Friday, July 29, 2011

Conclusion to another great trip to Alaska 2011 - and some of my favorite photos


"Tufted Puffins"



"Kermode Bear" - Butedale aka "Betty's Bear"



Alarmed Sea Otter - Sitka to Pelican



Grizzly sow nursing, Khutze Inlet



The scenery outside Elfin Cove, the speck on the bottom is Mike and Bob Fishing



Disney "Wonder" at Sawyer Glacier



Breaching Humpback outside Elfin Cove (In the pouring rain)



Sealions outside Petersberg



Breaching Humpback Whale - Tracy Arm


Some reflexions of our 2011 Trip to Alaska.

We learned that if Canada hadn't been so busy trying to form a country in 1867, we might have been able to scrape up the $7.2 million to purchase Alaska from the Russians and added Alaska to BC. - .02 cents an acre seems relatively inexpensive for all that they have!

We learned that travelling in a herd can be fun!

We learned that we are blessed to have such good friends and family to share this adventure with and that they can all cook real well too!

We learned that we could back to Alaska year after year if it wasn't so far and probably not see all that there is too see.

Southeast Alaska is big country! The vastness is immense but truly breathtaking. The glaciers, the bays and the water ways make Alaska a truly spectacular place to visit.

We learned that sometimes the Boating Gods are on your side! We were fortunate to have had the flat, calm seas that we did and that the weather was relatively good for most of our trip. We had the odd pouring rainy day, but certainly not like at home!

The Alaskan people are for the most part very hospitable and share their secret spots willingly with visitors such as ourselves

The company was good, the scenery magnificient! And thanks to some of the sightings through my camera lens, a shorter bucket list! The moose will be there next time!

Day 61 - 62 - Laura Cove - Desolation Sound


Forbes Bay




Laura Cove







Native Summer camp







So busy they are parking outside


Well if its piece and quiet you want and some solitude - don't come to Desolation sound in the summer. Both Mike and I are having a bit of culture shock with almost 50 boats in Laura Cove and over 100 boats in Prideux Haven (Next door)....

We run into some friends from the yacht club and tie up with them for the two nights. Half of the yacht club is up here!

We gunkholed to Forbes Bay this morning and then over to the other side where we show our friends the old hippie village in the woods. Trees have fallen on most of the structures and we are not surprised to see that most of it is going back to nature. There are a few of the houses still standing - they're more like glorified tree forts than houses, but back in the 60's this probably was commune living at its best. Except for maybe in the winter, but we do notice that most of the little homes have insulation in them so perhaps it was not all that cold.

A fish fry of our self caught halibut and some french fries for dinner and then we pack up and head down to Pender Harbour and then home for Monday.

Day 60 - Shawl Bay to Port Harvey






We are sad to wave goodbye to our friends Lorne and Shawn. It's twofold sad - 1) our trip is truly now at an end and 2) it might be a whole year before we see the good folks of Shawl Bay again!

Its a beautiful flat calm day and we opt to get as far down as we can - Port Harvey is along the freeway so its a good stopping point for us as we finish our journey south.

The docks are busy at Port Harvey and we have dinner on the deck with Bob and Pat ("On the Edge") before we say goodbye to our new best friends from 100 mile for another year. The pizza is delicious and the company is good. Its good to see the new kid on the block (Port Harvey) be so full. With 3 less marina's in the Broughtons, we are glad to see that Port Harvey is coming on nicely! We have often discussed the group of marina's in the Broughtons and have come to the conclusion that we need them far more than they need us. There is enough business to go around that all should be fairly full for the short summer season. Each has a different thing to offer the boaters. There is nothing wrong with anchoring while you are up in the Broughtons, but its nice to drop in and stay at a dock and meet up with other boaters that you probably would not meet if you were always on anchor.

We hope that next year they are all still there and that they will have a good August - September to keep them going until May 2012.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Day 57, 58 & 59 - Shawl Bay



More Sunny and calm weather in the Broughtons




Dave leaves (Carves)
another sign behind




Carol the Bead Lady busy as ever




Last years sign weathered well
thanks Dave
!

The place looks fabulous. All of their flowers are blooming, some of the docks have been re decked and the party barge has had facelift. Lorne is sporting a bit of a beard and there seems to be some mistaken identity with some of the other bearded marina resort owners up here. We missed the deepfried turkey night, but the bread is fresh and hot and the pies are streaming out the door as fast as Shawn can make them!
The prawns being caught up here are the size of small cats and crabs are ending up the crabpots by the dozens! They are full up quite a few nights and three quarters full for one of the nights we are here. It makes us so pleased to see their success!

Off to Broughton Lagoon to check out our dolphins tomorrow and run the rapids. Will check back again soon.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Day 56 - Jones Cove to Jennis Bay



This is the reason there are
no mosquitos in Jennis




Impromptu Happy Hour



Red Throated Loon




The view from Jennis




Nice place!


Flat calm and sunny - you could have waterskied south today! A nice travelling day from Jones Coves to Jennis Bay. A 180 degree change over yesterday. We make good time and head into Jennis Bay for an early afternoon meet and greet with Allyson and the kids (Charlie & Orian)

The winter has been kind to Jennis, all looks good. There is lots of activity going on here and lots of boxes being carted around. Allisyn looks great and her new life agrees with her. We look forward to hearing about the next chapter in her life! Good luck Allyson and we hope to hear from you!

We were one of the first set of guests when they first opened ( Shaman II and Oceanaire). We arrived with the afternoon tide and along with one other boat tied up to their new docks. After being given a welcome package with all the do's and don't's at their place (heavy emphasis on the don't) - we proceeded to do what we always do, lower the dinghies and go exploring. While racing around Drury Inlet, we received a call from "Jobel" still on the dock, telling us that we had better come back to our boats and be prepared to take our boats off...the anchors were newly set and the dock were tied together still, but they were in danger of closing in amongst themselves. We loaded up and ended up dropping anchor at the head of the inlet. We did stop by again and after being asked what they could do to improve things, we told them ixnay on the welcome letter with all of the don'ts...just put up some cutsey signs telling us where to walk the dog and where not to enter. We have enjoyed going there for many years and hope that the spirit of Allyson lives on with the new caretakers. We'll report back next year!

Day 55 - Fury Cove to Smith Inlet (Jones Cove)



Just us in this little Cove




Then there were three




We end the day with Five
In a one boat cove




We head off early as the surf doesn't look bad outside Fury Cove. Wrong Ohhhhhhhh. We hit the mouth of Rivers Inlet and the boat was immediately swallowed up by huge rollers. The weather on the radio said long and low swells, please define long......the trough in the swell had me terrified, it was white knuckle riding. I made the bad mistake of making my way down to the bathroom and all I saw outside the windows was Green Water. When asked with Mike if we should keep going, he said that it would only be bad for a few more miles and then we would have it on our stern. Not beleiving a word coming out of his mouth I said, no, we are turning in. We looked on the chart and found a little bay just inside of Smith Inlet called Jones Cove. We turned in and found a welcome calm little bay. There was just enough room for us to put the anchor down and sit sideways in this small cove. Mike put the dinghy down and went out fishing while I poured a stiff drink and put the boat back to rights. A few hours later a sailboat trickles in and set anchor behind us. Nice to share the bay. A few more hours after that another sailboat comes in and over dinner, two crab boats drop anchor. A one boat bay that is now holding 5 boats. We can see the surf pounding on the rocks outside the bay so we know why this little quaint cove is full. Not bad in 55 days to have been hit with only one really bad ocean day.

Circulation is back into my knuckles, time to head off and try the crossing again.

Day 54 - Hakai - Fury Cove

We beat ourselves up in the morning to get to Hakai Pass and to the resort. The resort is no more, its is now the Hakai Institute. A generous donor has purchased it and its now a teaching or studying place for SFU biology students doing salmon studies. There are probably thousands of salmon lives spared with no more sport fishing lodge. We only pop in the bay briefly and opt to continue on to Fury Cove, we have been listening to the weather and want to be close to the 50 mile open ocean crossing if there is a window. We run into "Raven Sprit" in Fury and tie up with them and get caught up on lots of the news from home. We have a nice evening with Rick and Faye and head off tomorrow to try our hand at the crossing.

Day 53 - Swordfish Bay in the Spider Islands



A few rocks and nothing
but the Charlottes outside
our Anchorage




A ninety degree turn and he finds us




Playing Peek a Boo in the rocks




A beautiful kind of wild!


A bit overcast, and the occasional squall of rain greet us. Time for beach fires and some fine gunkholing. The surf is pounding outside of our little bay and we get the occasional gust of wind. To pass the time, I baked up a storm - 36 buttertarts, 2 loaves of banana bread and 3 loaves of bread. Who diets on holidays anyways?

Mike goes out fishing and Rick and Bev lower their kayaks and Bev and Parker go kayaking. There is a bonfire on the beach and Cayden comes over to make bracelets and such with Bettys bead collection. Its a nice productive day doing inside stuff. The rain stops long enough around 5:00 o'clock and we take our dinghies and go gunkholing into the next few bays. Too bad there is so much surf, it would be great to do some beachcoming here.

Off to Hakai tomorrow.

Day 52 - Eucot Bay to Namu



More Jumping for Joy




No shortage of humpbacks




Turtle Dove?




Still standing - Namu Restaurant




We used to get shrimp in cans




Soon she will be gone!


In the morning we decide to take Burke Channel all the way around to Namu. WE have never taken this route before and it is the same distance back to Namu whether we came down Burke Channel or whether we go back the same way we came. There are so many twists and turns in this channel and a new type of climate around every bend. We see humpbacks and numerous pacific whitesided dolphins. They are the most playful of the three types of dolphins we have seen on this trip. They love it when I whistle and the dog starts barking. While playing in our bow wake, they like to turn on their sides and look up at you! We went through rip tides, strong winds and flat calm parts of the channel. Every bend was a new surprise! We are greeted on the dock by Renee and Pete and have pleasant evening around the fire and have a great dinner on the dock.

I borrowed Renee's book on Namu and had a good read about what was in this once thriving little community of fish processing. There are still items in the store (for looking at) and there are still pallets of tin cans for canning shrimp for restaurants. Again, mother nature has taken more of the structures with here into the ocean and the board walks (where there is wood) are now showing signs of rot and are closed off. The houses on land are full of mold from the dampness and there is more equipment molding itself into the earth than you can shake a stick at. Its been a gradual decline and we have seen many changes in the 15 years we have been coming up coast. It was good to have Namu in much better days. Renee has done a great job in sprucing up the place with birdhouses and plants and gardens but the inevitable is soon to come. The birds love it here and they must really love the birdseeds Renee puts out. She has two different types of swallows nesting and lots of hummingbirds and a flock of Turtle Doves that never did leave. We awake in the morning to the gentle cooing of these cute little birds.

Off to Spider Islands for some fishing in the morning!

Day 51 - Eucot Bay & Nascall



Natural Hot Springs at Eucot




Empty Resort at Nascall




Gunkholing with the Granthams




Confined Hot Springs at Nascall




The kids cooling down in the ocean




Bev bucketing salt water into
the hotspring to cool it down



A calmer place we did not find




Is the boat falling over?


Well, the rain we wished for is not here, we have a smoking hot day at the hot springs....Mike the dork has put fresh water out of the hot springs pipe into the Hot springs tub and its so hot, we cannot even go into it. The bathtub has finally rusted through and is no where to be seen! A couple of black bears share the beach with us and are probably just waiting for "Human Soup". We opt to go gunkholing up to Nascall hot springs as were told that we might be able to go ashore there if we are nice!

We take the 20 minute gunkhole up to Nascall. Sad story here - back around 5 years ago, we went into Nascall looking to see if we could find the hot springs and we found a resort that was massive with a hotel looking structure and lots of nifty looking cabins. Chickens and such running around but no humans. Sadly the owner had put an airstrip in behind his property and the week or so before had crashed his plane on his airstrip and was killed. We found this out a few weeks later when we were back in Shearwater and at the time, we never did find the hot springs. The hot springs were put in a covered building and was not open to the public. This time we are lucky to meet the caretakers (Al and Sharon) and they invite us to come and have a wander around. The place is forsale and the hydro from the waterfall dam project is on hold. Were it not for the caretakers, this place too would be in ruins. Its a harsh environment up here with the winds reaching over a 100 km an hour and freezing rain storms - if someone wasn't there looking after the infrastructure, all would be falling down! The caretakers share with us that there is another natural hotspring on the ocean side that is accessible at low tide. How cool is that! We wish them well and go back for a soak in Eucot hot springs and call it an early night.

Day 48 & 49 - Ocean Falls



Our boats at the dock in Ocean Falls




Bric-a-Brac in the "Museum"




Some locals




Top of the Spillway showing signs of disrepair




Soon - back to nature




"1969"




Always best to "Vote"




Heading into a Sunny day



Another creepy doll at Ocean Falls


We arrive late in the afternoon in the pouring rain. Finally the weather we have come to expect in Ocean Falls but have only seen once here. The best water on coast can be found here and we empty our tanks of any of the remaining water we have to take on this great water. We have a nice prime rib dinner on Shaman with Bob and Pat and Bev and Rick! We are then treated to a great Thunder and Lightening storm that last well over an hour. Good thing that the dog is deaf now! Kobi slept through the whole thing!

The next morning dawns bright and sunny and we walk up to the dam and see what changes have happened in town. Between the dam and Link Lake, Kobi chases a bear off of the road into the bush! That was a good point to turn around and head back to town, although there are bears there also ( we watched one walking down the road from the safety of or boat) The dam is showing big signs of neglect and the lake is quite low....lots of water coming down the spillway. The town is further deteriorated and soon it will be back to nature as well. Nearly Norman is still there and has moved the museaum from the house on the hill to the Marine Ways building. He has done an admirable job of having a nice and tidy new place and has quite the collection of memoribillia from the town. We met lots of nice folks and head up to Eucot Bay tomorrow.