Behm Me Up Scotty!

Monday, May 16:

Heading for "Rupert", as the natives say.  Low drizzly cloud & smooth waters. Tied up at the Prince Rupert Rowing & Yacht Club in Cow Bay.  (Bay named for a pioneer dairyman who tossed his herd into the bay and let them swim to shore).  This is the closest marina to town but is costing us $68 for the night.  Their wi-fi is weak and John & I walk into town and spend the afternoon at Starbucks where we can get a fast connection. 

Xanadu tied up at the Prince Rupert Rowing and Yacht Club.

John taking in the sights at Cow Bay in Prince Rupert.

Tuesday, May 17:

The feared and notorious Dixon Entrance.  Renown for devouring small boats.  We tried to make it across and actually had smooth seas until we left the protection of Dundas Island.  Then the ocean swells began to mix with steep wind waves and countertop items began leaping for the floor.  Kitty not happy so we turned tail and tucked into Brundage Inlet.  Passed a pod of Killer Whales as we moved into smoother waters.  Anchored in quiet waters for the night.

Wednesday, May 18:

Time to give it another try!  The next morning the ocean was smooth and quiet.  A great crossing day but 9 and a half hours is still a long day of cruising.  Arrived at the downtown Ketchikan City Docks where there was plenty of room to tie up.  Lady US customs official was very pleasant.  Roche Harbor should take lessons from her!  Two large cruise ships were in so we joined the throngs of tourists and went shopping for authentic Alaskan Stuff!  John got the tall brown XtraTuff rubber boots that he has coveted since our last trip here.  I chose a pair of little gold nugget earrings.  Our boating friends bought bear spray.  The guys bought Alaska fishing licenses and we all bought fleeces monogramed with Alaska and manufactured by 4 year olds in China.

A cruise ship passes by our moorage in downtown Ketchikan.

Thursday, May 19:

Thank you Pat & Rick on Tranquility for the wonderful cinnamon roll brunch!  Civilization is hard work!  John spends the day trouble-shooting a weak bow thruster.  Three loads of dirty clothes, two bus rides, a whole bunch of quarters and 4 hours later I have the laundry done.  I'm thinking black underwear for our next cruise.  Glenda & Peter from Seaducktress fun visiting with you at the laundry!  I'm feelin' grumpy but a 3:00 lunch gives me energy and we head off to the grocery store, a half mile away.  Cleaned up and re-provisioned we are ready to head back into the wilderness away from the thousands of cruise ship passengers crowding the sidewalks.

Friday, May 20:

Fuel dock opens at 7 am.  Just as we approach a small excursion boat ties up.  Two hours and 2,500 gallons later it is OUR turn.  $4.15 a gallon.....228 gallons and we are ready to head south for the Behm Canal and Misty Fiords National Monument.  2.2 million acres and Merlin & Xanadu are the only boats here!!!  Hemlocks and cedar growing on vertical granite slopes, waterfalls tumbling from snow-filled peaks, accessible only by floatplane and boats and it belongs to only us!  We anchor in Shoalwater Pass and Merlin takes the buoy in front of the newly built forest service rental cabin.  We anchor close by.

We check out one of the many forest service cabins for rent in the Tongass National Forest.

Saturday, May 21:

Heading for Punchbowl Cove.  Stopped to take pictures of New Eddystone Rock, named by George Vancouver when he first explored here.  We were joined by three

Dall porpoises for fun and games in the bow wake.  They stayed with us for 15 minutes.  So Cool! Wonderful waterfalls as we entered Punch Bowl.  Buoy was empty so we shared it with Merlin.  We tried to hike the trail to Punch Bowl Lake but it was covered with windfall trees and land slides.  Must have had a hard winter!  Huge rocks turned on the beach and bear poop but no actual bears.

New Eddystone Rock in the Behm Canal.

Granite cliffs of The Punchbowl, Misty Fiords National Monument

Dolls Porpoises play in our bow wake.

Moored in The Punchbowl and Kayaking for shore.

Sunday, May 22:

Well everyone is still here.  The "Rapture" has come and gone.  We didn't get BEHMed up while in the Behm Canal!  So either we didn't make the cut or we are already in paradise.  I'm voting for the second option.  Awoke to haunting calls of red throated loons.  All loons need salt water to fish and fresh water to nest.  This area is perfect for them!  Destination Walker Bay.  Too many waterfalls to count.  Snowy peaks and granite cliffs right to the waterline.  Most bays here too deep to anchor but again we luck out and get the forest service buoy to tie up to.  Kayaked a ways up the river.

All alone in Misty Fiords.

There was lots of skunk cabbage along our hike.

Misty Fiords is aptly named today.

Kayaking at Walker Bay

Monday, May 23:

Rod pulled his shrimp pot on the way out of the bay.  A lot of work for only a few shrimp, but they tasted wonderful later at happy hour.  45 n.m. To Bailey Bay where we found another empty buoy and a nice trail.  Optimistic, we threw in our swim suits and towels hoping to make the hot springs.  The trail ended at a flooded river crossing.  The bridge was washed out.  Too much water to ford.

Snow on the trail just a few hundred feet above sea level.

Kayaking in Bailey Bay.

Tuesday, May 24:

Destination 25 n.m. to Naha.  Only one small skiff tied to the dock so there was plenty of room for both boats.  Planned to eat lunch then head out for the walk around Roosevelt Lagoon.  Saw a large excursion boat approaching.  They squeezed in and dropped off a class of fifth graders heading for a four day camp-out at Orton Ranch.  A nice fishing boat followed with another group of 5th graders and chaperones.  Suddenly we were not the only ones in paradise!  We got a head start on the 5th graders and made it to the ranch ahead of them.  A nice 5 mile hike over mostly board walk and level trail. The small black bugs gathering on the yellow skunk cabbage blossoms really liked my bright yellow visor.  Need to buy a black hat!  Back to the lagoon entrance to watch the outflow of the tidal race.  After dinner John kayaked up the tidal race into the lagoon.  Even though it was slack tide the river flow out of the lagoon made it very hard for John to paddle against the current.  He had a fun ride back out.

Xanadu and Merlin at the state dock in Naha Bay.

Loaded down with their backpacks, a class of 5th graders head up the ramp for a 2.6 mile walk to camp.

Boardwalk trail built originally by the CCC in 1936.

The tidal race of Roosevelt Lagoon.

Wednesday, May 25:

Clarence Strait is FLAT CALM!!! We are heading for Kasaan, a Haida village in Kasaan Bay.  Three years ago we had to pass it by twice because the strait was too rough.  The guide books warn about the docks at Kasaan, but we find them strong and substantial.  The south dock is not attached to the main one so we need to jump across but with a running start it is do-able.  Today is warm and sunny.  The walk to the longhouse and the totems was wonderful.  No feeling of contrived.  This is the real thing not manufactured to attract tourists.  We pass a resident spreading black seaweed on a bed sheet in her yard.  Early Spring is the time for drying seaweed.  And today is sunny and warm!

The docks at Kasaan Village.

Drying porphyra (edible seaweed) in the sun.

Totems of Kasaan.

The longhouse is in need of some repair.

This native site was a beautiful and inspiring place.

Thursday, May 26:

Heading for Meyers Chuck.  A "chuck" is a safe anchorage protected by small islands.  Meyers Chuck is a very small community (a lot of artists here) connected by a narrow foot path.  The state of Alaska has provided them with a nice dock which is free to the public.  Our previous visit required side tying to Sonata but this time the dock had lots of empty space.  We hiked the trail between houses out to the beach on the west side of the chuck.  It rained most of the day and in the afternoon we could see white caps and whipped up foam out on Clarence Strait.

The phone booth in Meyers Chuck.

We hiked to a beach on Clarence Strait in a gentle rain.

The Gallery in Meyers Chuck