This morning we awoke to find clouds and mist clinging to the jagged mountains along Lynn Canal, one of the longest and deepest fjords on the North American continent. Just after breakfast we arrived in Haines. Once at the dock, we immediately disembarked the Sea Bird for a variety of acitivites including flightseeing, a float trip by raft, and a hike through the forest to the top of Mount Riley.
Our two charter planes departed the Haines airport on time for a knock-your-socks-off trip over Glacier Bay. The hikers made good time through the forest to the top of the mountain where they were treated to a commanding view of the upper reaches of Lynn Canal around Haines.
Meanwhile, out on the Chilkat River, our group of eagle spotters -- led by eagle fanatic Trevor Cheitlin, age 7, from Berkley, California -- counted 62 bald eagles both flying and perched along the river in the Chilkat River Bald Eagle Preserve. We all met back in Haines for a salmon bake lunch and traditional Tlingit dance performance by the Chilkat Dancers.
