Time Flies - Haines, Hyder and Kennicott

We arrived back in the lower 48 yesterday.  I apologize for the delay in our blog. As many know, our good friend Ron Marlin passed away last week while we were in Haines. When I am done with this blog, I will be having a special edition featuring Ron and Rhonda. 

So, when we last posted, we were still in Valdez. We have traveled a long ways since then so I will try to catch everyone up. Our travels went from Valdez to Chitina where we visited the Kennicott Mine. From there we headed back through Tok to Haines where we also took a ferry to Skagway. Currently, we are arriving in Hyder, Alaska (our last Alaska town of this trip) to hopefully see bears feasting on salmon. 

We did finally see some bears in Valdez. Here is a mom and cub about a mile down from our campsite. 

We had to take a FaceTime call in the middle of nowhere for a special announcement. Our newest Grandaughter, Valerie, is due in February. Thank you StarLink.

Two old guys taking pictures with their drones.  This was over by McCarthy, Alaska.

This railroad bridge served Kennicott. Each year they had to rebuild the copper train bridges due to floods and frost heaves.

The town of McCarthy is 10 miles from the Kennicott mine.  Workers would go down and spend their paychecks here.

Kennicott was a copper mill that was open one day and all the workers were told to be on thje train to leave the next or be on their own.

This is the outside of the mill itself.  We took a tour of the inside of the process.

The tour took us from the top where the ore came in down to where it went into bags on a train.

This picture shows part of the complex including the power plant, amonia plant and the glacier in the background.

When we were in Alaska in 2014, Terrie and Tammie were introduced to an Athabascan herbal tea by Cora, an Athabascan Native American.  She took Terrie and Diane to find some again on this trip.  She has 32 years with the Athabascan Center as you come into Alaska south of Tok.

As you go to Haines, Hyder and Skagway, you have to go through Canada again.  Here we are with Diane and Terry Hansen.  Ron Marlin and I met Terry at the dump station in Seward and we have traveled with them since.

A few miles down the road.

Couldn't leave the Montanas out of the photos.

While in Haines, we did some museums, wildlife viewing and took a cruise to Skagway.  This is the Hammer Museum. It's a hard hitting stop.

Diane broke the "electric hammer".

Mom and two cubs fishing at Haines.

This was a little scary.  While we were photographing the Mom and cubs, this guy came down behind us, snatched a salmon and took it back up the hill.

He had great technique.

A mom with three cubs, teaching them to fish on the weir.

Another bear with a different technique.

Off to Skagway for a day trip.

Skagway is a destination for up to 5 cruise ships per day.

The history of Skagway is steeped in the gold discovery in Dawson City, Canada.  Skagway was the entry point for many seeking their riches.  The Days of '98 melodrama told the story of early Skagway.

The Days of '98 tells the story of Soapy Smith, a con man in olden day Skagway.

We visited the Haines Bald Eagle center. Intense, aren't they?

Skagway with our good friends, Diane and Terry Hansen.

Our last stop in Alaska was Hyder.  To find it on the map, find Stewart, British Columbia.  It's so small, there isn't a border crossing coming into Alaska. But there is coming back into Canada. It may be small and our last stop, but that doesn't make it any less memorable.  Here we saw waterfalls, bears, salmon, glaciers and eagles.

Before you can explore, you have to have a place to sleep.  This is the tidal flats outside of Hyder.  The tide here can be 20'.  We camped where the Salmon River comes into the bay.

The Salmon River originates from the Salmon Glacier, above Hyder.

Terrie's favorite Alaskan flower, the Fireweed with the Salmon Glacier for a backdrop.

Not the best waterfall, but one of many in this area.

This bear was referred to as "Showtime" and "Runner". He spent hours each visit.

This is one of my favorite photos, in a gruesome way.  As Runner is grabbing the Chum Salmon, the eggs are spraying in the air.  It was a one in a million photo. The rangers wanted to see it.

The fishing technique is violent.  This is Fish Creek which flows into the Salmon River. Both Chum and Pink salmon were in the river, but the bears only eat the larger Chum salmon.

It was fascinating watching Runner walk up and down choosing from the buffet.

A golden eagle taking off.

This is a bald eagle soaring by our campsite in Hyder.

We bid adieu to Hyder and Alaska. It has been a great trip, with good friends. We spent lots of time with Ron and Rhonda before Ron's illness.  God brought Diane and Terry into our lives right when we needed them.  And our good friends Ron and Mary hopped a plane to help out Ron and Rhonda to get their rig home.