On my return to Haines in early April I found Whakaari had weathered the long winter quite well, in huge part thanks to Scott's care and oversight. Preparations had their delays and hiccups, waiting for an overdue shipment of my new Hydrovane (wind steering set-up) and for tides to get on and off the grid to clean the hull.
Carol arrived by ferry from Juneau as I had done 10 days before, and after a shakedown sail to check my preparation, finally we slipped the lines for Glacier Bay, with a provisioning stop in Juneau en route. It was a false start, having engine overheating problems only a few miles out -back to Haines in case it was major, but it turned out to be a sticking thermostat and inadequately bled air in the freshwater cooling system after recomissioning the engine.
With the later start we only had time for three days in Glacier Bay but those days were pure magic. The weather was, for the most part, sunny, warm and settled, bringing out the best in this majestic setting. We sailed or motored up to several tidewater glaciers, drifted and lunched among the bergy bits, anchored in some of the most stunning coves I have ever experienced, and once went ashore to a retreating glacier - Evans - making the most of the long twilight, saw fresh bear sign and fossicked among age-old glacier ice.
Before crossing the Gulf of Alaska to Kodiak we refuelled at Elfin Cove, a quaint old fishing village of abandoned vessels, boardwalks and float houses, setting off early to White Sulphur Springs, a much loved destination of several cruisers we had talked to many months before. It did not disappoint, tho the way in to Mirror Harbor (the only secure anchorage near to the springs) was challenging with a big sea running and very little room to manouvre.
A scenic dinghy trip, 15 minute walk on old boardwalks (hand hewn yellow cedar trunks really) through fairy forest of rich moss, bogs and twisted cedar, punctuated by obvious bear presence (in the form of fresh scat, rotting wood torn apart, and skunk cabbage chewed away) and soon we were smelling the sulphur as we came out on a rugged shore. The springs consist of a natural open pond above the high water mark, a beautifully crafted enclosed pool like an onsen, and a US Forest Service cabin set back in the forest(A couple in residence celebrating their 8th anniversary of being married here). Once in the enclosed pool we knew we would be settling in for the entire day. Large boulders formed the hotpool, and the building had been hand crafted, using local cedar an recycled boards from earlier shelters which had been intensely carved by visitors over the years. The almost boiling water flowed into the larger pool through a mixing well with a cold water valve to regulate temperature. The wall to the ocean is open-framed with sliding screens, with a wide sill on which we set out our snacks and drinks. Sublime!
At one point a grizzly bear appeared on the shore - he slouched down by some skunk cabbage and grazed supine - great wildlife viewing from the picture window of our onsen.
Later he moved towards us, veered into the trees and suddenly emerged at the open pool -where, it so happened, the woman from the cabin was bathing. Carol mouthed and jesticulated to her that a bear was very close to her but she didn't pick up on the warning, until he was right at the pools edge -but he was interested in an old decaying deer carcass we had seen earlier, and dragged it away into the forest, leaving her just a little alarmed.
There is more to that visit, but space is limited. We negotiated the narrow channel back out to sea safely and set a course for Kodiak, some 510 nautical miles to the wast, across the infamous Gulf of Alaska. Having watched the forecasts closely while exploring Glacier Bay we knew a weather window had arrived, bringing favourable winds for the next four days. I had downloaded the latest grib files while at Mirror Harbour, and the trend was good.
Before leaving NZ to return to my sailing project this crossing had loomed large. Now it seemed very manageable even tho we were only two. We set a 3hr on-3 off watch, enjoyed consistent 15-18 knot winds from the S-SE and reached comfortably for two days, making an average 7-9 knots and our only issue was water in the fuel (another wintering over hazard) discovered during a brief period of light winds when motor-sailing. The moon was full, the Pacific swells about 7 foot and of long period, and the only encounters were a lone humpback, a couple of distant fishing boats at night, and a convoy of 5 Coast Guard vessels heading north. On the last 24 hour stretch the winds moved to the north, then started to build from the west but not enough to cause concern, and we were almost there. In 3 days and 12 hours, we made landfall in Mill Bay, Kodiak after a very enjoyable crossing.
Tying up to the shiny new transient float next day, we found ourselves amongst some classic Kodiak fishing boats, crew preparing for their first outings for halibut. Ziggy and his crew were well into the beers and regaled us with stories, dire warnings about local weather, and advice on where to see the famous Kodiak bears. Stepping ashore we got tied up in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the new dock , then the Mayor gave us lift to the laundromat, as well as a quick town tour. Michael, who had crewed for me before out of San Fransisco, arrived the same day, as did a big flash vessel “Scorpius” complete with helicopter tying up at our stern, with an all NZ crew.
Tempting as it was to enjoy the camaraderie we were keen to go off in search of bears, so the next day we headed to Afognak Island, the northern part of Kodiak, happily accepting octopus bait from Ziggy so we could have a go at catching our own Halibut. The coves we anchored in were beautiful, only the occasional cabin or salmon farm. Logging again scarred the hillsides, but it had been many years earlier and regrowth was well underway.
The dinghy came back into service, and armed with foghorn and bear spray we explored the coastal fringes, the crab trap went out every day and night, and hooks were baited, but alas no wildlife to be seen or fresh fish for our dinner.
Having read about Geographic Harbor in Katmai National Park as a must see destination with high concentrations of grizzlies we decided to cross Shelikof Strait to the mainland and have a look. The Northeast was blowing 25-30 knots but it was a downwind run for us, making the crossing at speed with a reefed main. Several islets protect the entry to the harbor and we were soon in glassy calm waters motoring slowly through a narrow channel. Suddenly it was if we had come through a time warp. A primordial scene opened before us, dramatic mountain sides scoured with lahar flows or old eruptions that shattered the craters, small scrubby alders in bud near the waters edge but otherwise just tussock vegetation, no other trees, and heavy clouds sat brooding overhead, obscuring the volcanic peaks so as to give them even greater imagined heights.
The next morning we headed out gunk-holing in the dinghy, and observed bears for at least six hours. Firstly a group of four grizzlies worked their way along the shore grazing on seaweed and algae, then headed uphill thru the brush and into the tussocks. We saw them emerge on the skyline high among rocky outcrops and remnant snow - fast and agile.
After that we encountered individuals in every cove of the harbor, all taking on passing interest in us and in intent on grazing the littoral zone. We saw 10 bears in all, each quite different in coloring and size. On an outwash from a fast flowing river we beached the dinghy to stretch our legs. But the evidence of bear sign, and a well worn trail along the river, sent us back out to the water before having to test our bear encounter skills.
A news item on the radio just now - a 16 year old runner competing in a mountain run near Anchorage, chased, mauled and killed by a Black Bear!
