they did not realise contains garlic or perhaps Noel should not have eaten the chicken skin, who knows but they were most apologetic.
So it was a slow morning for the hubbie but Jennifer decided that she would still go and take the little Nikon camera she had been practising with as she did not want to use my new camera with its high choice of settings.
Anyway Jennifer departed at about 12.30 with four other people, should have been five of course, together with a female tour leader who had been in a earlier life a pathologist or something like but fancied the piece and quiet of Haines and also the abundance of wildlife and so she and her husband moved here a few years again and she know does these tours for both wildlife and also local plants and flowers. Anyway the tour lasted just over three hours and during this time they got on and off the bus several times for either animal views or scenic views.
They stopped at waterfall and there was a Black bear with two cubs fishing for salmon which they watched and photographed until such time the bear decided it was time to leave and they all all ambled across the road where white lines had been painted so that humans should not go within the lines for fear of being attacked. Generally they are docile animals if left alone but they don't like to be approached or cornered in which case its time to leave pretty damn quick. One of the cubs was carrying a dead salmon which was extremely lasrge and I would have love to have caught one this size.
The salmon are forced to take a route through a fence which runs across the river and this enabled him to count the fish, using only a clicker, going up river so as to understand how the fish are surviving and are the numbers being depleted ?. Apparently this same guy has being doing for so many years that the current bears and cubs have known him since their birth and do not worry about him at all. Then on to see to see some American Bald Eagles of which there were plenty. Unfortunately the little Nikon camera could not really do justice to what Jennifer had seen however the photos will be available next week when we stay two nights in the Seward 360 Hotel awaiting the arrival of the Silversea Silver Shadow Cruise line.
In the evening we went to the main restaurant where shortly after we arrived the Dietary Staff member came straight up and went thro all my allergies again and entered them on their system to ensure there would re occurrence although there had not been any problems in any of the restaurants except last night when perhaps it may have n]been my fault for ordering the blue cheese dressing.
Now a bity about Haines. Its is 75 miles North of Juneau on a wooded peninsular. It was originally inhabited by the Chilki Tingit Indian tribe but was put on the map by a gun toting outlaw called Jack Dalton. He started the Dalton train which was used initially by miners . Later an US American Forces outpost was started here and is still here today complete with parade ground. At one time Haines was completely cut off from the rest of Alaska due to difficult driving conditions and bad weather and the main road was called ‘Cut Off Road’ . Now there is a modern highway which can also be used in the event of an evacuation from a Tsunami , should one take place.
And so an early night and tomorrow we arrive in Juneau.