TRACY ARM AND THE SOUTH SAWYER GLACIER
June 12, 2001, Tuesday- some days are good, some are great, and some couldn't get any better. Today was one of the later. We departed at 7 AM and headed the 26 miles up Tracy Arm inlet to the Sawyer Glacier. It started with light to broken cloud cover, but by the time we arrived at the glacier, at noon, it was sunny and almost 60 degrees. Our travels took us through a 26 mile fiord with steep walls, multitudes of waterfalls, soaring birds and snowcapped peaks. Shortly after our start the icebergs started. Initially they were infrequent, but as we approached within a few miles of the glacier, we had to pick our way through the bergs, "bergettes" and chips, size levels that we "coined". Speed had to be reduced and spotters on the bow to help guide our travels.
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Upon reaching the glacier our good karma continued in that we were the only vessel in the bay for over an hour. These glaciers are overwhelming on several levels. First, as the glacier moves forward they crack. Associated with this action is a cracking sound as loud as a thunderclap. It definitely gets your attention. As the calving process continues, from a few thousand feet away, we see the dropping of the ice, see the splashing of the ice into the water, and then hear the rumble. But, as we learned, the fun can then begin. As a portion of the wall fell, we watched the big splash, and then saw a 50-foot wave begin. By the time the disturbance reached us, it was just a swell, but still at 6 feet in height. All of the guidebooks caution that swells of 25 feet are possible. Watch out!
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Gorgeous dark blue colors signify ice that was in the bottom of the glacier. The thousands of pounds of force from above compresses out the oxygen, and a resultant blue color emerges.
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Susan got out her water color paints and with a big smile on her face, had fun creating a few small masterpieces.
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After watching the calving for 2 hours, we headed out of the dense ice pack and got out the dingy. Phil and I retrieved small glacier "chips", brought them aboard, and used them both in the refrigerator and in our "anchor dram" drinks. It certainly adds history to our libations. How many thousands of year old water are we consuming? What history has passed?
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Our dingy excursions included getting up close and personal to a series of waterfalls and iceberg formations. Absolutely breathtaking!
Our return to Holkham Bay at 8 PM concluded a perfect 55-mile of travel and a breathtaking day!
Karen and Susan continue to be in command of the galley, whipping out creations that would challenge Martha Stewart. We are eating and drinking well.
Debi had been concerned on how we would handle the withdrawal from cell phones and e-mails. Well, today we took almost 75 photos….and didn't miss being separated from the rest of the world. Putting things in perspective, the ice around us has seen and endured centuries of history. Certainly our stay here is a lot more limited, and doing without cell and e-mail has been a positive change of focus.
With our fresh flowers on the dining room table, drinks with glacial ice, and catching up with Phil and Karen's adventures, what could be bad? Our thanks go out to Howie and Pam for letting us use their 44' Beneteau. We were pleasantly surprised on the quality of the "Wandering Eye". Contrary to the sailing vessels that we have rented in the BVI and St. Lucia in the Caribbean, this boat, lined with fine wood and all the finishing touches that come with a high end product, have made this chapter of "life's events" several notches about expectations.
HOHLKAM HARBOR AND PETERSBURG
June 13, 2001, Wednesday- one of the delights, especially for me, is playing with all of the electronics aboard our floating home. Toys include depth finders, multiple GPS's, autopilot, paper and electronic navigation charts, VHF radios, color radar and a great stereo player. Learning to use the screen display that coordinates all of these toys has been easy. Sailing might be a different challenge. With the mostly calm winds that we've had since leaving Juneau, we've had minimal use of the spinnaker, and no use of the main sail. The good side of just motoring is that nothing is tossing around in the cabin.
With some light rain this morning we hauled up the anchor at 9 AM, and cruised south for a total of 38 miles. Just before we arrived in Cleveland Passage our fortuned turned to the incredible with 6 humpbacked whales surrounding the Wandering Eye. Photos just cant do justice to the majesty and grace that these mammals convey. For almost 2 hours we sat and watched the multiple "blows" as they fill their lungs prior to diving, and then the graceful dive to the depths below. A surprise also awaited us upon restart. Our speedometer again wasn't working. What do the humpbacked whales feed on? Creel! What had clogged our sending unit last time…Creel. Fortunately by running in reverse for a few minutes, the sending unit started working again.
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Cleveland Passage provides us protection again winds and waves, but also provided views of several fishing boats with their outriggers spread, dragging nets behind their vessels. Eagles are soaring about our anchorage. What could be better?
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After we dropped the anchor a pleasant surprise awaited us on the transom. We had to move the crab pot to get to the BBQ, and lo and behold, we never had secured the crab pot. Lucky, lucky, lucky that it didn't fall off to reside in Davy Jones' Locker.
June 14, 2001, Thursday- leaving the Cleveland Passage we had to watch for gill nets that some of the fishermen had laid across the passage.
Fortunately we again had seas as smooth as glass. Two thirds of the way towards Petersburg we saw several dozen Orca whales, also known as killer whales, swimming north at a high rate of speed. These are considerably smaller then the humped back whales of yesterday, and in packs can attack larger mammals as large as sperm whales.
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With a breeze coming from the stern, the Captains, Phil and Karen, decided to sail wing to wing, and out came the jib on the starboard side, and the main sail on the port side. Sunshine and temps in the high 60's were the order of the day.
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The Wandering Eye pulled up to the fuel dock and we were perplexed. Phil said that it's burned a gallon per hour for the entire trip. Since we left Juneau the engine added 43 hours. All the fuel we were able to add was 27 gallons. Is the fuel tank not full? (It wouldn't take another drop). Our mystery will continue until we depart from Petersburg in a few days, and try to add more fuel. Maybe the diesel system had an air bubble which would prevent a full fill.
Today's mileage totaled 43 miles. The harbormaster gave us a berth which gives us another night or two of stable rest. Four dock lines are used to secure us to the pier, a bow line, a stern line, and two spring lines from the center cleat back to bow and stern. As I finished attaching the stern line, Phil asked me to move aside so that he could attach one spring line to the same cleat. I moved over, watching Phil, giving him room, and the next thing I know, it's deja vu all over again! My right leg had fallen between the floating pier and the piling. I crawl out of my up to the crotch water, and the four of us couldn't stop laughing. Fortunately there wasn't any damage, just some refreshing water to keep me cool.
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We arrived into cell phone service here in Petersburg, and learned that Stephen is going on Sunday to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates for business. As he said, why does he do Egypt in July (last) and now to Dubai in late June. Will he continue to roast?
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Dinner at a local restaurant called the Northern Lights, gave us the opportunity to get a feel for this little community. The Norwegians originally founded Petersburg. It reminded them of their homeland with mountains and fijords, and the economy based on fishing. Most of the vessels in the harbor are commercial fishing based, and as we walked the floating docks, the crews were busy getting ready to head out to sea. Homes and shops also bare a Norwegian theme with painted shutters and ladders placed on roofs. Tomorrow, we shall explore more, but some of the homes reflecting along the water tonight were quaint and picturesque. Still, it would be a tough place to live and to try to make a living.
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June 15, 2001, Friday- a relaxing day. Laundry catch-up. Store meandering. Dock cruising. Stopped at a shrimper icing his catch, and picked up two pounds of large side stripped shrimp for $8. Phil and Karen were busy with cell phone and faxes working with Jim and Mad on their new house purchase. Got our e-mail at the restaurant that we dined in last night. With 16 messages, including some photos, the cell phone connection would have been forever.
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Walking passed the "Sons of Norway" hall, we noticed some local kids dressed in traditional Norwegian clothing. They invited us into the hall for some traditional dancing. A small cruise ship (only 60 people) had arrived and two small busses were bringing in the group. So, enter we did and they had a wonderful spread of Norwegian baked delicacies and fresh coffee for all of us. The kids, from 2nd to 8th grade, 14 of them, performed for half and hour and a local woman gave the history of Petersburg. The hall that we were in was finished in 1913 after the local men spent 6 year's building the structure. Why? There very few women in town and to attract more women, they felt that a dancehall would be what the needed. The cost for the food and hour's entertainment, free. They didn't even have a collection box. So, enjoy we did.
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As Phil and Karen returned to the Wandering Eye this evening, they did one better then us. After an hour of chatting with a naturalist, a 5 pound salmon appeared in their hand at no cost. The naturalist can't sell a fish that's missing it's head and tail, and can't sell fish on the dock without a commercial license. What a deal! Between the shrimp and salmon, did we eat well!
June 16, 2001, Saturday- we decided to spend another day in Petersburg. It's such a quaint town….first order of business was a bottle of wine to thank the guy that gave us the salmon. Next we walked the docks at the South Harbor (we are at the North Harbor) and continued to get an education from the local fishermen. We now know the difference between the shrimpers, crabbers, seiners, gill-netters and longliners. Don't forget the tenders….large boats which are floating factories that take the catch of the fishermen and process the fish and freeze or can the catch right at sea.
Chatting with one young fisherman in a rather small boat, a longliner, he said that as soon as he gets his 4000 pounds of ice, he was sailing. That ice would keep 10,000 pounds of halibut or 4,000 pounds of salmon cold.
Another young man showed us how he was baiting large hooks with squid. The leaders are attached to a large, long, nylon cord. An anchor goes on one end of the line, then the hooks are spaced every 8 feet, and finally, the other end of the line contains a buoy. The anchors go down 200 fathoms, 1200 feet, and spend 3 days in the drink before they are hauled up. Meanwhile, the boat puts out it's spreaders, and they troll for salmon at 80 to 100 feet. Lots of work.
Walking past another boat, the owner was waiting for his crew before they set sail for their "chum" salmon. Mostly used for canning, 15 years ago they got 87 cents per pound. Now it's just 9 cents per pound. Fortunately his boat and license have been paid off and he can eek out a living in his 34 year old wooden boat.
Walking around town we got some exercise and finished our shopping at the food, liquor and fish stores.
June 17, 2001, Sunday- Happy Fathers Day. Before we left Petersburg the appropriate phone calls for the day were made or received. Steve is heading to Dubai tonight, but yesterday he had a great moment. He was invited by a friend to the Cherry Hills CC in Denver where the Stanley Cup was on display. He said it was kind of cool to touch it.
We departed from the dock and headed down the "Wrangell Narrows", a twenty mile channel that at points is only 300 feet wide. If the Alaskan Ferry is coming the other way, watch out! Motoring down it was like a slalom course of some 50 buoys. All of the guidebooks tell you to plan the trip so that you reach the middle at high tide. Why you might ask? Well the water ebbs and flows into the channel from both ends, and meets in the middle. With perfect timing the water takes you with the flow into the center, and then reverses and you ride the ebb tide out. With improper timing you could have a 4 knot current against your travel.
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We exited the channel and headed eastbound towards the town of Wrangell. Contrary to Phil's recollection we did have cell phone service and he proceeded to give his brother Howie ulcers about the Wandering Eye. Yesterday we got him excited by telling him that the diesel leak was stopped and we just siphoned the bilge back into the tanks. Today we asked him what size mast the ship would need for replacement. After he stated a 60' length, so that you could trim it down to the exact size, we asked which end do you cut?
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Finishing our 42 mile journey at 4 PM, the dock master told us to find a similar sized vessel on the transient dock and "raft" alongside. So, there are two other boats that are between the dock and us.
As we entered the harbor area we were passed by a Zodiac inflatable with two people and tons of luggage. Meeting them at the dock we learned that they are tougher cookies then we are. With a 150 HP motor that thing moves at over 25 MPH. The young couple carries enough fuel to go 600 miles, and have been along the open water coast that we fear to go in a 44' boat. Their advantage is speed and time. If the weather looks bad, they stay put. No choice. Each night they leave the food on the boat and tie it to shore. They camp in their tent often in the middle of the moose and bear.
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After docking we met another man, Harry, that bought his sailboat, a 39' vessel in the mid 80's. Since then he and his wife have sailed several times to Hawaii, Samoa, Panama and the big water in Alaska. With 100 gallons of fresh water, they can last 60 days. Usually some rain is encountered, so they put up part of their main sail, and catching the water from the sail, funnel it into the dingy, and refill their fresh water. Small world that in the winter they get into their motor home in Mesa, AZ.
Continuing our walk down the dock, a fisherman had some salmon fillets alongside his boat. I am never at a loss of words, so after some pleasantries, Scott has given us the salmon and we invited him over for dinner. Another education was received as we discussed the cost of the various permits needed to fish/shrimp/crab, etc. A crab permit in BC costs $300,000.
Chatting with John and his wife Sylvia, we made arrangements to take a jet boat up the Stikine River tomorrow or Tuesday. It's supposed to be a real "wildlife" tour up the fastest flowing navigable river in the North America.
At 10 PM the man in the boat that we are rafted up to came over and needed to get his boat out…so we pulled out and then in one boat closer to the dock. Why was our neighbor leaving at this time….because it was high tide and he wanted to get his boat over onto the "timbers" for dry dock. Coming into the harbor he went over a rope that wrapped itself around his prop.
June 18, 2001, Monday- we awoke to bright sunshine. It's a perfect to tour the town of Wrangler. As we got into town Phil's cell phone rang and it was John the tour operator saying that today was so beautiful let's go today, and he'd hold the same rate, even though it was only four on board. ($100 per head was better then $170 per).
So, run back to the Wandering Eye, pack some lunch, and the jet boat picked us up at our dock. Jim, our captain, is a native of Wrangle, and filled us in on local history and color throughout the day.
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First, these boats draw about 3 feet when stopped, but less then 6 inches when cruising, "up on the step". At cruise, these jetboats do up to 25 MPH or more. The Stikine River empties into the Inside Passage just north of Wrangle. The delta is very wide at this point because this is the area where the river starts and stops, based upon the tide. Here is where the silt is deposited forming numerous sand bars and constantly changing the river's entrance. Our morning departure was at high tide so we cruised over the area. Returning 8 hours later, at low tide, we had to pick our way back toward the town.
This river flows at 6 MPH in the wide areas, and at over 10 MPH in the narrow areas upriver. It's navigable 130 miles upriver to the town of Telegraph Creek, B.C.. Another 30 miles, in the spring, can be boated with local knowledge. 32 miles above Wrangle the river crosses into Canada. Our journey went about 30 miles towards the source.
The first stop was at the Garnet quarry. Many years ago an all women mining company attempted commercial mining at the site. Unfortunately the production never reached gem quality. All of the land was deeded to the local children via the "Boy Scouts". Now, after a ¼ mile walk from the river, one reaches a quarry where you could try your luck. It's amazing how the jewels just pop out of the stones. Phil tried his luck with some borrowed tools, but without success. Some of the local kids get 20,000 per year because they know where to look and how to chip the stones. This tour operator takes his passenger safety seriously. Before leaving the boat, we were given bear spray, and Jim strapped a 44 magnum to his side.
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Next stop was up to the Stikine Glacier. We had to pass through a lake area that was 115 feet deep, and guess what….it was blocked almost solid with icebergs that were stuck on the bottom. Passing through, and over some ice, the glacier face came into view. This glacier, the backside of the LeConte Glacier, runs for about 125 miles before the two exit to water.
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Coming back we had some fun when Karen and I departed the boat and stood on an iceberg. What a kick. It was slipperier than can be imagined, being wet and having a puddled surface, sapphire blue in color, it was a challenge to take a step and not fall down.
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Continuing in our jet boat, we passed several rafts that held "cabins"-- it's an interesting "skirting" of the law. You can't build a cabin on the land, it's all federal land. But, since it's a navigable waterway, one can take his boat and "moor" it in the river. Pretty slick!
One can't pass the area without thinking about more hard core folks….130 miles, or more coming downstream in the river from Telegraph Creek. A man, a woman and a dog and lots of gear were in an open canoe. Tough cookies!
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After all of this hard work, it was time for a hot tub. So, upstream we jetted to the series of hot tubs set up by the US Forest Service. One tub is on a screened porch, and the one we used, outside in the open air, just above a green meadow. The four of us, along with our captain, hopped right in and relaxed for almost an hour. One pipe entering was the "hot" geyser, and one pipe with a faucet is the cold water. A more peaceful spot would be hard to imagine.
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LARRY, SUSAN, PHIL, JIM & KAREN |
In between the above stops we cruised into every cove, slough, byway and tributary looking for bear and moose, but alias, it was so warm and sunny they were probably staying cool in the forest.
Good news from Debi today. Her company laid off 25% of its workforce, but she wasn't cut. Now she has to figure out how her department can do more work while they are currently putting in 80 and 100-hour weeks.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Karen and Susan were planning out tonight's menu when Scott, our fisherman friend from last night, came over with fresh shrimp. He traded some crabs, (his boat is crabbing) with another guy for some shrimp. Since Scott's been eating alone on his boat most nights, he figured that with the shrimp in his arms, we'd do the cooking and he'd get a great meal and fresh company. What a deal….the shrimp that he brought over filled three 6 quart pots. Never did we eat more or fresher shrimp.
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This wonderful day was fished with a picture perfect sunset. At 10:30 our neighbor from last night came off the dry dock and we again switched places with him. A long but superior day!
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