Hiking Near Haines

Jeff actually lives 40 miles outside of Haines and just a few miles from the Canadian border. He and his family have done a lot of exploring and hiking over the years just over the border in British Columbia. So, Jeff shared this tradition with us as we went through customs to hike and picnic in the pass.

It's strange when you're at an international border. You realize the border is just a line on a map, the animals, trees and land don't care about who owns it. The mountains, the valleys and the rivers all continue with no regard for man-made borders.

Harold was a trooper that day. He hiked up most of the mountain on his own. He even carried his own backpack. What a kid. He was in his glory, those little legs pumping away as he conquered his very first mountain.

Near the top, we stopped for a picnic and a rest. It's good to see that Jeff and Harold are becoming quick friends. Jeff even gave Harold a lift on the way down. Harold sang a song as he rode the shoulders of Jeff to the base of the mountain. The chorus sounded like, "luberdeen, luberdeen", we couldn't quite make out the words to the verses but they were crystal clear in Harold's mind. I think it was obvious that he had a happy day.

--AnnMarie