Blood on my crocks.

Blog Post 7

Saturday, June 11:

Dundas Bay is inside Glacier Bay Park but does not require an entry permit. Heading up the bay we see lots of very cute sea otters.  Some are moms with babies riding on their chests.  They paddle hard with their back feet to increase the distance between us but prefer not to dive unless they feel really threatened.  We spot a huge brown grizzly on the shore, then a black bear who appears as large as the grizzly bear. Just across from our anchor spot is another single grizzly.  He comes and goes during our stay.  The water is turquoise from the snow melt.  Lots of harbor porpoises swim around our cove. 

Crab omelet for breakfast.

One of the great views as we work our way up Dundas Bay.

Sea otter with her baby.

Sea otter in the emerald waters of Dundas Bay.

This loon greeted us as we anchored.

The view at the head of Dundas Bay

Couldn't resist another otter.  So cute!

Sunday, June 12:

A smooth & sunny run to Elfin Cove.  Past Sea Lion Rock where most of the residents were in the water frolicking and tossing around their fish breakfasts.  Room for both of our boats on the outside transient dock. We walked the boardwalk (their highway).  No motorized vehicles allowed here. The little store was closed on Sunday.  The cafe was open but had only one item for purchase, hamburgers.  Mooched 5 fish heads for crab bait but we will need to wait until we are out of sea otter territory before we try for crab.

The wheelchair ramp from hell in Elfin Cove.

Sea Lion Rock in the Inian Islands.

Monday, June 13:

Watched 11 river otters checking out all the docks for good things to munch.  Away at 7am.  Heading for Pelican.  Just outside of Elfin Cove were 7 or 8 humpbacks cruising on the surface.  Lots of Trollers (line fishermen) fishing in Cross Sound.  They are catching King Salmon. Pelican's transient dock only has one visitor.  Very few cruisers this year.  Pelican is going downhill.  Lots of places empty.  The student population has gone from 50 kids to 12.  One class.  The store, laundry, and cold storage have closed. The fishing boats are idle and in need of paint.  The boardwalk highway here is wider and 4 wheelers race up and down it.  We decided to stimulate the economy and go out to dinner at the only place serving in the evening.  Rose's Bar is listed in the boating book as "infamous".  It turned out to be tacky, dirty, and smokey.  No menus, just a recital of what the waitress/bartender was willing & able to cook. We chose our salad dressing by the youngest expiration date on the label.  The price came when you were ready to pay.  Our boat dinners have been better....but we did contribute to Pelican's economy.  The stuffed Salmalope on the wall was worth something!

The docks in Pelican.

Tuesday, June 14:

I awoke to the sound of flipping and flapping.  John was filling a bucket with herring which he was jigging from the boat deck.  These will come in handy for luring in bigger fish.  I bought some earrings from the little cafe made from Halibut ear bones.  Drizzly run back to Elfin Cove.  We launched our kayaks and paddled from Elfin Cove northwest to view the wave sculpted rocky shore.  We kayaked with 3 humpbacks that were slowly cruising just off shore.  I got to within 15 feet of one, then chickened out and backed off.  Would have been cool to touch one but I was leery of the huge tail. Around the island we met up with a group of sea otters.  They were very curious about our yellow kayaks.  The teenagers squealed and made shrill calls which brought everybody's heads popping out of the water.  I squealed back and we had a conversation for a while.  The moms with babies kept their distance but the single ones kept popping up beside and ahead of our kayaks. Such cute little faces.

Roxie kayaks with the whales.

Peering into the bat cave.

A very curious otter.

Wednesday, June 15:

Backtracking to Hoonah.  Another long drift at Point Adolphus where 50 or so humpback whales were cruising and feeding.  We shut down the motor and drifted through their spouts and tails.  Did I mention before that the larger whales sometimes sound like an elephant trumpeting when they exhale?  Grocery shopping in Hoonah and a much needed garbage dumpster. King salmon for dinner compliments of Rod & Susan who bought a fish on the Elfin Cove dock.

Whales every which way at Point Adolphus.

Thursday, June16:

Onboard Xanadu, John & I sneak away early so we can stop to fish at Spasski Island. This is where we caught our huge halibut three years ago.  We didn't tie into a "barn door" halibut, but did get two nice ones.  Ended up with about ten pounds of fillets. I did the fish processing on the way to Tenakee Springs.  We saw two deer swimming way out in the water.  From the way they were going we think they just crossed Icy Straits, a distance of 6 & 1/2 miles. It's a good thing the waters were calm.  A single Dall's porpoise stayed with our boat for a good 20 minutes.  I am sure he was aware of the persons on the deck and seemed to respond to our noises.  At this point I am no longer making note or counting whales.  They have become common experiences, like bald eagles and loons.  Dropped in the crab pot in Sunshine Cove just before Tenakee Springs. In Tenakee we walked the path, their infrastructure, along the shore.  Tenakee is the bedroom suburbs of Juneau.  The homes here are very nicely maintained.  There is a school, library, fire department, cafe, grocery store and city hall.  All are connected by a 4 foot wide dirt trail.  4 wheelers are allowed, but lots of people bike here.  The ferry comes here twice a week from Juneau so citizens can get supplies often.  There is a community hot tub filled by the hot springs.  Access is divided into male & female hours.  Nudity REQUIRED, no swimsuits allowed.  Tenakee has no cell phone towers or coverage.  Most of the homes do have Internet access as does the library.  We will try to send our this blog spot from there.  Dinner is fresh halibut burgers on home made buns.

I cleaned up the fish and put on my boots after spattering my crocks with fish blood.

Afternoon sun hits the ferry dock at Tenakee Springs.

Deer swim across Chatam Strait.

Cow Parsnips and Xanadu at the dock in Tenakee Springs.

This is the public toilet in Tenakee Springs.  It is perched on a pier over the beach so the tide can flush.

A streetwalker on the only road in Tenakee Springs.

Friday, June 17:

John & I have our 44th anniversary today.  No fancy restaurant but the sea has provided fresh crab.  John caught some small greenlings for bait and we tried Tenakee Reef for more halibut but nobody was biting.  John & Rod will try out the hot springs.  Susan & I will wait for a clothing allowed site.  The moldy walls, sulphur smell and rocky lining of the pool did not inspire us to tear off our clothes and jump in.  I know, go ahead and say it.......prudes!  I'm thinking Haagen Das Ice cream for anniversary dinner!