tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2314354513521614292024-03-13T08:55:43.207-08:00Prince William Sound Sea KayakingJimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-37161838545780144292022-07-02T02:00:00.000-08:002022-07-02T19:01:04.157-08:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"></span><center><h1><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;">Sea kayaking in Prince William Sound, Alaska</span></h1>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">This site has information and web links about kayaking in the Sound. Stop back later to see updates.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I'm Jim Scherr and I've been kayaking in Prince William Sound for over a two decades. This site is a compilation of information I have found useful over the years and it should answer some of your questions about paddling in the Sound. I can be contacted at jim_scherr@hotmail.com. I've also posted trip reports for my kayak trips outside of the Sound on Facebook at: </span></span> </blockquote>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Kayaking/270768529788538">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sea-Kayaking/270768529788538</a> </blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I also have posted some trips and locations of campsites on paddlingmaps.com where you can download campsite locations in GPS format for loading into a GPS.</span></span></blockquote><p> <span> </span></p><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I've begun my trips from either Valdez in the eastern Sound or Whittier in the western Sound. Most of my paddling has been in the western Sound because it is closer to my home in Anchorage. I've very much enjoyed the paddling I've done in the eastern Sound. The two areas are quite different. The most striking differences are the many glaciers in the West that are lacking in the East and the many campable beaches in the East that are lacking in the West. </span></span></blockquote><p> </p><blockquote><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span>A note of warning. </span></span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #28384b;">There is a large potential landslide in the Barry Arm of western Prince William Sound that could cause a large tsunami effecting much of the Sound without the warning of an earthquake.</span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #28384b;"> </span><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #28384b;">More information can be found at the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys website:</span></span></blockquote>
<p style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #28384b; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> <span> </span>https://dggs.alaska.gov/hazards/barry-arm-landslide.html</span></span></p><div><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; font-kerning: none;"><br /></span></div><p><br /></p><p> </p>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Boat and gear rentals</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">When I was renting boats I used Sound Paddler i</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">n Whittier</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(formerly Prince William Sound Kayak Center and the same friendly owners). They rent boats and much of the gear you'll want. Call them at (877) 472-2452 or check them out at:</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="http://www.pwskayakcenter.com/">http://www.pwskayakcenter.com/</a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Another company in Whittier is Alaska Sea Kayakers I have never rented from them but they have been renting kayaks for a number of years. Call them at (877) 472-2534 or go to:</span></span> </blockquote><blockquote>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="http://www.alaskaseakayakers.com/">http://www.alaskaseakayakers.com/</a></span></span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Lazy Otter in Whittier also rents kayaks. I've never rented from them but I have used their reliable water taxi. Call them at </span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">(907) 472-6887) or go to: </span></blockquote>
<blockquote><a href="http://www.lazyotter.com/" style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.lazyotter.com</a></blockquote>
<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I've talked with the folks at Anadyr Adventures ((907) 835-2814 or (800) 865-2925) in Valdez who rent boats and gear. They were friendly and helpful in answering questions about paddling in their neck of the Sound. They are at:</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><a href="http://www.alaska.net/%7Eanadyr/pws/rentals.html"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.alaska.net/~anadyr/pws/rentals.html</span></a></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Another company in Valdez is Pangaea Adventures ((800) 660-9637. They rent boats and gear but I've never had the chance to use them. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><a href="http://www.pangaeaadventures.com/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.pangaeaadventures.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Water taxies</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">In Whittier, I've used Epic Charters ((888) 742-3742 or (907) 242-4339 ). They are reliable and have boats designed to haul kayaks. I've also used Lazy Otter ((907) 472-6887) who also has boats designed to haul kayaks. Aquetec ((907) 253-8776 is a charter that I've never had a chance to use. Lazy Otter has a taxi sharing program where you can share a taxi with another group going to the same place and both groups receive a reduced rate. Contact the charters at:</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="http://www.epicchartersalaska.com/">http://www.epicchartersalaska.com</a></span></span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="http://www.lazyotter.com/">http://www.lazyotter.com</a></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">In Valdez, Anadyr Adventures (</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";">(907) 835-2814, (800) 865-2925)</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";"> provide water taxies. Anadyr Advenures are friendly and helpful in answering questions, but I have never used them. Contact them at </span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="http://www.alaska.net/%7Eanadyr/pws/watertaxi.html">http://www.alaska.net/~anadyr/pws/watertaxi.html</a></span></span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The water taxi operators try to be on time but plan for delays due to weather or other problems. if the weather is bad, you might have to wait at your remote pickup for a day or more so have enough extra food and fuel to get you through.<br /><br />The Alaska Ferry system can transport your kayak and gear to and from four ports in the Sound, Whittier, Valdez, Cordova, and Chenega Bay. You'll need a flexible schedule since arrivals and departures vary by the day of the month but the Alaska Ferry is an inexpensive way to travel to any of these towns. Most maps show the location of Whittier, Valdez, and Cordova but not always Chenega Bay. Chenega Bay is not on Chenega Island but in Sawmill Bay on Evans Island. The ferry schedule can be found at:</span><a href="http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Transportation from Anchorage to Whittier</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I drive to Whittier through the Aton Anderson tunnel. The tunnel is a single lane road and shared by trains. A schedule for the tunnel openings is at:</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><a href="http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.dot.state.ak.us/creg/whittiertunnel/index.shtml</span></a></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I believe you can take a train from Anchorage to Whittier but last year they only carried passengers and no luggage. That might change in the future. Give they a call at (800) 544-0552.<br /><br />There are two shuttle services in Anchorage that can take you to Whittier, Magic Bus ((907) 230-6773), Girdwood Shuttle ((907) 783-1900 or girdwoodshuttle.com) and Shuttleman ((907) 677-8537).</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kayak Put-ins</span></b> </span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Whittier has three kayak put-ins. The put-in I use the most frequently is a concrete boat ramp with a dock before you reach the harbor master. There is an $10.00 fee to use this ramp and can be paid at the harbor master's office. This ramp lets you launch in the protected harbor.</span></span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The second put-in is at the far end of town called Divers Cove or Smitty’s Cove. Cross the railroad tracks, drive past the city parking lot, and continue to the far end of town. This is a concrete ramp with a cobble beach to one side. It is a good put-in when the wind is blowing from the southwest. It can also save you effort paddling to the harbor entrance. There is no parking here and a fee is required for use. There has been a lot of construction nearby so beware of the heavy equipment. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The third put-in is a small northeast facing beach next to the Alaska State Ferry terminal. The beach is owned by Lazy Otter. They charge a fee to launch and they have parking nearby for a fee. Contact them for current pricing at (907) 472-6887 or through their website </span></span> </blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.lazyotter.com/" style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.lazyotter.com</a></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">There are several kayak put-ins in Valdez. One is about 1000' east of the ferry terminal. It is located in the southeast corner of the paved parking lot at the end of Hazelett Avenue</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";">.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> It has a treaded path and rock steps down to a gravel beach. There is a sign that says kayak launch. There is no fee to use this launch. </span></span> </blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";">Another put-in at Valdez is a small beach east of the boat harbor on South Harbor Drive. There is free long term parking in the lot at the far eastern end of the boat harbor. If you stay at the Bear Paw campground tenting area then you can launch off their beach too. If you need to shuttle your boat and gear to a put-in, you can arrange with Anadyr Adventures (800-865-2925) to meet you at the ferry terminal and transport you to the put-in.</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The put-in at Chenega Bay is at the boat launch, a short haul from the ferry terminal. The boat launch is a steel ramp that floats up and down with the tides. If the sea level is too low to launch from the boat ramp, then go to the beach at the southern end of the dock area to launch.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Camping</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">For most overnight trips I camp on the beaches with a tent. There are a few campsites with facilities such as outhouses, tent platforms, and bear-proof containers but in most areas these are not available. Campsites with facilities are near Whittier at Squirrel Cove, Decision Point, and Surprise Cove. In most areas it is not possible to camp in the woods behind the beach because it is too wet for a tent. I've landed at many beaches backed by beautiful green meadows only to find the lush green areas to be soggy. They may be great places for a hammock tent though. Because of the large tide range in the Sound, you'll want to camp as far up the beach as you can. When picking a camping beach look for seaweed left by the last high tide then consult your tide table to see if the tides are rising or falling. If you cannot find seaweed left by the last high tide then you might want to look for another beach. I know several kayakers who have been awoken in the middle of the night by the sea creeping into their tent.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Another consideration is the surf. Where will those breaking waves be at high tide? Camping on an exposed beach can provide great views but just be careful that the weather is in your favor. Related to surf are the swells produced by caving glaciers. Camping near a tidewater glacier can provide spectacular views but beware of the swells. I've heard of 6' swells rushing upon beaches.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Finally beware of tidal flats if you might be leaving your campsite at low tide. No one wants to carry their boats and gear through muck and slimy rocks then load the boats. The worst tidal flats are marked on topo maps but most beaches have some slimy rocks if you load your boat a low tide.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The Sound can be a rainy place and tarps make a rainy campsite pleasant. I use one tarp to cover a cooking area so I can have a pleasant evening. A second tarp covers the tent. In extended heavy rains the best rain fly eventually leaks and a tarp keeps the fly dry. The tarp lets you remove wet clothing before entering the tent. A well ventilated tent with lots of screen and a good rain fly is preferred for camping in the rains of the Sound. This kind of tent decreases the amount of condensation collecting inside the tent. A tent with lots of screen may be a little drafty but you'll stay drier.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Cabins</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">here are a number of public cabins for rent. They are a pleasant break from camping especially if the weather is bad. Information on cabin location and<br />availability can be found and reservations made at </span><a href="https://www.recreation.gov"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">https://www.recreation.gov</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> . </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">A good guide to these is a book by Andromeda Romano-Lax, <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How to Rent a Public Cabin in Southcentral Alaska : Access and Adventures for Hikers, Kayakers, Anglers, and More</span></u></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The South Culross cabin has been removed and the Goose Bay cabin was built to replace it. The Goose Bay cabin is at the north end of Culross Passage near the entrance to Goose Bay.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Tides and Currents</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The tides can have a range of 20 feet from high to low tide. A beautiful beach that looks ideal for camping can be covered with water in a few hours. It is necessary to have a tide book to know the times of high and low tides. Complementary tide books are found at the local Fred Myers in Anchorage and many sporting goods stores. Tide predictions can be found at the NOAA web site:</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/tide_predictions.html</span></a></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span">The tide charts provide the times and elevations of high and low tides but we also need to estimate the tide heights at other times in the tide cycle. The easiest way to do this is to use the rule of 12’s. Tides do not rise or fall in a linear manner. Instead they move a little in the first hour of the cycle then move fastest at mid-tide and slow down at the end of the tide cycle. The rule of 12’s estimates the level of this varying rate of change.<br /><br />To use the rule of 12’s, first compute the difference between the high and low tide. The tide will move 1/12 of this difference the first hour, 2/12 the second hour, 3/12 the third and fourth hours, 2/12 the fifth hour, and 1/12 the last hour. For example low tide is 1.3’ at 6:55 a.m. and high tide is 10.4’ at 1:20 p.m. What is the estimated tide height at 11:00 a.m? The total change from low to high tide is 9.1’. It is about 4 hours past low tide so the tide has risen 9/12 (1/12 + 2/12+3/12+3/12). The estimated change is 9/12 times 9.1’ or 6.8’. The tide height is 1.3’ plus 6.8’ or 8.1’.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span class="Apple-style-span">The tidal currents are usually not an issue for paddling in the Sound. There are two exceptions though. The lagoons at the ends of bays can have channels with significant currents. An example of this is the lagoon at Derickson Bay. The channels are hundreds of yards long and you can use your tide chart to estimate when the flow will be the least.</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The other exception is the passages between the islands in the southern Sound that border the Gulf of Alaska such as Brainbridge, Prince of Wales, or Elrington passages. These passages are many miles long and the currents can be greater than 3 knots. It is important to know when the the currents are slack and when they reach their maximums and their directions. Tables of this information is available at</span><a href="http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/curr_pred.html"></a></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Regions">https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/noaacurrents/Regions</a></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Weather</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The weather is often wet. The annual rainfall in the Sound is measured in feet. Whittier averages 15' and Valdez averages 5' annually. A great site to see average monthly weather information for Alaska sites is </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><a href="http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/climsmak.html"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/climsmak.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /><br />A webcam overlooking Whittier can give you a picture of the current conditions. It is at</span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.cruisin.me/cruise-port-webcams/united-states/whittier-alaska.php">http://www.cruisin.me/cruise-port-webcams/united-states/whittier-alaska.php</a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">If this webcam isn't working, search for webcams in Whittier Alaska and you'll find several others. </span></span> </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">After saying all these gloomy things about the weather, I have had week long trips with no rain so remember to bring sun screen for those sunny days. the summer temperatures range from the low 40's to the mid 60's.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Weather conditions can change rapidly. The best way to keep informed is the daily weather updates provided by the National Weather Service. I have a VHF radio that can receive NOAA weather channels. Depending on your location there is usually a weather channel available although they may be on any of the 10 NOAA weather channels. Before your trip you can monitor the NOAA weather forecasts by calling (800) 472-0391. Work through the touch pad menu to hear forecasts for anywhere in Alaska.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Organizations</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The local kayaking club, Knik Canoers and Kayaks, is a good way to meet other paddlers and share information. They are active on Facebook where you can send messages to the membership and ask questions. </span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Maps and Guide Books</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I use the USGS topo maps for navigation and choosing campsites. The inch to a mile scale maps give the coastal detail needed for kayakers. There are Coast Guard navigation charts for the Sound but they don't provide the necessary detail for kayakers. Recently Trails Illustrated have published two maps covering the Sound, Prince William Sound - East and Prince William Sound - West. They give adequate detail plus show campsites and cabins. They are made of plastic making them superior for use in a wet kayak cockpit. These maps can be ordered from:</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><a href="http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">http://maps.nationalgeographic.com</span></a></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">A newly published book, <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Kayaking and Camping in Prince William Sound</span></span>, by Paul Twardock is a good introduction to kayaking in the Sound. It has practical "how to" information with suggested trips and campsites. It is locally published by Prince William Sound Books in Valdez. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">A useful guidebook is <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Cruising Guide to Prince William Sound</span></u>, Volumes I and II by Jim and Nancy Lethcoe. These are geared to sail boaters but have a fountain of information for kayakers. They discusses campsites, natural history, weather, tides, wildlife and much more.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Fishing</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Fishing can add to the fun of your trip and provide some great tasting meals. I've been successful trolling and casing from my boat for pink salmon. And I have caught a few rockfish and char. Salmon fishing is best when you can see some fish jumping. Trolling works well because you can paddle along while fishing but you must stop occasionally and clean seaweed off the lure. If you see fish jumping then it is more productive to cast.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I use 20-pound line on a spinning reel with a 1/2 ounce Pixie spoon. I attached a detachable rod holder to the boat to easily hold the rod when trolling or for storing the rod. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"> For trolling in a boat without a rod holder, I use a handline attached to a cleat on the boat. Handlines are available from Captain Harry's at 800 327-4088 as catalog number c66-70101.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">A comprehensive book about fishing in Alaska is <u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How to Catch Alaska's Trophy Sportfish</span></u> by Christopher Batin. This covers fishing techniques and lures used for various fish in Alaska.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Expect to see commercial fishing activity throughout the Sound. Commercial fishing is highly regulated with fishing restricted to short periods of time called openers. An opener can bring out a hundred boats to intensely fish an area. They may anchor nets near shore and string them perpendicular to shore so paddle carefully to avoid tangling in the nets or interfering with their operations. If you're lucky someone might give you a fresh caught salmon!</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Drinking water</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Fresh water is abundant in the Sound but it is often not where you'll be camping. I carry a 2-gallon water bag and fill it up near the end of the day before looking for a campsite. Most of the streams are clear but a few are choked with grey glacial mud. Glacial stream water can be used for cooking if necessary but I try to get water from the clear streams. Although the Sound appears pristine, I purify all my drinking water with iodine while some paddlers use a water filter. At a rainy campsite you can collect rainwater in your cooking pot as it runs off your tarp.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Mosquitoes and biting flies</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Camping in Alaska would not be complete without mosquitoes and the Sound is no exception. I have never encountered the clouds of bugs seen in northern Alaska but I always come prepared for them. My first line of defense is repellent. I prefer DEET that always works but others use less toxic repellents with varying results. Burning mosquito coils is also effective in reducing the number of mosquitoes around you when relaxing at your camp.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">There are also biting flies in the Sound. The repellents including DEET and mosquito coils have limited effect on them. The best defense is a barrier of clothes and a headnet.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Bears</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">I've often seen bears but have never had any problems. They can be found throughout the Sound and should be treated with respect. I carry bear spray for repellent but I have never had to use it. Before camping on a beach look for recent bear activity such as fresh droppings before deciding to setting up camp. Beaches near Whittier such as Decision Point, Surprise Cove, and Squirrel Cove have bear proof containers to store your food. On other beaches choose a tree to hang my food for the night. If you have a light food bag then just throw a rope over a high limb and haul it up. For heavy food bags attach a pulley to the rope over the limb and attach a second rope to the pulley. The pulley is hauled up to the limb and the heavy food bag is attached to the second rope and hauled up over the pulley. This is easier on the tree limbs and you.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">An alternative to hanging food are bear proof containers. There are sold by several companies and are required in areas such as Denali Park and Glacier Bay. In Anchorage they can be purchased at REI or rented from REI or AMH. The Chugach National Forest Glacier Ranger District has bear proof containers they loan out. Call them at 907-754-2330. </span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">A related article is Kayak Camping and Bears by Martha and David Tomeo in the June 1999 Sea Kayaker.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Some people use portable electric fences to protect their camps and gear. Electric fences are useful when you plan to camp at the same place for an extended length of time or if there are lots of bears in the area. The following website has good information about electric fences.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><a href="http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=livingwithbears.bearfences">http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=livingwithbears.bearfences</a></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Glaciers</span></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Viewing a tide water glacier is one of the most interesting activities in the Sound. I’ve spent hours floating in front of these walls of ice (see the picture at the top of the page) and watching the ice calve from the face. Seals and otters are sometimes seen on the icebergs or bobbing in the water checking you out. As the newly broken pieces of ice melt in the water they give off a fizzing sound. This is the release of air that was trapped and compressed in the ice for thousands of years.<br /><br />The calving activity is very unpredictable. Sometimes I’ve floated for an hour and seen no activity then suddenly a quarter mile of ice face will crash into the sea, taking my breath away. Because of the unpredictability of calving, you must stay a safe distance from the glacier at all times. Kayakers have been killed by falling ice or capsized when they ventured too close to the ice face.<br /><br />Ice can also suddenly torpedo from below you. The nose of the glacier can extend below the water and out into the bay some distance. Large pieces of ice can break off from this submerged tongue of ice and surface without warning. This kind of surprise is another good reason to keep a safe distance from the face of the glacier.<br /><br />As a rule of thumb, I stay one-half mile from the face. The distance to the ice face is difficult to judge with the eye because there is nothing such as trees to help you estimate distance. The falling ice does offer a simple distance gauge if you count the number of seconds from when you see a piece of ice fall to when you hear the sound. Sound travels a mile in 5 seconds. If you count 2 to 3 seconds from the time you see the ice fall to when you hear it then you are about one-half mile from the ice face.<br /><br />At this distance there is obviously no problem with falling ice hitting you but the falling ice can cause huge waves. Initially the waves are breaking but by one-half mile they should be just large swells if you are in deep water. The swells can upset the stability of icebergs causing them to suddenly roll so you want to be well away from any floating ice. A double kayak reportedly capsized when a swell caused an iceberg to unexpectedly roll onto their boat. Fortunately a tour boat was nearby to pull the freezing paddlers from the icy water.<br /><br />As the large swells reach the shore, they can turn into breaking waves that run well up the beach. If you stop for a lunch break on a beach, keep an eye on the activity of the ice face. This is most important on beaches such as the Black Sand beach at the north end of the Barry Arm near Harriman Fiord. This beach is very near three active glaciers and huge waves can run to the top of the beach, washing away boats, gear, and you! The surge from a calving glacier can affect beaches miles from the ice face. I’ve been miles away from a glacier and seen surges run several feet up the beach.<br /><br />The waves caused by falling ice are the same type of wave formed by tsunamis. The Good Friday earthquake of 1964 was centered in the Sound and caused spectacular waves. The largest waves caused destruction 100’ above sea level. These waves were probably triggered by landslides below the ocean surface that occurred within minutes of the earthquake. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /><br />When the next major earthquake occurs in this area, we can expect similar excitement in the Sound. I just hope I’ll be viewing it from a very high vantage point.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Articles about the Sound</span></b></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">There are a number of articles about paddling in the Sound. A recent book, History of Prince William Sound by Jim and Nancy Lethcoe, discusses the history of the area. Also see Going with the Floes by Michele Morris in the February 1999 Backpacker. This article discusses a paddling trip in the Sound.</span></span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Day paddles from Whittier</span></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">On a sunny day in Whittier it is pleasant to paddle and enjoy the beautiful shoreline. Whittier has two day paddle destinations. For someone with only a few hours, the kitty-wake rockery is a good choice. Paddle north to the northwest side of Passage Canal. The rockery is on the seep brush covered cliffs. Look for a rocky outcrop down to the ocean with water falls on either side. The rocks are populated with hundreds of white kitty-wakes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">This noisy colony raises their young on the tiny rock knobs of the cliffs. Don't venture too close or you'll disturb then. I enjoy floating nearby watching these birds.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">A longer day paddle is Shotgun cove with it's shipwreck on the beach. This takes at least four hours of paddle time. Paddle along the southeast coast of Passage Canal and you'll come the wide bay after two hours of paddling.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><b><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Overnight trips from Whittier</span></b></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Shotgun cove is also an easy overnight destination. The entrance to the cove is two hours from Whittier. Probably the first thing you'll notice is the wrecked vessel on the eastern shore. Or you may see the two huge mooring buoys in the middle of the bay. I've camped on the beach by the wreck. It is a tight spot for one tent. Better campsites are toward the back of the Shotgun cove where you can view the boat traffic of Passage Canal without the noise. Continuing past the wreck a quarter mile, you'll find a bigger beach with good camping</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">At the back of the cove on the west side is a salmon stream that has a mid-June run of chums. This is a good place to see Bald Eagles or bears feeding on the spawned-out salmon at low tide. To the east is a small campable gravel beach that provides a good viewing area of the salmon stream. Shotgun Cove has no glaciers or glacial streams draining into it so the water is often clean. Here can be seen the softball sized orange colored jelly fish.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">There is also a campable beach at the back of the two bays on the west side of the entrance to Shotgun cove. There are good views of the boat activity in Passage Canal but they are noisy compared to the campsites within Shotgun cove.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">The following posts of trip reports may give you additional paddling ideas.</span> </span><br />
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Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-79898038296527298922022-06-30T19:01:00.018-08:002022-07-02T19:07:28.057-08:00<p><b>Perry Island</b><b style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px;"> - June 2022</b></p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/22 - The day was warm and sunny. Jean and I paddled from the Lazy Otter kayak launch in Whittier. There was a light headwind all the way to Decision Point where we camped. No one else is camping here tonight. There are a few gnats so we used our bug jackets. We only saw day paddlers. There are lots of jet skis going into Decision Bay. We saw a few eagles and two jellyfish. Heard sea lions barking in Shotgun Cove but could not see them. They may be hauled out on the mooring buoys. Paddled 9 miles.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/23 - A calm mostly cloudy morning and a sunny afternoon. We took a short day and paddled to Surprise Cove and camped. A family in a zodiac was there. Day of rest. Saw a sea otter. No kayakers. Five mile day.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/24 - Low clouds and mostly calm. Got water at a stream east of Surprise Cove. Could hear the stream from camp. Paddled across Cochran Bay. There is commercial fishing near the entrance to Colross Passage. There were no fishing boats east of Colross Passage. There appeared to be several campsites at the top of Colross Island. Two sea lions accompanied us for a while at the top of Colross Island. Camped near Tipping Point on Perry island as at the Trails iIllustrated map, Prince William Sound - West . There are at least two camping beaches here. A small protected beach to the north and a big beach to the south. We stayed on the big beach which works in a 12 foot tide but might not work in a 14 foot tide. A hummingbird came through camp. There was a seal and a sea lion in the bay too. Blackflies are here. No kayakers today. Fourteen mile day.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/25 - A cloudy day with sun in the late afternoon. A southwest wind and seas made the first two hours hard paddling with lots of concentration. Could not find the stream on the west side of the island. There are lots of beaches for breaks. Some of them had reefs in front of them for a calm landing. Checked out campsite at the end of the island shown on the Trails Illustrated map. There is a big flat spot on the point for camping. This is a nice high site if there are no swells on the beach. Around the corner on the bottom of the island and up the east coast a mile we found water in a nondescript location. There is no obvious stream on the beach but the shape of the beach was unusual so I stopped to check it out. Behind the high beach berm was a small stream. There is a flat tent site that would work in these low tide ranges. I got a GPS location which matches the outlet of the stream on my topo map. We continued north to the Trails Illustrated campsite near Billings Point. There are sea lions and sea otters in front of the campsite tonight. There were two land otters in the bay. Also saw seals and sea lions on the paddle today. Surprised we've only seen a few eagles all trip. No kayakers today. Fourteen mile day.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/26 - A cloudy calm day with sun by mid-afternoon. The sea lions were very active last night. There was a great blue heron on the beach last night. Paddled north to the cove with the Trails Illustrated campsite. The site on the outside of the cove is not a good landing beach and it did not look like good camping. There is another beach in the cove but we did not check it out. There is a stream at the back of the cove. The beach is very rocky and we landed very carefully. Fortunately there were no waves. We got water. We then paddled toward the Dutch Group to the island marked tree on my topo map. It took us an hour with calm wind in 1 to 2 foot seas. We saw a few puffins near the island and lots of gulls. We return to Perry Island and as we paddled north up the east coast, we came across a sea lion haul out. There were too many sea lions to count. They were tightly packed in and very noisy. Fun to watch. There are no landing beaches north of the cove where we got water. And no beaches at the entrance of East Twin Bay. We finally found a beach near the entrance to West Twin Bay. Three and one-half hours in the boat. Saw sea otters off and on. Camped on a calm sunny beach north of the first Perry Island camp. There are no marine mammals here but lots of iris and chocolate lilies along the shore. We've seen bull kelp and jellyfish every day on Perry Island. Saw a day paddler off of one of the boats in the cove with water but no other kayakers. Very few bugs tonight. Sixteen mile day.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/27 - A cloudy calm morning and sunshine by noon. Stayed at the same camp. Paddle to the back of West Twin Bay for water. There are lots of beaches along the way for breaks on the west side of the bay. The water source is a big stream. Paddled to the Trails Illustrated camp nearby for lunch. This is a good landing beach with camping high in the trees. Some idiot built a fireplace in one of the tent sites. Saw a few little young sea lions. Also a loon. There are very few beaches on the east side of the bay. Another pleasant evening in camp with sun. No kayakers today. A short rest day. There is an island north of camp which has two campable beaches. One faces east and the other faces west. Six mile day.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/28 - Clear night. Low of 45 and dew on the tent. Breezy morning with white caps in the passage. We've noted eagles hanging around the island in front of us for the past two days. This morning we finally saw their nest. One eagle was at the nest and the other stood guard in a nearby treetop. We're guessing the eggs haven't hatched. Fun to watch. Left camp near noon when the seas had calmed. Paddled to a big beach near the crossing for Cochrane Bay. We have just enough beach if there are no swells tonight. The seas are calm. Commercial fishing is still ongoing at the entrance to Colross Passage. No kayakers today. Heard and saw whales sounding in the passage in the evening. Ten mile day.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">6/29 - The high tide came within 4 feet of the tent last night. Luckily there were no boat wakes or swells. A warm clear night. A clear day with a light breeze from behind. Hummingbirds came by the feeder this morning. All of them were interested in the pattern on the handkerchief. Some figured out how to drink from the feeder. Paddled back to Whittier in six hours. Saw our first paddlers past Decision Point. Had a tailwind and following seas most of the way. Very dry trip. Only had dew on the tent. Never put up the tarp. Saw sea otters off Decision Point, the only animals of the day. Eighteen mile day.</p><div><br /></div>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-48566002118896314932021-07-13T11:43:00.000-08:002021-08-05T11:44:27.521-08:00<p> <b style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">Columbia Bay - July 2021</b></p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/13 - Jean and I drove 320 miles to Valdez from Anchorage in seven hours. Today was cloudy and sunny but dry. Camped at the Bear Paw campground on the highest tent site. There are nice hot showers, a covered area for cooking and seating inside out of the wind and rain. It cost $30. Very noisy night with lots of harbor noise. More than I've ever heard.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/14 - A few sprinkles overnight. Dry and calm morning. It was very windy yesterday. The campsites I mention in this trip report can be downloaded in GPX format for loading into a GPS from the paddlingmaps.com website. We got an early start to avoid the wind and showers. Launched from the city kayak beach near the campground. This beach is very clean with no seaweed on it at low tide. Better than the Bear Paw beach. It also has steps down a steep slope. Boats are commercial fishing in the Port. We started to get a headwind after two hours. We paddled to a beach that works in low tides just south of Shoup Bay. Saw sea otters, sea lions and eagles. Cloudy day but low winds and dry. Gnats are on the beach. This is a long beach and is good for walking. The highest tide is 11 feet today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/15 - Dry calm night with a low of 49. Sun hit the beach at 7 AM and we were off the beach by nine to get ahead of the wind at the Narrows. The paddle through the Narrows was calm. Breeze picked up in the last two hours of our five hour paddle to 17 mile beach. Saw lots of commercial fishing boats but they were not fishing. Partly cloudy day. The sun warmed us but it was cool when the clouds moved over. Quiet seas. Saw a raft of sea otter moms with pups and sea lions. Boy are the sea lions big. They give us a long look when they passed us. Saw jellyfish and starfish. No sign of bear on the beaches but we still are hanging food. 17 mile is a huge camping beach with a stream. It could hold a large group. The beach lost sun by 6 PM. The wind lay in the evening. This is a good beach in big tides. Saw no other kayakers. Lots of salmon are jumping. This is a long beach and is good for walking. There were a few sprinkles around bedtime and a rainbow. An oil tanker sailed by. The highest tide is 11 feet today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/16 - The sun woke us up. It was calm and we got a 9 AM start to take advantage of the good weather to get around Cape Freemantle. Lots of salmon are jumping and sea lions fishing. Some salmon even splashed Jean when they jumped near her boat. Saw a jellyfish on the beach. Stopped on a beach after 3 miles for a break. This would be a good camping beach. This is the last place to stop until Elf point. We got to Elk Point two hours after the rest beach. It was around low tide and the beach was too rocky to land. Took a break on a beach on a bit farther up the coast. Paddled along the coast across from Heather Island for another hour and found a good campsite on an island that works in today's 11 foot high tide. There is good high camping on top of the island in the trees too. This could be a good foul weather site. Saw a lots of animals today. Besides the sea lions, there were jumping salmon and lots of sea otters. A few seals too. In Columbia Bay, we saw 20 land otters swimming and then going into the woods. I’ve never seen a group that large. Eight land otters came to our island until they realized we were there. A few bugs. A quiet sunny evening. There is very little ice in this end of the bay. Heard a pack of coyotes yipping. This campsite could work in tides up to 13 feet.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/17 - Low of 45 last night. Crows were active on the island when we arrived but they moved to a nearby island later but were still very noisy. There are 4 large white 3” eggs here that are probably Bald Eagle eggs. They are pecked open, maybe from the chicks hatching. The gulls and oystercatchers are also very noisy here. It was a clear night and cloudless day. A light breeze too. We got water from a stream near camp. The channel at the north end of Heather Island was shallow at low tide when we went through. Paddled along the coast northward to the most scenic campsite in the Sound. There are lots of beaches along the way but many are rocky and not good for landing. Our high campsite is next to the Great Nunatak. There is lots of ice but it did not impede our paddling. Saw lots of sea otters and seals all day. The camp site has two streams and can be accessed from the north or south. There is space for multiple tents. A beautiful evening watching the ice and listening to the calving glacier. Surprisingly two jet skis went to the glacier. Stunning views of ice floating in the bay and the distant glacier. We are concerned about surges from calving so we carried our boats very high, putting the boats high above any surge. My boat went up the alluvial fan as high as our tent. That was too much work so Jean’s boat went into the gully on our island.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/18 - Low of 49. Cloudy night and day. Lots of warm sunny breaks. Day paddled the two arms to see both glacial complexes. Eight hours of paddling 18 miles with three short breaks. Easily found routes through the ice and there was lots of ice. The eastern complex is the widest ice face I've ever seen. It forms a long broad arc. We heard the glacier rumbling but we did not see any calving. Very spectacular. There were just a few sea otters and ducks among the ice. Surprisingly no seals. Saw six motorboats and no kayaks all day. We took a break on a sandy beach every one to two hours. There was a little light breeze but it was still quite cold. The western complex Is less interesting and smaller. It had more rumbling though. We got back to our beach at 7:30 and a goat was there. It was cautious but went about its business of eating vegetation. We were beat. Just a late supper and then to bed. Hauled the boats into the ravine. Some fireweed is blooming. A few gnats and mosquitoes.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/19 - Low of 45 last night. Cloudy morning with a light breeze. It was a long haul to get the gear and boats to the beach. Paddled to Elf Point in over four hours. Saw two double kayaks on the other side of the bay. Checked out the campsites at the end of Heather Island and the island across from there where we’ve camped previously. They are now uncampable. The southern end of Heather Island is posted no trespassing. That is new. Saw lots of sea otters with pups. Also began seeing birds at Heather Island. There were few birds north of there. There were a few icebergs as far as Heather Island. We had some welcome warm sunshine in the evening. The north side of Elf has the best landing beach. And there is camping on the beach. The south side has camping in the woods. There is no water here. High tide of 12’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/20 - A low of 49 last night. Cloudy with a light breeze. Left Elf Point on calm seas. Fishing boats lined the coast from Elf to past Point Freemantle. Lots of sea otters, Some sea lions, including a huge one that exploded behind my boat and splashed Jean. Lots of salmon are jumping. Took a break at the beach 3 miles south of 17 mile beach. It would be campable in these 13 foot high tides. There was a huge kayak group at 17 mile beach so we went to Sawmill Bay. Stayed on the big beach just outside of the bay. It has one high tent site. It will be fine on this 14 foot tide. Went into the bay to get water. Checked out the campsite showing on the Trails Illustrated map. It is a high grassy area. Not the kind of place we like to camp. Met a paddle border on an island in Sawmill Bay, which may be an okay campsite. She is paddling to the Columbia glacier. Tomorrow will be our first rainy day on the trip. High tide of 13’ today. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/21 - Very low clouds and 55 in the morning. Drizzle started in the morning with rain forecast for later so we took a day off. We've paddled for seven days and this is a good rest day. The beach has one good high spot for a tent and is protected from the southerly winds. We slept in and had a late breakfast. Paddled to the salmon stream on the west side of Sawmill Bay to get water. Schools of salmon were in the stream and only a few had died. Three bald eagles were flying around. Saw a kingfisher. Salmon were jumping in front of the bay. A tanker sailed north at suppertime.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/22 - A low of 50 last night. Cloudy morning with a little mist. A sea lion was fishing in our cove and caught a salmon. Left on calm seas. The paddle boarder staying in the bay left ahead of us. Lots of sea otters with pups. The sea lions were actively fishing especially across from Shoup Bay. A light breeze was in the Narrows. Saw an oil tanker going into the port and another one leaving. Tailwinds and following seas began in Port Valdez. The waves were running against the tide making 2 to 3 foot following seas which were uncomfortable. Got to the Valdez kayak beach okay. The warming sun came out in the evening. Stayed at the Bear Paw campground. Paddle 110 miles including the long day paddle.</p>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-79865398390255564512020-07-04T10:26:00.000-08:002021-08-01T10:29:37.263-08:00<p> <b style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px;">Chenega Village to Whittier - July 2020</b></p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/4 - Jean and I decided to take the State ferry to Chenega Village this year. We’ve started from there twice and had memorable trips. The campsites I mention in this trip report can be downloaded in GPX format for loading into a GPS from the paddlingmaps.com website. We left Anchorage at 6:30 in the morning to catch the 7:30 tunnel opening. We arrived at 7:30 just as the tunnel opened. We checked in at the ferry terminal. We got to drive the car onto the ferry and unload the boats and gear. We settled in for smooth sailing under sunny skies. At our 9:30 departure time a delay was announced. We received similar announcements over the next seven hours until we finally left at 4:30. Because of the long delay we were given free lunch and dinner which was very good. We arrived at Chenega Village under cloudy skies and a 10 knot southerly wind at 9:30. We carry the boats off the ferry. A baggage cart carried off our gear. The beach south of the boat ramp is washed away so we had to launch from the boat ramp. We waited until 11:30 when the tide finally was at 11 feet which is the minimum to launch from that ramp. We paddled north for half an hour to Johnson Cove and a nice high beach. We finally got into the tent at 1:00. The high tide was 14’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/5 - There was a low tide at 8 AM so we slept in knowing we couldn’t leave until much later. We had a relaxing morning with overcast skies and a light breeze. We watched orcas in Sawmill Bay as we loaded the boats. We left at 12:30. We paddled to Bettles Island and along the east side of Evans Island and headed south. There was a light wind and clouds. The tide was running against us at one knot. We paddle down Elrington Passage and turned west. There are beaches along the way for breaks. On one beach a hummingbird zoomed by. The southwest facing beaches are cobble. The swells from the Gulf of Alaska would make landing difficult there. We paddled to Squirrel Bay to a long sandy beach. Saw seals, otters, sea lions and bull kelp along the way. We are camping on a gravel pad behind the grasses to keep out of the sand. We try to avoid sand since it gets into everything. Calm overcast evening. The high tide was 14’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/6 - Waited until 12:30 to launch because of the late minus tide. There was a swell of 1 to 2 feet. A light breeze and cloudy. Crossed Prince of Wales Passage to Bainbridge Island and paddled along the southern coast then crossed a mile offshore to the Procession Rocks. Saw sea lions, puffins, cormorants, and gulls on the rocks. The sea lions were vocal and fun to see. We continued along the south coast. A sea lion followed us for a short way. Saw a fin whale as we paddle along the southern coast of Bainbridge Island. It sounded four times as we paddled by. Had lunch on a sandy beach on the south side of Swanson Bay. This could be a possible campsite in a low tide series but is is not very desirable. Continued to a nice campsite on the southern entrance to Hogg Bay. The evening was sunny (finally) with a breeze to keep the bugs down. We had black flies and a few mosquitoes at all our campsites. As a bonus, there is a stream here. Saw one motorboat, no kayakers, and lots of bull kelp. The high tide was 14’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/7 - Saw whales in Port Bainbridge last night. Sunny day. Wind and seas increased until evening when it calmed down. Crossed to the mainland and went to the Bainbridge glacier. Saw sea otters on the crossing. Camping is available there. We took a short break on the beach. There were bear tracks on the beach. Icebergs are coming down the stream from the glacier. The glacier is no longer tidewater. We heard it calving yesterday and the face shows recent calving. The next cove to the north of the glacier has a long beach with places to camp. We saw bear tracks on that beach. We had planned to cross to a previous campsite on the other side of the passage but the seas were too rough for the 3 mile crossing. We found a nice sandy beach at the north end of the cove. The sun and protected camping tempted us to stay. Later as we relaxed in the sun a small black bear came out of the grass across the way. There was a slough between us and the black bear. We made noise but it ignored us and ambled off. We need to be more of bear aware tonight. About 9:30 I heard a twig break behind me while we were reading on the beach which also was our cook site. There was a bear 30 feet away standing there watching us. We yelling but it did not move. We threw rocks also with little effect. He came out on the beach and a rock sprayed his face with sand and he left. We could not stay the night with a bear that had no fear of us. Rain was expected tomorrow and we had hoped to take a rain day on this beach. That would not be possible with this bear. We packed up and started crossing the passage to a campsite we had previously used. We started the 3 mile crossing into low visibility on a compass heading at 11:30. The seas had quieted and we had a smooth crossing. The campsite was rocky but we made it work setting up the tent and tarp in preparation for tomorrow's rain. We turned in about 1 AM. High tide of 13.5’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/8 - Rain began at 6 AM. We finally got up at noon to eat and stretch. A black bear came on our beach and ran off as soon as it saw me. Good, the kind or reaction I like to see from a bear. Rain ended in the evening. Saw sea otters all day. Saw several whales at night. </p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/9 - Sunny morning. Got a 9:15 start to catch the flood tide through Bainbridge Channel. The sun turned into clouds as we paddled into the channel and rain began shortly thereafter. Got to a maximum speed of 6.5 mph in the channel. The camp site on the Trails Illustrated map in the channel looks okay from the boat but it was too rocky to land at a -0.8 tide. We saw many red and yellow starfish, the first in many years. Also have seen several species of jellyfish the past few days. Paddled in the rain to Point Countess where we camped before. The sun came out shortly before we arrived. We laid out our gear to dry. This is a scenic site with the good landing beach, a tent site, and stream. We've seen salmon jumping all day, several sea otters, four land otters, and several sea lions. No kayakers. Great to have a dry sunny afternoon and evening. High tide of 12’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/10 - Heard whales during the night. Cloudy calm day. As we left five kayakers came around the nearby point. We chatted a while with them. They had chartered out and are base camping at Dual Head. We paddled across to Chenega Island then on to Jackpot Point where we had camped before. It has a good landing beach but would be tight in a high tide range. There is a small flat spot for a tent. Good views. The sun came out after we landed. Saw sea otters and sea lions today. Ice was marching out in the main channel between southern Chenega Island and the mainland. High tide of 11’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/11 - This morning is cloudy and calm. As we were sitting around in the morning we got a few sprinkles. By the time we got the tarp set up it was raining. The rain stopped in an hour. The beaches have had blackflies all trip. We have a hummingbird feeder and it has attracted the birds but they don't stay around. While paddling we saw two small black bear cubs on a beach as they were going into the woods. We paddled to the reefs at the top of Chenega Island. We checked out a camp site nearby which we have used before. This camp site at the top of Chenega Island is no longer useful. We paddled through the reef and there were lots of seals and sea otters. The seas became rougher with 2’ following seas. It took a lot of concentration to reach the beach at Point Nowell. The beach is protected from the seas and we had an easy landing. No one was there when we arrived and we had the place to ourselves all evening. The sun came out for a few hours. No kayaks or whales today. There were more sprinkles around supper time. High tide of 10’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/12 - Wind decreased and the seas fell by morning. The clouds threatened rain so we got an early start to take advantage of the calm and dry. After an hour of paddling we stop to get water at a stream across from Crafton Island. The seas picked up to 2 feet but it was easy going with following swells. We had lunch at Egg Island. Did not see any oystercatchers there this year. We named the island Egg because we’ve seen oystercatcher eggs on the beach each time we’ve stopped. Saw a few sea otters and seals and a sea lion followed us for a ways. Tomorrow morning is a fishing opener so commercial boats are lining the shore getting ready to fish. From Egg Island we paddled to Lighthouse Point. The seas looked okay and we crossed in 45 minutes with following seas, tide, and a breeze to Applegate Island. No one was at this huge campsite. It was still cloudy and threatening rain. Two jet skis zoomed through our bay and left, quite a jarring sound. High tide of 10’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/13 - There was rain and wind last night. Applegate can be a very windy site. One time a friend’s tent blew down here. Found a dry spot on the beach for breakfast and then the rain started before we finished. Two doubles with three people paddled past our camp going south. We packed the kayaks during a pause in the showers. As we left Epic Charters pulled in with four kayaks. The paddlers probably are base camping because they have a dog. We paddled up Colross Passage as the weather changed from cloudy to sunny to rain to calm to windy. We saw no animals except for eagles. We got rained out of our first lunch stop. At the top of Colross we paddled through a flotilla of working commercial fishing boats. The crossing of Cochran Bay was calm but rainy. We saw porpoises as we crossed. The rain stopped by the time we landed at Surprise Cove. Since I was last here they added a toilet, bear resistant locker, and a boardwalk to 3 platform tent sites. There are four beach campsites also. Someone left a bunch of trash in the fire pit. Other campsites on the trip have had no trash. No one else is here tonight. High tide of 10’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/14 - Calm cool night. There was sun on the beach by 9:30. At Point Cochran we saw an old eagle’s nest and nearby was an active nest with an adult eagle. Calm seas and a light wind as we paddled to Decision Point. No one was at Decision Point when we landed. Sunny warm day and the light breeze. I saw a small brown starfish on the beach and put it in a tide pool to try to save it. Its chances seemed poor. Two Hobie cat style trimarans with two couples and camping gear landed. They are on a guided tour and continuing into Blackstone Bay tomorrow. They gave us two big pieces of bacon wrapped halibut. Very yummy. This is the first time we’ve seen this style of camping. We also saw two groups of jet skis. A company in Whittier has started jet ski tours. A double kayak from Whittier landed and they stayed overnight. Two single kayaks also from Whittier landed. The seas and east wind have been increasing all afternoon and the kayakers are taking a break before crossing to Pickett Point. The seas and wind began to lay at bedtime. High tide is 11’ today.</p>
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<p style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 18px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">7/15 - Calm sunny morning. We left the beach at 9:45 and got to Whittier 2 1/2 hours later with the light following breeze. It was so warm that I wore my sun shirt and no spray skirt for the paddle. We packed up and just caught the 1 p.m. tunnel. An uneventful drive home. We paddled 140 miles. The trip was so cheap, $164 for the ferry for both of us, our boats and gear plus $92 to park the car.</p><div><br /></div>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-84955827670105318612018-09-01T14:51:00.000-08:002018-12-29T14:51:57.632-09:00<br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">9/1 - Jean and I caught
the opening for 10:30 tunnel to Whittier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Several sunny days are forecast at the end of the cloudy rainy summer
and we want to make the most of them. We haven't been to Blackstone Bay in ages
and plan to check it out. We depart at the Lazy Otter parking lot and launched
from their beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was calm and
sunny all the way to Decision Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Here we saw our first paddlers camping. We took a break then headed for
the beach in front of Tebenkof glacier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The west side of the beach has a gravel island that is fine for camping
in the 11 foot tide range we have today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Most of the huge beach in front of the glacier is marshland. Crossing to
the glacier was calm with 1 foot seas, the highest of the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Salmon are spawing in the streams
nearby so there are many dead and dying salmon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The salmon added to the smells of the marshland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before sundown we saw a black bear
feeding in the slough nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
place is also alive with birds, especially gulls but surprisingly no eagles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only a few gnats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With so many fish I doubt the bear will
bother us tonight. There is no place to hang food tonight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">9/2 - It was a cool clear
night. Since there was nowhere to hang the food, I buried the dry bag with the
food so the bear could not see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The black bear patroled the stream all morning and ignored us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The stream is full of dead and dying
salmon. The beach goes out along way at low tide but it is good frim footing. A
breeze from the south came up and stayed all day. It was sunny and we paddled
into 1 to 2 foot seas. Camped at the beach in front of the Lawrence glacier. A
nice and high beach but a rocky landing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We set up camp and paddled to the Beloit glacier. The wind increased as
we approached. It was windy and cold in fromt of the glacier and it was was not
calving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of ice in
the bay so it must be active. Sure enough, shortly after we left it calved.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our luck. Saw two seals all day. No
eagles in spite of all the salmon. Saw two groups all day. One group of 4
kayaks and a second group with 2 sailing kayaks. There are three places to camp
here about 100 yards apart. When we arrived, a water taxi was picking up a
group on one beach and a small group was camped on another beach but I don't
see any boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A good workout
today. Pleasant evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few
gnats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">9/3 - A cool night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Forty-five in the tent but clear and
calm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sun got to our beach by
9:00 but it was still cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
is a busy place. This morning a water taxi dropped off a group and picked up
another group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got going about
noon and paddled to the south end of Willard Island then to the western side of
the bay and on to Decision point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was sunny and calm but cool. Didn't see any paddlers. There were
ample beaches to take breaks on. On the crossing from Willard Island we saw a
black bear swimming to the mainland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It looked like a medium-size bear based on the amount of its back that
was out of the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it got
to the shore it was huge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It did
not shake off the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it
heard us, it looked back at us, huffed, and headed into the woods and up the
steep hillside crashing through the brush. Later we saw a seal. So far very few
animals or otters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We saw an
eagle, the second of the trip, that was also surprising considering all the
dead salmon around. Saw one jellyfish and no starfish. No one was camping at
Decision Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is Labor Day,
so most people need to be at work tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We watched a seal catch a fish in front of our camp and eat
it by shaking it apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cool clear
calm evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We haven't been to
Decision Bay in ages and I've forgotten how beautiful the ring of glaciers is
at the end of the bay. A beautiful place but too crowded in the summer because
it is so close to Whittier.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">9/4 - The next day was
clear and we had a following sea into Whittier except for the last 10 minutes
when a strong headwind began.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
wind continued and grew in strength and I was glad we were off the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While paddling we saw two sea lions,
eagles, and an eagles nest near the camp site at Trinity Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a great way to end the paddling
season in the Sound.</span></div>
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-->Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-4895684214392234532018-07-20T14:36:00.000-08:002018-12-29T14:40:00.956-09:00<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="prince_william_sound_2018"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">College Fiord - July 2018</span></b></a></div>
<span style="mso-bookmark: prince_william_sound_2018;"></span>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 20 - Jean and I drove
to the Whittier Tunnel in an hour from midtown Anchorage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were low clouds and fog along
Turnagain arm and the temperatures were in the mid-50s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Checked in with Lazy Otter water taxi
for our 11:30 charter to black sand beach at the head of Barry Arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a favorite campsite because it
had a great sandy landing beach and it was next to 3 active tidewater
glaciers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We got a ride share for
$122 dollars each plus $48 a week for parking at the Lazy Otter parking
lot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The water taxi had three other
paddlers going to Harriman Fiord plus lots of people riding the boat for the
day. Got to black sand beach in 1 1/2 hours. Passed lots of sea otters, some floating
in rafts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were warned that the
beach had change a lot. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A glacial
lake had emptied and washed over the beach removing most of the sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The beach is no longer campable
plus it is in danger of other breakouts from the glacier lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most surprisingly was how much the
three glaciers had receded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two
were mostly on land and the third has receded over a mile up its fiord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The place was not recognizable anymore
from when we were last here a decade ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Another great campsite lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We paddled to a campsite at Pakenham Point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This site has good views down Port Wells and up into College
Fiord where we are going next. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We started the trip on the series of rising tides in
the low tide range. Campsites are easier to find in this tide range.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 21 - Clear calm
day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifteen-mile paddle to a
campsite south of Wellesley glacier lagoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We've camped at the lagoon on both the north and south sides
and neither of those sites are very good. There were lots of good landing
beaches from Pakenham Point to Rusty point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are few beaches north of Rusty point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biting gnats came out at this campsite
when the sun went behind the ridge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Saw no other paddlers today. Loud booms are coming from the end of the
fjord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw a doe on the beach and
two land otters. No boats on our side of the fiord today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hard to find a place to hang food
tonight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 22 - Got to a low of
40° last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clear calm day.
Paddled to the Harvard glacier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was very active with a lot of icebergs but no seals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bryn Meyer and Smith glaciers are still tidewater glaciers with
a little calving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paddled to Yale
glacier which was quiet but it had bigger icebergs out in front with seals on
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Camped in the Yale
fjord.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sunny evening but when the
sun went behind the mountains, the black flies came out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No place to hang food tonight. No
kayaks. One motorboat today. Long paddle day of eight hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were beaches every few hours for
breaks. Camping would be difficult in a high tide range. Three swans landed
near us while paddling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 23 - Partly sunny
morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly cloudy day with
calm winds and seas. The glaciers were active beginning in early morning. The
fiord was ice choked when we got up and we paddled through table-sized bergs
for two hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of otters with
pups along this coast. Paddled fifteen miles in six hours to a nondescript
beach that is campable in a low tide range.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is 2 miles north of Coghill bay. Lots of beaches to take
breaks on but most would require camping in the grasses at the top of the
beach. Great views of the glaciers all day. Some biting gnats on this
beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Can still hear the rumbling
of the distant glaciers even at our campsite. Some sprinkles this evening. No
paddlers and no motorboats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 24 - Cloudy and calm
all day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's much cooler without
the sun. Paddled to the north end of an island north of Esther passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a long spit with good views to
the north. Not many bugs here. Haven't seen salmon jumping.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually salmon are running in Coghill
bay with lots of seals, sea lions, and eagles around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year the salmon returns were very poor and there are no
animals around Coghill bay. Also because there are no salmon, there are not any
people fishing. We did see several motorboats today and no paddlers. Showers
started off and on by late afternoon. The evening was still. The only animals
we're seeing are otters with pups and seabirds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw the first jellyfish of the trip. Some years there are
lots of jellyfish and others years very few. Still haven't seen any starfish,
which was disturbing. Saw almost no starfish when I was in the Sound two years
ago.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There used to be lots of
starfish but the starfish wasting disease maybe killing them off. First
starfish and now salmon. The Sound is changing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 25 - Today we took a
weather day. Drizzle started last night and continued with light rain through
the day. Ten to 15-knot winds all day and into the evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The tent is on a high point well above
high tide but takes the brunt of the wind. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is breezy in the tent with mesh walls but it works better
than solid tent walls, which rain condensation inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a quiet place for the tarp
behind the ridge. We had a late breakfast and then dinner. Gathered water from
the tarp so we didn't need to paddle to a nearby stream for water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no stream at this tent site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were inside most of the day so we
didn't see any boats or kayaks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 26 - Rain and
blowing mist during the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Precipitation stopped in the morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had a leisurely breakfast and packed up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mist started as we finish packing and
rain began shortly thereafter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
paddled in mist or rain to a protected site inside the entrance to Esther
passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A short 4-mile paddle but
it felt good to get out of the tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We set up the tent under the tarp to keep it dry. It was misty or
raining off and on all evening and night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was mostly calm. This site is good for one tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No kayaks today. Saw some motorboats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not many bugs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 27 - Mist stop by 8
AM and we had breakfast and packed before it began again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A 4 1/2 hour paddle through Esther passage
to East Flank Island, a favorite campsite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mist or light rain during the paddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No seals or otters in the passage but
saw a black bear on a beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
was dry when we landed and we dried out our gear and enjoyed sitting outside. A
few otters and seals were nearby.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No kayaks. Some motorboats. No jumping salmon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cloudy all day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 28 - Showers last
night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not many bugs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Light easterly breeze last night and
this morning. Cloudy today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paddled
along the southern side of Esther Island to Esther Point then paddle to Colross
Point then to the northern entrance to Colross Passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Showers then rain began halfway through
our paddle and continued all evening. Checked a possible campsite on the
western Island in Colross bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tonight’s
site is a north-facing beach on the western entrance to Colross Passage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It has logs on the beach and doesn't
look good but behind the logs are several large flat gravel areas and a stream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A great high site but it has northern
exposure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The downside is all the
traffic and Colross Passage. Lots of healthy skunk cabbage here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw several sea lions plus land and sea
otters today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Seen land otters 4
times on this trip. Still no sea stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No paddlers. Lots of motorboats.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 29 - Heavy mist all
night with dripping from the trees on the tent and tarp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It stopped about 10 AM and we started
getting up. Got packed dry and left the beach shortly after mist began
falling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Calm seas across Cochrane
Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw a few otters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw the first kayaks of the trip at the
crossing to Blackstone Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Light
wind and seas crossing Blackstone Bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Decision Point was occupied by a NOLS group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no room so we continued to Squirrel Cove where we
got a platform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The camping
beach there is overgrown with high grass. There are four platforms and a cabin
here plus a bear proof container.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>A group of 15 scouts arrived but couldn't find room and left. A quiet
evening except for the water dripping from the trees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica"; font-size: 14.0pt;">July 30 - It was misty
but calm all night on the platform in the forest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trees collected the mist and dripped on the tent and
tarp all night long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dripping
tapered off in the morning and the sun started to become visible through the
clouds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had breakfast on the
picnic table on the beach near the food storage box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The clouds cleared over Passage Canal and we had a dry sunny
warm breakfast on the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
broke down our wet camp and packed the boats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a minus tide so it was a long haul to get the boats
and gear to the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saw the
only starfish of the trip while loading.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had a calm warm and dry paddle back to Whittier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lots of paddlers were going both ways
in Passage Canal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We landed at the
Lazy Otter Beach and unloaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
got my key from Kelly at the cafe and we loaded the car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were very happy to end the trip with
a dry paddle.</span></div>
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-->Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-34116404433734430622016-08-11T18:26:00.002-08:002021-08-05T11:46:55.333-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; text-align: center;">
<b>Valdez to Whittier paddle - July 2016</b></div>
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July 11 - Jean and I left Anchorage and caught the 10:30 tunnel to Whittier. She had made ferry reservations to Valdez of few days before. It cost about $120 per person including the kayaks and gear. We had to tag each bag and fuel bottles then carry the boats and gear to the loading area. I parked the car in the long term lot for $115 for two weeks. The ferry arrived at 11:30 and we started loading around noon. There was no baggage cart so we hauled all the boats to the car deck then piled all our gear around them. The staff was very helpful and gave us wheel chalks to support the boats. The ferry left about 12:45. It was calm sailing to Valdez. We spent most of the trip in the solarium relaxing in chairs under the heater. In Valdez we hauled all the gear and boats to the ferry office about 0.1 of a mile away. By this time it was 7:00. Previously we have used Anadyar Kayaks to haul everything to a kayak landing beach but they were unavailable this evening. The wind was steady 10 to 15 kn with seas from the west. We did not want to beat into the wind and seas so we opted to stay at the Bear Paw campground which has a kayak landing beach.</div>
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Jean got a taxi to take our gear to the campground 0.2 miles away. The taxis in Valdez do not have kayak racks so I brought along a simple kayak hauler. It is a piece of plywood with an axle and two wheels. I strapped it around the back hatch and hauled the kayak to the campground. I hiked back to the ferry terminal and repeated. Jean paid the taxi $7 and the campground $25. We had a pleasant evening sitting in the sun watching the rabbits hop around. Valdez has many free range domestic rabbits in town. After the sun went behind the mountains we walked over to the kayak landing beach the city had recently put in. It has a gravel beach with a treaded path and steps down to it. To get there from the ferry terminal go to the first cross street, across the street to a paved parking lot, and the putting is in the southeast corner of the lot. There is a sign which says kayak launch.</div>
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July 12 - The morning was calm and the day sunny. The campsites I mention in this trip report can be downloaded in GPX format for loading in to a GPS from the paddlingmaps.com website. There is a 14 hour fishing opener today so we ran a gauntlet of fishing boats and nets. It was calm until 1 PM when a south wind started through the Narrows. We paddled hard into the seas and wind for an hour to a small protected beach with a small tent site which works in these low tide ranges. We relaxed in the sun then set up camp. The wind stopped by 6 PM. We saw lots of eagles and one otter. There are lots of ripe salmon berries on this beach. We met a kayaker who started at the Columbia glacier and was paddling back to Valdez. About 9 PM our private cove was invaded via fishing boat that anchored and ran a generator all night.</div>
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July 13 - It was another calm sunny morning. The boats began fishing at 6 AM. The noise got us up and we had an early start. The paddle through the Narrows was calm but we paddled around lots of fishing boats. We paddle through an oily slick that smell of diesel. We got to the last beach before Cape Fairweather. It is a huge gravel beach with two streams. That was about 10 miles in 4 hours. We've seen no fish jumping. I tried fishing with no luck. The winds and seas picked up about noon but were not as strong as yesterday. There were houseflies on the beach during the day and blackflies in the evening. We picked ripe salmon berries. We saw two tankers going into Valdez. We saw a sea otter and sea lion plus eagles.</div>
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7/14 - A fishing boat anchored off our beach about 10:30 PM. They were quiet with no motors running. Another sunny calm morning. We heard a hummingbird early this morning. After two hours of paddling we took a break on a nice gravel beach. There are a handful of nice beaches to Cape Fairweather but all the rest are cobble. We had 1 foot swells and a light breeze. Saw several sea lions. We paddled to Elf Point in 3 1/2 hours over 10 miles. This is a great storm campsite but we wanted to enjoy the sun so we camp on a beach with marginal camping that only works in these low tide ranges (less than 11 feet) at the southern end of Heather Island. We dropped our gear and paddled to the north end on the east side of Heather Island. We saw a guided group of nine kayaks. There was no ice on the east side but lots of ice on the western side of the island. We saw many sea otters. Back at camp we had a sunny evening. An otter pup watched us for a while before crying for mom. After a number of longer and louder cries, mom answered then took the kid elsewhere. We saw lots of eagles during the day. Many icebergs marched out of Columbia Bay on the falling tide. A dragonfly patrolled the beach. It must be doing a good job because there are no flies here. There are ripe salmon berries and blueberries at this beach.</div>
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7/15 - It was a partly cloudy day. We paddled along the east side of Heather Island. Got water and a little cove north of Emerald Cove. We picked a few blueberries here. Saw a guided group near the top of Heather Island again. There were many otters as we went along. We then crossed to the east side of Columbia Bay. Google Earth shows the face of the glacier is 11 miles north of Heather Island. We had a light headwind and seas all day long. There were lots of beaches and campsites along the way. We saw a loon and two blue herons which were a surprise. We passed a group of 7 goats. We paddled seven hours to the best campsite ever (61 6.498"N by 147 2.726"W) next to the Great Nunatak. I had heard of 30 foot surges from calving from the glacier face. We are on a 50 foot high gravel covered rock with a great beach. The boats are 20 foot high and tied off incase there is a huge surge. There is a view to the west of the First Branch Columbia Glacier. The glacier face is ice choked as is the west side of Columbia Bay. After we landed a goat walked past the boats. Two porpoise surfaced near camp. We also saw a few seals. This beach also has a stream. A perfect place to camp.</div>
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My 1960 topo map shows that at this location the ice is over 1300 feet thick. It is hard to believe that a quarter-mile of ice has disappeared in 70 years. All the beaches on this trip have had lots of bird feathers and bones. Probably from this winters die off of Murres.</div>
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7/16 - It was a cloudy calm morning. Goats came through our camp twice in the morning while we were in the tent. Maybe they were curious. The day became partly cloudy and the warm sun felt good in the cold wind. We paddled to the Columbia Glacier. The glacier front is ice choked and we maybe got a mile or more from the face. It is huge but I had nothing to compare it with for scale. We heard some calving but couldn't see where it was coming from. As we were leaving it rumbled for several minutes then we began to see huge amounts of ice falling and falling. We paddle down the western side of the bay with a following sea and breeze and tide. There was lots of ice to dodge. Many sea otters and pups. Some of them on the ice. After 5 1/2 hours we got to the nights camp on an island in Granite Cove. It was a sunny evening and we saw a heron near camp. Two eagles played in the sky, one flying upside down then they hooked talons and then flew up right. We picked blueberries for tomorrows breakfast.</div>
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7/17 - A clear calm day. We watched two loons in front of our campsite this morning. A windstorm is forecast so we headed for a protected beach with water to sit out the storm for a day. There were several mature and immature bald eagles at the stream in the back of Useless Bay. They were feeding on salmon. We also saw a few sea otters as we paddled. We passed a deer on the beach. It just lay there watching us as we paddled past. I guess it was a fawn waiting for its mother. We paddle into Long Bay. There are nice beaches along the eastern entrance. We then paddled to the chain of islands south of Schrader Island. We found a suitable beach on the mainland across from Schrader Island. We had to level the beach to make a flat tent site. There is a salmon stream nearby. Didn't have any luck with the salmon but caught a small rockfish which I released. Finally the fish are jumping. We saw a blue heron later in the day. We watched two seals successfully fishing in front of our camp tonight. There are lots of gnats here. We found blueberries and salmon berries up the hill from this beach.</div>
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7/18 - Another clear calm morning. I was unsuccessful fishing. The guy from the sailboat from across the bay came by. He lives out here year around. He's retired and an interesting character. He invited us over this evening for homemade wine. The wind was still calm by 1 PM so we decided to paddle today. The forecast windstorm just is not materializing. We paddle to a great beach west of Granite Point. It was a very warm sunny day. On the way we met Paul Twardock and a friend paddling to Valdez. They started from Olsen Island and are doing a survey for the forest service. We saw a sea otter and watched a sea lion catch and eat a fish. At Granite Point there will puffins flying to and from the cliffs. I love to see those birds. Tonights beach is beautiful white gravel with no kelp. A great high campsite. And there are some blueberries here.</div>
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7/19 - Another clear calm day and it is very warm. This is the second day that I have worn shorts while paddling. Very unusual. After we went to bed last night we heard something walking on the gravel beach. We made some noise in a huge porcupine ran from the beach into the woods. It was the size of a small bear cub. We paddled into Fairmont Bay to get water and saw another porcupine that was climbing down a tree. There was also an eagle's nest on the island. From there we paddled out to Fairmont Island and saw a large group of curious otters. We paddled to a reef on the outside of the island and saw a bunch of seals with pups. We then went to Little Fairmont Island and saw another large group of curious otters. There were beaches for breaks on both islands. We then went to Olsen Island and camped on the big beach on the southeast corner of the island. We found blueberries and salmon berries again. There was a small spring up a hill behind the beach. We left the fly off the tent last night and tonight because it was so warm and clear.</div>
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7/20 - It was a warm night. Today is partly cloudy calm and also warm. Several hummingbirds came to camp in the morning. We went to Kiniklik Bay to get water and saw a black bear on the beach. Usually they run away when they see us but this one walk to the shore, pulled out a dead fish and then lay on the beach to eat it. We sat in our boats and watched. We move to the next cove and got water from a low waterfall. As we left we saw a deer on the beach and watched it for a while. We paddled the rocky coast over to East Flank Island. Didn't see any otters or seals. Nor did we see any fish jumping. I was again unsuccessful fishing. We saw a seal and a sea lion though. At bedtime a dear walked across the beach. It was very persistent and was going to cross the beach regardless if we were there or not. When we camped here before there were two fawns on the beach. They stayed very still until their mom swam over to the island and took them into the woods. I'm guessing this deer may have her own fawns on the island. We've seen almost no starfish or jellyfish on this trip which is very unusual.</div>
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7/21 - The night was cloudy and warm and the day was calm with showers. There was drizzle often on all morning but when we loaded the boats it rained hard. We paddled through Esther Passage to a nice high beach on the south side of the northern end of Esther Passage. The high tides are greater than 13 feet and this is a great high campsite. It also has a stream with no dead salmon for water so we can stay here several days if necessary during the forecast storm. Saw very few animals today, two otters, one sea lion, two seals, and eagles. Commercial fishing has wound down so I guess the pinks are no longer running.</div>
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7/22 - Today was rainy and calm. We stayed under the tarp or in the tent all day. Got a few blueberries for breakfast. Saw one otter.</div>
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7/23 - The rain finally stopped at 6 AM. It is a calm partly cloudy day. We packed up and crossed Wells Passage to the northern entrance of Hobo Bay in one and half hours. There was a light breeze and less than 1 foot seas. Perfect for that long 5 mile crossing. We had breakfast on the beach at Hobo Bay, a nice campsite. A large group of paddlers passed us going north up Wells Passage, at least eight boats mostly doubles. They were at least a mile from shore, which was a mystery to us. It is so boring paddling that far from shore. We usually are within 100 feet of the shoreline so we can see animals and paddle through reefs. We then paddled to Entry Cove over the next four hours. It was sunny on the beach with a strong breeze and we got our gear dried. We collected blueberries for breakfast.</div>
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7/24 - We got an early start this morning to get ahead of the forecasted bad weather. Small craft advisories in Prince William Sound with 20 knot winds for Passage Canal are forecast with rain. We got packed, ate, and loaded before the rain arrived. We crossed to Decision Point with 2 foot following seas and light wind in an hour. Then a wet but easy paddle to Whittier in 3 1/2 hours, arriving by noon. We unloaded in the rain. Stormy wet weather is forecast for at least the next few days. We were glad to finish our trip with so many sunny days. We covered 150 miles and saw every large mammal in the Sound except whales. Plus we finally got to see the Columbia Glacier after two previous unsuccessful attempts. I was surprised at how few kayakers we saw on this trip. We used 60 ounces a white gas in the whisper light stove. We packed enough food for 16 days. Jean never got cell phone reception. We got weather on the VHF radio at all the campsites using a long antenna.</div>
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Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-23901825518451784572015-09-12T16:27:00.001-08:002015-09-12T16:27:10.488-08:00<br />
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<b>Knight Island to Whittier via Icy Bay in 2015</b></div>
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8/22 - It has been a few years since Jean and I have paddled in the Sound. We got a water taxi share with Lazy Otter to Knight Island for $230 each. This is late in the season for us to paddle in the Sound but various schedule conflicts for Jean and I prevented our usual July trip. We ran into Nelly at Lazy Otter, which was a surprise. I hadn't seen her since we paddled on the Kenai River in June. She and her friend are chartering to the top of Colross Passage for a 3 day trip. It was very windy in Whittier and blowing in Passage Canal but it was dry. We requested a drop at the kayak site in Johnson Bay on Knight Island that is shown on the Trails Illustrated map. Unfortunately there was no beach so we went to a great beach we saw at the north entrance of the bay. This is a good campsite for the current 11' tide not for the 14' tides we'll see in a week. We set up camp and paddled around Johnson Bay. We saw sea lions, land otters, sea otters, eagles, and whales spouting in Knight Island Passage. </div>
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8/23 - It was a calm night with temperatures in the high 40's. We heard sea otters munching and pups crying. I saw the Northern lights last night. There was a heavy dew in the morning. We paddled to the beach at the end of Squire Island that is on the Trails Illustrated map. The day started calm for several hours then became breezy with a north wind. We saw a whale north of Dire Bay that swam near us. Quite exciting. We saw 3 land otters going into the sea from a beach and also seals, sea otters, and eagles. The outside of Squire Island has lots of small beaches for breaks at low tides. The campsite is set in the trees and a good storm site but there is no fresh water. The day was partly cloudy to cloudy and in the low 60s. We saw very few motorboats.</div>
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8/24 - It was another clear night with dew on the tent in the morning. We heard lots of salmon jumping in front of the beach last night and in the morning. A deer was near our tent in the morning. A sea lion in front of the campsite probably was going after fish. We paddled to the Pleiades Islands in an hour and saw porpoises nearby. There were lots of seals and sea otters, some with pups too. We then paddled to Countess Point in 3/4 hour. The beach to the south is campable at low tide ranges. We continued to the Dual Head camp marked on the Trails Illustrated map. This is a bomber site with a great landing beach and sites even in the trees. It is great for storms or large groups but there is no fresh water here. There are lots of icebergs coming out of Icy Bay. There are also some biting gnats here. Six land otters swam past us in a group first one way and then the other. We saw three motorboats today. We had a mostly clear day with light breeze and small seas. </div>
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8/25 - The night was warm and the day sunny and calm. Heard a whale spouting in the morning in Whale Bay. Paddled to Nassau Bay. Lots of ice was coming out of the bay. The Nassau glacier is noisy but we didn’t see much ice coming off the face. Had lunch at the campsite marked on the Trails Illustrated map. This site is susceptible to surges from calving. I’d not camp here. We headed for an island in Icy Bay, 3 miles from the Tiger Glacier. The campsite is high above surges with a great view of the glacier. It has a poor landing beach and is an uphill haul for the gear and boats though. Saw eagles, sea otters, and seals. Gnats are at this campsite too. The Tiger Glacier is noisy but not much calving.</div>
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8/26 - The glacier was very noisy last night and there are lots of ice bergs in the bay this morning. Cloudy night and day. Started paddling before the showers began. They continued off and on through mid-afternoon. Camped at the northern entrance to Jackpot Bay. A little alder trimming made it a nice sheltered spot. Saw sea otters, seals, and eagles. Also only one motor boat and one sailboat. It is much more quiet than in July when there is commercial fishing. Calm winds and seas. Heard the Nassau glacier groaning as we paddled past. Lots of ice was coming out of the bay. Saw a humpback leaving Jackpot Bay. It blew several times then went straight up out of the the water 20’ with its mouth open then sank back down. First time I’ve seen that.</div>
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8/27 - Misty and calm morning. High winds are predicted for tonight so we want to get to the bomber campsite at Point Nowell. High winds are predicted through Friday night so we’re planning for a storm day tomorrow. The first three quarters of the paddle was with gentle following seas. That switched to a headwind and waves. Point Nowell has no water source and we can carry only one days worth of water. We found two nearby water sources. One is a stream feeding a brackish back-beach pond behind a north-facing beach south of Point Nowell. There is also a pond near Point Nowell on the topo map. It is easy to reach in a north wind. We poured our full water bag into Ziploc bags and place them in a paddle float for safekeeping. I paddled over to the beach south of the pond. There is a brackish pond behind the beach. From there I hiked several hundred yards to the freshwater pond and filled the water bag. After getting adequate water we lazed around on the sunny south facing beach watching sea otters, seals, sea lions, and whales.</div>
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8/28 - It was a very windy night with gales in the sound. Quite exciting. A clear night and day. Strong winds continued during the day with high seas. We watched a sea otter, sea lions, and lots of whales. The best thing of this whole trip was when a pod of 6 to 8 Orcas came into our bay and hunted fish for 15 minutes. They came within 20 feet of shore. We could see them swimming sideways hunting under the clear water. They are much larger than I expected. One had a huge dorsal fin. Glad we took a weather day here and saw them. The beach at the south end of Point Nowell was warm and we spent most of the day there. The east facing beach was shaded, windy, and cool. No small boats today with the small craft advisory. In the evening the pod of orcas came past our camp from the south. We saw them from a mile away and they rapidly went past our point and went out of sight to the north. Their dorsal fins repeatedly cut through the waves. While we watch the orcas coming towards us another type of whale was spouting in the distance. What a great place.</div>
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8/29 - Windy last night. Calm morning and day. Seas gradually subsided during the day. We paddled to Applegate Island another bomber campsite for the forecasted two days of high winds. Having such strong wind and no rain is odd. Normally there is rain during our storm days so we can collect water off the tarp. The Applegate campsite is near two streams so we can get water during the upcoming wind storm. The streams are protected from the north winds. Saw a sailboat and several sport fishing boats today. Still no kayaks. A whale surfaced several times near us as we paddled. A sea lion swam beside us for 15 minutes. It would turn and look at us as we paddled. Also saw seals and lots of sea otters. We had a pleasant evening watching the sunlit clouds.</div>
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8/30 - Today is a storm day but a weird storm day with sunny skies and high winds. Normally we would expect rain with such a storm. Colross Passage is solid whitecaps and water is being whipped off the sea surface between Colross Island and Perry Island. Jean paddled in Colross Passage and could make no headway in the wind. We saw only a sea otter and one boat all day. When we went to the stream to get water there were two great blue herons feeding. They flew off when they saw us. It was hard to find a place out of the wind because the strong winds eddy around everywhere. There is a kingfisher singing at the top of trees. These must be his islands.</div>
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8/31 - Another storm day. The high wind and waves are similar to yesterday. It was cold and cloudy in the morning but sunny by noon to warm us up. We saw a sea otter, eagle, kingfisher, and heron today. This campsite Is so beautiful especially to the southwest. There are nine islands in a backdrop of mountains with flowing glaciers. What a great spot for a storm day. There are small craft advisories and gale warnings around the Sound today. Whittier has been especially windy. There have been very few days when we could've paddled back into Whittier because of the high winds there. The forecast is for 3 good days of calm weather so we hope it holds for us to get in. The air is remarkably dry and the absence of rain is unusual.</div>
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9/1 - Winds decreased to 10 to 15 mph overnight. The night was clear and today was sunny. We started paddling at noon and went over to the old Forest Service cabin location across from our campsite. There is a lagoon there where we've seen bears taking salmon on previous trips. This time though there were no bears and the cabin has been removed. There were 1 to 2 foot seas in Colross passage and a few whitecaps. We paddle into the north wind as the seas decreased during the day. We paddle to the new Forest Service cabin in Goosebay to see it. The cabin is at the very back of the bay. It was occupied so we did not land and get out. There were many sport fishing boats out, which we had not seen in days. We camped at 20 mile beach at the top of Colross Island, the same beach Nelly was dropped on over a week ago. We had sun there until 8:30 and the wind was calm. I should note that most streams had salmon trying to get up them. And there were lots of dead and dying salmon on the beaches. There have been stellar jays at every campsite and dragonflies on most beaches. We only saw an eagle today.</div>
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9/2 - Rain is predicted for tomorrow so we’re going to have a big 21 mile day and paddle all the way into Whittier. Last night was cool and clear. The day was clear with a few high clouds. It was calm, making for a safe passage across the endless crossings. The longest is Cochrane Bay, which can be scary when there is a north wind because the seas have miles of fetch to build as they come down Port Wells. Today it was calm and just as this long crossing was getting boring a military cargo jet started circling the area. The President is visiting Alaska so we speculated that it might be related to that. Suddenly 5 parachutists appeared in the sky from the jet and seemed to drop into Blackstone Bay. Then a military helicopter started patrolling in the area. By the time we started the crossing of Blackstone Bay we could see the helicopter performing maneuvers in Passage Canal. People were hoisted from the water. Quite entertaining for part of this next boring crossing. We also had a sea lion following us near Pt. Cochrane, the only marine mammal of the day. We saw a group of 8 jet skiers, which is unusual. Haven’t seen them in the Sound for many years. After 11 1/2 days of paddling we saw our first kayakers. They were paddling out of Blackstone Bay. We also saw two other paddlers when we were almost to Whittier. After the entertainment provided by the military, we finished paddling to Whittier on calm seas and sunny skies in 6 1/2 hours. We got the car keys from Lazy Otter, loaded up, and went home. One great trip with NO rain, lots of sun, and more whales than I’ve ever seen. We covered 125 miles and stayed at some great campsites. </div>
Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-69205798732469952152014-07-09T11:44:00.000-08:002014-07-10T12:26:09.777-08:00East Flank Island to Whittier - July 2014<br />
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July 4, 2014 - Jean and I planned a 3 day trip over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. It has been a few years since I paddled in the Sound. Last year we paddled in Kachemak Bay and the years before that I paddled the Kongakut, Hula Hula, and East Fork of the Canning rivers. I contacted the water taxi operators in Whittier a few weeks before and asked if they had any extra space on a charter going out over the 4th. We hoped to get dropped off within 3 days paddle and were not too picky about where we went since there are great things to see all over the Sound.</div>
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Epic Charters had space on a day-long sight seeing trip that went eastward to East Flank Island then northward into Harriman Fiord. We jumped at the chance to get dropped at East Flank Island since it is one of our favorite campsites in the Sound. The island is at the southern end of Esther Passage and has a protected beach that has views on either side of the island. It is also well placed to visit the Dutch Group or Bald Head Chris or for jumping off to trips farther to the east.</div>
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We met Brooke, the owner of Epic Charters, after driving through the Whittier tunnel. He and his crew loaded our kayaks and gear on the boat. I parked the car, payed for the water taxi, and we were on our way in 20 minutes. We met the two other couples who were vacationing in Alaska and had a full boat. The weather was sunny and warm and seas calm. </div>
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Porpoises swam back and forth across our bow as we cruising down Passage Canal. Our driver sighted a whale off Pigot Point. He stopped the boat and we watched as it spouted 3 times before it sounded. The whale sounded two more times before we moved on to East Flank Island.</div>
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There were two fawns on the beach of East Flank Island and they move back into the brush when the boat approached. Jean and I saw two fawns on the same beach 9 years ago when we camped on this beach. It must be a safe place for deer to raise their young. </div>
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The boat is a landing craft and the driver gently landed on the beach and open the front ramp. We unloaded our boats and gear with out getting wet boots. </div>
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Jean and I packed the boats and were on the water by noon. We paddled along the southern side of Esther Island dodging the commercial fishing nets that were strung out from the shore and tended by bow-pickers. Salmon were seen in the nets as we paddled over the nets through the clear water. There is no glacial silt in this part of the sound to obscure the water.</div>
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We took the afternoon to paddle over to a long beach about 1 1/2 miles north of Esther Point. The beach has a stream at the southern end and lots of great flat tent sites. A sea otter cruised off the beach before the commercial fishing boats started to come into the bay to anchor for the night. There were 8 boats anchored in the bay by dusk. They were there to rest and it was a surprisingly quiet night.</div>
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July 5, 2014 - Clouds moved in overnight and there was a light breeze. We had a leisurely breakfast and packed up for the 2 hour paddle across Port Wells. The weather forecast was benign and the tide range relatively low so we felt it was safe to make such a long open water crossing. The seas and winds can be quite challenging because the tides and winds from 4 different directions can converge in this location.</div>
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We headed to the nearest landfall, the north side of Pigot Bay, about 6 miles away. About a mile or two offshore we began to feel the 1 to 2 foot waves coming from several directions. The seas were probably a combination of the long northerly fetch of Port Wells and the tidal current that was running near its peak. We kept up a steady pace and landed on the far shore in 1 hour and 55 minutes. The only incident was an errant wave that slapped the side of my boat and splashed a lot of water over the top of my spray skirt. It throughly soaked me and I was glad to dry out on the warm rocks of the beach. As we approached the beach we saw the first group of kayakers on the trip. </div>
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After a long break we paddled over to Pigot Point light to stay on the little beach nearby. This is a great site in fair weather and small tide ranges. It is very exposed and gives great views of the sea in all directions. It also had a constant breeze that kept the biting flies at bay. The point was patrolled by a seal that eyed us carefully. A whale spouted and we were buzzed by a hummingbird during the evening. We put up a tarp in preparation for the rain forecasted the next morning.</div>
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July 6, 2014 - It rained off and on overnight. In the morning we packed up and ate breakfast between light showers. The weather was threatening during the rest of the days paddle back to Whittier but it didn't rain until we had loaded our gear in the car. The wind was light and at our backs for a pleasant paddle. We saw paddlers again near Shotgun Cove, the second group of the trip. I was surprised how few paddlers we saw on the trip.</div>
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We arrived at Whittier harbor at low tide and landed at the steep rocky beach near the boat launch. It is not a bad place to unload on a higher tide range but at this low tide it mostly riprap except for a small section near the north end with a little gravel. We lugged the gear and boats up the steep face and got everything loaded just as it started to shower. All in all a great get-a-way over a long weekend on short notice.</div>
Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-17206319830932677432010-08-01T11:44:00.000-08:002010-09-01T11:49:29.842-08:00Paddling from Valdez to the Columbia Glacier - July 2010<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 1, 2010 - Jean and I made the 6 hour drive from Anchorage to Valdez over 300 miles of road. Valdez was cloudy and cool but dry. We stayed at the Bear Paw campground tenting area for $25.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 2, 2010 - Got up early to launch at mid-tide from the beach at the Bear Paw campground. We paddled 4 hours to a single tent site across from Middle Rock on the west side of the Valdez Narrows. Saw a tanker pass through the Narrows that evening. A number of commercial seiners were out but they were not catching much. I caught a pink salmon from shore. Jean fried it up and it tasted great. We saw bald eagles, seals, sea otters, and sea lions. The day was cool and cloudy with a light breeze. There were lots of biting flies but the Bug Armor did a great job of protecting us. Drizzle started about bed time.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 3, 2010 - The light drizzle lasted all night and into the morning. We went to Saw Mill Bay since we had never been there. We started in a light rain and headed south. We saw eagles sitting in trees in pairs, which was unusual. Usually they are alone. A sea lion came up behind us several times and snorted. We saw other sea lions too. There was a following tide, following sea, and following breeze so we really cruised along. We checked out the campsite at Potato Point and it is great. There is a nice beach at the west entrance to the Saw Mill Bay where 3 tent sites were scrapped out of the gravel. We paddled into the bay and found the Trails Illustrated campsite. It is impressive with a fire ring, bear box, tent platform, outhouse, and 2 ground tent sites. A hummingbird visited during the evening. A guided group came into the bay in the evening and camped west of us on a grassy peninsula between the mainland the the island. Saw a pacific loon in the bay during the evening.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 4, 2010 - The night was dry and even saw patches of blue sky in the morning. We paddled to Columbia Bay with a light north wind that changed to south at noon. Most of the shore is cliffy but after 2 hours of paddling we came to the first beach that has great camping spots and a stream. The locals call this 17 mile beach. An hour later we passed another beach that is another good rest spot and it may work as a campsite. The rest of the way to Columbia bay is cliffy with a few rocky beaches that could be used in a emergency. The hole trip to Columbia was 8 paddle miles. </p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">Numerous sea lions came up behind us and snorted repeatedly. We'd see them fishing then they'd come up behind us. Maybe they were escorting us out of their fishing areas. It was a great paddle around Point Freemantle. This point always makes me nervous because it can have swells, waves and currents from many directions at the same time. An armada of icebergs were flowing out of Columbia Bay. They were completely across the horizon.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">Tonights campsite near Elf Point is great, back in the trees, well protected from a storm with views to the north or south. The best landing beach is on the north side. There are several camping sites on either side of the point. We saw a group of paddlers crossing from Columbia Bay to Glacier Island. A pair of oyster catchers are on the beach probably protecting a nest. We stayed away from that section of beach but the birds raised a racket when an eagle passed over. Drizzle began after supper but we were ready with tarps.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 5, 2010 - Today was cool wet, breezy, and rainy. We stayed in camp because the north wind and rain made paddling unappealing. It rained steadily last night and the ground could not soak up the water as fast as it collected. We moved the tent to a slightly higher location to avoid the pooling water. A guided group camped at the sites on the north side last night.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 6, 2010 - Today is a good day to get around Pt. Freemantle. It is still rainy, wet, and cold so we don't have much enthusiasm to paddle into the ice of Columbia Bay. The guided group said they couldn't get very far into the bay so we headed back toward Valdez. There were a lot of icebergs along the coast for the first few miles of the paddle. As we rounded Pt. Freemantle, we saw a fishing boat catch a halibut after a long fight. We wanted to camp at 17 mile beach but the guided group was unloading there so we moved on to Saw Mill Bay. We camped on the beach we saw on the paddle out that had three scooped out tent sites.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">On the cliffs we saw guillemots, black and white sea birds with red legs, feeding their kids who were in the cracks of the cliffs. Pairs of eagles perched in the trees along mountain streams, maybe waiting for salmon. A land otter cruised along the shore. A sea otter floated offshore nursing a pup. One sea lion accompanied us for several miles. It was not like the previous lions who appeared to want us out of their territory. This one swam parallel to us, about 25 feet away. It would look at us then dive and a little while later it would come up besides us again. It did not make a sound. It was neat having the curious animal stay with us for so long. At our camp, a land otter swam along the shore and approached our beach. When it saw our gear it veered off and continued swimming around the point.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">It was much warmer paddling away from Columbia Bay. We had a few showers with light winds and seas.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 7, 2010 - Today was a rainy day. We thought of packing up and moving to Potato Point but the winds there were consistently 15 with gusts to 20. That would not have been fun spending the day in that. The rain stopped about 4 p.m. and it was pleasant all evening. We saw the land otter again. It wanted to come on this beach but it moved on like last night. We saw two small groups of kayakers today.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica">July 8, 2010 - There was light rain last night. We paddled back to Valdez in 6 hours counting breaks. There are lots of fishing boats about but they are waiting for a fishing opener and are not fishing. We had tidal currents, sea, and wind in our favor in the morning. The seas were 2' following or rear quartering and it was quite tiring concentrating for so many hours in those conditions. It was not hard work but we were constantly balancing with the different following waves and boat wakes. By afternoon the tide had changed direction so the seas had a shorter period and more peaked. We were glad to get to shore and get out of that. The day started sunny and became partly cloudy with 10 knot winds. We saw a big group of kayakers this morning. We stayed at the Bear Paw again, got cleaned up, and had a meal in town.</p>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-81020335732424241602009-08-14T07:29:00.000-08:002009-08-14T07:31:17.250-08:00Paddling from Valdez through the Valdez Narrows – August 2009<span style="font-family:times new roman;">August 2. Jean and I tented at the Bear Paw campground in Valdez the previous night for $25. They have a wooded camping area for tents on the water near the west end of the marina and away from their main RV Park. There are clean bathrooms and showers.<br /><br />We planned to launch from the beach across from the east side of the marina. There is free parking along the street from the beach. We spoke to a local police officer who told us that technically parking is only allowed for 24 hours but that is only enforced in the winter for snow removal. We were launching near low tide and the water’s edge was a long walk over slippery seaweed-covered rocks so we changed our plans.<br /><br />The Bear Paw has beach access for registered guests. The beach is gravel and easy to load on. Since we were still guests until 11:00, we loaded our boats from their beach but still parked the car along the street on the east side of the marina.<br /><br />Within 15 minutes of launching we saw a sea otter and 2 bald eagles. By 11:00 the wind started to blow from the west. This is a common pattern for Port Valdez and the Narrows. We paddled into a headwind with occasional white caps and 2’ swells. We got to Shoup Bay and had following seas from the south into the bay. On the way we saw 5 land otters as they jumped into the water. <br /><br />We arrived at the channel to the lake in front of Shoup Glacier one-half hour before the high tide of 9’. We paddled steadily up the channel for 20 minutes against the current until we got into the calm lake water. Just beyond the entrance is an island with hundreds and hundreds of screaming birds. They would rise up off the water in a giant swirl, fly to the island, and the birds on the island would fly off to the water. They did this repeatedly while we were on the lake.<br /><br />We paddled along the southern shore and found 2 nice campsites that were above the next high tide of 11’. There were some black flies on the beach. We then headed to the glacier a mile away. As we got closer we saw 6 doubles and a single kayak headed away from the glacier. A little farther we saw a similar number of boats near the glacier. The water was surprisingly calm on this sunny day and we didn’t feel the wind we had on our paddle from Valdez. We paddled back and forth in front the face of the glacier but did not see any calving.<br /><br />August 3. It was a cool night and a sunny day. A group of kayakers camped near us but we did not know they were there until the next morning. The low tide of 0’ was at 7:00 a.m. and the high tide of 9.5’ was at 1:35 p.m.. I noticed that the lake level did not rise or fall nearly as much as the ocean. There only appeared to be a change of a few feet during the night. We reached the outlet of the lake at 10:45 near mid-tide on a rising tide. To our surprise the flow was out with enough speed to form rapids! We waited until around noon and the current was still flowing out but at a manageable speed. <br /><br />Later I was told that the lake level stays at about 9’ so any tide height below this causes flow out of the lake and heights above this cause flow into the lake. I used the rule of 12’s to estimate a tide height of about 7’ when we first tried to leave and it was about 8.5‘ when we left at noon. <br /><br />We paddled down the west side of the Narrows and saw a sea otter, a sea lion, and a seal. We camped on a beach where we had previously camped across from Middle Rock in the Narrows. The southerly winds blew at 15 to 20 knot with 2’ seas which are typical in the Narrows on sunny days. We worked hard to get there and were happy to stop. Just north of us was a spectacular water fall that turns into spray and mist as it falls. We camped in the grass and the wind died after 7:00 p.m. <br /><br />We met a kayaker who had paddled from Whittier to Valdez and was now returning to Whittier. As we ate supper, a land otter scurried down our beach into the water. We also saw a seal and a sea otter in front of our beach. There were some black flies on the beach. Jean got a couple of bites that caused a lot of swelling. This happened last time we camped on this beach too. Fog also moved in and out during the afternoon and evening.<br /><br />August 4. There was a light northeast breeze with swells in the morning. We saw a seal and sea otter during breakfast. And a land otter returned from the sea with part of a fish in its mouth. It marched up the beach 20’ away from us and went into the woods. I assume it was feeding its kids. <br /><br />Our good weather is ending tomorrow so we are heading back to Valdez over the next two days. The paddle was much easier than the previous day and I had time to admire the numerous water falls along the western cliffs of the Narrows. As we paddled back to Shoup Bay we saw a tanker going through the Narrows into Valdez with an escort tug. One-half hour later a full tanker started into the Narrows with two escort tugs. What was odd was that a line extended from the stern of the tanker to the stern of one tug. The tanker was slowly pulling the tug backwards through the Narrows. I guess this is a safety measure.<br /><br />As we paddled back to Shoup Bay, we noted two possible campsites along the Narrows. We also checked for campsites on the moraine between the cabin outside of the lake and the outlet for the lake but found none. That area is a mudflat at low tide and it would be miserable to launch except at high tide. We entered the channel 1 hour before the 10’ high tide. The previous low tide was -0.5‘. We needed to paddle against a gentle current to get into the lake. The rule of 12’s estimate of the tide level was about 9’. <br /><br />We checked out the campsite between the cabin on the lake and the outlet. It has a bear can, toilet, and protected campsite in the alders but there is no view. There appears to be a similar site on the other side of the cabin also noted with a marker. We got water at a nearby stream which had possible camping. There are a lot of possible camping sites around the lake. We paddled over to the site we stayed at two days ago and camped on a beach facing the glacier. Clouds and haze moved in during the afternoon before the predicted rain. The glacier is more active than two days ago and there were a few minor swells from calving.<br /><br />August 5. The glacier continued to be active all night. Sprinkles started about dusk and later turned to rain. In the morning, there was a breeze off the glacier with rain. We packed up and got to the outlet 2 hours before the high tide of 10.5’. There was a small current carrying us out. The paddle back to Valdez was in the fog, drizzle, and rain. We saw bald eagles, a seal, a sea otter, a sea lion, and two tankers on our way in. We landed on the beach east of the boat harbor 2 hours after high tide and it was an easy unload on a gravel beach. The Valdez weather forecast for the rest of the week was for showers and rain so we headed north to Paxson in search of drier paddling.</span>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-17021012087346145852009-07-23T12:08:00.003-08:002009-07-23T12:11:42.711-08:00Paddling the southwestern Sound – July 2009<span style="font-family:times new roman;">July 7. My friend Jean and I took the Alaska State ferry from Whittier to Chenega Village on Evans Island. The trip on the Aurora took 4 ½ hours through calm seas and sunny but hazy skies. Onboard were 7 kayaks and 9 kayakers plus a few other passengers. The ferry provided a pickup truck that hauled our gear from the Whittier dock into the ferry then onto the Chenaga Village dock. We hand carried the boats on and off the ferry.<br /><br />The trip started with minus tides. We arrived at Chenaga Village near a low tide of 3.5 feet at 7:00 pm. Launching off the boat ramp was not possible because of the low tide. There is a small beach south of the dock where boats can be launched though. We paddled north a few miles to a beach and camped for the night. There were very few bugs on the beach.<br /><br />July 8. A calm sunny warm day with haze with a breeze in the afternoon. Paddled to the top Evans Island and camped there. Often saw bald eagles, seals, sea otters, sea lions and a group of land otters. For two hours whales (fin?) were blowing and diving near us. Quite a show. At supper a humpback leaped and crashed back into the ocean with a resounding explosion. Wish we had a hydrophone to listen in on the whales, but Jean forgot to bring hers. Saw two kayakers from the ferry. Very few bugs.<br /><br />July 9. The morning started out foggy with a light breeze with winds increasing to 15 knots by noon and sunny. Fog rolled in by late afternoon. We paddled part way down the western side of Evans Island through Prince of Wales Passage. The current slowed us by about 0.5 knots. We saw a group of sea otters with pups, then a group of 40 seals on a rock. They all splashed into the water when they saw us. Bald eagles are seen frequently. Also saw three kayaks, two came with us on the ferry.<br /><br />A black bear was patrolling the beach we camped on just before we landed. There were lots of bear and deer tracks but no animals while camping. The beach is well protected from the southerly winds. A nearby stream had a great place to bathe. We brought a hummingbird feeder with us and have set it up in camp. It has been doing a great job attracting the little guys. Some of the birds can figure it out and others cannot. They are a joy to watch while we eat.<br /><br />July 10. Low clouds and calm seas in the morning with fog moving in before leaving. Saw seals, sea lions, and eagles. Hugged the coast down to Squirrel Bay in the dense fog. There is a huge sandy beach where we decided to camp since we had no visibility and we didn’t want to miss the beautiful coast in the fog. This is one of the longest beaches I’ve seen in the Sound. There is a small stream on the beach too. Began to feel the ocean swells today. Lots of bear and deer tracks on the beach.<br /><br />July 11. It was foggy all night and it began lifting by late morning.. We crossed to Bainbridge Island but before we got there a whale (fin?) was feeding perpendicular to our path. We stopped and watched it for a while then quickly paddled to the shore before it began its next feeding pass. They we paddled east along the shore.<br /><br />The water thus far has been very clear so we can see all the marine life. There is also lots of bull kelp through the area. We saw sea otters with pups, seals, sea lions, and eagles. We also saw an active eagle nest on a cliff.<br /><br />We paddled to Procession rocks to a rookery of over 100 sea lions plus cormorants, puffins, and gulls. The big guys followed us around and the younger sea lions bobbed up and down watching us. It was quite exciting. <br /><br />The coast has a wild rugged look and feel. There are at least two beaches to land on but this requires surf landings. We had two foot swells but the landings were still wet. We paddled over to Swanson Bay to a calm sandy beach for lunch. We camped on a protected beach in Hogg Bay. We set up the humming bird feeder and got lots of birds.<br /><br />July 12. We had low clouds and calm seas. Saw five Orcas in Port Bainbridge as we ate breakfast. Also saw sea otters, sea lions, and eagles as we paddled to Bainbridge glacier. This is no longer a tide-water glacier but it has a huge boulder moraine in front of it. The face of the ice is quite far from the beach. We did not walk to the glacier but that would be an interesting hike. The north and south ends of cobble moraine have gravel beaches to land a kayak. It is also possible to camp there. The water is murky here.<br /><br />While we were paddling along the moraine we saw a mountain goat walking on the beach. It stopped and looked at us then continued down the beach. Quite the surprise. Then we paddled up to Puffin Cove. There were no salmon in the cove yet but there were lots of puffins resting on the cliffs and flying around.<br /><br />The day became sunny and the breeze picked up with low clouds moving in by evening. We camped on a beach 2 miles north of Bainbridge Passage. There were no boats of any kind today. Saw two Orcas while eating supper.<br /><br />July 13. It was a foggy morning but it cleared off by 10:00 am. We saw eagles, sea otters, and sea lions. We entered Bainbridge Passage one-half hour before slack tide and could feel the current against us. After the flood started we got up to a speed of 4.8 mph. Stopped at the campsite noted on the Trails Illustrated map in the middle of the passage. It has a nice campsite on the southern end of the beach. <br /><br />The passage is beautiful to paddle. We met one of the paddlers from the ferry camped on an island north of the passage. Still no luck fishing. Camped at the top of Bainbridge Island on a beautiful beach. Bear sign is still on all the beaches. Hummingbirds are still attracted to the feeder. Saw seven land otters swimming by.<br /><br />July 14. Whales woke us up last night. They blew with very loud explosions several dozen times. It was too dim to see them, but they were swimming back and forth across the small bay where we were camped. The night was very quiet now that we are not near the Gulf of Alaska swells. We saw ice floating out of Icy Bay in the morning. Two days ago we heard load booms coming from Icy Bay when we were in Port Bainbridge. That must have been ice calving off the glaciers and that release might be making its way out of Icy Bay.<br /><br />The day had low clouds then became partly sunny be afternoon. The wind and seas were light. We paddled to the Pleiades Islands and heard a whale blow as we got there but we did not see it. The Pleiades are just cliffs with no place to land. We continued to the reefs and islands on the western side of Knight Island. The water is crystal clear. We saw lots of sea otters with pups, which was quite fun.<br /><br />We looked for the campsite in Johnson Bay shown on the Trails Illustrated map. There is a trickle of a stream there where we got water but there is no camping there or any where in Johnson Bay. The stream at the back of the bay comes out of a cliff and this is not an option to get water. The beaches for camping are very few on the western side of Knight Island but there are beaches for breaks. We finally found a camping beach a few miles north of Johnson Bay.<br /><br />Jean saw 30 seals that jumped into the water when they saw her. Also saw an active eagle nest. No kayakers today.<br /><br />July 15. The day started as partly cloudy then became clear. It was windless and the seas were quiet. We paddled northward then crossed over to Point Nowell and camped. We saw a few sea otters last night but there were none this morning as we paddled northward. This is quite a contrast to all the otters we saw the previous day south of here. I wonder if the northern part of Knight Island has not recovered well from the Exxon spill. The water is clear and we can see the sea weeds but not much other marine life. No kayakers today. Commercial fishing has started along this part of the coast but they stopped fishing in the evening.<br /><br />July 16. The day was cloudy with light winds and seas. The commercial fishing started up again in the morning and went late into the night. We paddled to Foul Bay, The campsite we like on the northern side of Foul Bay was taken so camped at the southern side. This campsite is completely isolated from the ocean by reefs at low tide. <br /><br />A set-netter gave us a red salmon that had a seal bite on the gill cover. We cooked it for supper and had a great feast. We saw a few otters but no kayakers on the water. We had some bugs on the beach but they are manageable.<br /><br />July 17. The day was misty with low clouds with calm seas. We paddled through a gauntlet of fishing boats near Lighthouse Point. Paddled up Culross Passage and saw two kayakers in there. We continued to Surprise Cove but that campsite was full of motor boaters. We camped on a big beach with great campsites a mile north. This site has northern exposure. We had a long (23 mile) day but we were trying to get to Whittier before the weather went bad on Sunday.<br /><br />July 18. It was a drizzly morning. We had up the tarp and ate under it. The final 4 hours of paddling into Whittier harbor was uneventful. We did see a large group of kayaks at Decision Point and another group along Passage Canal. <br /><br />We covered 155 miles with some great weather and calm seas. This allowed us to explore areas near the outside coast that we could only visit with calm seas. We’ve never seen so much wildlife on one paddle trip.</span>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-8402653161164899222009-05-19T20:54:00.000-08:002009-05-19T20:59:34.312-08:00Main Bay to Crofton Island<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">From May 15 to 17 I volunteered to cleanup trash on the Prince William Sound beaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The cleanup was organized by GOAK.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our group of 3 kayakers were taken by power boat from Whittier to Main Bay where we loaded our kayaks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We started the cleanup on the north side of Main Bay, landing on a beach, filling bright yellow bags with trash, and moving to the next beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was a rainy day and the seas were calm in the bay.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The temperatures were in the mid-forties.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Main Bay and the nearby bays are heavily used by commercial set netters in the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are many marginal beaches in Main Bay but none are scenic because the set netters store their gear and have shelters behind the beaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>You can camp here in a pinch when no fishing is occurring.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Some of the north facing beaches had snow at the top of the beach but the other beaches were snow free.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The small tide range for this weekend of 6 to 8 feet meant that many marginal camping beaches were safe to camp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the evening, I camped below a set net site on a gravel beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I set up a tarp and fixed dinner in the rain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Later I hung my food and set up the tent under the tarp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>After settling into my sleeping bag, I saw motion outside the tent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I yelled at what looked a rat and the animal ran off a bit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It then came back and I could see that it was a weasel patrolling the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That was special since I’ve only see weasels once before in the Sound.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">By midnight the rain had stopped and the skies cleared.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the morning, all the water droplets on the tarp and tent were frozen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Things thawed out in the sunshine and we were on the water by 9:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There was not a cloud in the sky and it stayed calm and clear all day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We paddled over to Falls Bay and continued cleaning the beaches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This bay is also heavily used by set netters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The beaches are also marginal for camping and I’d only use them in a pinch.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We picked up trash on the beaches through the bay and continued south along the outside beaches, finishing up across from the southern end of Crofton Island.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>These beaches are also marginal for camping except in low tide ranges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I paddled over to the huge beach at the southern end of Crofton and camped there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has great views to the east, south, and west.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is a high beach and can accommodate a large group.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Nearby is an old cabin that the Park service has designated as historic significance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It has bunks and it appears it can be used in a pinch.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Twenty feet from the door, in view from the door, someone had pooped and left toilet paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is no outhouse at this cabin so if you must go in the woods, dig a cathole and packout or burn your paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Usually paddlers dig a cathole as close to the waters edge and go there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That evening I watched a pair of Bald Eagles chattering at each other in the nearby trees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When they finished, two pair of oyster catchers flew around with their loud piercing calls, probably discussing territory or mates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Later an otter swam by munching loudly on barnacles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I finally turned in as the alpine glow was on the snowy mountains of Knight Island.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The next morning was calm and clear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I bagged trash on the beaches of Crofton Island and can across two dozen curious seals watching me work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>They’d bob up and down or occasionally splashed loudly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We loaded up the boats and gear by noon and headed back to Whittier via the east side of Perry Island to view a sea lion haul out at about 60 44.305' by 147 54.379'. A great trip.</p> <!--EndFragment-->Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-231435451352161429.post-13645370499496354112005-07-10T23:28:00.005-08:002011-06-14T14:01:09.278-08:00Valdez to Whittier - 2005<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">June 25. The weather forecast looks great. Jean and I took the Alaska ferry from Whittier to Valdez. The crew was cooperative and let us make multiple trips into the car-deck to load our 15 plus days of gear and boats. Arrived in Valdez at 6:00 PM after a 5 hour ferry ride. Anadyr Adventures met us at the ferry dock and took our gear and boats to a protected launch site east of the small boat harbor. The site was packed with trailers. The winds were southwesterly from noon until 8:00 PM. We packed our heavy boats and headed out at 8:30. The seas were choppy but there was no wind. We paddled 1 1/2 hours to Gold Creek. There is reportedly a bear container upstream. We got there at low tide and didn't try to find it. We camped on the spit at a marginal campsite tide-wise. A large boat wake could have washed over the site at high tide. Also there was nowhere to hang the food. We were lucky and had a restless but uneventful night.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">June 26. The day started cloudy and calm. We paddled to the beach across from Middle Rock at the start of the Narrows where we have previously camped. There is a very small gravel ledge for one tent. Potato Point has a much better site. The wind started about noon after the clouds cleared. Busted off half a tooth. There is no tooth pain but the gum is sore. Will see how bad it gets. Saw sea lions and sea otters.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">June 27. The tooth is better. Paddled to 17 mile beach south of Sawmill Bay. Great beach with a stream. Pretty day with light south wind, clouds, and warm temperatures. Saw a black bear on a beach. No other kayakers. Pleasant evening.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">June 28. Beautiful sunny calm morning. So far this trip we've seen lots of sea lions and the oyster catchers have been a kick! The paddle around Freemantle Point went well with calm seas. There is a beach 45 minutes south of 17 mile beach that is campable. There are no other stopping points until Heather Island. We checked out Emerald Cove across from southern Heather Island. It is not very campable. On a subsequent trip we camped at the small unnamed cove just east of Elf Point. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">We saw a seal chase and catch a fish. Very exciting. No salmon were jumping so I didn't fish. Set up camp on a small island off the southern end of Heather Island. The site is OK in this low tide range. Paddled to the northern end of Heather on the eastern side. Couldn't cross over to the western side. There are miles of house sized and smaller icebergs grounded as far as we could see. There were lots of otter pups and moms on the ice. One berg with otter families rolled and it was chaos with pups crying and moms looking for their kids. Such a scene. The face of the Columbia Glacier is miles away but the entrance to Columbia Bay is choked with ice. Quite a sight. There were showers during the night. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">June 29. Cloudy morning but sunny by afternoon. Paddled to Granite Cove and dropped our gear at the northern entrance. Hung food and paddled empty boats toward the glacier. Got to the submerged moraine across from the northern end of Heather Island. The huge bergs are grounded as far as we could see across Columbia Bay. Beached the boats and hiked to a high spot on the lateral moraine. The glacier is miles away and the bay north of the moraine is choked with ice. Most of the ice is in the middle of the bay. It was an unusual sight. I've never seen so much floating ice. We might be able to paddle along the sides but these bergs can roll unexpectedly. That thought is unsettling to me. We could camp on the moraine and hike along it. After supper, ice started floating into Granite Cove along with several otters. By evening, the bay was full of ice. Almost no mosquitoes so far but tons of black flies.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">June 30. Cloudy calm day. In the morning, a hummingbird worked the flowers of the beach peas. It landed near Jean's tent door for a minute. These birds are so much fun to watch. Much of the ice moved out of Granite Cove and it has gone quite far south toward Granite Island. The beaches from Granite Cove to the point where we did the crossing to Glacier Island were so ice choked we couldn't land. Near the start of the crossing, Jean found a small ice-free beach to take a break. The beaches look campable if you can land. There were many huge house-sized bergs on the crossing to Glacier Island. After the crossing we stopped at the old camp on Growler Bay. It is deteriorating but must have been a great place to visit when it was in operation. The beaches in Growler and Finski bays look campable. We paddled clockwise around Glacier Island. There are a few exposed pocket beaches. The sea lions at Bull Head were neat. There must have been several hundred on the beaches. They were very noisy. We camped on a huge exposed beach just past Bull Head. A warm calm day.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 1. Low clouds with light drizzle and occasional light rain. At the southwest end of Glacier Island we saw a humpback give a long display of jumps. The best show I've ever seen. The shore to the north of Glacier Island was cold and cloudy so we crossed to Granite Point and checked out Fairmount and Granite bays. Found a good campsite between the two bays on a gravel spit near Fairmont Point. Precipitation quit at bed time. Saw some jumping salmon but still haven't caught any. Met a guy who's paddling the Sound all summer. He's done this for the last 5 summers. Saw a land otter eating mussels. He was unafraid of us.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 2. Paddled to Cedar Bay. Pretty bay with granite walls. There was marginal camping in the bay on grassy areas. The campsites would be OK if it were dry. Light rain and drizzle fell all night long and stopped before morning. Cloudy all day with drizzle by evening. No luck fishing. We returned to our pervious campsite on the point. There is an eagle nest nearby. The parents appear to be feeding the kids. Met last night's visitor again. He said that he slept in cabins out here like the one at the abandoned oyster farm next door. He also said there are tent platforms at the fish hatchery on Esther Island.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 3. Rained all night and stopped about noon. After the rain stopped we packed and visited the abandoned oyster farm a short distance away. Crossed to Unakwik Point. There are good beaches on the Wells Bay side of the point. Crossed over to Olsen Island. There is camping on the eastern side of Olsen if you're careful about the tides. Saw a sea lion on the rocks. It was listless and may be sick. Camped on the beach at the southern end of Olsen Island. This site is a huge sandy beach with protected camping in the trees. Pleasant evening. Seas are still calm. Still no luck with the fish. No other kayakers but lots of wildlife.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 4. Cloudy day. Fished and got strikes but didn't land any. Saw a whale. Met 4 paddlers doing the same trip. They spent 4 days at the Columbia Glacier, paddling 2 miles from the face, and camping at the top of a 60 foot hill. One huge ice release washed 30 feet up the hill. These huge surges moved the ice in waves. Wow! Crossed Eaglek Bay to camp near the oyster farm. The marked campsite is in grass plus a bear was nearby. We camped on a beach on the outside of the island and hope the bear stays on the mainland.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 5. Dry night and clearing by late morning. Paddled along the coast to Ragged Point. The paddle from the campsite to Ragged Point had lots of good looking campsites. Paddled through a narrow entrance into a lagoon to a stream to get water. It was a short fun ride in and a short hard return paddle against the inflowing tide. There is a great protected site at Ragged Point. Lots of fish jumping at Ragged Point but couldn't catch any casting. I started the crossing to Axel LInd Island trolling. A pink softly took my pink pixie. I finally tired it out enough so we could net it and get it on the boat. Camped on west side of the peninsula that comes off the south of Axel Lind. We fried the fish and it tasted great. Five land otters swam to the beach near us and ran up the beach into the woods. The sites on the exposed beaches have few bugs like tonight's site. We've had very few mosquitoes but lots of gnats and black flies. A saw would be helpful to clear alders overhanging tent sites. Had warm shower today from the sun shower we brought along.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 6. Clear night and day with some clouds over the mountains. Caught another salmon on the same pink pixie as yesterday. Caught and released a rockfish and lost a salmon. The map between Ragged Point and Squaw Bay doesn't seem to match the coastline. There are lots of beaches to rest and a few may be campable. Easy paddle to the west site at the East Flank Island. The campsite is small but pretty. There was a deer on the beach when we landed. It stood perfectly still for a long time before disappearing into the brush. </span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 7. There were two fawns on our beach all evening last night. They came within 20 feet of us and were cautious but not afraid. Very entertaining. Fish were jumping all day and night. Didn't fish today since we ate fish the previous two nights. Quiet cloudy day as we paddled along the southern shore of Esther Island. There were beaches to take a break from Hodgkins Point eastward. West of Hodgkins Point it is all cliff except at the eastern entrance into Lake Bay. There is a big camping site on the island at the mouth of Esther Bay. The beach is long with gravel. It has several streams. We camped in a small cove 1 1/2 miles north of Point Esther. A salmon opener started at 8:00 PM. Not a quiet night.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 8. Beautiful day. The night was noisy from the fish opening. Crossed to the other side of Wells Passage (7 miles) in 1:45 hours. Calm seas and light wind. Camped at Pigot Point. Fished some but didn't land any salmon. Landed a rockfish and released it. Just a relaxing short day. Saw two groups of kayakers.</span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica; min-height: 17.0px"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">July 9. Uneventful night. Sunny morning with light tailwind. Pleasant paddle to Whittier to end out trip. Used white gas from three 22 ounce fuel bottles and nearly all of a 34 ounce fuel bottle. Took 17 days of food, which fit OK into the boat with no dry bags on top. The total distance paddled was 150 miles.</span></p>Jimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11229213721195665539noreply@blogger.com1