Southeast Alaska aboard the Knotty C...

J

johnf

Member
What an adventure!!! Don Gonser asked me last year if I wanted to join him on a trip to SE Alaska...(very kind of him)...hmm let me think...um YES!!!!

I have read many posts over the years with great intrigue (thank you for sharing your adventures) and I'm excited to share this adventure with you.

Day 01 Sat Jul 23 breakfast with Amy/Lisa in Vancouver, WA who then wished us a fun/safe journey...late lunch w Tom/Susan Elliott in Marysville, WA then across border and spent night on side of road overlooking river in BC. Tom will join Don the day after I leave for 8 days and then Lisa joins him for the return trip.

Day 02 Sun Jul 24 saw black bear w 2 cubs and then all the way to Port Edward, BC (near Prince Rupert) spent night in boat on trailer parked at entrance of Cassiar Cannery where we stored truck/trailer. Very nice people!!! Recommend them if you wish to store your truck/trailer for a reasonable fee and in a secure/end of the road area while in AK.

Day 03 Mon Jul 25 launch and to Ketchikan. Dinner at Mexican/Italian restaurant.

Day 04 Tue Jul 26 to Myers Chuck to Wrangell where we planned to spend night but it was early and the waters were nice so through Wrangell Narrows at 30 kts to Petersburg (please note running 3 navigation systems and 2 sets of eyes for safety). By the way LOVE the ipad with the Garmin app and charts for the area...very easy to make and follow routes (downloaded before the trip). Papa Bear Pizza take out and ipad movie on boat.

Day 05 Wed Jul 27 Petersburg to Windham Bay where we anchored for the night tons of whales along the way and while anchored could hear/see them from the cove. While anchored saw eagles, ducks, seal swam by, running stream, rain on/off and flat calm water...the word tranquility comes to mind.

Day 06 Thu Jul 28 nice calm morning waking up in Windham bay. On to the end of Windham bay and back out into Stephens passage and on to Endicott Arm and into Fords Terror (whew/nerve wracking...very fast water coming at us that we motored up to get in), covered both left and right ends...back out and to the end of Endicott to see Dawes Glacier and then saw Sumdum Glacier on way out when clouds cleared then onto Taku Harbor arriving in the dark.

Day 07 Fri Jul 29 Taku Harbor hiked around in the morning. On to Juneau for laundry/showers/ice. Reservation made for Glacier Bay following day.

Day 08 Sat Jul 30 ran to Bartlett Cove Glacier Bay and checked in to see the Glaciers. Had dinner at the lodge. Spent the night on the hook.

Day 09 Sun Jul 31 left Bartlett Cove and ran to Margerie Glacier, also around corner to Johns Hopkins Glacier then Lamplugh Glacier and then to Reid Inlet to anchor and watch Reid Glacier for the evening and next morning.

Day 10 Mon Aug 01 left Reid Inlet to Bartlett Cove for water/fuel then on to Elfin Cove. Met up with Ken (Blue C) after he came in from fishing, great to see/catch up with him!!!!

Day 11 Tue Aug 02 spent day in Elfin Cove walking and visiting. Spent time with some of the locals...nice folks. Ken hung out with us in the evening.

Day 12 Wed Aug 03 to Pelican Cove to walk the mile or so long boardwalk where 4 wheelers and bikes run up and down, burgers/fries at the cafe. Then to the end of Lisianski Inlet where we saw a grizzly and 2 cubs. Back to Elfin Cove for fuel and then on to the end of Hawk Inlet where we anchored for the night and saw a grizzly w 2 cubs get chased off by another larger grizzly who ended up splashing about in the stream to catch salmon.

Day 13 Thu Aug 04 left Hawk Inlet and had very nice water with sunshine to Auke Bay hung out rest of day to relax.

Day 14 Fri Aug 05 Auke Bay rented vehicle and ran errands around Juneau had lunch downtown then hiked to the Mendenhall Glacier.

Day 15 Sat Aug 06 Flight from Juneau back to Portland.

What a journey!!! For those of you that are thinking about visiting SE Alaska...don't wait!!! But do plan accordingly along with waiting for weather windows where/when needed as others have mentioned...you will love the area!!!

I've uploaded photos from the trip...hope you enjoy!!!

Kind Regards,

John :smiled
 
Awesome photos and trip write up John!
Looks like you guys had the best weather, both water and winds.
Did you fish? Have seen plenty of shows featuring Elfin Cove with the charters and skipper Ken on them. One of my dreams to fish there and go to SE!
 
We didn't get around to fishing before I left but heard Tom caught a nice halibut last week. Really suggest you get out to Elfin Cove...fly to Junuea then get on a float plane out there...the lodge, cove and fishing are great there!!!!
 
Thanks Jay...Don and I were both very excited to make it into Fords Terror. Very neat to see some of the areas you and Jolee have shared over the years. Hope you're enjoying the summer!!! John
 
Wow, John! It is mind boggling that you were in Vancouver, WA, on 7-23 and near Prince Rupert, BC, on 7-24! I guess it would be easier with three drivers instead of one, but it is still a LONG ways! Sounds like a fabulous trip!
 
Thanks Bob & Pat...Don discovered I love to drive...great road/water trip!!! Look forward to having some more time someday to go a little slower....
 
Nice post John! Had a great time with John and Tom. Took Tom on the same hike up to the falls and into the woods on the trails at the Mendenhall Glacier and the same trip into Glacier Bay and out to Elfin Cove. Tom and I got to go on a "fun fish" with Ken and a couple of divers that were working for the lodge on a project. Tom had the big catch of the day, a 105 lb halibut. The boat box was overflowing by the afternoon with halibut and assorted salmon and rockfish. So far the boat has covered 1100 miles. Lisa flies in to Juneau tomorrow, friday we have a helicopter ride and glacier walk and then we are off to Glacier Bay for a few days. Did I mention Tom and I got to see Humpbacks bubble feeding! More later and some pics

Don
 
Don, it sure appears your having another, quite an adventure. Glad to see you got into Fords Terror & all your trips into Glacier Bay along with Sam's are making me consider one in there during the regular season to see the difference between it then with other boats & people & when we were there in April, where we didn't see anyone else in six days.

Jay
 
Jay,

John and I went up Ford's Terror about an hour after high slack. It was like running up a river. I would estimate the outflow was around 12 knots and our speed over ground was 2-3 knots. As John said we went up both arms and went back through Ford's Terror at low slack. I would recommend transit during low slack because you can see where the rocks are located. The Douglass guide has an accurate drawing showing the rocks.

Another note: There were small craft warnings in Icy Strait and Chatham Strait when we left Elfin Cove on Saturday. Tom and I endured 6-8 foot close seas and decided to stop at Flynn Cove and anchor for lunch and a break. After lunch we slogged into Hoonah to spend the night. The weather looked rough the next several days so Tom decided to take a flight back to Juneau to make his flight on Monday. So Sunday I decided to poke my nose out of the harbor while Tom was waiting for his 11 am flight. It was easy going, almost flat in Icy Strait. Forecast was calling for small craft warnings in Chatham in the afternoon so I thought I would go for it knowing that I had a couple of duck in safe harbors on the way back to Auke Bay. The closer I got to Chatham the rougher the water became. I soon was in 4-5 foot seas. After about 30 min I was able to take the waves in a following sea and Tom actually saw me near Point Retreat Lighthouse as he flew into Juneau. I reached Auke Bay about the same time Tom landed in Juneau. I met up with him at a restaurant near his hotel and he treated me to a nice steak dinner. Thanks Tom! The next morning I picked up a rental vehicle, took Tom to pick up his fish box out of the freezer unit and dropped him off at the airport. Today is the nicest day in probably a week and a half, partly cloudy, no rain and a scorching 61 deg! I'll try to post more at the next hot spot.

Don
 
Don,

I do hope you post more about your cruise. I've really enjoyed your past accounts & especially enjoy reading & seeing photos of the area you have been cruising this year with John & Tom wetting the appetite.

6 to 8 foot short spaced seas isn't fun. We try even harder now to avoid those conditions, but have memories of such, so know just what you were in. One notable was an attempt to go down the Lynn Canal in 2007 during 30 knot winds & small craft warnings that had been ongoing for several days. It was one of the very few times we had to abort the attempt. We also went through the Fords Terror entrance twice in very fast water. The low ebb tide one in 2004 was costly & will not be repeated. Coming out in 2012 to avoid a rock slide an hour or so after high tide was similar to you & considered somewhat white nuckle fun. The last couple years we've been coming in & out with current moving at low & high tide, but not near like 2004 or even like you this year. I too thought the Douglas Hemingway guide fairly accurate until viewing Sam's drone photos from his trips in there this year. Check out these blog photos of Fords Terror entrance. http://www.samlandsman.com/search?updat ... date=false

You went into the east arm during the higher tide. I've been in & out on low slack on the C-Dory & close to low when it would have been a very dangerous rapid to a C-Dory in the Mokai. Near low tide when it's a rapid it is very shallow with a maze of rocks. Even at low slack it was a challenge to navigate in the C-Dory.

Jay
 
localboy,
you have never ridden with John Crazy. He loves road trips and thinks there is only one floor pedal, the tall skinny one.
 
Larry you are too funny I'm grinning from ear to ear. We are sitting in a cove off of Cypress island in Eagle Harbor on with went all around the island. Mark we left Saturday morning from Vancouver Washington and made it all the way up to you across the Canadian border into British Columbia on Sunday we woke up and travel the rest of the way to Prince Rupert but we actually turned away from Prince Rupert and went to Port Edward which is in the area and on Monday we ran from Port Edward where we launched to Ketchikan to check in with US customs.
 
Forgive the wording and sometimes spelling of my posts Amy and I just got smart phones recently and I'm having a blast having Siri type all this stuff so I don't have to type what a blast this is too funny.
 
Hey Mark...please don't short me when it comes to road trips...enter Vancouver, BC to Pirnce Rupert (Pt Edward is close enough). :D

Just shy of 1200 miles via road and then roughly about 785 miles via water and Don was kind enough to let me drive most of it (I was glad to do it and to get experience of how a 25 handles).

Amy and I try to break up long trips like to Montana to visit family about 750 miles we try to spend the night somewhere.

IN MY YOUNGER DAYS :shock: (I'm 49 now) I've traveled from Bozeman, MT to Homer, AK 5 times round trip. I can't wait to travel that route again someday slowly...my fastest time alone (not that I was racing) was about 60 hours (4 three hour naps)...a friend I did it from Great Falls, MT to Anchorage, AK in about 48 hours. My wife, mom, brother, college friend and highschool friend have traveled the Alcan with me.

Traveling w Don sure brought back good memories and it was good to add a new one with him!

Wish you're were not doing the OT...will miss seeing you both at Bham.

Stay safe,

John
 
Now I know why there was a picture with Rock Star energy drink in it!
Either or both of you guys were drinking it. Maybe Don was to keep up with you, John!
Looking forward to talking to you about the trip this weekend.
 
Hey Mark...please don't short me when it comes to road trips...
Click to expand...

:lol: The Misses hates road trips. The thought of jamming it thru Canada, in the time you did it, would be hell to her. My being from the islands makes long drives something I had no experience in, until I moved here. We'd love to do Alaska, but via water. And for that we do not have the time. I have 5-6 more yrs and she will still be gainfully employed.

Someday.

Enjoyed the pics though. Some beautiful country. Aloha.
 
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