Friday, August 12, 2011

Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory to Haines, Alaska

When we left our overnight campsite at Kluane Lake, Ken took this photo of the nearby mountain with fresh snow.

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We followed Kluane Lake for quite a distance.  It is very large and the Milepost indicates that storms can happen very quickly.  As we got to another spot on the lake, the wind was blowing hard, and the waves were coming in somewhat like at an ocean.

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We were lucky enough to spot this young grizzly bear at the other side of the road up on a small hill.  It was eating berries and didn’t seem at all bothered by the large trucks that went flying by in the lane close to it.

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As we arrive at Haines Junction, the Village Monument is on the corner and is also known as “The Muffin”.  It is a 24 foot high sculpture depicting area wildlife.

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The Haines Highway follows the shoreline of Dezadeash Lake for many miles.

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We saw a black bear but it quickly ran into the brush alongside the highway and our camera wasn’t as fast as the bear.  We also passed several ponds with pairs of trumpeter swans.

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Our lunch stop was at the Haines Highway Summit, aka Chilkat Pass (elevation 3510 feet).

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After a short distance, we approach the Canada border station.

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It was soon followed by the Alaska border patrol station.  We were asked a few questions, and were on our way toward Haines.

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A fishing wheel was in operation in the Chilkat River.

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We finally arrived at the Elks Lodge in Haines which is our campground for a few days.  We got set up in a site and went did some sightseeing in town.  We stopped at the Visitor’s Center and picked up a few brochures, stopped at a gas station for gas and to clean the windows of the truck.  We continued up the road at the Alaska Ferry stop to find out about the rates and schedule.  From there, we continued to the Chilkoot Lake area where our friends who had been here a couple of weeks ago told us about the grizzly bear sightings.  We were told to show up around 8:30 – 9:00pm in the evening.  We were there somewhere around 3:30 – 4:00pm or a little later and saw a grizzly with her three cubs.  It is so amazing to see these bears in their natural habitat.

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The sow has a collar around her neck.

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She continues along the river following her cubs.

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And here’s another photo with the three cubs heading along the river.

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Well, that was our entertainment for the day.  We returned to the Elks Lodge to pay our camping fee and we took them up on their hamburger night before returning to the motorhome for the evening.

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