The Yukon is the biggest river in the Yukon province, quite a coincident.
This is a wide not very fast moving river but the opportunities of wildlife drew us to it and we went on a kayaking trip.
The river sometimes flows fast and sometimes slow, but it requires not mach effort, so we kayak along the banks looking for Beavers and eagles. We spot the eagles quite easily resting on trees at the edge of cliffs. So many eagles its incredible. The Bald eagle is a rare animal and we have seen so many of them in various stages of growth. The Immature (also known as general males) are black with white silvery feathers every now and then, but the elders are more brownie, with a very distinct white head, making them easy to spot. It is not easy taking photos from the kayak. But we have some nice shots.
We debated taking the camera with us, but decided to do so and leave them in the relatively dry and safe hands of Alla. While we were focusing on the eagles. Amit decided to stop on the river bank.
Few years ago in Zermets Switzerland , Amit was nicknamed the mountain Stag for his amazing ability to hike fast, and faster still when the trails go upwards. The Stag is a mountain creature any way (don’t recall if it’s a deer or a ship) so the term ‘mountain stag’ is doubly mountainous.
In the river Amit quickly became the river stag until he reached the banks. Then while attempting to climb back to the kayak, managed to tip over and filling the kayak with water and most of him self. We laughed and laughed.. and Amit started pumping water from the Canoe, and of course we have photos of that as well.
Amit and Eran came from Canada and travelled there for 2 weeks prior to Alaska and met some Jewish rapper by name of Yoni, who gave them his CD for which we are listening now. Since radio reception here is hard to find. Yoni is a breath of Rap air.
Ok, back to the river, we so more eagles but no beavers or Mouse. We finished the 3 hours ride and waited for a boring hour for our pick up, but entertained somehow by a guy resembling the Korean kid in Indiana Jones and the temple of doom. The guy was canoeing the same part and was alone for some time, making him extra friendly and very assistive in lifting our Canoes.
After wards we had the worst meal of the trip in a hotel restaurant (yam fries and salmon) the problem was the lack of flavor (and price). Then we headed for the Takhini hot springs. This is a real looking pool, that receives water from a nearby hot spring. The water are nice and hot, and we spend a couple of hours there in this our door pool. We broke the world record of couple pool ball bouncing. The record is now 53. Since this is a game we invented and you don’t know the rules, this record will forever remain ours. We drove back just in time to be late for the movies (we skipped it) and instead checked out the SS Klondike which is a restored steam propelled vessel, then bought some yummy cheese for the next day and went to sleep.
That was yesterday in the city of white horse, Yukon, Canada.
Few days before we boarded the Fetus Jumbo 747 plane. This plane with room for 5 passengers. I got to be the co pilot without having to call shot gun. It’s cool seeing all the instruments during flight. The Pilot, turned to be Russian and spoke with us (all those of us who know some Russian, which means all the rest but I). we flew over inlets, mountains, by glaciers and the pacific on the way seeing mountain goats from way on high (the look like white blobs from above).
We are driving now north towards the Klondike and Dawson city. As we go north, the vegetation changes from summer to fall. The trees are yellower and the combination is amazing. The fall is the best season to travel and the most beautiful. We approach the Tundra and look forwards to its beauty.
Ok, back to the plane. We landed after 40 minutes in the lovely Gustavus. Tom was already there. Tom owns a bed and breakfast with his wife sally, he drove us to the inn, we settled in and played a bit with a never resting dog. The house has woods on the one side and a green meadow on the other with a veggie garden. We were given lady bikes (one speed, with the wider wheel- how do you say Kidon in English?) and went on a 9 Mile bike ride to Glacier bay.
Pause on glacier bay for update on today’s hike to Grizzly lake.
As the name suggests, there are bears here, Grizzlys. It is said that a bear will not attack a party of four or more hikers (unless provoked). Bears are shy and stay away from man if you let it know your coming (singing, loud noises etc…). so with that in mind, We walked the four of us; me, alla Gil and the cane (Eran and Amit chose to spend the morning in at Dawson city) in to the semi tundra forest of the tombstone territorial park in Yukon. The narrow trail goes through the forest with low trees and high brush and mossy ground. The fauna is abundant and makes it hard to see. And on this trail, everything looks like a bear. Every paw print is a bear paw, every poo is bear poop. Every fallen tree with the roots showing when you cross some corner really looks like a bear. The conditions of the trail lets you see perhaps 20 meters at best ahead and 2-3 to the sides. We were vigilant to the extreme, and sang out loud the whole way. Silly kids songs and made up songs, so the bear would hear us and stay clear. The scenery is incredible, with the fall season the red yellow and green are in full display. We did not make it to the top of the mountain and the view point since the fog was there, no point in climbing if you cannot see. So we headed back down, still singing and still very vigilant. The only animals we encountered were 3 pigeon sized birds dotted white on black, and let me tell you, the first time I saw them move, I was sure it was a bear. We made the hike in just under 2 hours and now headed back on the world famous Dempster highway back to Dawson city.
Here are 10 reasons why a bear WILL attack a party of 4:
a group of travelers felt safe (cause they were 4)they didn’t sing, surprised the bear and got eaten.
The Bear was in the “no bear left behind” program of the public school system under the bush administration, there for it is dumb and does not know that a bear does not attack a group of 4.
The bear is deaf and does not hear the singing.
The Bear is sick and tired of stupid songs and wants to kill it at the source
The bear hears you making the sounds of either Berries or Salmon, mystified by these sounds the bear eats you.
Difficult economic times with the bubble bursting had affected bears, the upcoming winter looks bitter and humans are easy prey- they think the Stick/Cane can chase a bear away, pfffffff.
If you mention the care bears you will be eaten since bears don’t care.
If you eat tuna and don’t brush your teeth after wards, the bear will be attracted to the scent.
And the most important, if you are not Bear Aware, that just pisses the bears off.
Sorry, wasn’t as funny as I tried to make it and lets go back to glacier bay.
We rode our bikes on the road by the pretty forests looking for moose and Bear, seeing none of both and arrived at a nice lodge over looking Bartlet cove. The Lodge is a big wooden structure with a nice restaurant. We stopped and got some sea food (Salmon and halibut) chowder and yes , souvenirs… then went on a short hike in the beautiful forest. Afterwards we got on our bikes and headed back 9 miles to our bed and breakfast in the light rain. We started watching ‘a Fish called Wanda’ for a few minutes and fell asleep.
A glorious breakfast awaited us at Tom and Sallys. Fresh raspberries, bread and butter, English muffins, omelets, toasts, raspberries jam, Granola, milk, tea, coffee and fresh squeezed OJ all plain and delicious. The fruits were picked fresh from their home grown garden, the eggs from their chickens. With full satisfied stomachs we took our one day rental on this peninsula from Buds car rental ( we got a funky smelly van) and boarded a catamaran and headed for the glaciers.
We received a free refill glass that keeps the drink warm, ordered out lunch sandwiches for later, filled hot chocolate and went to the 2nd floor. The cruise passes through whaling waters and thought the main attraction were the glaciers, I was on whale watch. The day begun with fog and you couldn’t see very far. But you could see the water. The most common marine animal of the day was the common fin.
Harbor porpoises and sea lions were spotted from time to time alongside gulls and sea ducks. The fog cleared and we passed an island that sea lions inhabit. So many of them, crouched one next to the other and tons of birds including the Puffin which is the local flying attraction. The puffin flies very low on the water and it looks like a penguin running on the water. We continued through inlets and close to small islands till someone cries out “Bear!”. The boat approaches the shore where a big brown bear roams the coast. A ranger was there on the ship explaining on the park and the wildlife and they were seen left and right, lots of bald eagles. I saw one stands on the banks of a tiny river with the wings slightly spread in a hunting motion. Incredible.
We went ahead till I spotted 3 bears walking, a mother and two cubs, the ship approached once more and I have them on video (soon on a YouTube near u). later that day when the ship picked up kayakers who went on an adventure of their own. We saw 2 more bears close to them, they say they bears kept coming closer and closer till the Calvary ship came to their rescue.
The air was cooler and small ice pieces were floating on the water, they were just the tip of the iceberg. Soon the blue color of the glacier emerged and we were parked close to one for 20 minutes or so while not really enjoying the Salmon cream wraps, but enjoying the 3rd of 4th hot chocolate by then. We stared at the glacier and waited for parts of it to drop to the water, but they didn’t so I have no evidence of global warming from this glacier. On a small floating piece of ice, sat 5 Seals. They were pretty far away and I had to use the full camera zoom through the binoculars to get this shot, not an easy task to do. We left the glacier and headed for another glacier, this one was less impressive in color but had a huge river was coming out of it at the bottom in a raging waterfall. We didn’t go in (cause its glacier water!) and now I had my proof of global warming.
The weather got better and better and we saw more of the little mountains and on the way back we got lucky. A hump back whale decided to clap her fins and continued clapping for a few minutes to our delight, we saw another one few minutes after and returned ashore.
We went on another hike with the intent to see coyotes, but saw none. We stopped on the way back for pizza dinner at the 4 corners (the only intersection of this place) and returned to Sallys. We watched Mr deeds before going to sleep.
We woke up and had a good quick breakfast (salmon potatoes as the main dish with home grown potatoes and locally caught salmon( ok, this time I am guessing)) and took the flight back, this time to Scagway.
Scagway is a cute touristic town, lots of old buildings and very very expensive souvenir shops. This town is a stop for the Alaska cruise ships which explains the prices. We walked around the town that day, eating ice cream and soup and receiving free souvenirs in one of the shops. The Clerk called them STLs (shitty little things), from china. They are very cute souvenirs of various kinds. She hated them (not Alaska made) and decided to get rid of them , by giving them to tourist like us, she was not the owner, but who cares… we have a cute moose now (without buying anything there). We took the ferry back to Haines to get the car (back to Skagway), but before returning we stopped for salmon burgers….side note, I use to be indifferent with salmon. In Israel it is usually dry, no matter who makes it. But her it is so soft and mmmmmm and I try to eat salmon or halibut whenever we stop. We went back to the place we saw the bear a few days before, and here it was again. We followed it for a few minutes and noticing more bald eagles on the banks. The she bear grabbed a salmon and left it on the road, before going to eat some berries.
We tented at Scagway and drove away early to Whitehorse, through a magnificent tundra area with lots of lakes reflecting the mountains behind them.
At Whitehorse we ate breakfast at a local café and then went to the ‘Kanoe people’ to grab the Canoes for the Yukon….. go back to the beginning to read about that.
That’s it for now, still a day behind, its time for the ‘top of the world highway’ and an egg salad sandwich (no salmon).
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