Aug. 28th - Farewell to Alaska!

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Our weather window has arrived and we will slip through a brief opening after waiting 10 days in Ketchikan. We feel a sense of sadness as we untie the lines at dawns first light. We begin our passage south and will leave the beauty of Alaska behind. As autumn approaches the message is brought by the howling winds, the pounding rain and the raging seas that the veil is dropping and the treasures that we have so enjoyed will become inaccessible behind it.
Salmon will spawn and die and then be reborn again. The wildlife that feasts upon their remains will return to their dens and nests nourished for the long winter ahead. Rivers of ice will thicken in the winter snow storms hopefully enough to sustain them in the coming seasons. Rain soaked residents will go on about their business in the land of the midnight sun and the winter darkness.
We will remember with delight what the “The Last Frontier” has given us. The thrill of seeing our first iceberg! We felt a spiritual experience of seeing nature’s wonders at their best in Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay. We witnessed iceberg sculptures carved by calving glaciers for our eyes only at that moment in time, never to be seen again. How can one forget seeing a stealth grey wolf in the wild pursuing an awkward young moose or the magnificence of a group of Humpback Whales bubble feeding off of Point Adolphus? We felt sheer and utter joy seeing the whimsical Tufted Puffins of St. Lazarius Island bobbing in the surf. We will never forget the multitude of Bald Eagles we saw soaring and diving in their mating rituals. Then there are the bears that we watched for hours, mothering and teaching their young. I was in awe when I saw my first Grizzly with her twin cubs feeding along a river choked with spawning salmon.

In our dreams we will sail along the fijords lined with snow capped peaks where no man has walked before and remember the remarkable warm and generous people we have met whom have chosen this land of extremes to live in.
Farewell Alaska and we hope to meet again!


Our Chart Plotter displays the US - Canadian Border.

Aug. 20th - Waiting Out A Gale Alaskan Style!

The day after we arrived in Ketchikan, to our surprise Sharon and Dick aboard our sister ship "Last Resort" arrived and docked close by. Vern and Joy on "M/V Wine Time" who so graciously greeted and helped us tie up when we arrived, joined in and we all became instant friends. They have shown us real Alaskan hospitality!
The weather forecast was grim with "Small Craft Warnings", "Gale Warnings" and "Rain", lots and lots of "Rain". For the last week the wind has howled gusting to 38 knots in the slip. Dixon Entrance which is open to the Gulf of Alaska had 11 to 14ft. seas and gusts to 40 knots. It takes more than that to get a bunch of sailors down. So what did we do, ya ask? We had a PARTY!


We gathered in the cockpit of "Last Resort".


We had variety of wonderful cheese, Scallops Picata with Garlic Toast, Shrimp with 4 different dipping sauces, wine, beer and of course Louie's diet soda.


Vern is an excellent chef and created Fresh Spring Rolls with a delicious dipping sauce and a thermos full of hot Saki.


There were lots of stories, laughs and hugs.

Vern and Joy are residents of Ketchikan and have a permanent slip at Bar Harbor.

There are many colorful boats in the fishing fleet docked in Bar Harbor.


The next day Joy took Sharon and me sightseeing around Ketchikan. We visited Totem Bight Park. This is a reconstructed typical Native Clan House of the 19th C. It is one large room with a central fireplace and could house 30 to 50 people.


In 1938 the U.S. Forest Services began a project to salvage, reconstruct and create Totem Poles a tradition which was dying out. They brought together older native craftsmen to restore old poles and carve new ones and thus passed on skills to younger generations.

This is haunting image on an old pole being restored.

I really enjoyed this newer pole with a whimsical bear on top followed by it's footprints.

Our afternoon was topped off with a visit to Salmon Falls Lodge for lunch. We had a view of the waterfall from our table.

The Generosity of Alaskans

After a restful night in the secure anchorage of Meyers Chuck, in the morning we headed for Ketchikan. Fog played with our visibility but soon we could see Guard Island and entered Tongass Narrows past the Ketchikan Airport and called the Harbormaster for a slip. We docked the boat in Bar Harbor one of three harbors in the area. We met Joy and Vern when they graciously helped us to tie up at the dock. They recommended a local restaurant called "Ocean View". We decided to sit at the bar so we could watch the Olympics. We started a conversation with two young fishermen sitting next to us. We shared stories of places we have been, people we had met and fishing. We told them that we were not very good at fishing. They asked us the name of our boat and we said our good-byes. When we returned to the boat and found about twenty pounds of fresh Coho Salmon that had been cleaned and vacuumed packed. This was truly a "Random Act of Kindness!"

Aug. 15th - Wrangell to Meyers Chuck

As we departed Wrangell we could see Elephant Nose Point through the mist and fog. It had been at least a week since we had seen the sun. We are starting our jouney south to Ketchikan where we will wait for a weather window to cross Dixon Entrance into British Columbia.



We headed for Zimovia Strait and through a challenging set of narrows.



The fog lifted and the sun broke through. In the distance we could see Ernest Sound and the mountains of Prince of Wales Island.



Feathery clouds appeared in the brillant blue sky and the water sparkled like diamonds in the sun as we rounded Cleveland Pennisula into Meyers Chuck,

Aug. 14th - Brown Bears of Anan Creek

We departed at 8:00am through the mist and clouds 30 miles southeast of Wrangell to Anan Creek in Tongass National Forest


The twin engine speed boat skims across the water at 25 knots


Our guide was born and raised in Wrangell and works during the summer at the family owned business. Armed with a rifle he leads us along the boardwalk path to the viewing site. We are warned to stay close together and make noise to allow the bear to avoid an encounter.
He also suggested that if one needed to use the "Out House" to let him know. Curious bears have been known hang around outside the door for up to an hour while the person inside is held captive until it decides to wander off.


There are 7 in our group and our first sign that bears are near we see fresh footprints in the mud.


On the opposite side of the river we see our first brown bear and her two cubs. This species of brown bear are called Grizzlys when they reside inland.


She catches a salmon before our eyes.


She shares the catch with her cubs. Unlike the Black Bears of Anan, Brown Bears are shy and when she spots us she becomes nervous. Our guide suggested that we quickly move on to avoid an encounter.


Were we being "Mooned" by the three of them?

Black Bears of Anan

"Oh No, the Papparazzi are here again!"



"Is this my good side?"



"Or this side?"


"Do my double chins show?"



"Maybe I'll just smile at them and they will go away!"

Let's Get Down to Some Serious Eating!

"I am sooooooo hungry!"



"I just drool at the thought of those fresh rotting salmon!"



"Keep your eye on the prize, Babe!"



"GOTCHA!!!"



"Now, if I can just make it out of here!"



"HOLD ON!"



"Does this fur coat make me look fat?"



"Mmmm ! That Caviar is so delicious!"



"I'm going back for more!"



"So, I took a double serving. Who's counting?"



"Can you believe those Bears? They are getting so fat!"


And that ends another day on Anan Creek. The Bears and their Cubs wander back into the forest leaving their footprints behind . . .

Papa Bear's Pizza in Petersburg

We had to go all the way to Petersburg Alaska to find the great Pizza! Scott (Papa Bear) adds roasted garlic (upon request) and carefully rolls it into his homemade crust. He then adds the finest ingredients to create the Pizza of Pizzas. He takes such pride in knowing he has researched and chosen the best cheeses, meats and other acquirements to create a "Masterpiece of Pizza"! Plus he is a really great guy and new friend. We can't wait to come back to Petersburg!

July 29th - Aug. 11th around Petersburg

We decided to "land" in Petersburg and stay awhile. The town is about the size of Friday Harbor but it is a working town with 3 major fish processing plants. Fish boats come and go constantly dropping off their catch at Trident, Icicle and the local Petersberg Seafoods. The pungent odor of crab, prawns, shrimp and Salmon fills the air. The sights and sounds awaken all of your senses. The landscape is ever changing with fog, mist, rain and yes, even sometimes SUN!


Frederick Sound is lined with mountains and many hanging glaciers. The aqua blue ice is exposed by the rain and reveals Baird Glacier.



Dark clouds appear out of no where and for a moment we are caught in a pounding squall.



The sun appears once more, at the entrance to Wrangell Narrows and the town of Petersburg then "THE DEVILS THUMB" appears!


The crystal clear blue sky reveals the details of this infamous crag.
Chapter 15 of "Into the Wild", Jon Krakauer describes in harrowing detail his attempt to climb the northwest face of the Devil's Thumb. When he realizes that this route is far too dangerous, he decides to "lower his sights" and settle for the relatively easier southeast route. The northwest face has been one of the greatest challenges available to mountain climbers, and no one has ever done it which makes it that much more appealing.



On a dinghy ride we spotted a "Frozen Mermaid" held captive by the long tendrils of sea kelp until she melts and returns to the sea. Le Conte is the southern most tide water glacier 26 miles south of Petersburg on Frederick Sound. Icebergs can be seen floating along the sound with the movement of the tide.



The Alaska State Ferry "Fair Weather" stops in Petersburg.



Mega yachts often stop in Petersburg to re-provision and purchase fresh seafood.
The 126 ft. sailboat "Kaori" named after a Japanese Saki, pulled into port. His owner is from England and made his fortune inventing something for the medical profession.



The "Signe Lynn" pulled in next to us. Louie started talking with the crew.



He remarked about their "Crab Cooker" which was steaming and bubbling froth from the fresh Alaskan King Crab they were cooking. The cooker is made from a beer keg. They cut off the top and made supports for the lid. It is perfect to accommodate the long legs of King Crab.



They generously shared their catch with us. We had delicious dinner of the most very FRESH King Crab we have ever eaten!
Another wonderful day in Paradise!