The following write up of our adventure from Wyoming to Skagway, Alaska to explore the most remote areas of the northern inland passage and outer coast comes directly from the Hunkydory's log except for the road trip home. Due to its length I decided to write it here in parts. Only you can determine if the total is to long. For us the adventure was way to short.
PART 1
5-23-2007-----5-26-2007
Left home 10:30 am after working all night. Garmin 276-C GPS wouldn't work so several hours calling Garmin and other places to find a replacement. Only place to buy is Juneau, AL, so plan on buying one there for $700. Night at reststop 30 miles from Missoula, Mt. 450 miles the 1st day. Snowing and snow on road from Canada border to almost Radium Hot Springs. Saw several severe wrecks. By road saw many big horn sheep, 3 black bears, 3 grizzly bears, 3 moose and many elk and deer.
Passing through ice parkway Alberta, Canada between Jasper and Baniff
Alaska hwy boat protection set up
Night along road 20 miles from Muskeg, Alberta on hwy 40 between Jasper and Grand Cashe. Grand Cashe has one of the most strikingly beautiful settings we've ever seen for a town. 693 miles today. 17 degrees this morning. Coldest night ever spent on the boat. Stayed warm without running heater during the night. During the day saw cariboo, moose and stone sheep rams. Aspens just starting to leaf out. Some are still bare others are full leafed. Many mosquitoes at night spot just passed Stone Mt. Provincial Park. Only disappointment is oil boom has radically changed Canada from Vally View to Ft Nelson. Towns are all growing and wouldn't recognize them from trip in 2000. Many big trucks going to fast on winding road between Ft Nelson and Watson Lake. Saw 6 blacks bears today.
Over white pass and finally into Alaska early afternoon
Took us about 5 hours of steady work to get boat ready and launched. This is where we stored the pickup and trailer in Skagway for $50 while on the water
Weather doesn't look good for next week. High winds and rain for Lynn Canal with Gale on coast with 15 to 20 foot waves. Will hope for improvement.
5-27-2007
video-Skagway to Haines
With worse storms forecasted later in week for Elfin Cove and Pelican decided to see if we could make haines or further today even with the 30 knot winds forecasted between Skagway and Haines. Took several hours to make the 13 miles to Haines at 4 mph max speed. Stopped and rested in Haines then tried for Boat Harbor down the Lynn Canal. Not to bad the 1st 8 miles even made it past the narrowest part of the Lynn Canal where the winds funnel down and it should have been the worst, but shorty after that it got so bad we had to turn around and go back to Haines. Was even worse with the following seas. With our heavy load, 93 gallons of gas plus water and other supplies and towing the mokai we were the heaviest we have ever been. Was somewhat nip and tuck for a while and Haines though always appreciated for its beautiful setting never looked so good. The Mokai came through wonderfully. At times it was airborne and other times it would totally disappear behind what looked like a wall of water trying to come up and over our Stearn. The weather forcast is predicting several more days like this so tucked into the Haines small boat harbor and planned on staying a while.
33 miles today.
5-28-2007
Slept in to 7 AM. Winds had blown hard most of the night. Every time we woke up it was singing in the fishing boat mast close by, so was really surprised to to find the winds down to 15 knots in the morning. Decided to make a try for Juneau. Winds were supposed to pickup again in afternoon. the closer to Juneau the better the conditions. Fueled in Juneau and decided against spending $700 on a new garmin GPS. We have the small lowrance gps that sends signal to computer with the nobletech navigation software and a small small garmin E map gps. Had bought the garmin 276-C and had blue charts and had routes downloaded on it to back up the computer. After the Fords Terror incident in 2004 liked the idea of even more back up.
With now gale force winds predicted to hit the Pelican area the next day decided to see how far we could get today. Smooth water to the Glacier Bay Inlet on Icy Strait, there it got pretty rough untill we got on the south side of Lemesurier Island. Many whales along the way. Saw at least 20. Many very close with us just trying to stay on route. Was concerned about South Inian pass where the currents between Icy Strait and Cross Sound can be as high as 14 mph. That into a oncoming wind and swell could really be bad. Worked out where we caught the start of the flood running with wind and swell so had smooth passage. A little unnerving to us was the swell hitting the rocks close by as we exited Inian Passage to Cross Sound. It was just a couple of miles from there to Elfin Cove. Elfin Cove was every bit as picturesque as we imagined. With the weather holding and the Gale predicted for the night decided to not stop for night but to head to Pelican or if not enough time to stop st Soapstone Cove at the entrance to Lisianski Inlet. Checked out Soapstone Cove. Decided we would just as soon not spend 3 days there if storm was as bad as forecast, so continued on to Pelican and arrive there after dark. Which is very late and made for a long however enjoyable day.
180 miles today 213 total trip miles
5-29-2007
Rained hard all night, but not much wind in Pelican Harbor. In morning met 2 couples on different sailboats who had come through Inian Pass at the ebb tide just before us and they said it was really bad. The couple on the smaller boat a 25 footer said they were terrified and though planning on making a similar trip as us from Pelican to Sitka along the outside of Chichagof Island, they weren't to sure they would continue especially with the 15 to 20 foot seas now predicted over the next few days in that area. Again we woke up to much better than forecast conditions , so after paying the Harbor Master and checking out the town, which is a really unique old time fishing village built on stilts and boardwalks everywhere. Only 15 students in the school. They need at least 10 for the State to keep the school open. Back to the better than expected conditions at present, though gale is supposed to still be coming.
Early afternoon with light wind and heavy rain decided to check out the head of Lisianske Inlet. Found it to be a wonderland of bears, eagles, otters and dear with beautiful valley and small river surrounded by majestic snow covered mountains.
Up the Lisianski River in Mokai
Saw 11 different grizzly bears. Anchored the boat and explored up the river with the mokai just like I imagined in my day dreams before the trip.
For once the dreams turned into reality. It was truly a magical day and one we will never forget.. If the rest of this trip equals today then we are really on a trip of a lifetime. All of this on a day we were expecting nothing but a relaxing and resting day in Pelican.
24 miles today 237 total miles on trip
PART 1
5-23-2007-----5-26-2007
Left home 10:30 am after working all night. Garmin 276-C GPS wouldn't work so several hours calling Garmin and other places to find a replacement. Only place to buy is Juneau, AL, so plan on buying one there for $700. Night at reststop 30 miles from Missoula, Mt. 450 miles the 1st day. Snowing and snow on road from Canada border to almost Radium Hot Springs. Saw several severe wrecks. By road saw many big horn sheep, 3 black bears, 3 grizzly bears, 3 moose and many elk and deer.
Passing through ice parkway Alberta, Canada between Jasper and Baniff
Alaska hwy boat protection set up
Night along road 20 miles from Muskeg, Alberta on hwy 40 between Jasper and Grand Cashe. Grand Cashe has one of the most strikingly beautiful settings we've ever seen for a town. 693 miles today. 17 degrees this morning. Coldest night ever spent on the boat. Stayed warm without running heater during the night. During the day saw cariboo, moose and stone sheep rams. Aspens just starting to leaf out. Some are still bare others are full leafed. Many mosquitoes at night spot just passed Stone Mt. Provincial Park. Only disappointment is oil boom has radically changed Canada from Vally View to Ft Nelson. Towns are all growing and wouldn't recognize them from trip in 2000. Many big trucks going to fast on winding road between Ft Nelson and Watson Lake. Saw 6 blacks bears today.
Over white pass and finally into Alaska early afternoon
Took us about 5 hours of steady work to get boat ready and launched. This is where we stored the pickup and trailer in Skagway for $50 while on the water
Weather doesn't look good for next week. High winds and rain for Lynn Canal with Gale on coast with 15 to 20 foot waves. Will hope for improvement.
5-27-2007
video-Skagway to Haines
With worse storms forecasted later in week for Elfin Cove and Pelican decided to see if we could make haines or further today even with the 30 knot winds forecasted between Skagway and Haines. Took several hours to make the 13 miles to Haines at 4 mph max speed. Stopped and rested in Haines then tried for Boat Harbor down the Lynn Canal. Not to bad the 1st 8 miles even made it past the narrowest part of the Lynn Canal where the winds funnel down and it should have been the worst, but shorty after that it got so bad we had to turn around and go back to Haines. Was even worse with the following seas. With our heavy load, 93 gallons of gas plus water and other supplies and towing the mokai we were the heaviest we have ever been. Was somewhat nip and tuck for a while and Haines though always appreciated for its beautiful setting never looked so good. The Mokai came through wonderfully. At times it was airborne and other times it would totally disappear behind what looked like a wall of water trying to come up and over our Stearn. The weather forcast is predicting several more days like this so tucked into the Haines small boat harbor and planned on staying a while.
33 miles today.
5-28-2007
Slept in to 7 AM. Winds had blown hard most of the night. Every time we woke up it was singing in the fishing boat mast close by, so was really surprised to to find the winds down to 15 knots in the morning. Decided to make a try for Juneau. Winds were supposed to pickup again in afternoon. the closer to Juneau the better the conditions. Fueled in Juneau and decided against spending $700 on a new garmin GPS. We have the small lowrance gps that sends signal to computer with the nobletech navigation software and a small small garmin E map gps. Had bought the garmin 276-C and had blue charts and had routes downloaded on it to back up the computer. After the Fords Terror incident in 2004 liked the idea of even more back up.
With now gale force winds predicted to hit the Pelican area the next day decided to see how far we could get today. Smooth water to the Glacier Bay Inlet on Icy Strait, there it got pretty rough untill we got on the south side of Lemesurier Island. Many whales along the way. Saw at least 20. Many very close with us just trying to stay on route. Was concerned about South Inian pass where the currents between Icy Strait and Cross Sound can be as high as 14 mph. That into a oncoming wind and swell could really be bad. Worked out where we caught the start of the flood running with wind and swell so had smooth passage. A little unnerving to us was the swell hitting the rocks close by as we exited Inian Passage to Cross Sound. It was just a couple of miles from there to Elfin Cove. Elfin Cove was every bit as picturesque as we imagined. With the weather holding and the Gale predicted for the night decided to not stop for night but to head to Pelican or if not enough time to stop st Soapstone Cove at the entrance to Lisianski Inlet. Checked out Soapstone Cove. Decided we would just as soon not spend 3 days there if storm was as bad as forecast, so continued on to Pelican and arrive there after dark. Which is very late and made for a long however enjoyable day.
180 miles today 213 total trip miles
5-29-2007
Rained hard all night, but not much wind in Pelican Harbor. In morning met 2 couples on different sailboats who had come through Inian Pass at the ebb tide just before us and they said it was really bad. The couple on the smaller boat a 25 footer said they were terrified and though planning on making a similar trip as us from Pelican to Sitka along the outside of Chichagof Island, they weren't to sure they would continue especially with the 15 to 20 foot seas now predicted over the next few days in that area. Again we woke up to much better than forecast conditions , so after paying the Harbor Master and checking out the town, which is a really unique old time fishing village built on stilts and boardwalks everywhere. Only 15 students in the school. They need at least 10 for the State to keep the school open. Back to the better than expected conditions at present, though gale is supposed to still be coming.
Early afternoon with light wind and heavy rain decided to check out the head of Lisianske Inlet. Found it to be a wonderland of bears, eagles, otters and dear with beautiful valley and small river surrounded by majestic snow covered mountains.
Up the Lisianski River in Mokai
Saw 11 different grizzly bears. Anchored the boat and explored up the river with the mokai just like I imagined in my day dreams before the trip.
For once the dreams turned into reality. It was truly a magical day and one we will never forget.. If the rest of this trip equals today then we are really on a trip of a lifetime. All of this on a day we were expecting nothing but a relaxing and resting day in Pelican.
24 miles today 237 total miles on trip
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