Southeast Alaska 2012 with Jay, Jo-Lee & the Hunkydory
- Thread starter Hunkydory
- Start date
Montana Kev
New member
Jay & Jolee,
Like all others here, we are really enjoying your narrative. I just checked your photos and you have some real trophy shots. The bear on the rock is priceless. Hope other readers are checking your photo album. Your writings and photos combined with spot tracking is a real living book. We check daily for updates.
Back here in the high Rockies we are having an early spring, ice came off the lakes very early and we have even seen some 70 deg days. Looking forward to seeing you two at bridge bay this summer and toasting your adventure.
Safe Travels,
K&L
Like all others here, we are really enjoying your narrative. I just checked your photos and you have some real trophy shots. The bear on the rock is priceless. Hope other readers are checking your photo album. Your writings and photos combined with spot tracking is a real living book. We check daily for updates.
Back here in the high Rockies we are having an early spring, ice came off the lakes very early and we have even seen some 70 deg days. Looking forward to seeing you two at bridge bay this summer and toasting your adventure.
Safe Travels,
K&L
What a grand adventure for both of you! Happy anniversary and birthday. Love the story and photos. And love the adventures you have in the Moki. It looked like the carver was at Baranof Warm Springs. He was there when we visited in 2007 and 2009 and we saw him in BC on the trip back to Bellingham. Here is some of his work.
HEY JAY!
Just take that big tame fellow home with you and you can stay home next summer and simply enjoy him in the back yard, and save a lot of gas compared to your usual annual wanderings!
He won't eat much, and, to boot, will keep the other critters out of your home surrounds!
Man's best friend is his ……..bear!
Joe. :teeth :thup
Just take that big tame fellow home with you and you can stay home next summer and simply enjoy him in the back yard, and save a lot of gas compared to your usual annual wanderings!
He won't eat much, and, to boot, will keep the other critters out of your home surrounds!
Man's best friend is his ……..bear!
Joe. :teeth :thup
For any of you thinking of heading up the Alaska Hwy. you might not be aware that the highway is presently closed. There has been two washouts south of Whitehorse and one north of Whitehorse. Also the road to Skagway has been closed as well. We've had a lot of rain over the last few days and more expected next week.
Sea Wolf":2lpm6qbf said:
I'm guessing he wouldn't lay down for a nap with his "best friend" snuggled up.
People - it's what's for dinner! :disgust
I understand Jay's fascination with the bears... spend some time in northwestern Wyoming, and you'll get it. Just so he stays "out of reach." A grizzly can run up to 30 mph. Put that 1,000+ pound bear on a leash and... whoooooooooaaaaaaaaaa!!
Great bear images, Jay! Tell us you were using a telephoto lens.
Best wishes,
Jim
Jim-
I received a photo essay about a guy with a Polar Bear for a pet (!)
They like to roll around together on their lawn and swim together in the pool.
The thing didn't say, but I think they might have been in Russia or Siberia.
Russian men are said to prefer large women (to keep warm with on those COLD nights.) (Probably helps conserve vodka.)
Why not sleep between your warm wife and your even warmer polar bear on a heated water bed?
Or is your C-Dory V-Berth big enough for three? :lol:
Full story: http://jezebel.com/5901250/
Joe. :teeth :thup
I received a photo essay about a guy with a Polar Bear for a pet (!)
They like to roll around together on their lawn and swim together in the pool.
The thing didn't say, but I think they might have been in Russia or Siberia.
Russian men are said to prefer large women (to keep warm with on those COLD nights.) (Probably helps conserve vodka.)
Why not sleep between your warm wife and your even warmer polar bear on a heated water bed?
Or is your C-Dory V-Berth big enough for three? :lol:
Full story: http://jezebel.com/5901250/
Joe. :teeth :thup
Steve Grover
New member
Last weekend we were having a B-B-Q with 9 kids 8 adults. We were in the house because it's still chilly at Lake Tahoe in the evening. I looked out the class slider onto the deck and watch a medium size bear take a bag of burgers off the grill and run off the deck. I don't know why he ran. No one was about to take the burgers back. :roll:
I am arriving in Juneau July 8, departing on the ferry for Sitka early on the 9th. Flying from Sitka on the 10th to Port Alexander. Crossing to Cape Decision by boat when weather permits.
I will be a guest of the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society for three weeks. I'm returning to CD after 48 years. I was stationed there when I was 18 for a year of Coast Guard duty.
Sure would like to hook up with a C-Brat along the way over a cup of coffee and talk it all over. :thup
Steve Grover
I am arriving in Juneau July 8, departing on the ferry for Sitka early on the 9th. Flying from Sitka on the 10th to Port Alexander. Crossing to Cape Decision by boat when weather permits.
I will be a guest of the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society for three weeks. I'm returning to CD after 48 years. I was stationed there when I was 18 for a year of Coast Guard duty.Sure would like to hook up with a C-Brat along the way over a cup of coffee and talk it all over. :thup
Steve Grover
Jay and Jolee,
The pictures are just the greatest. I thought that you should maybe think about a bear,whale, porpoise, and an Alaska calendars. I know you don't this for financial gain. But I bet they would certainly sell well. I know a big coffee table type picture book with the same captions with a smattering of boat pictures we see here would be a wonderful addition to any home. I hope you continue to post and send pictures though out the summer. Be safe and have the time of your life.
D&G
The pictures are just the greatest. I thought that you should maybe think about a bear,whale, porpoise, and an Alaska calendars. I know you don't this for financial gain. But I bet they would certainly sell well. I know a big coffee table type picture book with the same captions with a smattering of boat pictures we see here would be a wonderful addition to any home. I hope you continue to post and send pictures though out the summer. Be safe and have the time of your life.
D&G
Enjoyed all the comments. Sorry I can't respond to them now am busy trying to locate anchor ect lost in Red Bluff this morning in 70 feet of water. Came up Chatham strait to get cell phone coverage to make decision on where best to go buy replacement. Have a spare but it's more of a lunch hook. This the first year we didn't bring a proper spare.
Am also posting the last four days.
6-8-12
Decision made. We are now splish-splashing along at 7 knots with wind & tide helping us along. Love the feeling of the gentle swell going slightly faster than us & the 2 foot of chop slower. Decided to go back up the Baranof Wilderness Coast to Red Bluff Bay & then over to the National Monument Area of Admiralty Island. Couldn't justify going further south when our favorite areas of the Inland Passage is Fredrick Sound & north other than Baranof Island. This area has a much higher number of whales & brown bears along with a more rugged vista.
JoLee doesn't relish the splish-splashing quite as much as me. She had to take some Bonine & is sleeping in the berth, while I sit in my favorite place, the port side rear cabin on a soft adjustable portable seat with my legs up & stretched out with the auto pilot control around my neck. Kinda feels like my easy chair at home. Swell has now died off, but the wind waves have increased, so will likely, very shortly move to the helm. Did move to the helm for awhile, then the last 10 miles very smooth. I find the auto pilot does great except for a quartering sea from the stern, where it tends to over steer & it's noise can become irritating.
It rained hard all last night, then abruptly quit right as we shoved off from Port Alexander. The opposite has happened enough that I guess we were due. Forecast is calling for good weather the next two days followed by a gale.
On our return to Red Bluff Bay spotted several bears in the meadow area before dropping anchor. When we did, I headed out on the Mokai & found it was five bears. A mother & three cubs plus a very large male courting another female. I got video of the big male passing very close to the cubs with the moma bear very much on guard. She was more concerned about me then the male bear, hustling her cubs into the alders. I think the reason she wasn't really upset by the big male being so close to her cubs, was she knew he was focused on the other female bear.
I also went further up the river in the Mokai stopping only when totally blocked by a mass of downed trees. Took the spot along to see if it tracked my progress. On the way back down the river, had a bear swim across in front of me in the tidal area. Will be some good video to edit & post this winter.
41 miles yesterday & 49 miles today with a trip total now of 1169
6-9-12
Extremely pleased with our decision to return to Red Bluff Bay. Had a fantastic blue sky day today. Only one other boat here when we arrived yesterday & it left this morning, so had the place to ourselves most of the day. Just before dark three did come in. One a old wooden yacht built in 1931 & now converted to a very mini cruise boat with maybe a dozen passengers. I took photos of it by the big waterfall.
Started the day off good with a bear on the bank by us as we were having our morning coffee & several more in bear meadows. Spent several hours in the Mokai up the river practicing coming down through the tight places using just the paddle. I kept the motor running just in case, but never has to use it to keep from being sucked under a downed tree. Need to practice for the possible event of the motor quitting or sucking up sand like it did on the Lewellyn Glacier river in 2010. That one could have been bad. Got photos of a bear I startled that jumped in the water & swam away from me. Most of the remainder of the day trying to get photos of an extremely large bear that was following a female around. He wasn't to watchful, but she was very much so. Never got in range to get the photos I wanted, but that could be a good thing. Custer managed to get in range of all the Indians he ever wanted & that didn't turn out so hot for him. Did find some water ways up into the meadow area I didn't know were there & it was definitely exhilarating exploring them. The super sized bears are very spooky of people & this one wouldn't be down in the meadows if not for the female in season. In Port Alexander I talked to a bear hunting guide & the hunts now run from 16 to 20 thousand dollars in this area. Only one outfitter allowed in the Southern Baranof Wilderness & his permit sold last year for 450 thousand. I have zero personal interest in hunting them with a rifle, but sure get a charge out of doing so with a camera.
Jay
6-10-12
Weather wise would be hard to picture a more different day from yesterday to today. Towards the end of the fantastic blue sky day, it started raining & then the wind came up. This morning it turned into a light wind with a very heavy foggy mist. Can't see rain hitting the water surface, but be out in it & it turns you soaking wet in a very short time. Still spent hours out bear viewing & talking to people in other boats with a couple trips up the river.
I have noticed all the best spots we go to in the wilderness areas are now being visited by a rotation of mini commercial cruise boats that have 12 passengers max on board. Found from chatting with a resident of Port Alexander that to go into the wilderness areas, so their passengers can kayak & go to shore the limit is 12 passengers, but the numbers of boats doing this have increased so much in the last couple of years, that in the choice places like Red Bluff Bay, there can be three here at one time. Yesterday it was the ALASKA STORY, DISCOVERY, & ALASKA QUEST. Tonight the MORNING SONG is anchored here. We last saw her by the old gold mine in the Chichagof Wilderness area. Today we watched one drop off 11 passengers in bear meadows. At first they stayed in a group but before long were spread out over a third of a mile with several youngsters among them, one not more than two years old. They had the area where I had seen the very vigilant mother bear & three cabs, the extremely large male bear courting the female & at least three others bears very well covered. This is also the area they frequently pass through to cross the river. I couldn't see any evidence of any one in charge or carrying bear spray or a firearm. Shortly after they left two bears popped back up in the meadow area, appearing magically so. This area has a tree line, separating it from another meadow , which is the old river channel with sloughs left from it. There is tall grass & depressions in the ground through out. Definitely lots of places to surprise a bear. We first came here to Red Bluff Bay in 2004, & returned in 2007 & twice in 2010 & now twice this year. This visit being the first time I have gone into some of the areas these passengers strolled today & that only with bear spray & a shotgun & still am very alert. If none of these passengers end up being mauled or worse it will only be due to the overall very unaggressive behavior of these coastal grizzlies combined with the noise of these people.
Didn't see the big male today, but got a shock when I mistook it for the female with three cubs due to only being able to see the very top of her back. Was closer than I wanted to be when I noticed the cubs. She never saw me, but while I was repositioning to a safer place, she & the cubs disappeared due to the wind carrying my smell.
Jay
6-11-12
Its been nice a semi cloudy day with a few sprinkles & a high of 55 degrees. Spent most of the day in the Mokai & the weather was just right for it.
Tried some fishing up the river & I think only me in such a place couldn't catch a fish. Perhaps the reason I don't fish more. My luck was better with camera & bears. Was able to get photos of the vigilant mama & her three cubs in some unique settings. There was some careful maneuvering involved to accomplish this. Also a photo of the young dark bear on a small island with the narrow entrance to the inner bay in the back ground. There was seven bears including the three cubs in the area the tourist were spread out in yesterday.
It's been a wonderful time here, but think we will move on tomorrow . Running a little low on groceries, so thinking about a stop in the small native american town of Kake if the weather is good for crossing Chatham Strait & entering Fredrick Sound.
Jay
Am also posting the last four days.
6-8-12
Decision made. We are now splish-splashing along at 7 knots with wind & tide helping us along. Love the feeling of the gentle swell going slightly faster than us & the 2 foot of chop slower. Decided to go back up the Baranof Wilderness Coast to Red Bluff Bay & then over to the National Monument Area of Admiralty Island. Couldn't justify going further south when our favorite areas of the Inland Passage is Fredrick Sound & north other than Baranof Island. This area has a much higher number of whales & brown bears along with a more rugged vista.
JoLee doesn't relish the splish-splashing quite as much as me. She had to take some Bonine & is sleeping in the berth, while I sit in my favorite place, the port side rear cabin on a soft adjustable portable seat with my legs up & stretched out with the auto pilot control around my neck. Kinda feels like my easy chair at home. Swell has now died off, but the wind waves have increased, so will likely, very shortly move to the helm. Did move to the helm for awhile, then the last 10 miles very smooth. I find the auto pilot does great except for a quartering sea from the stern, where it tends to over steer & it's noise can become irritating.
It rained hard all last night, then abruptly quit right as we shoved off from Port Alexander. The opposite has happened enough that I guess we were due. Forecast is calling for good weather the next two days followed by a gale.
On our return to Red Bluff Bay spotted several bears in the meadow area before dropping anchor. When we did, I headed out on the Mokai & found it was five bears. A mother & three cubs plus a very large male courting another female. I got video of the big male passing very close to the cubs with the moma bear very much on guard. She was more concerned about me then the male bear, hustling her cubs into the alders. I think the reason she wasn't really upset by the big male being so close to her cubs, was she knew he was focused on the other female bear.
I also went further up the river in the Mokai stopping only when totally blocked by a mass of downed trees. Took the spot along to see if it tracked my progress. On the way back down the river, had a bear swim across in front of me in the tidal area. Will be some good video to edit & post this winter.
41 miles yesterday & 49 miles today with a trip total now of 1169
6-9-12
Extremely pleased with our decision to return to Red Bluff Bay. Had a fantastic blue sky day today. Only one other boat here when we arrived yesterday & it left this morning, so had the place to ourselves most of the day. Just before dark three did come in. One a old wooden yacht built in 1931 & now converted to a very mini cruise boat with maybe a dozen passengers. I took photos of it by the big waterfall.
Started the day off good with a bear on the bank by us as we were having our morning coffee & several more in bear meadows. Spent several hours in the Mokai up the river practicing coming down through the tight places using just the paddle. I kept the motor running just in case, but never has to use it to keep from being sucked under a downed tree. Need to practice for the possible event of the motor quitting or sucking up sand like it did on the Lewellyn Glacier river in 2010. That one could have been bad. Got photos of a bear I startled that jumped in the water & swam away from me. Most of the remainder of the day trying to get photos of an extremely large bear that was following a female around. He wasn't to watchful, but she was very much so. Never got in range to get the photos I wanted, but that could be a good thing. Custer managed to get in range of all the Indians he ever wanted & that didn't turn out so hot for him. Did find some water ways up into the meadow area I didn't know were there & it was definitely exhilarating exploring them. The super sized bears are very spooky of people & this one wouldn't be down in the meadows if not for the female in season. In Port Alexander I talked to a bear hunting guide & the hunts now run from 16 to 20 thousand dollars in this area. Only one outfitter allowed in the Southern Baranof Wilderness & his permit sold last year for 450 thousand. I have zero personal interest in hunting them with a rifle, but sure get a charge out of doing so with a camera.
Jay
6-10-12
Weather wise would be hard to picture a more different day from yesterday to today. Towards the end of the fantastic blue sky day, it started raining & then the wind came up. This morning it turned into a light wind with a very heavy foggy mist. Can't see rain hitting the water surface, but be out in it & it turns you soaking wet in a very short time. Still spent hours out bear viewing & talking to people in other boats with a couple trips up the river.
I have noticed all the best spots we go to in the wilderness areas are now being visited by a rotation of mini commercial cruise boats that have 12 passengers max on board. Found from chatting with a resident of Port Alexander that to go into the wilderness areas, so their passengers can kayak & go to shore the limit is 12 passengers, but the numbers of boats doing this have increased so much in the last couple of years, that in the choice places like Red Bluff Bay, there can be three here at one time. Yesterday it was the ALASKA STORY, DISCOVERY, & ALASKA QUEST. Tonight the MORNING SONG is anchored here. We last saw her by the old gold mine in the Chichagof Wilderness area. Today we watched one drop off 11 passengers in bear meadows. At first they stayed in a group but before long were spread out over a third of a mile with several youngsters among them, one not more than two years old. They had the area where I had seen the very vigilant mother bear & three cabs, the extremely large male bear courting the female & at least three others bears very well covered. This is also the area they frequently pass through to cross the river. I couldn't see any evidence of any one in charge or carrying bear spray or a firearm. Shortly after they left two bears popped back up in the meadow area, appearing magically so. This area has a tree line, separating it from another meadow , which is the old river channel with sloughs left from it. There is tall grass & depressions in the ground through out. Definitely lots of places to surprise a bear. We first came here to Red Bluff Bay in 2004, & returned in 2007 & twice in 2010 & now twice this year. This visit being the first time I have gone into some of the areas these passengers strolled today & that only with bear spray & a shotgun & still am very alert. If none of these passengers end up being mauled or worse it will only be due to the overall very unaggressive behavior of these coastal grizzlies combined with the noise of these people.
Didn't see the big male today, but got a shock when I mistook it for the female with three cubs due to only being able to see the very top of her back. Was closer than I wanted to be when I noticed the cubs. She never saw me, but while I was repositioning to a safer place, she & the cubs disappeared due to the wind carrying my smell.
Jay
6-11-12
Its been nice a semi cloudy day with a few sprinkles & a high of 55 degrees. Spent most of the day in the Mokai & the weather was just right for it.
Tried some fishing up the river & I think only me in such a place couldn't catch a fish. Perhaps the reason I don't fish more. My luck was better with camera & bears. Was able to get photos of the vigilant mama & her three cubs in some unique settings. There was some careful maneuvering involved to accomplish this. Also a photo of the young dark bear on a small island with the narrow entrance to the inner bay in the back ground. There was seven bears including the three cubs in the area the tourist were spread out in yesterday.
It's been a wonderful time here, but think we will move on tomorrow . Running a little low on groceries, so thinking about a stop in the small native american town of Kake if the weather is good for crossing Chatham Strait & entering Fredrick Sound.
Jay
Was able to contact a store in Petersburg by cell phone & they have the anchor ect we need, so around Point Gardner & now crossing Fredrick Sound hoping to beat the forecast southeast winds. Will make for a 100 mile plus day all at near top speed. There goes our great mpg average. Not exactly the kind of day we planned for JoLees birthday.
I think we figured out what got the anchor. Big rooted trees have been washed into the bay & with 4 days at anchor with all the tide changes it caused the chain to snarl in one. When I tried to pull the anchor from directly above there was 90 feet of line & chain when there should have only been 60.
Jay
I think we figured out what got the anchor. Big rooted trees have been washed into the bay & with 4 days at anchor with all the tide changes it caused the chain to snarl in one. When I tried to pull the anchor from directly above there was 90 feet of line & chain when there should have only been 60.
Jay
jkidd
Active member
Hi Jay
Tell Jolee happy birthday for me. I've showed a few people the picture of that bear and the consensus is when you get back you need to enter that in the county fair it's going to take grand prize. My next door neighbor loved it and he won grand prize at the Salt Lake County fair a couple years back. Keep the stories coming sure am enjoying them.
Tell Jolee happy birthday for me. I've showed a few people the picture of that bear and the consensus is when you get back you need to enter that in the county fair it's going to take grand prize. My next door neighbor loved it and he won grand prize at the Salt Lake County fair a couple years back. Keep the stories coming sure am enjoying them.
Captains Cat
New member
Great bear pix, great stories. Happy birthday Jolee. Take care of that crazy husband you have!
:cake :gift
Charlie
:cake :gift
Charlie
This slideshow of the flooding in the Yukon which is partly a result of some of the weather Jay has been having on the coast might give everyone some idea how horrible weather has been in the Yukon and SE Alaska over the last few weeks. Thankfully this isn't typical of this time of the year.
http://yukon-news.com/multimedia/slideshow/28932/
http://yukon-news.com/multimedia/slideshow/28932/
Many thanks to you who posted your appreciation for my sharing this adventure through my writing & photos. There are many nights when the last thing I want to do is write or mess with photos & then your comments make it all worth while.
In instances I'm very close to the animals photographed. Like 25 yards or less. Some of the close ups of the relaxed bear were no more than 20 yards. That was on water in the Mokai. On land I'm more conservative. He looks imposing, but in reality is a very timid bear & much smaller than several of the big bears I've seen. The one I tried to get some close ups of courting a female was nearly double his size. 90% of the photos were taken with a Sony 520 HD Video camera with the ability to do 12 meg pictures also. This does allow for long range shots too, but the lens diameter is so small without optimum light the images are far from professional quality. The video is the same. Some very good with the right light conditions, some not so good, but for sure on a big screen TV, entertaining in the winter.
Purchased most things needed to rig the new anchor. Will try the rode splicing tomorrow morning.
Passed on the happy birthday wishes to Jolee & they got a big smile from her.
97 miles today & 1266 total
Jay
In instances I'm very close to the animals photographed. Like 25 yards or less. Some of the close ups of the relaxed bear were no more than 20 yards. That was on water in the Mokai. On land I'm more conservative. He looks imposing, but in reality is a very timid bear & much smaller than several of the big bears I've seen. The one I tried to get some close ups of courting a female was nearly double his size. 90% of the photos were taken with a Sony 520 HD Video camera with the ability to do 12 meg pictures also. This does allow for long range shots too, but the lens diameter is so small without optimum light the images are far from professional quality. The video is the same. Some very good with the right light conditions, some not so good, but for sure on a big screen TV, entertaining in the winter.
Purchased most things needed to rig the new anchor. Will try the rode splicing tomorrow morning.
Passed on the happy birthday wishes to Jolee & they got a big smile from her.
97 miles today & 1266 total
Jay