- Have breakfast in the car and wait for the bears
- Watch grizzly fish at the gate of the fish weir at Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site
- Plan onward travel through the Inside Passage at the local library
- Hike in Chilkat State Park to Kelgaya Point
- Bear watching again in the evening at the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site
I get up at a quarter to seven and drive the few miles straight to the Chilkoot Lake State Recreation Site. Even in Alaska, the place is considered one of the best for watching bears fishing. In addition, you can get there without a guided tour or even an expensive seaplane. The bald eagles omnipresent here are also great for watching and photographing. After waiting for a while I see a brown bear standing in the water. She waits directly at the fish counting barricade for salmon to migrate. She skillfully fishes one after the other out of the water with her long claws. She even drags one out onto the street and distorts it in front of the few spectators. The drizzle is now becoming more and more large drops.
So I go to the Haines library. But for now I stop at the ferry terminal and book a crossing for myself and the car to Juneau. The crossing costs around 120 francs, so I quickly saved the surcharge for car transport with a few nights camping. In the library I use the internet to plan my onward journey and to find out about various places and tour operators. I also skype with my parents.
Then I drive along the coast out of the narrow Chilkat headland to the state park of the same name. Here I start a hike through dense coastal rainforest to Kelgaya Point. The path, which was initially very well-groomed, belies the further path conditions. The other return route turns out to be even worse and leads through the impassable thicket.
Then I drive again along Lutak Inlet out to Chilkoot Lake. This time it doesn't take too long until I see the first bear. After fishing near the grate, too, he marches down the bank of the river. I'm speculating correctly and nestling at the bottom of the bridge. As soon as I got there, the Petz is already marching through underneath towards the coast. Another can be observed briefly, but then disappears again into the forest. When I want to make my way back to the Salmon Run Campground, I see two grizzlies in the tall grass outside in the mouth of the river. The taller of the two chases the possibly still young person across the plain. I can capture this moment in a video. It is already late when I get to the campground. Salmon is grilled again, with peas, carrots, noodles and a cream sauce.
