The Takshanuk Watershed Council and Southeast Alaska Independent Living (SAIL) teamed up for a second year of Sea to Summit Girls Adventure Camp. The camp leaders included Ashleigh Reed, Staci Evans and Tracy Wirak-Cassidy. This three-night, four-day camp for 12-to-15-year-old girls included wilderness safety and practical life-saving skills, including finding their GPS location using a cellphone and stopping major bleeding with Jenn Walsh. They learned knot tying with Sue Libenson. The campers took Sara Jaymot’s workout class and also learned a thing or two about breathing techniques and tools to regulate their nervous system with Jess Kayser Forster. The group hiked Mount Riley and followed the hike with some self-care, including foot soaks and facial steams. 

Will and Ben Egolf brought their families back to Haines for an action-packed visit. Their parents are Haines residents Jo Anna and Dan Egolf. Ben was joined by his wife Emily Egolf,  son Danny Egolf and daughter Charlie Jo Egolf from Colorado. Will and his wife Jennifer Egolf joined them from Illinois. The group stayed at a local vacation rental and enjoyed daily hikes, beach combing, boat rides, campfires and catching up with old friends. The toddlers enjoyed the American Bald Eagle Foundation, all of the playgrounds and story hour at the library. They also saw whales, moose and bears. Cousins Carlee Heinmiller Young and Riley Erekson made an earlier trip to Haines in May. They enjoyed visiting friends and family 

Silke Vom Bauer has been in love with Haines since 1994 when she came to town on the ferry and hitchhiked into Haines with some friendly locals. She brought Steve Schland with her on this trip. The duo have been boondocking through Haines and bear watching at Chilkoot Lake. Schland had the opportunity to play piano at the pop-up variety show held at the Klondike and was invited to play music at the Sheldon Museum on a busy cruise-ship day. Schland said he likes to spread joy by sharing the blues. On this trip to Haines they enjoyed the roadside pull-outs heading out of town and a side trip to Mosquito Lake where they found the very reason for the lake’s name.

Deborah Marshall made a chocolate espresso cheesecake for last week’s KHNS fund drive. It fetched $500. Julie Korsmeyer was the lucky listener to get the cake, which she then gifted to the Four Winds Resource Center’s annual art exposition dessert table. The fourth annual art expo featured some of Haines’ talented artists. Silent auction items were available and live music was supplied by Laurie Mastrella and Mark Carroll. The event sent local art to new homes and an entire cheesecake was shared with the upper valley art enthusiasts. 

Alisa Sims recently enjoyed the scenic drive from Anchorage to Haines, which included an evening of tent camping in British Columbia. She was shocked to notice that she had lost a deeply sentimental ring, likely when she was shaking out her tent to depart the sight. The ring was a “you saved my life” gesture from her partner of 22 years, who could have died from a deadly bacterial infection had she not acted when she did. Upon returning home and checking the tent more than a few times, she made plans to fly back to Haines. Sims arrived at the airport and called a taxi to pick up a rental car. Lori Barker, the taxi driver in Haines, was happy to offer her metal detector for the search, which ultimately was not needed. Sims arrived back at the camping site in British Columbia around 6 p.m. with ideal lighting for the search for the cherished ring, which only took a few minutes. Sims says that she had just enough time to get back to Haines and enjoy dinner and a glass of wine at Deer Heart.