Last fall, Stacie Evans counted fewer bald eagles around Haines than in any survey since 1986, when counts began. On the peak day in 2020, Evans observed only 279 eagles, down from 1,238 the year before. Two decades ago, peak counts eclipsed 2,000 birds. Evans, who is Takshanuk Watershed Council’s science director, said the survey […]
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Posted inNews
Coho derby continues with tie at the top
Haines’ coho derby just crossed the halfway point, and no one is winning. Well, two people are. Robert Jennings and Olen Larson are tied at the top of the overall leaderboard. Both caught silver salmon weighing 13.05 pounds. “I don’t know how we’re going to deal with that. Hopefully someone will just beat it,” said […]
Posted inNews
New and improved? Some residents wonder about changes at Chilkoot
Three months after the Chilkoot River corridor improvement project finished, some Haines residents are questioning whether the new road and bear-viewing platforms are an improvement. More than a decade in the works, the Alaska Division of Parks and Outdoor Recreation project had several aims, according to project supervisors: repair Chilkoot Lake Road’s many potholes, improve drainage, upgrade […]
Posted inDuly Noted
Duly Noted
Army Sgt. Kelsey Hannon Brewer used CPR to save a soldier in a parking lot at Fort Riley, Kansas on Aug. 31. A certified nursing assistant, Kelsey jumped in when others were struggling to perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on a soldier who lost his pulse during training exercises. Hannon works as a certified nurse assistant in administration at […]
Posted inNews
Coho derby kicks off next Wednesday
Anglers can begin casting in Haines’ annual coho salmon derby next Wednesday. The contest, hosted by the Haines Sportsman’s Association, will run through Oct. 29. The prize for heaviest coho, or silver, salmon is $1,000 cash. The three top finishers each will receive cash and gift-card awards. “Hopefully we’ll establish a new state record for […]
Posted inNews
Late Chilkoot River sockeye run causes surprise, nostalgia
Fishermen in Lutak Inlet saw a bumper run of sockeye salmon in the last two weeks of August as more than 24,000 fish passed the weir between Aug. 22 and Aug. 31—a trend that reminds old timers of the run’s historic strength. “We definitely were not expecting this,” said Nicole Zeiser, biologist for the Haines area Alaska […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Arts Outlook
Display of antiquarian books Haines reporter and writer Tom Morphet will display a collection of antiquarian books at The Bookstore as part of the Aug. 6 First Friday events. Books and manuscripts include sections of church hymnals hand-written on sheepskin dating to Burgundy, France at about the year 1450, a medical text from 1565, a […]
Posted inNews
Chum returns are off to a good start, but sockeye below average
Three weeks into the Upper Lynn Canal commercial gillnetting season, fisheries managers say it’s off to a good start. “It’s actually pretty good. It picked up quite a bit this week,” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game area management biologist Nicole Zeiser, referring to the week ending July 9. “The chum salmon harvest almost doubled from […]
Posted inThis Week in History
This Week in History
June 1971 Kayaks, canoes and rafts will careen down Chilkoot in annual ‘Mad Raft Race’ This year’s Mad Raft Race, a major event in the Dalton Trail Days, will feature three classifications: kayaks, canoes and rafts. The race will begin at Chilkoot Lake and will finish just past the Chilkoot River bridge. Each class will run separately. […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Chilkoot Lake Road is abysmal
It is difficult for me to comprehend the incredible level of stupidity or outright incompetence that accompanied the planning and design of our new Chilkoot Lake Road. They have taken what was once a notoriously pot holey but useable road and turned it into a death trap for the unwary traveler. The road top is too narrow […]