Alaska: The Land of Runaways, Rogues, & Roust-abouts. . . "Greenies".

The bumper sticker on the rusty 90’s Dodge truck sums up the local’s opinion on this town, “Haines, a quite drinking village with a Greenie problem”. I have been in Haines for 3+ weeks now and like any small town there exists dynamics between the ones born or raised in AK and the transplants that have moved here full time or seasonally mid-life. The “natives” like to portray themselves as runaways, rogues, and roust-abouts of which many are. After spending mornings and evenings in the Bamboo Room/Pioneer Bar listening to the “good ole boys” talk shop, one thing is evident, if you are Alaskan by choice you are in. One does not have to be born in AK to fit in, since many are not according to their stories of youth that range from all over the Lower 48. It helps to have a gruff disposition and be able to bust someone’s balls upon entering a watering hole because their gas is too expensive or their wood cutting services have increased. The mentality of the “good ole boys” here is like the “locals only” attitude that surrounds surf breaks, fishing holes, and many other pristine outdoor spots that often get overrun with outsiders.

The “Greenies” are those who have moved to Haines for the remoteness and unspoiled beauty compared to their previous towns. They are artists, listen and support the NPR station, run the galleries, health food store, retired, etc. According to “John-O” who moved here from Juneau, and runs the Power and Telephone Company, the “Greenies” are also the group responsible for running the cruise ship industry out of Haines for many years by protesting, throwing food and spitting at people departing the ships and so on. The “Mud Bay” crowd as he calls them. “John-O” is the first to describe his birth state as a frontier still, where, “cold water bodies sink, they don’t float”. There is a lot about this town and the people that remind me of Boone, Clayton, and Asheville regarding the mix of locals and transplants. It must be a strange feeling when you come to a place to escape and hide while others come to vacation and recreate.

I have not figured out where the final segment of Haines residents fit in, the seasonal employees that consist of guides, heli-skiers, etc. Since Haines has become a world-class destination for helicopter access only skiing and boarding, there is no shortage of the “Spicoli” character played by Sean Penn from “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. The common site is a big truck with snowmobile or “snow machine” as the locals call them, in the bed outfitted with boards and skis. I have met a few who have made Haines their home, working and scouting during the summer and then guiding and filming all winter long. From the looks of them you would think normal local, old Cartharts, rubber boots, hoodie, but watch one of the videos filmed here and these guys are hucking 5000 foot glaciated peaks. If you are not able to afford the helicopter or ski plane access there is the analog way, detach the heal of your ski/board and climb the peak by foot and ski down. The later know as ski/board mountaineering involves the ability to ski steep and technical terrain, but also a sound knowledge in ice climbing and mountaineering to get to the unnamed peaks of the Chilkat Range.

This week the first of the 3 cruise ships that will be coming to Haines each week arrived. This season is the most active Port Chilkoot has been in a number of years. The local native tribe, Tlingits (pronounced Clingits) tour company folded this winter with everyone in town scrambling to figure out who is going to run the ferry system and many tour companies that they use to operate. The weather has cleared temporarily, really showing off for the first round of tourists. I am finally recovering from the “crud” as the local nurse/practitioner called it. I have been sick with an upper-respiratory thing for over a week. With a brief stint in an apartment, which had water damage and mold/mildew, I am back in the truck. The last place that I need to be feeling the way I do. I would be lying if I said that the thought to just crawl into the cab of the Tacoma and drive home to the hot and humid South had not crossed my mind on several occasions. The average day has been low 40’s, windy and rain, miserable even when you are not sick.

While out on a sea kayak tour with some clients we saw 10-12 humpback whales breaching the water. The most asked question is, “what elevation are we at in Haines”? The response is, “ how tall are you”? Being that sea level does not rise just because one is in Alaska. The eagles are down feeding on the hooligan fish and fresh seal carcasses and there was a bear sighted eating a family’s goat in their back yard this week.

John Muir wrote that once a person sees this part of Alaska, they had better stay or know that every place they see for the rest of their lives will be a disappointment. The fact that access to the world was different during Muir’s lifetime does not entirely discredit his statement. I will most likely run into a brown bear while running this summer and that is a testament to the scale of this wilderness. I have bought my rubber boots that are the staple footwear here and I should be in an apartment by the end of the week but skeptic I remain. While I am not a native Alaskan, nor consider myself an uber “Greenie”, I am finding out what it takes to live more comfortably here in Haines and anticipate an eventful summer with lots of good stories.

Thanks for all the encouragement to keep writing, Happy Memorial Day, and safe travels this summer.


More to follow from Alaska,

All the best,

Mike