2 bull moose

On June 10th one of our tours had the rare opportunity to join "The Chilkat Pioneer" Duck, as he manned one of the jet boats upriver.  The experience on the boat must have been a great one according to the comments I heard as guests made their way from the dock.
  Everyone was excited to tell their stories of what they saw while on the tour.  The most talked about were the two bull moose found swimming the river.  As the two swam downstream Duck carefully maneuvered the boat so that everyone was able to get a good look and a picture without disturbing them.  The river is at 5 feet now and flowing stronger with more debree, but for two bull moose it's not an obstacle, it is merely a fact of life.

Courting Eagle's over Chilkat River
by Angie

The group was also lucky enough to witness a bald eagle swimming in the river with a salmon in it's grasp as it's wings were violently thrashing the water. As it struggled against the current, it had to fight the salmon that is now in a frenzy to break free.   Quite often the reason the eagle is not able to lift off of the water with a salmon, is that the fish is simply, too heavy.  We were not able to watch the outcome, as we were in the bus and traveling back to town.  But, I can tell you that to witness this event is spectacular and not often seen.

Forget Me Nots
by Angie

We still have a remarkable amount of snow left on the mountains for this time of year and for those of you I have met, you know we received a record breaking amount this year.  So, to keep you up to date, the month of May has been the 2nd coldest on record. And, at this point we are almost halfway through June, the temperatures have gotten a bit warmer, but still not warm enough to melt high mountain snow.


Then came June 21st.  The forecast was for "sunny and warm."
Wow, summer is finally here! OR, so we thought.

The stormy tour!  You Guys were great!

Everyone was enjoying the beautiful morning on the dock waiting for the arrival of the fast ferry and talking about how nice the weather was.   I had put my shorts on earlier in the morning, but the way things had been going with the weather, I began having second thoughts and changed into jeans.  I was glad I did when the wind came up quickly at the river dock and grew harder, almost by the minute.  As I loaded my guests on the bus to return them to town I received a message from “The Little General", "Remember her?" that the fast ferry was docked in Skagway until the storm moved through.  As we headed to town I explained the quick onset of unexpected weather and how it effects travel here in Southeast Alaska, due mostly to the fact that we travel by water and air.  When a storm blows in, it can quickly hinder all travel plans, as it did in this case.  I did however let everyone know that we were in contact with the cruise ships, and they would be in good hands until the weather has subsided. 

As a special treat to our guests we took them to The American Bald Eagle Foundation where they were able to witness a live eagle feeding.  Thank You guys for being so much fun and understanding during the storm.  HERE'S TO YOU!   



12,738 Sockeye through the weir at Chilkoot River!

These twins said, "your the best" after I gave them a hotdog.
Royal Caribbean

The forecast for the Haines area over the next couple of days is: temperatures around 80 degrees, sunny skies, and a flood warning for the Chilkat River. The heavy snowpack left behind from the winter is now melting at a very fast rate and racing down the mountains to the nearby streams and rivers.

 

Disney Kids on the River!