Haines Alaska

August 16 & 17

In Haines the five of us set up camp in the State park at Mud Bay. Its a long ways, but well worth it.
We are camped right in the rain forest. And indeed it is raining, but under the canopy not bad.
Jonathan Lowey, my partner in crime, notices we are surrounded by a certain orchid. He even recognizes it!
I have to look it up again, to type out the name for you; the Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia)
The markings on the leaves resembling snakeskin.

In the evening we go for a walk in the rain forest closer to town. What an amazing place this is. We all love Haines.
Definitely for the Ocean, but the trees are just so big, and green and everything lush. And the Berries so abundant,

I will here only mention the Thimble berry. Which I see entering town and right by the campground, they are like a raspberry, but more exotic!

Anyway we go for a walk following a sign that says Battery Point. It is after supper and we decide to go on the posted 0.7 mile walk.
Whatever was at 0.7 mile; it must have been where the gigantic Skunk Cabbage grows. Anyway we keep going till we finally reach a wonderful beach. Battery Point is in the distance. We play around on the Beach. where the kids start flipping rocks.
Cicero told me it is 'flipping rock day' on Sept 7(There is a website).
Well these rocks would make some good stories. It is low tide and under the rocks all sort of outlandish creatures hide.

In the morning Alexander and I take down our tent early to go home. We have never been to the spit at the bottom of the campground, so we take a little d-tour. The views proof to be totally amazing. The spit being a peninsula in the ocean. The morning mist is just clearing.
When we come out of the trees on to the spit, lo and behold; a mother Moose with her grown up calf. At least that is what we think. It could also be two females. What a sight right on the beach with the surrounding mountains appearing out of the mist.

On our drive home we at least have one more stop. Alexander doing some dirt jumping(he brought his bike) and I picking our best beloved berries.
(see my Yukon wild berry blog).

Thanks for a truly wonderful weekend!