Alaska Seven: Take the Trip

 

A trip worth taking

I had an eight hour layover in Juneau (plus another overnight in Seattle) and I had a choice to make. I could either save my dwindling funds and stay in the airport, and read and write. Or I could maybe spend some money I didn't really have and leave the airport to see a bit of Juneau, Alaska. 

I decide to take the trip.

I didn't regret it. It was a bit incongruous to be standing amidst the magnificent natural grandeur of Mendenhall Glacier and the surrounding area, while getting text messages and then phone calls that things had taken a serious turn at home. But I'm still glad I took the trip.  Home stress was going to happen whether I was in the airport or at the glacier. I might as well have been at the glacier.

Because I was alone and had plenty of time, I was able to do what I always want to do but usually can't: Everything.  I walked every available trail, visited every overlook, read every sign, and studied every exhibit in the visitors center.  It took  me about two hours and that it included taking time out to talk to Babs and others back in Ohio. Here's a few pics.

My first stop was Steep Creek, where the salmon are just now returning to spawn. We were able to see a few and I tried to get a picture though I don't know if they showed up in the photo below.

Much of the Steep Creek trail was closed due to the number of bears that show up this time of year to feed on the spawning salmon.  There were bear warnings everywhere around the glacier.

This was about as close as I could get to Mendenhall Glacier. The photo doesn't really do it justice. The Glacier was HUGE compared to the Shakes Glacier that I visited with Chris and Aidan.

Nugget Falls, a large cascade off to the right of the glacier. This is where I got the text message about what was going on at home and I find that most of my photos after this have a distracted quality.  This pic of Nugget isn't that good, but it's the best of the bunch.

This is a pretty decent photo of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls. I believe I took this at the overlook near the Visitor's Center.  There is another photo overlook a lot closer that I also visited but I guess I neglected to take any pictures there?  Again, I was distracted.

A little less than two years before my dear friend Chandra passed away unexpectedly, she wrote in a Facebook Message to me, "I hope to SEE YOU sometime soon!  Life is too short!!!"  She had no idea when she wrote those words how true they were and they haunt me now. Because we never did get our families together.  Time ran out.  Since she died, I have found a growing desire to maintain the connections with the people that are dear to me.  I had often said for years that I ought to go up and visit Chris and Carissa in Alaska.  It was one of those things you always intend to do "one of these days."  Well, this year, in the wake of Chandra's death, I decided "one of these days" was now.  As the summer approached, I had a choice to make.  There was an endless list of things I could spend my vacation pay on--with an older house, there is always something that needs fixing or improving.  Or I could spend that money on a trip to Alaska to see my old friends.

I decided to take the trip.

And I didn't regret it.  (Indeed, when I think back I don't think there is any trip that I've taken that I've regretted).  So here's my advice:  Take the trip. Chris and Carissa are the types of friends that I could just announce that I wanted to visit and they said "come on over."  Who are the Chris and Carissa's in your life?  Whoever they are,  get in touch with them.  And make real, concrete plans to get together with them.  Life is short, as Chandra observed.  Shorter than we may know. I'm finding there aren't really that many things that matter, in this life but relationships with good people are among those few things that do.  

So what are you waiting for?  Take the trip!

Alaska Six: On Island

The Sons of Norway Hall in Petersburg, paying homage and preserving this town's proud Norwegian heritage.

 In some ways Petersburg, which is the main town on Mitkof Island, couldn't be more different from Saipan.  But somehow, so much about it felt so familiar, so right.  I think I'm just meant for island life--and even in Alaska, with it's much colder weather, different foliage and wildlife  and different people and culture, I have this sense that this is where I belong.

Yesterday, was our day "on-island" as we used to say in Saipan.  We had a leisurely morning and then in the afternoon Chris and Carissa took me on a tour of some the local sites. Everywhere we went was really beautiful, and it was nice to spend time chatting and catching up.  If the goal of this trip was to renew and strengthen treasured friendships, this journey has been an unqualified success. I am so happy about that.

Below: Our first stop, Crane Lake.

Chris, in front followed by the kids and then Carissa, as we get ready to head up the The Three Lakes Loop Trail to Crane Lake

Picking berries along the trail

Aidan rowing out to the middle of Crane Lake.

Chris, Me, and Carissa hanging out at Crane Lake

Alaskan wildlife: A grouse, above, and a porcupine, below. No bears though they are quite common in this area. Chris brought the gun and made sure to shout "Hey Bear!" from time to time. It's good to make noise on the trails so the bears know you are coming. It's not wise to surprise a bear.

Next stop was  Blind Slough and Crystal Lake:

This is a popular swimming spot and as you can see below, Aidan decided to take a quick dip

That's the Crystal Lake Hatchery in the distance

Last stop, the Blind River Rapids. As it turned out the river was too high for there to be any rapids that day:

After touring the island in the afternoon, we dropped the kids back at Carissa's place and headed over to the Beachcomber, a popular waterfront restaurant on-island that reminded me so much of Saipan's Oleai Bar and Grill. As I did so many times there, we  sat out on the patio, watching the sun set over the water. They even had tacos just like I would have gotten at Oleai.  Because Petersburg is a small town of about 3000, and because Chris is the director of public works and Carissa teaches at the high school, they seem to know practically everyone. There was a steady stream of friendly folk who stopped by our table to say hi and meet the "high school friend from Florida."  It was an absolutely perfect evening.

Chris and I at the Beachcomber

The view from our table at the Beachcomber

After the Beachcomber, we hung out at Chris's for awhile talking and reminiscing on old times.  After Carissa headed home, Chris and I ended up staying up until well past 2:00 AM.  Who has time for sleep when you're reconnecting with an old friend you don't get to see as often as you'd like?

This morning, Chris slept in and Carissa came by and picked me up for a coffee run.  We grabbed a couple of photo ops around town, and then we got Chris and had a delicious breakfast at the Salty Pantry, the same charming place Chris brought me for lunch when I arrived last Friday. After breakfast, it was time to head for airport.

Some pics from our morning drive around town before my flight left:

Note the triple peaks at the center of the photo. The central one is called the Devil's Thumb. It's been hidden by clouds the entire I've been here, but today was the first clear day we've had where it was visible.  Below is a photo Carissa took of me with the Devil's Thumb in the background.

Had to get in a selfie with Carissa!

The Sons of Norway Hall

Kito's Kave is a famous (some might say infamous) bar in Petersburg. Big names like John Wayne have visited this watering hole.

The islands may be thousands of miles apart but the farewell from the plane window feels oh so familiar.

It was a good way to wrap up my time in Petersburg.  It was good to be on-island.

Alaska Five: Last Day on the River

 

Andrews Creek. Pristine and sublime.

By the time we left our cabin yesterday morning, I was actually beginning to recognize places.  When I first arrived the river and surrounding wilderness all looked the same to me.  By the time we left I could tell when we were approaching our home base.  I think its amazing how people become so at home on the river that it's just like driving on the roads for city folk. But I also see how I could get there with time and experience.

For our last day, we had a leisurely breakfast, packed up the cabin, loaded the boat and headed back to the Hot Tubs for one last soak. We arrived around noon and stayed for an hour, this time enjoying the sheltered tub.

After that we headed over to Andrews Creek, a quiet, gorgeous spot that is one of the Cottas' favorite swimming spots. We saw a lot of humpys in the creek, which was cool. I did not realize that there are so many varieties of salmon until I came here.

Finally, we headed for home, aiming to catch the four o clock tide.  We had to go back a different way than we came since Chris wasn't about to risk damaging his boat by jumping the log again. We had a little time to stop off at the homestead of the father of one of Chris's  best pals. Unfortunately, he wasn't home at the time so we continued on home. As it happens we just missed him; we saw his boat going by as we approached the boat launch.

We got cleaned up, had an outstanding steak dinner that Chris grilled up, spent many hours talking of course, and closed out the evening watching a couple episodes of the HBO miniseries, Chernobyl.  While the hot shower and lack of mosquitoes was nice, I have to say it didn't hold a candle to being out on the river.

Life in this part of the world is so different from what many of us are used to crammed into the urban centers of the world.  There is something really right about the hands-on, practical nature of life up here. I think there is a real disconnect between those who live in spaces like these and those who live in the cities.  Simple things like the debate over guns mean something totally different out here. One might find it odd that Chris would carry a gun with him as we took the short hike from the boat to the Hot Tubs. But the threat of bears is absolutely real here--the stories I've been told of people who got caught without protection from an aggressive bear will make your skin crawl and turn your stomach.  Guns in this part of the world aren't about being some kind of "tough guy" or for settling scores. They are a practical tool for life in the Alaskan wilderness.

Walking to the Hot Tubs. Look closely and you'll see Chris has his trusty bear gun in his right hand.

I get that it may not be for everyone, but the appeal is undeniable. Especially, for kids this life is really healthy I think. I watched Aidan spend three days away from an electronic device and not once did he complain of being bored--and this despite the fact  we weren't really engaged in any form of "entertainment" other than simply being together out in nature.  I love watching how he has developed practical skills out on the river.  He's s not quite sixteen but he can handle a boat, he knows the river well enough to get around, and was a constant help to his dad throughout the trip without being asked or reminded.  I am impressed. And determined to get my boys back outside in our little city way, before its too late. When they were younger they were eager to go explore our "secret place", the woods and creek around Sugar Run and just like Aidan they were never bored even though we weren't doing anything entertaining other than being together in nature. My initial plan is to try to visit every Columbus Metro park with them. It's no Alaska, but it's a start.

Alaska Four: Into the Wild

 

Shakes Glacier

The Alaskan wilderness is beautiful. It is truly spectacular. But it is also humbling. Being out in the wild, you feel really small. You realize that these stretches of the world are beyond the dominion of man. There is this heedlessness to nature, this sense that we do not matter at all to the natural world. Chris and I had a saying over the weekend, "Nature does not care."  And it doesn't.  Living in our man-made spaces it easy to feel like we are the center of everything. The Alaskan wilderness is quick to remind us that we are not.

Still, if you approach the wild spaces with wisdom, preparedness, and humility there is great reward in the splendor.  And Sunday was exceedingly rewarding.

After a hot breakfast, we began our day with a couple of hours at the Hot Tubs. It was so relaxing at the outdoor tub, soaking in the water piped in from the hot springs looking out on a meadow that had recently been flooded by the engineering feats of beavers who had constructed a dam nearby.  Chris, Aidan and I talked and laughed and enjoyed the beauty surrounding us.  Thankfully, since we were immersed up to our necks in the water, the mosquitoes left us alone.

Chilling at the Hot Tubs

After indulging in the Hot Tubs, we returned to the cabin for lunch, and then set off for the Shakes Glacier. It was a fantastical voyage up the slough and to the lake, like traveling into Narnia or Middle Earth.  As we traveled we began to see little chunks of ice, which eventually became large chunks and then full on icebergs. The air temperature also began to drop as we drew closer.  Finally we came upon the mountainous river of ice and debris, brilliant blue at the edges, the calved ice floating white and baby blue around us. We were fortunate that the approach to the glacier was not clogged with ice and we were able to get as close to the glacier as we desired (we opted not to go right up to the glacier wall because of the danger of massive chunks of ice calving and crushing us if we were too close). On either side of us were towering, lonely walls of majestic rock festooned with waterfalls.

Signs of the glacier

The glacier in sight!

Chris and those lonely mountains

I love the brilliant blue color of glacier ice. Apparently it is blue because the ice is so tightly compacted that it absorbs all light from the spectrum except for blue.

After visiting the glacier, we picked up some snacks and other supplies for our later afternoon activities. Aidan took the helm for a bit as we went to check out Clearwater Creek.  But there was low fog in the area and Chris didn't feel comfortable trying to explore with such poor visibility.  We then motored on up to the Canadian border.  We absolutely did not accidentally miss the border cut and traverse into Canada for a bit before realizing our mistake and slipping back into the U.S. before we got busted. That definitely never happened. 

The border cut between the United States and Canada. Look carefully at the photo above and below (these were taken to my left and right on the river) and you will see strip of green where the tress have been cut to create a line. That cut strip of land indicates the border between our two countries. It's easy to miss.  Of course we didn't miss it. 

 From the border we headed over to a sandbar that the Cottas like to tent camp at.  The mosquitos are far fewer there and there's lots of fun places for the kids to play and explore.  We set out our camp chairs, Chris built a small fire, and we snacked on beef summer sausage, cheese, and crackers while watching the sunset.  At twilight we headed back to the cabin.

The view from the sandbar

Setting up on the sandbar

Sandbar sunset

It was a full and wonderous day. It reminded me of touring the Rock Islands of Palau back in 2006--one amazing sight after another.

Alaska Three: Up the River

The view from our cabin up the river. Photo taken Saturday, July 24, 2021

 I'm back from my adventure up the river and it was amazing!  What a breathtaking experience!  Chris gave me the deluxe tour and though the weather was not up to his standards, it didn't rain on us, and the sun broke through often enough for us to see what we wanted to see. It was truly remarkable.  Chris says going up the river is his absolute favorite thing to do here and I can see why.

Loading up the boat

The view from the boat launch

So what is "up the river"? you may ask.  I wondered too, as Chris and Carissa often referenced it.  Up the river means traveling by boat over from Mitkof Island where the town of Petersburg is located to the Alaskan mainland and then journeying up the Stikine River and it's tributaries. There are innumerable sloughs and creeks you can explore to your hearts content. Travel far enough and you'll arrive at the Canadian border (and if you're not paying attention you'll zip right into Canada without even realizing it). Surrounding you is the majestic wilds of the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness, a protected area that is part of the Tongass National Forest.  A journey up the river means picturesque landscapes, towering mountains, a glacier, hot springs, the possiblity of sighting a bald eagle, a bear, or a moose.

A bald eagle standing guard as we enter the Stikine. I never did see any bears but after hearing some of the hairy stories of bear encounters out here, I'm quite fine with that.

Chris, his oldest son Aidan, and I left for our journey up the Stikine River Sabbath afternoon, our goal being to catch the high tide up the river, which was around 2:40 PM.  The trip was mostly without incident. The only challenge we had was when we came upon a tree that had fallen completely across the passage we were taking to enter the Stikine. There are several passages in to the river and we had taken the one Chris felt was the best. And it would have been except for this unexpected obstacle. It was now too late to go back and try one of the other passages, with high tide having passed, so there was nothing for it but to figure a way through. 

Chris decided to risk jumping the log.  He backed the boat up, gave us a running start, and then eased up just at the last moment so that we slid--more or less--over the log rather than banging hard into it.  With a jolt, we cleared the log and were on our way. Chris was worried that he might have damaged his boat, but when we pulled the boat out at the end of our trip, he was able to confirm that if there was any damage it was minor.

One of many random waterfalls to be found in the Stikine-LeConte Wilderness

After that adventure, we continued our way up the Stikine.  The only signs of humanity were the occasional cabin placed by the forestry service and an isolated "float house" here and there.  (These are floating cabins that people build to stay in.  You can't build anything on the wilderness itself, but the river is fair game).

Eventually, we arrived at the cabin where we'd be staying for the next three days: Shakes Slough Cabin Number 2.

Shakes Slough Cabin No 2, our home for the next two nights.

We unloaded our gear, got situated and then headed back out on the river. First we went up to Alpine Creek, where Aiden wanted to see if any fish were running.  There were none, so then we went to the Hot Tubs.  These are exactly what they sound like--two hot tubs--one inside a shelter, the other open air--that are fed by a nearby hot spring.  The indoor tub didn't have the cold water hose connected (you need both, since the you can't turn down the heat on a hot spring) and the outdoor tub was already occupied (the tubs are about the size of a typical hot tub so unless you want to be super-close with strangers, it's nicer if you have the tub to yourself).  So we decided to come back the next day.  We returned to our cabin, Chris cooked up a delicious chili dinner and we whiled away the evening chatting and reminiscing. 

My only complaint was the mosquitos, which are legendary in Alaska. It was really hard to be still outside for any length of time without being swarmed.  However, even they turned out not to be too bad. We slathered on the "bug dope" as they call it, and that helped. Not too many managed to get into the cabin itself (and those that did we happily slaughtered) and there were places (such as the sandbar where we had supper the second night) where the bugs weren't too bad. 

Our first day up the river had been quiet, but thoroughly enjoyable--with a little bit of log jumping thrown in for good measure. I was excited for what the next day would bring.

The tourist on the river. While the weather was pretty decent, with highs in the fifties I think, and Chris was comfortable in a t-shirt and a jacket, this visitor from the Lower 48 got chilled quickly especially out on the river when the boat was moving. I was bundled up with a hoodie, a jacket (or two), rain pants, rain coat, rubber gloves, and life vest, plus a hat. (I later added a bandana under the hat as well as my ears were still getting chilled. On the last day I donned a pair of the ear muffs Chris wore to protect his ears from the noise of the boat engine and those worked best of all to keep my ears warm).