Family and Friends

Traveling to Alaska is a must, especially for those who enjoy wildlife photography. The Alaska wilderness is breathtaking. We all had a fantastic time, thanks to the incredible staff and beautiful scenery. This trip is among my most memorable.

Arrival

I arrived in Sitka on August 20, 2016, aboard the fast ferry from Juneau. The relaxed journey took several hours and allowed me to preview a segment of our intended travel route through Peril Straits. I spent my first night at the Westmark Baranof Hotel in downtown Sitka, overlooking the bridge to Japonski Island and the entry to beautiful Silver Bay.

Sitka is Alaska's most beautiful seaside town, with views of island-studded waters and stately spruce forests reaching the water's edge. The scenic community, nestled between forested mountains and the Pacific Ocean, offers an unparalleled combination of arts, Native culture, Russian history, and of course Alaskan wilderness.

Alaska's Sitka National Historical Park preserves the battle site of invading Russian traders and the indigenous Tlingit. The Totem Trail was a mile-long path through Sitka spruce and western hemlock trees that showcased eighteen Tlingit and Haida totems. From a footbridge over the Indian River, the trail connected with the Russian Memorial Trail, leading to the historic grounds of the Battle of Sitka, where Russian colonists fought with local Tlingit peoples, eventually leading to the establishment of Russia’s settlement in Alaska. It was a self-guided tour; you can also join a ranger-led walk. The Park is also home to the Russian Bishop's House, one of North America's last surviving examples of Russian colonial architecture. This original 1843 log structure conveys the legacy of Russian America through exhibits, refurbished Bishop's living quarters, and lavish icons in the Chapel of the Annunciation.

Dinner was fresh-caught halibut at Ludvig's Bistro, offering seafood from Sitka's fishers, house-made bread, and desserts. They use organic ingredients from Sitka's Down-to-Earth Farms and Alaska Pure Finishing Salt. After dinner, I took sometime to browse through the art galleries and gift shops. There was a great selection of work by talented local artists, and I picked up a hand-glazed platter and a set of matching hand-glazed dinner plates. I plan to use them for special occasions.

On my second day, I transferred to the Talon Lodge. I was in for a surprise! Alaska lodge may conjure up thoughts of a wood cabin, cold food, and no amenities—and an Alaska fishing lodge could suggest a backwoods Alaska vacation. I think of luxury when I reflect on my stay at Talon Lodge in Sitka Sound. The Lodge offered fine dining with visiting chefs featuring local seafood, like fresh-caught King salmon. They also schedule wine-tasting events. Who says you can’t have luxury while enjoying the great outdoors?

It’s safe to say that I experienced Alaska’s best saltwater sport fishing and guided wild Alaska freshwater stream fishing. After buying an Alaska Fishing License, we departed the Talon Lodge for an all-day multi-style fishing experience. Participants on our charter landed King salmon and Silver salmon. Our experienced fishing guide made all the difference. The Talon Lodge team has treated guests to this remarkable Alaska fishing experience for years.

There is no debate— the waters surrounding Sitka offer the best Alaska salmon fishing in the world! Sitka Sound produces the most King salmon and Silver salmon in Alaska. Fishing is best from June through August, and commonly hooked fish include halibut, rockfish, and ling cod. Those wishing to go fishing can obtain licenses at one of the sporting goods stores in Sitka.

Day 1

Our adventure began at 10:00 am at Eliason Harbor. The Alaska Wilderness Charters crew welcomed us at the dock and helped us get our gear aboard the yacht Glacier Bear. The captain introduced the crew and provided a boat and safety orientation. We had our staterooms assigned, took a tour of the beautiful vessel, settled into our cabins, and began our journey.

A light breeze filled in out of the north as we cruised quietly into the protected waters of Olga and Neva Straits. We sailed through Salisbury Sound and arrived at our anchorage in Kalinin Bay. Several playful sea otters paddled slowly past us as we navigated the narrow entrance to the bay.

After lunch, we prepared to explore the pristine Alaskan wilderness on the Sealion Cove Trail on Kruzof Island. Our first hiking stop was at a meadow filled with Alaska's beautiful vegetation and wildflowers, and it was a great place to scan for brown bears and Sitka black-tail deer. Continuing along the trail, we began a short steep climb toward Sealion Cove. The route was an ambitious hike through forest and muskeg to a lovely white sand beach. After gaining 500' in elevation, we arrived at muskeg teaming with unusual plants, including the carnivorous sundew.

We conquered a rope bridge and treacherous rope handholds on a steep descent through the rainforest to a lovely one-mile-long white sand beach at Sealion Cove on the Pacific Ocean. In the winter, large waves break on the igneous rocks along the shoreline, sculpting them smooth. It's reminiscent of the coastline at Acadia National Park in Maine. Locals come here to test their surfing skills in the extreme surf of the outer coast. It's a beautiful location for beach combing, hiking, photography, relaxing in the sand, or simply taking in the views.

After an hour of spectacular exploring, we gathered in front of the Pacific Ocean for a group photo. As the light began to get lower on our return hike, brown bears appeared in the estuary and along the shoreline. They even quarreled with one another over territorial disputes. One adult bear chased an adolescent for a hundred yards along the shoreline.

We arrived at the trailhead and returned by skiff to the Glacier Bear. Our evening was spent at our quiet anchorage in Kalinin Bay, dining on fresh Dungeness Crab and Alaska Spot Prawns.

Day 2

Glacier Bear passed through the Sergius Narrows in Peril Strait, between Chichagof and Baranof Islands. The shore seemed close enough to touch, and a powerful current flowed through the channel markers. Periodically the surface of the water was broken by a leaping salmon. As we entered the Narrows, we powered through the strong current. A mere hundred feet away, the forest passed by—ever so slowly.

Peril Strait is not named for its navigational challenges but instead gets its name from an unfortunate occurrence in 1799 when nomadic Aleut hunters stopped to camp there. Finding the shore lined with large mussels, they helped themselves to a fabulous feast. Unfortunately, mussels carry paralytic shellfish poisoning, and more than a hundred Aleuts were poisoned and died.

During the afternoon, we explored Lake Eva on the northern shore of Baranof Island. We walked along a forest trail, stepping over tracks left by passing brown bears in the soft mud, and paused to admire the abundance of mosses, ferns, and small flowering plants. Giant hemlock, Sitka spruce, and cedar trees flourish here because of the ample supply of rain. We spied a coastal brown bear grazing on newly sprouted grasses, and he quickly retreated into the forest, perhaps spooked by our approach. We enjoyed lunch at a small lake near a cascading waterfall.

After returning to Glacier Bear, our evening was spent at a quiet anchorage in Hannus Bay, dining on Sockeye salmon.

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Day 3

This morning we continued east into Chatham Strait and soon needed our cameras and binoculars. In this area of Chatham Strait, humpback whales often catch herring and other small schooling fish using bubble-net feeding.

Unique to humpbacks, bubble-net feeding requires a group of whales to work together cooperatively. They form below large fish schools and begin exhaling air bubbles, confusing the fish and bunching them tightly together. The cylindrical wall of bubbles acts like a net, which fish are reluctant to swim through. On cue, the entire group surges upward through the bubble net, mouths agape—a dozen or more humpback whales all rising to the surface in unison. Each whale collects a massive mouthful of water and then expels it, straining the fish through their baleen. Often the group will display this feeding behavior repeatedly.

Unexpectedly, we encountered a pod of orcas. It was a group of three, two females and an adolescent. We observed their behavior as they lingered in the area. After the pod departed to the north, we continued cruising south. An hour later, humpback whales began to appear, initially in the distance and gradually closer. Some were near enough that the boat changed course and headed in their general direction. There's never a lack of wildlife viewing in Alaska!

We continued toward the small settlement of Baranof Warm Springs. We motored along the east shore of Baranof Island and entered Warm Springs Bay, where there’s a natural hot spring above a rushing waterfall. After arriving at the dock, we visited the public bathhouse—featuring three separate tubs. Then one by one, we made our way to the communal hot springs. A boardwalk continued through flora and fauna to picturesque Baranof Lake.

We timed our arrival for the high slack tide so we could paddle our kayaks through the narrows into a warm chuck lagoon. As we entered, there was a dramatic change in the landscape. It was mystical. We lingered in this Shangri La for an hour until we observed the lagoon starting to empty. Then we rode the current back through the narrows. We reoriented ourselves as we re-entered the bay, marking the Glacier Bear on anchor, the Baranof dock with a dozen or more fishing boats and sailing boats tied up, the boardwalk, the hot tubs, and of course, Baranof Falls.

We enjoyed a glass of wine and a tasty dinner of Black Cod aboard the Glacier Bear. Bears occasionally visit the area near our anchorage, grazing on the abundance of berries in the meadows and fishing for salmon in the stream.

Day 4

This morning we had Crab Benedict for breakfast. It's the Captain's favorite. After getting underway around 8:00 am, we enjoyed a short cruise toward Frederick Sound. The cliffs of Red Bluff Bay on the starboard shore were rusty in color due to heavy metals, including iron, chromium, and magnesium.

Around noon, we were feeling hungry. Our chef prepared everyone a Halibut sandwich on a brioche bun and an enticing salad of watermelon, fresh basil, and feta cheese.

Our destination was Pybus Bay, so we still had a lengthy cruise ahead of us. We crossed Chatham Strait and continued east through Frederick Sound—passing Murder Cove and beautiful Chapin Bay along the southern shore of Admiralty Island. A small pod of orcas briefly crossed our path, showing us their large dorsal fins as we passed. When they surfaced, we could smell their fishy breath spouting through their blowholes.

We watched for fast-moving pods of Dall's porpoises throughout the day. One group noticed us, and they intercepted our course. The porpoises joyfully rode our bow wake, darting in and out, and everyone had their iPhones in hand, filming the experience. As we continued cruising west, we constantly looked for humpback whales and orcas.

The Glacier Bear arrived in Pybus Bay in the afternoon, and we prepared for a hike before dinner. As we boarded the skiff for our ferry to shore, we caught a glimpse of brown bears fishing in a nearby salmon-filled stream. With the largest concentration of nesting bald eagles globally, Admiralty Island also offers many chances to see Canadian geese, trumpeter swans, pigeon guillemots, cormorants, and blue herons in the habitats of forest, muskeg, and meadows.

The feeling while ashore was one of excitement and danger. Our guide had a can of pepper spray, and several people carried air horns. We wanted to photograph the bears up close—or did we? But it didn't matter. No bears tonight.

Arriving at the Glacier Bear, the Chef announced that dinner was ready. We enjoyed sockeye salmon with a honey, basil, and garlic glaze. Delicious. Several people wandered to the flybridge deck and stepped into the hot tub after dinner. The sound of Latin music and happy dancers lingered into the night.

Day 5

Today, we had along transit to Ford’s Terror Wilderness. We paused to observe a colony of Steller sea lions crowded onto the rocks of a small island. The males vied noisily for dominance over their harems. The sounds of grunting sea lions and screeching eagles drifted across the morning calm.

Beautiful, remote, and protected from outer waters, our stop at a small cove near Sail Island provided a pristine sanctuary and the perfect place for lunch. During the extra-low tide, anemones gleamed brilliantly. Verdant green moss covers Sail Island's sparsely forested base. With good luck and timing, we photographed a profusion of blue gentians, Indian paintbrushes, river beauties, lupine, and other colorful wildflowers.

We were soon pointed toward the entry to Ford’s Terror Wilderness. Two fjords define the wilderness area—Tracy Arm and Endicott Arm. We planned to visit both. As we passed Five Finger Islands Light, another fast-moving group of darting Dall's porpoises graced us with their presence.

We arrived at Wood Spit at slack tide. It's the optimal time to proceed through the often-turbulent entrance of Endicott Arm. We looked for drifting icebergs and occasional humpback whales and orcas along the way. And no sooner did we see our first iceberg when a pod of orcas appeared near the spit. These orcas were feasting on salmon in the whirlpools caused by the massive volume of water moving in and out of Endicott Arm.

We passed the Sumdum Islands, cast aside centuries ago in the wake of the retreating Dawes Glacier, and entered Ford’s Terror Wilderness in the early evening. One mesmerizing waterfall after another entered our view, cascading down the sides of the mountains and cliffs. Glacier Bear slowly moved through the water, hugging oh-so-closely to the steep granite walls. We anchored in a serene cove surrounded by massive ridges cloaked in mist-covered rainforest. It was an idyllic paradise. 

Our evening anchorage provided an excellent opportunity for a quiet paddle in the turquoise-blue waters of the cove, followed by a tasty dinner of Dungeness Crab. Glacier Bear swung slowly on anchor in front of a delightful waterfall. Black bears visit the area near our anchorage, grazing on the abundance of berries in the meadows and fishing for salmon in the stream. With each passing day, wonder and amazement continued to build.

Day 6

An early morning departure took us deep into the Endicott Arm, a narrow fjord that twists and turns through towering mountains. Massive glaciers carved their way through these coastal mountains. Waterfalls cascade thousands of feet off the granite mountains. Sapphire-blue icebergs serenely floated by in the emerald-green water. We continued toward the Dawes Glacier at the end of the ice-choked fjord. Extraordinarily blue and beautiful, this glacier is famous for its active calving, and we lingered at the face of the glacier, hoping to witness gigantic columns of ice breaking away.

A few daring participants (including me) paddled in kayaks through the iceberg-laden waters. Dry suits were recommended. We wore warmer clothes, including jackets and warm hats. While paddling among the icebergs, we observed the antics of dozens of harbor seals hauled out on the ice. The glacier continued rumbling and thundering. Like the explorers of old who ventured here before us, the majesty and awe of this ice-carved landscape are etched in our memories.

By early afternoon we were ready to retrace the morning’s cruise and proceeded toward SanfordCove, near the Sumdum Islands. Sanford Cove is an abandoned mining site. Nothing remains other than a few pilings. This prime salmon-spawning habitat frequently lures brown bears to the area. Black bears are on the prowl, too, feasting on abundant berries. We hiked along the banks of tiny Sanford Creek through an old-growth Sitka spruce and Douglas fir forest. We discovered a stunning waterfall illuminated by the late afternoon light in a remarkable grotto of ferns and mosses.

We returned by skiff to the Glacier Bear. Our evening was spent at a quiet anchorage in No Name Cove, dining on Rack of Lamb.

Day 7

The scenery changed dramatically as we slowly slipped by the granite cliffs enclosing our travel route into Tracy Arm. Much like Endicott Arm, Tracy Arm is a narrow fjord that winds through towering mountains. The mountains here seemed closer and more barren, evidence that this fjord was carved more recently. Fewer waterfalls cascaded off the granite mountains, although they were still spectacular. Hundreds of icebergs serenely floated by in the blue-green water.

We continued toward Sawyer Glacier at the ice-choked end of the fjord. This glacier was considerably more sizable than the Dawes Glacier. We departed the safety of Glacier Bear, teamed up with our paddling partners, and paddled closer to the face of the glacier, hoping to witness active calving underway. It was an exciting world of ice, and we approached cautiously. As massive chunks of ice broke away from the face of the glacier, we marveled at their size and impact. The water they displaced built into a series of rolling waves, and we pointed our kayaks toward the incoming waves and rode them out safely. After a couple of spectacular paddling hours among the smaller icebergs, we gathered for a final group photo.

We returned to the Glacier Bear, stowed our kayaks, and turned back towards civilization. Our evening destination was Taku Harbor, a natural, bowl-shaped harbor once home to a significant salmon cannery. Commercial fishing boats and small tour ships use the harbor as a night anchorage.

We explored the small cabins and abandoned buildings in Taku Harbor and geared up for a quiet, reflective paddle inside the safe, protected waters. It was a fantastic week of new friends, challenges, and unparalleled scenery.

Day 8

Our eight-day adventure concluded this morning. The Chef prepared a salmon quiche and lots of tasty goodies. We enjoyed breakfast while watching a slideshow of the week's highlights. We cruised back to the comforts of Juneau through Stephens Passage and docked at Aurora Harbor in downtown Juneau.

Departure

Juneau is a scenic community, wedged between forested mountains and Alaska's Inside Passage . It is the third-most populous city in Alaska (after Anchorage and Fairbanks). There was plenty to see while in Juneau, especially in the historic downtown district. I caught an Alaska Airlines flight from Juneau the following day, with connections to Seattle. Those of us who remained in town joined the crew for Happy Hour at McGivney's Sports Bar and Grill at the Four Points by Sheraton.

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