Travels of The Mercury: Alaska – Canada Travels 2014, Liard Hot Springs to Haines, AK, June 22nd to June 27th.

George Johnston Museum.

George Johnston Museum trapper cabin exhibit.

George Johnston Museum, George's car.

George Johnston Museum, 5 clan masks.

Today we have another long day as we head for Whitehorse. Half way there we stop to camp at Teslin Lake Campground. In Teslin we visit the George Johnston Museum. Johnston (1884-1972) was of the Tlinget people and is remembered for his fine photography of the life of his people. He brought a 1928 Chevrolet by paddle-wheeler to Teslin 13 years before the Alaska Hwy was built. He drove it onto the frozen lake in winter to hunt and painted it white after realizing that the black car against the white ice alerted the animals. The fully-restored car is on display along with an outfitted trapper’s cabin, cultural artifacts and his photographs. It’s a very interesting and worthwhile museum to visit especially since it’s based on the life of this interesting man. You can’t help but be drawn to his attractive, friendly, smiling face that appears in some of his photographs.

Tlinget Heritage Center, Raven Children.

The Tlinget Heritage Center a few miles down the road has a fascinating collection of carved wooden masks both traditional and imaginative. Five totems oversee the parking area representing the five clans, Raven, Frog, Wolf, Eagle and Beaver.

On the Alaskan Highway between Whitehorse and Haines.

We head on down the road to Haines and don’t stay in Whitehorse this time because it’s raining. We’ll plan on stopping on the way back. Tonight we'll stay at Pine Lake Campground before we get to Haines Junction.

We take a short hike to the Rock Glacier.

A view of Dezadeash Lake from the top of the Rock Glacier.

King of the World for a day.

Inukshuk at the top of Rock Glacier. We are on the right path.

The next day we turn south at Haines Junction and head for Haines, AK, just 145 miles at the end of the road. The Haines Hwy is new paving with marked shoulders and smooth as silk. We see a bike ride in our future. The road winds to Lake Kathleen and up the valley between breathtaking corridors of snow-covered peaks. We stop on the way to take a hike to the Rock Glacier, much like an ice glacier, whose mix of rock and ice pushed its way down the slope obliterating everything in its path. We hiked up the rock field to the top of the glacier and found rock thrones that industrious hikers had built from the plentiful materials and sat there to absorb the glory of the lake and snow-capped peaks. It’s an awesome place to be king of the world for the day.

On the Haines Highway.

At Haines Pass.

We see our first Grizzly, the smiling bear.

At Haines Pass we park to take in the view and see our first Grizzly Bear leisurely walking along the highway up to the pass. He seems to smile as he saunters along unconcerned with the cars in the parking area he turns up the slope and disappears into the land. The bear did indeed go over the mountain. What a magnificent creature!

The border crossing on the Haines Highway.

A Totem Pole welcome to Haines.

Haines from across the harbor.

A cruise ship at the docks.

Haines is a sweet little town on the shore of the Chilkoot Inlet. It was a portage point across the long and mountainous peninsula between the Chilkat and Chilkoot Inlets. The docks are filled with fishing boats and cruise ships and ferries take the Marine Highway past here heading up to Skagway.

Our camp at Chilkat State Park.

A hike in the rain forest.

Twin Coves on the Chilkat Peninsula.

Davidson Glacier.

A picnic at Chilkat State Park.

We camp at the Chilkat State Park, a small primitive, under-utilized campground with lots of privacy and quiet, just what our Sprinter was made for. The next morning we hiked the trail out towards Seduction Point at the end of the peninsula. It’s our first hike in a coastal forest and we’re amazed at the hugeness of the understory plant life. The earth is softly carpeted with fern-like moss. In fact everything is carpeted with moss so you can’t tell rock from fallen tree. Most of the trail is wet and muddy and in places there are boardwalks. Our turn-around point is Twin Coves. It was beautiful and fascinating. Our turn-around point is Twin Coves. We didn’t have enough time to hike the 7 miles to the point.

Chilkoot Bay

Chilkoot River. The salmon run is beginning.

We spent the next night at Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site. The Chilkoot River is boisterous with large boulders that break the flow. Red and pink salmon run the river to spawn in the lake. There’s a salmon fence and counting station with someone actually sitting there in the middle river counting fish as they go through the passage. What a job. Don't blink.

We say farewell to Haines.

We leave Haines and drive back up the Haines Highway along the Chilkat River.

At Haines Pass we see a beautiful handcrafted canoe destined for Whitehorse and competition.

Our camp at Dezadeash Lake.

Great bicycling on the Haines Highway.

We depart Haines the next day and head back to Haines Junction. It’s noon when we reach the Dezadeash Lake Campground along the Haines Hwy and stop early to get our anticipated bike ride on its smooth pavement. The weather has cooperated and we have a clear day and a great 30-mile ride.