Inside Passage Adventures - Alaska or Bust

4/21/08 Day 1: THE WHAT?

As it was, our adventure began in Port Townsend. We stepped first into freshly rained on dog poo (is that an omen for something?) , then down the dock, admiring each beautifully crafted wooden boat as we stepped past. Side note: Neil Young also happens to house a boat in P.T., unfortunately, he wasn't on it. Then, to my nearly virgin sea eyes, thar she be…Sea Wolf, 85 feet long in all her glory! She is the wooden boat that will be my residence for the next 12 days or so. We (mostly meaning the rest of the crew who knows what they are doing) began loading the boat with cases of wine and beer, food, and various other sundries that will be needed during this summer’s trips.
Sea Wolf adventures is a small company that is part of the even smaller community of adventure companies to make Glacier Bay National Park their home for the summer months. They can take up to 12 passengers into the fjords and around the waters to view glaciers, watch orcas and humpbacks and sea lions, and bears and bald eagles, and moose eat, drink, play, mate, and whatever else they do, all the while maneuvering icebergs in kayaks, hiking, eating, drinking, and being merry. It is such a small community in fact that all al0ng the Inside Passage (from Port Townsend, WA throughout Glacier Bay, AK) port town locals and others who spend the season there (i.e. fisherman, etc) know your name (or your boat's name anyway). So, my friend, Sarah, is working on this boat for the summer, and I was fortunate enough to hitch a ride on the commute north.

So the motley crew: Mike, the Captain, who decided he would like his new career to be that of a “fluffer”, plays a great soundtrack for the occasion with the likes of Neil Young, Lucinda, Emmy Lou, etc. etc., and carries a dry, and very likeable sense of humor. Wayne, the Juneau residing rugged engineer, sports overalls fitting for the scenario, and cut his long locks “so people don’t think I give a shit”. But Wayne seems a very genuine, honest fellow who brings competency and passion to his work, likes to hunt and fish, and seems to prefer to live simply. Pete, the second Captain, the all too flirty P.T. native who chased his creative drive to pursue an acting career in NY, but has since returned. Now he is picking up some "sea time" to for his newly acquired Captain license. Heidi, the chef/naturalist who bakes delicious eats and treats, is not joining us for the northbound journey. She has already taken this trip something like 42 times and prefers to maximize her time at the organic farm she works for now. Then of course my friend Sarah, the polite, friendly naturalist whose passion for Alaskan wildlife and outdoor adventure infects the rest of us, so that we cannot help but be equally as enthusiastic and appreciative of that which surrounds us. And finally, me, the clueless midwest-reared nurse who has spent little time on boats and barely understands that they actually are supposed to float.

But yesterday was the first true test of my pharmaceuticals and boat knowledge. The scopolamine patch has so far passed the test. I, however, did not pass the ladder. The head, galley, saloon, wheel house (not to be confused as the cockpit), for’d, aft, flaking, it’s all another language to me. But, I am slowly learning to be a mate, attempting and practicing various knots and lingo.

As we set off, we discussed safety concerns (the most likely scenario being “man overboard” – seriously?). Then Wayne followed us from the dock on the dingy, at which point we anchored and loaded it on (I don't really get why, but whatever). Although the day began snowy and cold, by the time the afternoon hit and we departed around 3p, the sun (aka the giver of life) made its appearance for the remainder. And the few hours we cruised to San Juan Island, the water remained calm and serene. Sea lions sunbathed on a small rocky island where 2 bald eagles perched on one rock and one on the other. A Minke whale showed off its flowing beauty that immediately impressed its audience, and continued on its own path. The wind kept a brisk chill in the air, but everything was as it should’ve been.

4/22/08 Day 2 & 3: BOAT CULTURE AND CARHARTS

Day 2 has wrapped up and day 3 has begun. Routines are gradually falling into place: Wayne fires up the engine around 6a. Mike and Pete assume their positions in the wheelhouse (aka the cockpit) to depart around 7a, while Sarah and I continue to sleep peacefully in the comforts of our bunks nestled in our cozy penthouse suite. We roll out around 9a to begin our day with coffee or tea and a wee bit of breakfast, an update on our whereabouts and destination goals from the crew, followed by blogging and reading time, and sea life spying. the "whereabouts" response is usually the same: the captain first asks, "where are we?" hmmm...reassuring. anyway, the boat traffic is minimal, but the sea life is rich, and they gracefully share their world.

Our own personal assignment yesterday consisted of leisurely planning the menu for the coming week. everything is leisurely. we rocked through the narrow passage just before Nanaimo, BC, and stopped for a grocery run…and to readjust our sea legs. A couple of sea lions were also enjoying the day, mating on the dock. No privacy there. For the night, we anchored in a scenic cove where we were surrounded by clear skies exposing its universe of stars in the glow of the nearly full, bright orange moon.

And for the 3rd day in a row, the sun is shining and the waters are smooth. So we cruise through the Inside Passage on our small village, cooking, feasting, drinking, talking. Physical activity is limited, but if there was ever a perfect time to search inward, this is it. The time is plentiful and the serenity and flow of the water surrounded by islands of snowcapped peaks to the east and evergreens to the west is, in itself, meditation. And we float on, through newly discovered waters (or so it seems). It is nature at its best. As for the Carharts, they are part of the uniform here, and are still going strong, and “f*&!” and “man” are officially appropriate in most scenarios. So, on than note, I hope you all are having an f*@!ing amazing day, man!

4/23/08 Day 4: SEAWOLF RODEO

Yesterday brought another day of sunshine. The first couple of days didn’t cover a lot of distance, but it did give the Skipper and the First Mate (who is also a Captain in this case) a chance to “learn the boat” as they said...again, reassuring. We reached a narrow in Yukulta a little behind schedule, but just in time to reach high tide when the upwellings and undercurrents were full strength. In these scenarios, the currents mix underwater (as more water is pushed into a narrower space) and forces some of the water into swells, and some of it fights each other underwater, creating a pretty gnarly scenario for all of those involved. The fish get trapped, and the birds take advantage of their vulnerability and feast in this rich area. As for us, we rode those babies like rodeo stars, turning and rocking. But alas, we made it to a calm area close to shore until the seas calmed a bit. With time to kill, we hopped on the inflated skiff and cruised onto shore for a short hike to a lake. Two bald eagles posed on a tree branch across the way. And again we were off. We carved on at sunset, and the water repaired itself behind us. That night we anchored in Forward Harbor.

Since yesterday, we have been completely immersed in the Inside Passage and its blue and purple hues occasionally accented with birds sweeping through. The mountains are sexy with their confident, muscular bodies unapologetically bulging above the water’s surface. The white caps, created by the wake behind our boat, imitate the white caps of the mountains towering above it. But the mountains don’t seem to mind. They are perfect compliments to each other. And the water creates a perfect reflection of the vain mountains.


4/25/08 Day 5 & 6: IT’S ALIIIIIIIIIIVE!

Soundtrack: Neil Young, Gillian Welch, Iron and Wine

Quote of the Day: “No, but we used to make bongs out of those.” – Wayne’s response to Sarah asking if he has ever made a horn out of the kelp.

Note of interest: It costs $50/hr for gas alone. And we filled up 1,000, that's right one thousand gallons of gasoline into the boat this morning.

We wrapped up Day 5, and are in full swing of day 6. The landscape continues to impress, changing slightly as we progress north. Backtracking a bit to day 4, was another leisurely day on the boat, until we passed Vancouver Island and hit the open waters of the Pacific Ocean. And even more so than our first experience a couple of days ago in gnarly waters, we rocked and rolled for about 1 hour +…and so did my stomach. I took that as my cue to reach into my bag of tricks to relieve myself from the rumbles. Between the ginger, Tums, Dramamine, and a good nap, I was able to ride it out w/o vomiting.

As for yesterday, shortly after waking at the young hour of 8:45, we reached a confluence of waters, where perhaps the fish/food were many. Here we were greeted in the waters by at least 20 dolphins/porpoises. They are such cute and playful fellas. For a few minutes they played in our wake, gliding gracefully along side, darting back and forth, playing hide and seek, occasionally surfacing its dorsal fin, saying “here I am!” and a few times shouted , “check this out, guys” and leapt out of the water to show off their bodies and tricks. They seem so playful and curious. We later saw a cute little harbor seal floating along on his back. He must be used to boats passing through because our presence didn’t seem to phase him. He checked us out for a minute and continued on his way. Throughout the day, we saw multiple bald eagles, but at one point, there were 38 concentrated in one area of trees. That’s pretty cool.

We briefly stopped at “The Cliffs”, a secluded resort on Hecate Island where we followed a short path to the Pacific. Hummingbirds gathered around the feeders flapping their wee little wings as fast as they could. Sea life is abundant on the exposed rocks. Sarah is amazing at identifying and finding various species of plants, mammals, birds, squishy living things. we saw sea stars, anemones with and without tenacles, calcareous tubeworms. These guys are cool because they somehow collect calcium from the water and build a calcified tunnel to protect themselves and to live out of. Other finds - crumb-of-bread and purple sea sponge, which look like they have goose-bumps, or some sort of papular rash, and feel a little rubbery; various types of algae; lion’s mane jellyfish; and all kinds of other funky looking stuff. They all seem to work together beautifully, not caring if someone decides to make their home on top of them. Personal space apparently isn’t an issue. They’re a pretty diverse and social group. See Sarah’s blog for more detail (http://saranayschronicles.blogspot.com/). And still later that day we spotted a mother and calf humpback whale, and another mysterious whale who we were able to track by the water that geysered from the blow hole. Absolutely incredible! I excitedly mentioned that was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. Mike, the captain, responded in a monotone voice, “you must be really sheltered then.” maybe he's right, but I am loving it!

I’m on book #2, as that’s how I’ve mostly been occupying my time, along with chores as I can find them, helping to cook and clean the kitchen (we have been feasting, despite the lack of exercise…I feel squishy. But I’ve had no problem gobbling up the homemade crabcakes, halibut cheek lasagna, and everything else we’ve had), and practicing a few knots. I’m not much help, but I learned the very very basics of navigating this boat and did for a few minutes. hey, i’ll take what I can get.

As for today, we’re still lucking out with sunny weather. We’re floating through the Royal Princess Channel, and now the weather is colder, and the mountains are growing. They make them bigger these days in the northern parts, and the colder weather blankets them with more snow. But with the sun shining, the waterfalls are plentiful. The scenery never gets old or ceases to amaze. Maybe THIS is Shangri La. In any case, it’s another day beating to a beautiful rhythm.

Stay tuned for tales of the rest of the adventure and pictures (as soon as I can figure out how to access it). Thanks for reading!