Pacific NW

Expeditions

After 6 days of gloomy weather in Seward, Ryan and I awoke to bright sunshine. We had to wait until 0800 for the harbormaster’s office to open up, and Ryan cooked up some eggs and bacon for breakfast. And then we were off–finally!! It feels so good to be out on the water again after being in town for so long. Very natural. The boat and I are completely in tune with each other. It is also exciting having Ryan here, seeing Alaska for his first time. It brings a renewed perspective to my own eyes and refreshes all the amazing things that I have begun to take for granted. Although, today was an exceptional day. It started off discouragingly, as we lost a fishing lure and flasher while trolling for salmon. I must’ve tied an improper knot in the line. As if to mock us, the salmon leapt into the air around the boat many times throughout the day. Among the fantastic cliffs, arches, and sea-stacks of Cape Resurrection we came across several large harems of sea lions, hauled out on the ledges. They make the funniest bellowing noises. One of the males resembled about 10 stacked truck tires. He was huge! Ryan and I cracked up when he roared at one of the little sea lion pups. The pup became so scared that it rolled off the ledge and fell into the water. All around the sea lions was thundering surf and the shrieking of thousands upon thousands of kittiwake gulls. The gulls poured off the cliffs and fanned out over the water. In such great swarming numbers, they make beautiful swooping patterns in the air. Further out from the cape we passed through dense rafts of common murres, in staggering numbers. They dove as we passed through. So many were under the boat that it continually set off the depth sounder alarm! There were also many tufted puffins and horned puffins, whose faces look like a painted clown’s. We had BLT’s and a beer for lunch and soaked in the sunshine as we motored up Aialik Bay. Abra Cove is where we dropped anchor, which is backed by a bunch of cliffs and waterfalls and looks out at a massive tidewater glacier and the Harding Icefield. We went for a row to a National Park Service cabin where we met a group of kayakers. I was disappointed and not surprised that the Parkies don’t have woodstoves in their cabins like the Forest Service does. How would a person in desperation warm up when the propane stove is broken or empty? There wasn’t even an axe, but there was a giant wheelchair-accessible ramp to the outhouse. Yahoo for the Park Service. Behind the beach we found a small freshwater lake and two black bear feeding on the sedge around it! We hauled Modulus into the lake and admired the bears as we rowed down it. All throughout the woods and on the beach we saw bear scat and tracks. Back out on the salt water we came across land and sea otters, seals, and a cave. It was low tide and the starfish and kelp beds were exposed to the air. Ryan remarked that the hundreds of anenomies dangling from the cave walls looked like the male anatomy, and we named the cave accordingly. Once back in the anchorage we rowed to shore where a group of kayakers had set up a camp for the evening. I gave them some of our halibut, and they gave me two cups of coffee, chicken and pasta, and two brownies in return. They are a very nice group of people out kayaking for the week. The evening sun has tricked us once again, and we stay up late. We cooked up some halibut and mashed potatoes for dinner, the perfect way to end a good day. As I write this, the glacier thunders and booms from across the inlet.