Circling Around South East Alaska

Location: Hoonah, Alaska

Brown bear (grizzly) digging clams along the shoreline at Windfall Harbor.

The humpback whale statue along the Juneau waterfront.

May 14, Tuesday, Juneau – Harris Harbor to Taku Bay (20 nm, 3.3 hours):  We pulled away from the Harris Harbor transient dock at 8:00 and headed south to the Crowley Marine fuel dock, located in the cruise ship harbor.  We tied up to the dock and set-up to take on fuel.  We loaded 1622 gallons, filled our fresh water tank and headed south to Taku Harbor. 

Our view from the fuel dock:  a tug boat helping a cruise ship dock in Juneau Harbor.

We pulled alongside the public float on the south side of the harbor and settled in for the afternoon.

May 15, Wednesday, Taku Bay to Windfall Harbor, Seymour Canal (59 nm, 7.4 hours):  Away from the dock at 7:30 and south down Stephens Passage.  We could see bergie bits from the glaciers up Tracy Arm on the east side of the passage.  We turned north into Seymour Canal and made our way up to Windfall Harbor where we anchored for the night.  We saw some humpback whales along the way and Dave saw one breach.  We put out the crab trap then watched a brown bear walking along the north shore of the cove.

View from the stern:  the head of Windfall Harbor.

May 16, Thursday, Windfall Harbor:  We checked the shoreline this morning with the binoculars and saw lots of deer plus four brown bears feeding in the meadow.  We did a few maintenance chores then launched the dinghy and headed to the Pack Creek Bear Observatory.  It doesn’t officially open until June 1^st, so we cruised the flats and looked for bears. We didn’t see any so we went back to the boat for lunch and more maintenance chores. 

Seabiscuit at anchor, Windfall Harbor.

Brown bear along the shore near Pack Creek.

Back to Pack Creek in the dinghy.  We saw a bear along the beach on the way there, and four bears feeding in the flats along the creek mouth.  When we got back to the boat, there was a bear digging clams along the beach so we went over and watched him.

Brown bear digging clams at the head of Windfall Harbor

May 17, Friday, Windfall Harbor to Snug Cove, Gambier Bay (46 nm, 7 hours):  The clam digging bear was back on the beach this morning so we went over to watch him before heading out.  

Brown bear looking for clams at the head of Windfall Harbor.

No crabs in the crab trap.  We saw three bears near Pack Creek on our way out.  South down Seymour Canal where we saw two humpback whales and had some Dall’s porpoises ride our bow wake.  We turned into Stephens Passage, then north into Gambier Bay and anchored in Snug Cove for the night. 

May 18, Saturday, Snug Cove to Cannery Cove, Pybus Bay (22 nm, 3 hours):  We left Snug Cove about 8:00 after picking up the empty crab trap.  

Humpback whale spouting on the way out of Snug Cove

We stopped to fish along the way but didn’t catch anything.  We put out the crab trap, then anchored up in Cannery Cove.  It was a bright, sunny day so we sat on the stern and read our books.  We watched some guys from a nearby lodge check their crab traps.  They had 6 keepers so we were encouraged that we might catch some. 

Cannery Cove, Pybus Bay

We did some maintenance chores.  It clouded up and rained in the afternoon so we moved inside.  Early evening we saw a bear and lots of deer along the shoreline.

May 19, Sunday, Cannery Cove to Kake (30 nm, 5.5 hours):  Started today with a kayak around the cove.  At the east end, I heard some humpbacks spouting and then saw them as I came around a small island near the cove entrance. 

B going out for a kayak around Cannery Cove.

We started the main engine about 10:30, heaved anchor and picked up the crab trap – four large males inside, all keepers.  

The crab trap with 4 large male crabs inside.

We eased out of the bay and into Stephens Passage.  It was very calm and we stopped to fish near Turnabout Island.  I caught a small sculpin which we put back.  We saw some humpback whales feeding along the shore of Kupreanof Island and Dave saw one breach.  We turned south and followed the channel to Kake.  We tied up at the transient dock in Portage Bay, just south of town.  

A float plane landing just outside Portage Bay Harbor in Kake.

Dave cleaned the crabs while I put away my kayak gear and we had fresh crab for supper.

Fresh crab cooked and ready to eat (note the fancy crab crackers).

May 20, Monday, Kake:  We did some voyage planning this morning before walking up the road toward town.  The center of town is about 3 miles north of the small boat harbor in Portage Bay.  We poked our heads into a coffee shop to see if they served lunch – no, then stopped at the liquor store to ask if there was a café in town.  He suggested a place nearby but wasn’t sure if she was open.  We checked, the door was open, but nobody was around. 

The Kake totem pole, the tallest in South East Alaska.  There is a bald eagle sitting at the top.

We walked up the hill to look at the totem pole and for a view of the town below.  On our way back, we stopped at the grocery store, then back to the boat for lunch.  We spent the afternoon unlaxing.  After supper, we saw a family fishing for bait off the dock so Dave went out to try his luck.  He caught two bait fish, then caught a small salmon.

View of the town of Kake from Totem Pole Hill.

View across the Kake Channel.

May 21, Tuesday, Kake to Ruth Island, Thomas Bay (62 nm, 8.1 hours):  Breakfast and coffee as usual this morning.  I checked into the Net and we got underway about 7:30.  Around the north end of Kupreanof Island then south into Frederick Sound.  It’s a three way crossroads in this area with Stephens Passage to the northeast, Chatham Strait to the west and Frederick Sound to the southwest so lots of boat traffic with cruise ships and tugs and barges around.  We turned into Thomas Bay about 13:30.  It was clear and sunny so we decided to do some sightseeing around the bay before going to our anchor location.  We cruised to the head of the bay to look at Baird Glacier.  It has receded quite a ways and is no longer a tide water glacier.  Next we went up Scenery Cove to look at the steep granite sides, then to our anchoring spot on the southeast side of Ruth Island.

Landslides on the steep slopes surrounding Thomas Bay.

Looking toward the Baird Glacier in Thomas Bay.

We dropped off the crab trap then settled in for the afternoon.  Fresh salmon for supper.

Dave fishing off the stern in Ruth Island Cove.

May 22, Wednesday, Ruth Island to Petersburg (20 nm, 3.2 hours):  A short run this morning.  There is a strong current near the entrance to the Petersburg harbor, so we timed our run to arrive at slack water.  We heaved anchor about 7:30 and picked up the crab trap – 7 crabs inside but only one keeper.  We pulled in the north harbor about 10:30 and tied up alongside in slip #49, the exact same slip we had last summer.  We walked up town and had lunch at Inge’s Garden, a small restaurant with outdoor seating.  We stopped at the grocery store for a few things then went back to the boat for afternoon chores.  After defrosting the frig, we boiled our crab then sat on the stern and picked crab meat. 

Fresh picked lump crab meat.

May 23, Thursday, Petersburg:  It was overcast and rainy this morning.  We walked up to the bakery/café, Salty Pantry, for breakfast.  We took up the laundry, then stopped at the hardware store.  They had the barbecue we were looking for so we bought it and went back to the boat to set it up. 

Dave assembling the new barbecue.

Crab rolls for lunch – delicious!  We finished the laundry then spent the afternoon at the library using their internet to look at the weather and to do some voyage planning.

The Viking ship Valhalla and the fishermen's memorial in Petersburg.

May 24, Friday, Petersburg to Deception Point Cove (19 nm, 2.5 hours):  Our voyage today took us south through Wrangell Narrows.  The currents in the Narrows flood and ebb from both ends and meet near the middle, ~ 9 nm from the north entrance and ~12 nm from the south entrance.  In order to get a push from the current instead of fighting it, you enter on the last of the flood, reach the middle near slack water and then get a push from the ebb out the other side.  By our calculations, we needed to leave the dock about 17:30.  It was a nice day so we walked a loop up to the north end of the island, south to Sandy Beach on the east coast, then west back to the marina. 

Bald eagles along the shoreline at the north end of the Wrangell Narrows near Petersburg.

We stopped and bought fresh produce at the large grocery store near the post office, had lunch at a seafood café, got a few more groceries at the smaller store near the harbor, then went back to the boat.  We filled fresh water, rinsed the salt off the fore deck and prepared for departure.  We left the dock about 17:15 and headed south down the narrows.

A day marker marking the channel at the south end of the Wrangell Narrows.

The voyage was uneventful.  Other than some fishing vessels near Scow Bay, just south of Petersburg, there weren’t any large vessels in the Narrows.  We saw a few small fishing boats with families, probably headed to their cabins or to a camping spot for the long weekend.  We made it to the south end of the narrows, turned into Deception Point Cove and were anchored up and settled in about 19:45.

May 25, Saturday, Deception Point Cove to La Bouchere (30 nm, 3.8 hours):  Another bright, sunny day good for cruising.  We left the cove and headed west down Sumner Strait.  

Sea lions on a buoy in Sumner Strait.

Just before we rounded the north end of Prince of Wales Island, we saw a bald eagle swimming towards shore. He was using his wings like a set of oars.  We watched until he safely got ashore, with his fish still in his talons – and they say eagles can’t swim.   We wove our way into La Bouchere Bay where we anchored for the night.  Crab rolls for lunch – delicious! That was the last of our fresh crab.  We spent the afternoon reading on the stern, washing our exterior windows and watching the sea otters feed and play in the bay, some of them mothers with new pups. 

La Bouchere Bay on the west side of Prince of Wales Island.

May 26, Sunday, La Bouchere to Dry Pass Cove, El Capitan (20 nm, 2.7 hours):  We got up early this morning and were underway at 5:45 heading towards El Capitan Passage.  This is a short, narrow, scenic passage between the east side of Kosciusko Island and the west shore of Prince of Wales Island.  The controlling depth is 6 to 9 feet, depending on what you read and we wanted to make sure to go through at high water. 

A channel marker at the north end of El Capitan Passage.  It was a sunny, calm day with very little wind.

We cruised about 3/4 of the passage, then anchored in Dry Pass Anchorage, a wide spot between two narrow sections.  

Entering El Capitan Passage.

We settled in and had lunch.  Our adventure for the afternoon was a tour of El Capitan Cave.  The US Forest Service dock was about 2.5 nm from where we anchored so we launched the dinghy and motored down the channel to the dock.  The cave tour starts at the bottom of 370 stairs.  Two Forest Service summer interns, both geologists, met us at the bottom of the stairs.  We were their first tour of the summer.  We climbed the stairs with some stops along the way to look over the water below and to learn about some of the forest plants.  Once we got to the cave entrance, we put on our hard hats then went inside.  About 50 feet inside the entrance, there is a very stout gate that is kept locked to prevent vandalism.  On the other side of the gate, you climb over a few rocks to an old river bed that leads you down into the main part of the cave.

Our cave guides, Emily and Erin, working on Dave's headlamp before we enter the cave.

 The inside of the cave remains at a constant 40F.  Our guides pointed out interesting sights along the way including a hibernation chamber, where the fossils of both a black bear and a brown bear were found. The drops of water on the cave ceiling and walls sparkled like crystals when we shone our lights on them.  Once we got deep inside, we turned off our lights and stood in the total darkness.  We turned around at a small pond and headed back towards the entrance.  The cave goes on for a total of two miles, but past the pond, the easy walking on the old river bed ends and the passages are trickier and more slippery.

B and Dave outside the cave entrance.

Back down the steps to the meeting area.  Our guides were going to climb back up to look for fossils in the cave walls and to practice their spiel.  This was definitely one of the more rustic cave tours we have been on and we both enjoyed it.  We walked back to the dock and took the dinghy back to the boat.  For supper, we grilled steaks on our new barbecue.

May 27, Monday, Dry Pass Cove to Cyrus Cove (24 nm, 3.3 hours):  Nothing in the crab trap this morning.  We heaved anchor and got underway about 7:30, through the last narrow part of El Capitan Passage and then into the wider and deeper section at the south end and into Sea Otter Sound.  After dropping off the crab trap, we anchored in the north arm of Cyrus Cove.  We spent the afternoon doing maintenance and cleaning chores and reading our books.

May 28, Tuesday, Cyrus Cove to Egg Harbor, Coronation Island (35 nm, 5 hours):  There was a marine layer hanging over us this morning.  Nothing in the crab trap except a lion’s mane jelly fish hanging on the side.  We headed out of the cove about 7:30 and turned on the radar.  West through Cosmos Pass north of Whale Head Island, north up the east coast of Warren Island, then a turn to the west and out into Sumner Strait.  We came through the pass between the south end of the Spanish Islands and Coronation Island.  The fog had lifted.  We decided to do some fishing so we found a high spot, dropped anchor and put our lines down to the bottom.  We caught a couple of small rock fish and some ling cod but put them all back.  Dave hooked a yelloweye rockfish, about 5 pounds, which we kept for supper.

Dave with a yelloweye rockfish.

We motored to Egg Harbor and anchored up for the night.  There are caves along the shoreline in Egg Harbor and a beach so we launched the dinghy and went ashore for a walk.

Caves along the shore of Egg Harbor, Coronation Island.

Dave with the dinghy on the Egg Harbor flats.

Mackerel sky above Egg Harbor.

May 29, Wednesday, Egg Harbor to Red Bluff Bay (62 nm, 8.7 hours):  Neither of us slept well last night.  Our anchorage was open to the north and the wind changed direction and started blowing from the northwest.  About midnight, there were williwaws coming down the granite peaks to our west and we had wrap around swell coming into the anchorage causing the boat to bounce around while the wind whistled across the decks.  We heaved anchor at 7:30 and got underway, heading north toward Chatham Strait.  The seas were confused for the first part of the voyage but once we got east of Baranof Island, we got some protection from the wind.  Our trip log rolled over another 10,000 nm, so that made 20k as logged on the chart plotter (we had some unlogged miles when our GPS wasn’t working on the west coast of Vancouver Island).

Our chart plotter showing 9999 on the trip log. 
We are cruising north up Chatham Strait between Baranof Island and Kuiu Island.

The view from the pilot house as the trip log rolls over.

We turned into the entrance of Red Bluff Bay about 16:00 and motored to the head of the bay to anchor.  There were two other boats anchored up and two sailboats followed us in.  This is a beautiful place, with a large waterfall flowing down the south side and a huge “bear meadows” at the head.  When we arrived there were some people ashore walking up the river to fish on a nearby lake.  Later, as they were walking back out, we saw a brown bear come out into the meadow just behind them.  There was no drama but it was interesting to watch.  The anchorage was very calm with no wind and we both slept well.

The waterfall in Red Bluff Bay.

May 30, Thursday, Red Bluff Bay to Baranof Warm Springs (21 nm, 3.3 hours):  Went for a kayak around the bay this morning, up to the waterfall and up the river a short way.  There was a brown bear out in “bear meadows” but I didn’t see him until I got back to the boat.

B going for a kayak around Red Bluff Bay.

B returning to the boat at the end of the kayak.  Bear meadows is in the background.

We heaved anchor about 10:00 and headed out of the bay, north up Chatham Strait and then west into Warm Springs Bay.  There was room for us at the dock behind two purse seiners so we tied up alongside.  

Approaching the dock at Baranof Warm Springs

There was lots of activity in the area:  a small cruise ship (66 passenger) was anchored in the bay shuttling people back and forth to the dock; there were people kayaking around the waterfall; there were two cruisers anchored near the waterfall; we watched two sailboats and a small cruising boat come into the dock along with several smaller vessels. We spent some time unlaxing and reading our books before walking up the trail to the hot pools near the river.  As our guidebook says, the pools are “hot and hotter”.  We soaked for about 15 minutes then hiked back down the trail to the boat.

B and Dave soaking in the pools at Baranof Warm Springs

May 31, Friday, Baranof Warm Springs to Tenakee Springs (52 nm, 6.1 hours):  Breakfast and coffee as usual and we checked into the morning net.  We got underway at 7:00 in order to catch the current going north up Chatham Strait.  We turned northwest into Tenakee Inlet and tied up at the Tenakee Springs Harbor transient dock.  We walked into town, stopped and exchanged a few books, checked out the grocery store then walked down to the library.  It was closed so we turned around and headed back.  We took a short detour through the cemetery and stopped at the museum on our way back to the boat.

Apple tree in bloom in Tenakee Springs

 There were waves slapping against the stern of the boat when we got back to the dock so we turned her 180 degrees, port side to with the bow pointing into the wind and waves which made a big difference.  We had hoped to have pizza at the bakery for supper, but it was closed and for sale so we had tacos at the Seabiscuit café instead.  After supper, I walked up to the bathhouse for a soak in the hot springs.  There is one hot pool, with designated times for women and men.  I had the place to myself and had a relaxing soak.

Seabiscuit at the dock in Tenakee Springs after we turned her around.

June 1, Saturday, Tenakee Springs to Hoonah (44 nm, 5.9 hours):  We pulled away from the dock this morning about 7:30, after breakfast and the net.  Overcast sky and light rain.  We cruised out of Tenakee Inlet, north up Chatham Strait. into Icy Strait and then into Hoonah.  

Dall's porpoise riding the bow wake as we cruise north up Chatham Strait

We tied up at the transient dock in Hoonah Harbor and walked into town for lunch.  After lunch, we went to the hardware store and the grocery store, then back to the boat for some afternoon chores.  For supper, we had pizza and beer at the local brewery.  We'll spend the next few days doing maintenance and chores and exploring town.

Until next time...

Hoonah, Juneau, Haines and Skagway

Location:  Juneau, Alaska

Orca in Lynn Canal

April 25 - 26, Thursday - Friday, Hoonah:  It was overcast and rainy while we were in Hoonah so we decided to tackle a big maintenance chore, cleaning our forward fuel tanks.  Dave transferred the last of the fuel from both tanks into the day tanks and we got busy.  The first step was to move everything out of the mid-ship hold so that we would have good access to the tank hatches there.  Thursday morning we cleaned the port tank – took off the hatch cover in the engine room and the three covers in the mid-ship hold.  Dave trimmed the gaskets on each of the covers.  When we had replaced them last time, we left in the center section.  With no material between these center sections and the fuel, they had swollen and deformed.  The gasket material on the flange faces was still in good condition, so we cut out the center sections and left the gasket material between the hatch covers and the flange faces.  

Starboard forward fuel tank hatches in the mid-ship hold, open and ready for tank cleaning. 

Starboard forward fuel tank hatch in the engine room.

Once that was complete, we cleaned the sides and bottom of the tank using clean diesel fuel, then vacuumed out the sediment from the bottom of the tank.  The last step was re-installing the hatch covers and torquing the bolts that hold them in place.  

Sunset Hoonah Harbor

 Friday morning we cleaned the starboard forward fuel tank.  After we finished re-installing the hatch covers, we cleaned the mid-ship hold bilge and re-stowed everything.  We did some laundry, took a short walk around town, filled water and prepared for tomorrow’s departure.

Difficult to see but there is a large bald eagle nest in this tree near the Hoonah Harbor Master's office

April 27, Saturday, Hoonah to Auke Bay (41 nm, 5.9 hours):  We left the Hoonah transient dock at 8:00 for our cruise to Auke Bay, just north of Juneau.  It was a sunny, calm day and we had an uneventful voyage.  The docks at Auke Bay are first-come, first-served with no assigned slips.  When you enter the harbor, you find an empty spot and tie up.  It isn’t crowded this time of year and we didn’t have any trouble finding a space alongside the dock.  We tied up about 14:00 and settled in for the afternoon.  We took a walk around the harbor area, then had supper at the Devil’s Hideaway.

Humpback whale as we were leaving Hoonah Harbor

Light house buildings on Point Retreat at the north end of the Mansfield Peninsula

April 28, Sunday, Auke Bay:  Another beautiful, sunny day.  We caught the bus to Home Depot, then went to Costco to stock up for the season.  We took a cab back to the harbor and got everything loaded onto the boat and stored.  For supper, we picked up some burgers and onion rings at Hot Bites.

Looking east from the stern, Statter Harbor, Auke Bay.

April 29, Monday, Auke Bay:  We spent the morning doing boat chores.  After lunch, we took the bus to Fred Meyer to get some fresh produce and top up items that we didn’t buy at Costco.  We had supper on the boat, did some voyage planning and prepared for departure in the morning.

April 30, Tuesday, Auke Bay to Haines (62 nm, 8.9 hours):  Another beautiful, sunny day.  We checked into the morning HAM net and then left the Auke Bay docks at 8:00.  We cruised north up Lynn Canal, the largest Fjord in the U.S.  The winds were light and the seas were calm and it was a nice day to be out on the water.  We saw four orca swimming south, two mothers and two calves. 

Eldred Rock Lighthouse, Lynn Canal

Four orca, two mothers and two calves, in the Lynn Canal

Mountains along the west side of the Lynn Canal

We tied up at the dock in the Haines Small Boat Harbor about 16:00.  For happy hour, we went to the Haines Brewing Company and we ate supper at the Fireweed Restaurant.

View from the Haines Brewing Company tasting room, Haines, Alaska.

May 1, Wednesday, Round Trip - Haines, Alaska to Haines Junction, Yukon Territory  (350 miles by car):  We decided to rent a car today to drive to the nature areas around Haines and to explore the Haines Highway.  We started with Lutak Inlet, north and east of town.  We had been told that the “hooligan” (aka eulachon or smelt) were in the bay and that there was a feeding frenzy with the birds and sea lions getting their fill.  It was close to low tide and we didn’t see any sea lions, but we saw lots of birds, mostly surf scoters and gulls.  As we were watching a raft of surf scoters near shore, all of a sudden, just like synchronized swimmers, hundreds of them dove under the water and resurfaced simultaneously.

Surf Scoters in Lutak Bay

Next, we headed north and west out of town on the Haines Highway.  We passed the Alaskan Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve on the Chilkat River, which is famous for the thousands of bald eagles that arrive each fall to feed on the salmon after they spawn.  There were no bald eagles this time of year, just miles of gravel / sand river delta.  We continued north across the U. S. / Canadian border into British Columbia and then up above the tree line into the alpine section of the highway and into Yukon Territory.  

B at the Yukon Territory Sign

The snow covered mountains were amazing, some of them were all white with no rocks or trees visible.  We stopped along the way for a better view of the snowmobile, ski and animal tracks in the snow along the roadside.  

Ground squirrel near a snowmobile area.

We arrived in Haines Junction, had lunch at a local restaurant, topped off our gas tank and headed back south.  We stopped for a hike at the Million Dollar Falls Campground - "The name comes from a U.S. army maintenance camp constructed during the building of the Haines Road and Haines-to-Fairbanks pipeline in the 1940s. The camp has a barracks, officers' quarters and a 21-toilet bathing room. It was rumoured to cost a “million dollars” to build, but was never used."  We saw lots of moose and bear tracks along the road to the campground, but didn’t see any animals.

Moose track on the road into Million Dollar Falls Campground

Million Dollar Falls.

Two swans, either trumpeter or tundra, feeding in a small pond along the Haines Highway.

We drove back into Haines, then went south of town to the Chilkat State Park, a beautiful area overlooking the waters of the Chilkat Inlet.

May 2, Thursday, Haines:  Chores this morning.  Dave put on his diving gear to inspect the boat bottom and our aluminum hull anodes.  The water temperature was 45F / 7C.  All looked well and he didn’t stay in long.

Dave diving in the Haines harbor.

For our afternoon adventure, we strolled the historic Fort Seward area, an old military installation, then strolled along the rock covered beach.  

Looking across the Fort Seward parade grounds at the officer's housing.

The town is in the process of creating a sculpture garden amongst the ruins of one of the old barracks in Fort Seward.
This is an example of the art that is in place.  

The Tlingit welcome sign at Fort Seward.

Rocks on the beach below Fort Seward.

For happy hour, we went to the Port Chilkoot Distillery, a small, local business that distills gin, vodka, whiskey and absinthe.  Their business start-up story is interesting as they had to overcome prohibition era laws that were still on the books before they could open their tasting room.  We had supper at a local restaurant, then went back to the boat for reading and unlaxing.

May 3, Friday, Haines:  More maintenance chores this morning.  We went to the Sheldon Museum in the afternoon.

May 4, Saturday, Haines to Skagway (14 miles, 1.9 hours):  We left the Haines Small Boat Harbor ~9:00 for the short run to Skagway.  The wind was blowing 25 – 30 knots from the south and the tide was flooding towards the north, so we got a push.  We watched a large group of surf scoters feeding along the shoreline.  

Surf Scoters feeding along the shore of Taiya Inlet.

There was one large cruise ship at the dock in Skagway.  We made our way into the small boat harbor and tied up alongside “C” dock.  The wind was blowing something fierce, but at least it was pushing us onto the dock and not away from it.  We tied up and settled in then walked uptown for lunch.  Back to the boat for afternoon chores and internet.  For happy hour and supper, we went to the Skagway Brewing Company.

The Arctic Brotherhood Hall in Skagway.  It is decorated with over 8800 pieces of driftwood.

May 5, Sunday, Skagway:  We spent the morning doing chores and maintenance tasks.  After lunch we visited the National Park Service (NPS) Klondike Gold Rush Museum and Visitor Center and walked the Pullen Creek Trail. 

May 6, Monday, Skagway, Alaska to Whitehorse, Yukon Territory (110 miles by car):  The wind was still howling this morning so we put out some extra lines and fenders then rented a car and drove up to Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon Territory.  Up and over the White Pass summit, through Canadian Customs into B.C. and then into the Yukon.  We stopped at all the scenic overlooks and historical stops along the way.

A spruce grouse alongside the road near White Pass Summit.

B at the scenic overlook, Fraser Lake, BC.

We had lunch in Carcross, stopped at the “World’s Smallest Desert”, stopped to watch the mountain goats along the hillsides and cruised into White Horse mid-afternoon.  We stayed at a small B&B near downtown.  For supper, we ate at Antoinette’s a Caribbean Restaurant – very tasty.

The Carcross Desert.

Cabins at the Robinson Roadhouse Historic Site.

Train tracks no longer in use, Robinson Roadhouse Historic Site.

Caribou crossing the Klondike Highway.

May 7, Tuesday, Whitehorse:  We started our day at the Whitehorse Visitor Center to get a recommendation for a day hike.  They suggested the trail that leads to the summit above Fish Lake.  We picked up some sandwiches at the local deli / meat shop and headed out of town to the trail head.  Fish Lake was still iced over, just starting to melt along the shoreline, and we could see someone skating off in the distance.  We hiked up the trail into the woods above the lake.  The trail was wet and muddy for the first half of the hike and icy and snow-covered as we neared the top of the tree line.  Once we got above the tree line, the views of the lakes and the surrounding mountains were amazing.

Dave hiking up the Fish Lake trail.

Fish Lake.

B scoping out the views of the surrounding mountains, Fish Lake.

Sign at the Fish Lake trailhead.

We walked back down to the car and spent some time watching the ducks feed on a small pond nearby – redheads, northern pintails, Barrow’s goldeneyes, northern shovelers and some others we couldn’t identify.  Our next stop was the suspension bridge over the Yukon River at Miles Canyon. 

View of Miles Canyon from the suspension bridge.

Looking down at the suspension bridge that crosses Miles Canyon.

Back to the B&B for a break, then we walked into town for happy hour at The Woodcutter and supper at the Dirty Northern.

May 8, Wednesday, Whitehorse to Skagway (110 miles via car):  We left Whitehorse about 8:00 for the drive back to Skagway.  We stopped in Carcross for a cup of coffee, then drove back over the White Pass summit through the fog and rain.  The fog lifted as we came down into Skagway.  We stopped at a scenic overlook on the way back into town and then returned the rental car.

View of the Skagway airport, downtown and the cruise ship docks.

Back at the boat all was well.  The wind was still howling, 30+ knots from the south.  I spent the afternoon touring the Skagway Museum and some of the NPS historic buildings.  We had happy hour at the Red Onion Saloon and supper at a restaurant near the harbor.

May 9, Thursday, Skagway to William Henry Bay (46 nm, 6.2 hours):  The wind finally quit blowing about 3:30 this morning.  We left the dock at 6:30 and headed south down Taiya Inlet and the Lynn Canal.  It was foggy most of the way and we ran the radar.  Very little traffic and an uneventful cruise to William Henry Bay.  We dropped off the crab trap and anchored off the eastern shore.  It was a sunny, calm afternoon.  We cleaned the starboard day tank then enjoyed the nice weather and the time away from the dock.

Looking out the William Henry Bay entrance at the mountains on the east side of the Lynn Canal.

May 10, Friday, William Henry Bay to Auke Bay (30 nm, 4.4 hours):  We picked up the crab trap on our way out of the bay this morning: one tanner crab, one Dungeness crab and one halibut.  We let them all go.  It was foggy on the way south so we ran the radar for about 2/3 of the voyage.  A few small fishing boats out and about but other than that it was quiet.  We pulled into Auke Bay Harbor around lunch time and docked at “D” dock.  Lunch and laundry, then cleaning of the port day tank and other maintenance tasks.

B pulling in the crab trap, William Henry Bay.

May 11, Saturday, Auke Bay:  We rented a car today.  Our first destination was the marine fuel dock on the south side of Juneau.  Yesterday we called around to check diesel prices and found that fuel on the south side of town was $0.15 less per gallon as compared to Auke Bay.  We wanted to confirm the pricing and to look at the fuel dock so that we would know what to expect when we pulled alongside.  Next was Home Depot, then Costco, then Fred Meyer and finally back to the boat to unload.  After we got everything stowed, we went up to Mendenhall Glacier.  They had some spotting scopes set-up in the visitor center and we got to see a mountain goat with a kid near a stream on the side of the mountain.  We walked a portion of the Trail of Time and the East Glacier Trail.

The Mendenhall Glacier.

A porcupine climbing a tree on the East Glacier Trail.

May 12, Sunday, Auke Bay to Juneau – Harris Harbor (31 nm, 4.3 hours):  We left the dock at 7:30 this morning and headed to the south end of Juneau.  Although it is only 9 miles by car to the south side of Juneau, it is 31 miles by boat.  The channel between Douglas Island and Juneau is too shallow to transit so you have to go around to the west coast of Douglas Island.  We tied up in Harris Harbor around lunch time.  Dave got busy transferring fuel from the aft tanks to the forward tanks while I walked up to the used book store, Rainy Retreat Books,  to see if I could find “Land of the Ocean Mists”, a book about "The Wild Ocean Coast West of Glacier Bay" – they had it.  We will be traveling this coast later this summer and, although it was written in 1986, it was recommended as one of the best history books about the Gulf of Alaska coast line between Cape Spencer and Dry Bay.  When I got back to the boat, we cleaned the starboard aft fuel tank.  For happy hour we went to the Red Dog Saloon and we had supper at V’s Cellar Door.

The Windfall Fisherman, a bronze sculpture of an Alaskan brown bear, Juneau.

Totem pole near downtown Juneau.

May 13, Monday, Juneau – Harris Harbor:  This morning we cleaned the port aft fuel tank – the last one.  All looks good and we are ready to take fuel tomorrow morning.   Our next stop will be Taku Bay.

Until next time...