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I love Alaska. I’ve been there three times and each trip has been special. In 2005, I spent a week in Haines with Phyliss while visiting my son Dustin, who worked as a river guide.

Lately I’ve been thinking about Haines, a picturesque coastal community in southeast Alaska. Fishing boats line the docks and the scenery is spectacular with the Chilkat Mountains. Elk roam the outskirts of town, and brown bears (the term for grizzly bears that live on the coast) stroll the shoreline in the evenings. Few residents practice sport fishing using a fishing rod; instead, they use a net or fish wheel. A fish wheel, also known as a salmon wheel, is a waterwheel-like device used to catch fish in rivers. The wheel, propelled by the river’s current, turns the paddles and passes metal baskets through the water to collect the fish. Fish nets and reels are incredibly effective ways to stock your freezer.

No one is starving in Haines. Everyone has a freezer full of fish, moose or other game. Even those who live off-grid rent freezers in town to store their meat.

Our days in Haines were filled with rafting on the Chilkat River, short hikes to nearby peaks, and visits with Dustin, his uncle and their friends. We even played extreme tourist and took the ferry to Skagway, 15 miles upstream from Taiya Inlet.

The Chilkat River takes you through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Reserve, where on a calm day you will see around 30 bald eagles. We did the half-day excursion three times (having a son as a guide has its privileges) and never got tired of it.

Haines Harbor (Photo provided – Jack Drury)

Skagway is a historic mining town famous for being the starting point of the Chilkoot Trail. The trail is a 33-mile route through the Coast Range that leads to Bennett, British Columbia, and was a major access route from the coast to the Yukon goldfields in the late 1890s. So many sourdoughs have traveled the trail so unprepared that the Canadian Mounted Police ultimately only allowed prospectors to enter Canada if they had at least a ton of equipment, enough to supply a prospector for a year. And I thought I had a heavy bag in my prime.

One of my most enjoyable experiences was going on a day hike on Mount Ripinski. Ripinski is to Haines what Baker Mountain is to Saranac Lake. It offers spectacular views and has what I call an excellent view to energy spent ratio. But that’s not the only reason it was so enjoyable.

I hiked the mountain solo and as I crested the ridge towards the summit, I met a friendly local couple named Annie and Paul. Annie was tall and outgoing; Paul was a little older but athletic with a dynamic gait.

“We own Haines Hardware” Annie said. “Are you from the Adirondacks?” We are planning to visit the Adirondacks this fall and want to hike Mount Marcy.

I gave them my business card and said: “Call us and you can stay with us.”

View from the summit of Mount Ripinski (Photo provided — Jack Drury)

They jumped at the idea. After a few more minutes of chatting, we headed in opposite directions.

As they walked away, Annie said: “Have you read Heather Lende’s book “If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name?” We are mentioned in the first chapter.

I had seen the book, a bestseller, in all the local stores. I bought a copy, put it in my backpack and promptly forgot about it.

Our trip ended too quickly and before we knew it, we were home. Shortly after, I received a postcard from Annie and Paul: “We’ll be in Saranac Lake in a week. We hope your offer is still valid.

Annie called a few days later and I told her that was the case. Then I suggested that they might want to hike Algonquin Mountain instead of Marcy. “It has great views, won’t be as crowded, and is a shorter hike, more like Mount Ripinski.” This seemed good to them and they said they would arrive in two days.

Haines Harbor (Photo provided – Jack Drury)

For some reason I remembered Heather Lende’s book and thought of Annie’s comment that they were mentioned in the first chapter. I thought I should read it and learn more about them.

The book is a very enjoyable read about life in the small, isolated town of Haines. Lende writes for Haine’s Chilkat Valley News, the weekly newspaper for the 2,500 hardy people who live in the Chilkat Valley. When I told Dustin I bought the book, he said: “Instead of If You Lived Here, I’d Know Your Name, it should have been titled If You Die Here, I’d Know Your Name.”

“Why did you say that?” I said.

He said, “Read it and find out.”

When I read the first chapter, I understood his comment. The author writes the obituaries for the weekly. I also learned more about Annie Boyce and Paul Swift.

You see, every year on average, seven people die in Haines, barely enough to support a funeral home. Plus, Haines isn’t close enough to anywhere anyway. A family would have to rent a plane to transport the body to Juneau, 75 air miles away. Worse yet, even though Juneau is the state capital, there is no highway to access it. And worse, when bodies were sent there, believe it or not, they or their ashes were sometimes lost and never returned to Haines.

This is where Paul and Annie come in. In addition to owning the local hardware store, they have an intriguing side hustle. They fill the funeral home gap by selling coffins and preparing the deceased for burial. They do this in their makeshift morgue – a garage with a cold room.

When they arrived at our house, I told them: “I finally read the book and I know a little more about you.”

Annie said: “What do you think?”

I said, “I think I might be happier knowing a little less.”

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