I’ve always wanted to explore the sand dunes located at the intersection of the Chilkat and Takhin Rivers about 8 miles from Haines. The dunes are difficult to get to because of their location on the far shore of the Chilkat River with no road access. We had a stretch of clear, cold weather these past few days that froze the river almost completely. I say “almost” because there were still some stretches of open water and thin ice.
A friend and I decided to ski across to the dunes. We carried our skis and walked across the barren expanses of silty river bottom until we came to the frozen river. We put on our skis and navigated around any open water and patches or thin ice we encountered. Even with a stiff, icy headwind, it didn’t take long to reach the dunes. The dunes provided a break from the wind and it was an easy climb to the top of one of them by following a faint game trail.
I realized these are not sand dunes at all, I would call them “silt dunes”. The waters of these rivers transport tons of glacial silt down the valley in the summer months. The entire valley bottom is filled with fine silt. In the fall and winter, when the river levels drop due to freezing, much of the silt along the river bottom is exposed to the air. The silt dries up to a fine powder. With the strong winds of winter, the silt blows down the valley.
This particular location is an area where the Chilkat and Takhin Rivers intersect. With my experience in river rafting, I am familiar with what happens to water when two river channels meet. The water piles up along the intersection of the current lines. An “eddy fence” is formed and the water circles round and round.
The laws of fluid dynamics apply equally to air and water. So the same thing happens here with the silt blowing in the wind. The silt piles up, circles around and is eventually deposited in the area between the two valleys, forming these silt dunes.
The Chilkat Valley is famous for its cottonwood trees. The largest black cottonwood tree in North America was found here. On top of the dunes were some of the healthiest-looking black cottonwood trees I had ever seen. The tree trunks were thick and their bark was deeply furrowed. Why would the top of a silt dune be home to very healthy-looking cottonwood trees? Could it be because of the well-drained soil? Or because the trees are sheltered from the direct winds? It’s another of these great “natural history mysteries.” Sometimes asking the question is more important than knowing the answer. I share this image of these trees with you today.
When I returned home from my ski trip, my wife, Edie, asked me if I had heard the news. I hadn’t. One of the joys of wilderness travel is getting a break from the endless news cycle.
“The Canadian government just announced that large cruise ships won’t be allowed to stop in Canada this coming summer,” she told me.
This means that we will not have much of a tour season again this year. I was saddened by this news. I truly love sharing Alaska’s beauty and nature with others and tourism is how we make our living.
At the same time, I was inspired as I pondered those healthy cottonwood trees. On top of those silt dunes in that exposed and harsh environment, they thrived.