Hallelujah! We have found sunshine and it is good! We arrived in Haines on Wednesday to our first full day in Alaska without rain of some sort. We find it to be a good thing and something to be hoped for in the future. Haines is about 20 miles across the Lynn Canal from Skagway and by any measure is no match for Skagway. Haines is basically a working village that plays to the tourism trade when given the opportunity. One large cruise ship, the Vandam, once a week and a fast ferry from Skagway bringing gold in the shape of about 150 tourists nearly every day. Haines is surrounded by snow capped glacier laden peaks on all side so every where you look there is snow or ice. If you look down you will see canals and fjords which are currently laden with sockeye salmon running to spawn in the Chilkat and Chilkoot Rivers.
As you might expect wherever you find spawning salmon you will also find brown bears and the occasional Bald Eagle. Haines claims to be the Bald Eagle capital of the world as is is home to about 3,500 bald eagles in the Fall and winter.
Driving in to Haines you are greeted with spectacular glaciers such as these.
After doing the obligatory tourist things such as visiting the Tourisn Information Center we took our first trip up the Chilkat River toward Chilkat Lake. About midway up the river, which boasts a length of nearly one mile, we discovered signs which proclaimed the area a “Bear Zone” and stated that this area was all about bears and that they had the right of way and we were to watch out for them. We had just reached the first sign and saw a collection of spectators. Sure enough there were three bears! No, not those three bears, but a Momma, called a Sow, and two adorable baby bears, called Cubs (Not to be confused with Chicago Cubs!) 
Thsi was our first encounter with a Brown Bear Sow close up. Closer than I really thought safe but the on duty Ranger said she was far more interested in fresh salmon than old Florida guys! Hope she knows that. She is four years old and these are her first offspring and she is learning the motherhood business on the job. Those with sharp eyes will note that she has a radio tracking collar which is a bit of a concern as this collar was supposed to drop off this spring. We were to see her several times again as you will see. As we turned to go out of the river area Pat noticed another sow with three cubs across the river. She is older and much larger. After watching this family it is easy to see how you could get between mom and the kiddies. The cubs, run, romp, wrestle, and run with great abandon. Mom checks there whereabouts periodically.
Our next encounter let us see how she adapted to using the fish counting wier to help her catch fish with the least effort and how she teaches her youngsters what to do with fresh fish. She catches then rips the fish open to get the eggs for herself. 
When one of the cubs, this one is the larger and more aggressive one, whom we expect is a male, will come out on the wier and try to get the fish from mom. She tolerates this behavior.
Sometimes the young ones get a mostly whole fish and then the fun begins because they usually drop it which starts a whole new lesson.
Little sister only came on the stage once and it was apparent she didn’t like being there at all. 
When Mom had enough she issued orders and the troup retreated up the hill and into the woods to rest and nurse.
During the last two days she has decided not to use the “Bear Area” but to cruise the side of the river where fishermen are competing for Sockeye. It’s amazing how quickly a bunch of fishermen in chest waders will get out of the water upon hearing only one word, “BEAR!”
When Mom got out in the open you can see that even though she is relatively small, relatively she is huge and impressive.
These bears have the protection of the Alaska government and of the people of the Haines area. They are a source of great pride and the natural curiosity of the cubs provides endless entertainment. 
Shortly after this picture was taken some idiot left his German Shepard unleashed right to miy right. The dog thought he was a great bear dog and charged the bear in an attempt to intimidate the bear. Didn’t work! She took after him in a flash and he beat feet. My heart was in my throat and I didn’t get any pictures of her charge!
Tomorrow we depart Haines for Sitka and hope to have more of this 80 degree weather. As a bonus we will get to spend some time with Dee and Tom Little who will be coming into Haines on the ferry we leave on. After four days in Sitka we will spend four days in Petersburg and then on to Prince Rupert, BC. back on the mainland. More later.
Don