Whales, Hoonah, and a Lesson Learned

Map of Glacier Bay to Juneau
Jolie and Bob had flown into Gustavus on a Sunday, and were scheduled to fly out of Juneau the following Sunday, arriving in Seattle in time for Bob to make a connecting flight to New Hampshire that evening.  The trip from Juneau to Glacier Bay is a two-day journey for Greywolf.  We decided to have them fly from Hoonah to Juneau, giving us one more day in the Park.  

When we left Glacier Bay for Hoonah on Saturday morning, we headed for Point Adolphus, with its renowned whale-watching waters.  Doug and I have been past Point Adolphus twice and have seen an occasional whale, but since we Had Guests On Board, the whales scheduled a show. Critter-Spotter-Bob was at the helm when clouds of whale exhalation appeared in the distance.  Soon we were between two pods, with others in the distance, showing off lovely tails and curved backs.  Three or four of the animals surfaced on the port side of the Greywolf, sounded, and came up on the starboard side. Greywolf and her crew were in thrilled.  

I’m not sure how long we drifted off of Point Adolphus, watching, listening, and taking pictures.   Whales always look like they are enjoying their whale lives.  We certainly enjoyed sharing part of their Saturday morning. I don’t imagine anyone tires of the sight and sound of these animals or takes their presence for granted. Eventually, the whales swam west and we continued southeast to Hoonah.

There are strict rules concerning how close boats can come to whales.  Apparently there are no rules concerning  how close whales can come to boats. (Skippers are supposed to stop when whales get close.)  Hoonah has a few whale watching boats that cruise Point Adolphus two or three days a week when a cruise ship is visiting Icy Strait Point.  Juneau has 1,359 (our estimate) whale watching boats that ply the waters west of Auke Bay when cruise ships are visiting Juneau.  Every day?  Probably.

We heard skippers on the VHF radio questioning whale watching boat skippers about their lack of adherence to the protocol.  It was not pretty.  

Island cemetery acros from Hoonah Harbor.

We went on An Explore so our firefighters could see the fire station (all  volunteer) 
 No one at the Station.

Allie didn’t want to go down the metal grate steps...

...so Jolie took her down the parallel path.  Apparently, she’s not the only one
who doesn’t like the steps.

It takes a pile of gear to crab.  Where to keep it???

Most of the houses don’t have lawns (smart people!), but
many have flowers in containers.

Catholic Church.  

                                                                                                 
                                                                                             Presbyterian Church

These three churches are within a two block radius of each other.  I am curious about the role of the Christian churches today in light of the damage done in the name of Christianity in both Canada and Alaska.

I just finished  reading Blond Indian by Ernestine Hayes, a memoir by a Tlingit woman who grew up in Juneau.  Filed with anecdotes, descriptions, and histories that are unique to the Tlingit community, this book is a document of cultural heritage, a tribute to the Alaskan landscape,, and a moving testament to how going back--in nature and in life--allows movement forward.  (from the back cover) When the author refers to the Christian church, she does not use a capital “c”.  I found the book enlightening and sometimes painful.  Would I recommend it?  If you are not offended by reality, yes.

From my observation, I’d say that firefighters and paramedics only own clothing with badges, insignias, or other identifying words and graphics.  'Not a lot of Ralph Loren or rock bands represented.   Everything carries the insignia of their department, a friend’s department, their pipe and drum band, a friend’s pipe and drum band, etc.  This frequently leads to conversations with people you would not otherwise meet.

On this evening,  a volunteer firefighter stopped Bob in the Hoonah Trading Company parking lot, wanting to know where he got his Lexington, New Hampshire fire department shirt.  

It comes with the job.  

We learned a lot about Hoonah, the schools, (his young daughter was with him), and, of course, the fire department.

On our way back to the boat, Jolie and Bob stopped at The Office, (Allie didn’t want to go to the bar.  She’s trying to cut back and we respected her wishes.) where they proceeded to meet half of the town in the forty minutes they were there.

Fortunately, there are not a lot of places to drive.

These two Officers were killed in Hoonah by some crazy person
in 2010.  A tragedy anywhere, but possibly more difficult for a small village.

Sunday morning, Jolie and Bob's belongings found their way into luggage and backpacks, and the Hoonah Taxi (yes, it was a unique experience) took them to the airport, about a mile away.  Doug and Allie and I checked out the washing machines (available) and went for a walk. The text message on our phone when we returned to the boat:  There are no planes leaving Hoonah today.  The taxi reappeared with Jolie and Bob.

Not only were there no planes leaving Hoonah today, there had been no flights out of Hoonah all week.  Fog in Juneau.  Other passengers had been skookum enough to call SeaPort Airlines to check. Those wise people were on the ferry to Juneau that had departed an hour earlier. Why didn’t I think to use the ferry instead of the airways???  Ferries never cancel because of fog. My lack of “local knowledge” cost Bob $$$ to reschedule his flight to Lexington.  When the Alaska Airlines representative learned why they were rescheduling their Juneau flight, she waived any charge for rescheduling.  They understand Alaska. We are still learning.

When I called Seaport Airlines, the representative said that Jolie and Bob had been rescheduled for the 2:30 flight.  And how were they supposed to know that?  And would that flight be leaving? Since their Alaska Airlines flight left at 2:15, that was not be too helpful.

Our stranded guests were amazingly calm, considering the bind this put them in. Not only was it expensive, but Bob was scheduled to work on Tuesday. That was not going to happen. They pulled out their smart phones and started problem-solving. Jolie went to find Bill, the very helpful Assistant Harbor Master to see what ideas he had.  When she and Bob had all the information, they came up with Plans A, B, and C.  They choose Plan C, putting them on an early afternoon flight out of Juneau on Monday.   

Greywolf said she could get us to Auke Bay before dark, but she did want Doug to replace the engine oil he had drained out when we came in on Saturday.  Our trusty little ship headed for Juneau for the third time this summer, peddling fast.

Jolie helping her dad get new engine oil into Mr. Lugger.

Point Retreat.  Great name, eh?  Nine times out of ten, when your round it headed southwest,
you will be hit with nasty winds and seas, making you want to retreat indeed.  Chatham Strait, Icy Strait and the Lynn Canal all meet near the point.  We were headed east toward Juneau and were only in the confused seas for a short period of time.  (It just SEEMED like a long time.)

Less than an hour from Auke Bay, Critter-Spotter-Bob saw The Whales.  Although we were on a tight schedule, we slowed down and were rewarded for our interest.  It was time to bubble feed.  How do the whales decide to come together to do this?  Is one whale in charge?  Frank, you blow the bubbles. Sally, you and Melvin get on either side of me.  The rest of you fill in the circle.  When the fish are compacted, I’ll give the signal. If anyone reading the blog knows how the whales coordinate this, do tell us.

It was not worth the cost of Bob’s rescheduled flight to New Hampshire, but it was spectacular.

We got to Auke Bay at dusk.  Everyone in Juneau who owns a boat had taken part in a fishing derby that weekend, and the trailerable boats were moored at Auke Bay on Sunday evening, to be retrieved later in the week. Greywolf bumped around in the rain (NO WIND!) looking for a “Nordy-Forty”-sized spot.  It did not exist.  BUT!  a couple on a trawler hailed us and offered to let us raft-up.  Thank you, thank you, thank you, Neil and Kristin!

Editing pictures in the sunshine is a challenge.

Before we left Hoonah on Sunday afternoon, we had reserved a rental car in Juneau.   The Monday morning sunshine (after the fog burned off) found us playing tourist at Mendenhall Glacier and the Alaskan Brewing Company.  Jolie asked for a recommendation for a good lunch spot near the airport:  The Sand Bar. 

The Sand Bar

The tiny spartan cafe was connected by a swinging saloon door to a classic Alaskan bar.  It looked like a set for a movie.  Nothing had been replaced since the 1950’s.  That includes the customers and the waitress.  The large L-shaped room was sparsely furnished with the requisite pool table and a few tables widely scattered along the walls. Cozy would not be a descriptor here. I’m afraid it was carpeted. Small windows made it dim inside even on a bright August day.  A sheet of paper tacked to a wall advertised the coming fall dart tournament. A highlight of the year? I fantasized about what it would look like on a fall or winter evening.  I’ll bet they sell a LOT OF BEER.  To the same people.  

Our halibut fish and chips were great, the beer was good, the waitress was friendly, and the ambiance was unparalleled.  When Doug took the rental car back, the agent said The Sand Bar is hands-down the best fish and chips spot in town.  ,,,,,,,,

Once again, Jolie and Bob were delivered to an airport and we went to inspect laundry facilities.  The text message we received this time:  Boarding the plane.  All is well.

Greywolf is a small platform for four people and a dog. In the rain.  Jolie and Bob were good sports about the incredibly inhospitable guest cabin (designed for people you never want to return).  We ate well, saw spectacular animals and vistas, and were kind to each other (most of the time).  What more could your ask for?

Did we have fun?  You bethca'!  

Glacier Bay, Part Two

Gone fishin’!  In Hoonah, Jeff had marked places to jig for halibut on our Glacier Bay chart.  The day after our tour on the Baranof Wind (in the rain),  Greywolf took us fishing (in the rain).  Using Jeff’s pole and jig, Jolie quickly caught this little guy who agreed to be put in our freezer to become crab bait.  Not to be outdone, Bob hooked a halibut!  Excitement reigned among the novices on Greywolf. (That would be all of us).

Jolie knew something about bringing in a fish this big, so she started explaining the technique to Bob.  She knew enough to do, but not to teach, so Bob gave her the pole, and the fish surfaced.  Doug scooped him into our (challenged) salmon net.  I took pictures.   

With a length of 41 inches, the halibut weight table in Local Knowledge said he weighed 32 pounds. 

Then came the process of killing, filleting and skinning Bob's first-ever halibut.  It helped that Doug had watched the fish-killers deals with their bounty the previous Saturday.  We changed our menu for the next few days, and the rest of the halibut found a space next to the crab-bait-fish in our freezer.  

At this point, we had no more room in the freezer. We stowed Jeff’s pole and told Greywolf we were going to take her to see wolves!  The three wolves we had seen on the Baranof Wind cruise were on the same beach, doing the same thing they had been doing the previous day.  Careful observation showed that they were not dead.  A brown bear was at his station on the other side of a rock outcropping, fishing.  Are these animals under contract?  Are they union???

Puffins to port!  Critter sightings always bought everyone to attention. Two sets of binoculars for four people proved to be enough; we had no squabbles about you’ve had those long enough!

Bob spotted this brown bear on our first evening in North Sandy Cove and honed his critter-spotting skills as the week progressed. There are no black bears in Glacier Bay. He only looks black because he is a black brown bear.  Really. Some are blond brown bears.  Our Black Brown Bear was on the beach each day we were in the cove.

    I spotted this rock. ‘Looked like a bear to me.

        Bob thought it was a pig.

View looking north from our anchorge.

Jolie and Bob went crabbing--the only way to get away from
the old people.  They caught sea urchins, the the respite was worth it.

With three cameras and two laptops on board, we spent time downloading pictures and 

viewing the results.  Yes, I do think the table looked like that much of the time.

How do they live like that???

We celebrated Jolie and Bob’s birthdays in North Sandy Cove.  The celebrants recalled childhood Birthdays From Hell involving dogs eating birthday cakes, being attacked by swarms of hornets, and the birthday the child being left at the site of the celebration.  Why don’t we remember the Heavenly Birthdays???  

When you can’t decide what kind of cheesecake to buy, get the 

Kellogg's variety pack.

Bob is a drum major and is learning to play the pipes.  He’s explaining 

his electronic chanter to Doug.

Doug surprised himself by creating a sound that closely resembled music.  If he pursues this, 

I’ll be looking for an apartment.

We had hoped to anchor one night in front of Reid Glacier and go ashore to walk along the front of the glacier.  When we got to the bay, the entrance was was choked with berggie bits. One boat was anchored in the bay.  We would go back to North Sandy Cove, but not before An Explore.

Jolie, Bob, and I took the handheld VHF radio and puttered away in Pup to see if we could get ashore. Doug and Allie piloted Greywolf  to an ice-free spot in the channel, in the hopes that we would return.

Jolie steered Pup along a slalom course marked by small and not-so-small chunks of ice. An inflatable from the boat anchored in the bay made it’s way through the sparse ice.  Sirus, a 73 foot Nordhav’n, had anchored the night before  and was now waiting for the compacted berggie bits to move on. The crew in the inflatable was surveying an escape route.  

We could not get ashore.  Reid had created a protective moraine in front of himself...a buffer to deter tourists?  Pup bottomed out in about three feet of water; even my firefighters reluctantly admitted that was not going to work.  I called Doug on the VHF to let him know we were still afloat, and Pup headed toward the mouth of the bay.

The ice had shifted and compacted since we entered the bay. Bob positioned himself in the bow with an oar, shoving aside heavy ice chunks as we maneuvered for the shifting channels of relatively open water. The ice can be razor sharp, damaging fiberglass boat hulls.  Pup is made of fabric.  I poked at berggie bits  floating harmlessly by with the other oar, trying to appear useful.

We rounded a headland and Greywolf came into sight, waiting in relatively clear water; Pup and his crew were reunited with his big sister.  Jolie and Bob grabbed the fish net and took Pup back out to snag a small berggie bit: 200 year old ice for our rum and Cokes!

We were fortunate we navigated this Glacier Bay slushy with no heroic tales.  Bigger boats than Pup have found themselves stranded until the tide changes, as Sirus could attest.

Sirus made her way out of the ice later in the day.

We had SUNSHINE on the last day.  Jolie is reading Ordinary Wolves by Seth Kanter.  We both highly recommend it, although Jolie said ending was not what she would have wanted.

Jolie and Bob both have boat-handling experience, so we had two more helmsmen.  (I couldn’t bring myself to write “helmspeople”.)

 Little Bob couldn’t seem to get the hang of handling the wheel, so we just let him do chart work.

On our last night in the Park, we again anchored in Bartlett Cove to position ourselves for our transit to Hoonah the next day. 

Bob bought us drinks at the lodge and we enjoyed sharing impressions of Glacier Bay with other travelers.  

Sometimes you should decline when another traveler asks if you would like them to take a picture of all of you.  I’m still trying to decide what the caption should be here...

Dog prisoner, awaiting parole.

Parole granted.  

What will we take with us from Glacier Bay?  We’ll talk about the rain and the halibut and the animals and the glaciers, 

but what we’ll take with us is the spirit of this 

immense, dynamic place of land, ice and water.