WILDERNESS ADVENTURE

DAY 1

We woke this morning to a beautiful day which improved as the day wore on.  We had cruised slowly all night down the Gastineau channel then into the Stephens passage, along Endicot Arm until we stopped at the face of Dawes Glacier.  This was a fantastic sight.  Two hundred and fifty feet high of the most beautiful blue ice.  We waited out turn to go to with a quarter of a mile of the face and whilst waiting on the bow of the ship we saw a huge chunk of ice fall into the water.  The sound was like thunder and the splash enormous.   The sun was really shining and not a cloud in the sky as we took our turn to go out in the skiff.   After lunch the ship moved to north Dawes Inlet where the it could anchor ( about 150 ft depth).  The afternoon was spent preparing for and then going out in kayaks.   This was great fun getting around the shore line and seeing the waterfalls and birdlife on the edge. 

 

Day 2

We heard it raining again during the night and this morning it was really wet.  As we had put our names down for the organized kayak trip we went along.  We are anchored at Windham bay and kayaked for about two hours around coves which was great.  Much to our delight we watched a whale tail waving and playing. We saw sea lion and plenty of bald eagles and a multitude of various birds.  Both of us arrived back to the boat soaked through but exhilarated from the morning’s activities.   Just as we came back the whale nearby put on a fantastic performance, slapping its tail over and over again and then waving it in the air.   Just fantastic.    In the afternoon we moved on a little further  and watched for more whales however no more appeared so were satisfied with sea lions lazing on the shoreline rocks.  The late afternoon was just lovely.  Lots of tiny islands around us and the clouds almost danced around them, sometimes encircled them, other times completely shrouding them.  It is just so nice to have time to stand on the deck and watch the ever changing surroundings.

Day 3

We cruised all night very slowly and about 6.00 the engines revved up to get us across the bar to Thomas Bay. When we looked out we were completely shrouded in cloud and fog.  We had nominated to do the Patterson River walk this morning so garbed up again in rain gear and gum boots and the group set off in skiffs to get us to the start of the walk.  When we arrived it was low tide and had to do a wet landing and then walk across the boot sucking mud and mussel shells and through a little stream to the start of the walk.  We then walked through an old growth forest for about an hour and a half before returning to retrace our tracks through the mud again.  The skiff arrived to pick us up and the fog engulfed us again.  Luckily one of the passengers had a gps which he had set before we left the boat and we made it back to the boat.  Today is my birthday and this was announced at lunch and the crew and passengers sang ‘happy birthday’.    We then moved on to Scenery Cove, the cloud and fog cleared away and this bay really lived up to its name.  It was beautiful.  Ian joined many others and did the walk to Baird glacier.  I had a quiet afternoon reading and chatting with others that decided to stay back.  Ian was disappointed with the walk as they really didn’t get onto the glacier although anyone that had not been onto a glacier was happy with what they had seen.  My carrot cake sweet arrived tonight with a candle on it and again another happy birthday went around the dining room.  It is beautiful on deck tonight with the moon shining through the islands onto the water and stars in the sky.

 

    Not the most flattering of birthday portraits however this is what you wear on a walk in Alaska, raingear and lots of layers as well as gum boots.

Day 4

We woke about 5.00 to the engines being started up to make our way up the Wrangell Narrows, a narrow passage between  two  Russian named  islands, as Russia originally discovered Alaska.  We crossed a bar before Petersburg, a large fishing town.  We continued on past  isolated cabins, possibly used during the fishing season and have now docked at Wrangell where we spend the afternoon doing the  tourist thing.

Thank for all the birthday wishes.  It was certainly a different way to spend my birthday but most enjoyable and something to remember.