Petersburg to Wrangell - the Long Way

Thetis Bay - Where the Wild Things Are

It was one of those semi-stormy conditions in a somewhat cozy but totally secure Thetis Bay, in the southern area of Kiui Island, which lies east of Baranof Island. I was reading a suspenseful book (Hunger Games) in my cozy bunk, staying up late. It was getting towards midnight, and the rain and wind had slackened off - outside was very quiet, with just the splitter-splatter of water dripping off the mast onto the deck. Suddenly I heard a weird sound that I couldn't identify, and decided to take a break from my reading and go on deck to investigate. The sky was glowing softly, with the full moon trying hard to bust in through the low lying and misty clouds, but only succeeding to illuminate the bay around me. The water was totally glassy and still.

Suddenly I heard the high and wavering howl of a wolf coming from the lowlands of the bay. Almost immediately, another howl joined in, and then another, and then another…I think I counted at least 6 separate wolf howls all commingling into a dazzling counterpoint of glissando melodies that were totally hypnotizing, yet energizing. It was like a jam fest celebrating the full moon. I wanted to join in, but thought that would stop their singing, much like a bad musician trying to bust into skilled professional musicians grooving to an inspired improvisation. The wolves kept singing for a good 10 minutes, until, one by one, they would drop out of their collective song - until there was only one last player who also eventually stopped. I sat out there in the cockpit hoping that they would begin again, but nothing; finally the cold forced me back to my warm bunk and sound sleep.

 It's easy to forget that here in Alaska, I'm not very far from wildlife until an event like this happens. Unfortunately, I never get much evidence of it sitting on my boat and am too chicken to tromp around in the woods in the unlikely event of finding wild things. I am reminded of the tenacity and patience, yes - and of bravery - of photographers and wildlife naturalists into seeking out and waiting for wildlife to show up (it must be like a "stakeout", except without the donuts). So I get very excited, especially as a musician, when an aural event like this occurs. Very stimulating!

Heading west on Frederick Sound

 Blue Bossa and I finally left Petersburg on the 30th of April, with delays in getting the right cable for my instrument grid, and then fixing a plugged-up head (toilet), which stopped working just on the day I was going to leave. It took a couple of more days to take it apart, and clear out the plumbing that was clogged up (a really pleasant project…NOT!).

Portage Bay

The rain had been relentless in coming down the whole week, and by the time I left, it was still raining. It was still raining by the time I got to Portage Bay, but the trip was nicely helped by an ebb tide which made it a relatively quick trip. Portage Bay seemed like a nice enough place, but I really couldn't do much while I was there because it was still raining hard. It's hard to get motivated to launch a kayak when it's raining and cold outside.

Turn Mountain

Honeydew Cove

The next day, we headed to Honeydew Cove on the east of Kuiu Island, a place recommended by some friends in Friday Harbor many moons ago. It was nice trip with southerly blowing from nothing to probably 15 knots, abeam, so I had the main and jib up and actually sailed for about a half hour before the wind let up (Gee, I sure hope to see more sailing as I start to head south). The clouds cleared out and it eventually became sunny and warm (in SE Alaska, that means not cold).

Honeydew

Honeydew Cove is really a beautiful area, surrounded and protected by small islands, with nice sandy beaches to walk on. I launched the dinghy to explore the islands, eventually landing on the beach with my camera and stretching my legs, taking pictures.

Red Bluffs at the mouth of the bay

Bear Meadow-but no bears...probably in hibernation

 I've heard so much about it, and I missed it the last time I went to Baranof Island (last year), so I decided to cut across Chatham Strait to Red Bluff Bay. Indeed, the scenery there was as dramatic as some of the fiords that I saw in the Mystic Fiords. The guide book stated that they counted nine waterfalls - I only counted one big one, but the air was so cold, that I believe that the water was still frozen and refused to cascade down in other places. I anchored in a nice corner of the bay, right near a place called Bear Meadow. Wouldn't you know it, I saw no bears. I don't think bear season is quite up and going right now, or maybe it was too cold and the bears were still in hibernation.

There was a spectacular backdrop of high peaks and big cliffs, but most of it was hidden by low cloud cover until the next morning, when the clouds lifted up to show a high snowy peak, which my chart didn't give me a name, but it was 4,000 feet high.

Did I also mention that it was bloody cold?!? I had my diesel heater on for a good two hours during the night and slept in 3 layers of clothes under my comforter in bed, and I was still cold.

Morning at the top of Red Bluff Bay

Only waterfall I found...

Did I say it was cold?

Red Bluff Bay

 I left the next day (my birthday) hoping to find warmer climates back on Kiui Island and headed to the Bay of Pillars, where, indeed it was warmer. Kuiu Island is generally a lot lower in elevation, with no big mountains frozen over with year-round snow. And it turned out to be a non rainy day with glimpses of sunshine.

Plenty of rapids and whirlpools-Bay of Pillars

The green line is my dinghy route to Honeymoon

Bay of Pillars is a big area with a couple of anchorages available. I took the one that sits behind a group of five small islands, which is MUCH easier to get to than Honeymoon cove, located towards the end of Bay of Pillars.

After securing the boat, I launched my dinghy and headed another 5 miles inland through a really narrow channel where the tidal currents can get huge. The only way Blue Bossa could get in there is during high slack tide, which is really hard to time. I figured exploring by dinghy would be much easier, and I was right.

It was pretty exciting busting up the strong ebbing current, dodging the whirlpools, and rocks on my way in. I couldn't imagine doing it on BB. Once I got in the open bay, it was calm and delightful, with beautiful backdrop of rolling hills and lots of trees. It was also pretty deep until I took a right and pushed into Honeymoon.

Baranof Island to my stern

That night it was nice and calm, but I was hearing on the weather forecast that it was going to get up and blow south-easterly for a couple of nights, so the next day I headed for a bulletproof anchorage called Thetis Bay. I ended up staying there for two nights, until there was a weather-window of opportunity to head south again. Not much stands out during that time except that canine serenade that I so much enjoyed. I also read a lot of books.

Mud Hole

They're not kidding it's sticky

Again, the weather forecast stated another gale force south-easterly winds that would last another 2 days, so during the lull, I zipped down to Mud Hole, a much smaller and cozier place with lots of sticky mud. During the next two nights, it really busted in with strong winds - not as windy as the time I weathered it out in Still Harbor, on west Baranof Island, but strong enough to consider using two anchors. I ended up only using one, but this time I had an anchor watch GPS - (a little Garmin hand-held), which worked fine (even though I never dragged anchor).

Rounding Cape Decision

Happy sailor in Sunny Sumner Strait

Finally, on the 9th of May, I left Mudhole, heading south to round Cape Decision and then north up Sumner Strait, initially to go to Port Protection on the north of Prince of Wales, where I've been once last heart. The sun came out, the south wind came up and I decided, (gosh darn!) I'll turn the engine off and sail. What a concept! So armed with hat and sunglasses, lifejacket and safety harness, I set up a wing-and-wing for the boat and headed north up Sumner Strait, under sail, no engine, going 4-6 knots with a 1/2 to 1 knot current going with me. Very pleasant!

Wing & wing, 4-6 knots with a following current.  Yeah!

We finally arrived to Port Protection, but it had no room - all places were filled up. I decided I had enough time in the day to get to St. John Harbor, but this time I had the engine going, eventually bucking into a two knot current towards the end of the trip. Ouch! Still and yet, I arrived at St Johns at about 8pm and found a place to anchor for the night.

The next day, I left about 11am (I had to time it for a flood - I didn't want to buck against any more current) and headed the last leg back to Wrangell.

And here I am.

My state of mind this year has evolved a bit differently than what I expected. I truly do admire those hardy and courageous folks that I read about in cruising magazines and the Cruising Club yearly publication, exploring the north and south ends of the world in super seaworthy steel boats, wrapped up in insular foul weather gear in awful, stormy conditions. I used to think, wouldn't that be adventurous to do something like exploring Patagonia, or Iceland, or the Antarctic, etc. I have since changed my tune. It could very well be because of my advancing age. When it gets cold at night, all I can think about is how nice a hot tub would feel. I wake up in the morning thinking, wouldn't it be nice if I was able to swing open my transom gate while my boat is at anchor with nothing on but a pair of swim trunks and just dive into the water instead of having a morning shower? When it's windy enough to sail, how nice would it be for the wind to be warm instead of face-numbing cold?

These thought-processes have made me decide to start migrating south to warmer climes. I have no clue how long that will take, because I still plan to explore much of what I missed coming up. Queen Charlotte Islands (now called Haida Guia) and the west coast of Vancouver Island is certainly planned. A little break and some projects in Seattle, then south to California, I would suspect, with a future plan of heading to Mexico and beyond.

Wrangell - the war zone - it's like this through out the town

Up to Sunday, it had been constantly raining. Walking to town during that time, I would have to wear my sea boots because it was so muddy with giant puddles everywhere because of the torn-up streets. The locals in general do not complain about the torn up streets, grinning and bearing it, even though it's a 3-year project. I mean it looks like World War 2 visited the place. When it's raining, the locals never seem to wear waterproof windbreakers, and rarely wear boots except commercial fishermen. They all wear hooded sweatshirts with maybe a jacket over it. It's like water doesn't bother them and it's uncool to wear parkas. You don't see umbrellas in Wrangell.

Anyway, this Sunday I did little maintenance projects for the boat, taking advantage of the good weather. Today (Monday), it's sunny again.  The forecast predicts mostly sunny weather during the week - we'll see.

My friend Gary Groth-Marnat will fly in this Wednesday (16th) and we'll head west and south to explore the little explored and wild wild west coast of the Prince of Wales Island. If I can send out a blog in Craig, I'll do it, but most likely I won't be able to get anything out until June in Ketchikan. Until then...

Petersburg to Wrangell - the long way