Captain's Log:
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5-14-01, Capt. Jeff: The
first day of the season. Left Juneau after fueling up at about 11:00am,
and had great conditions with light winds and flat seas all the way
to the anchorage at the beginning of Tracy Arm. Along the way, we
had two Pacific White Sided dolphins play in the bow wake for about
fifteen minutes, and now we have a black bear on the shore for company
in the anchorage. While in Stephens passage, we were hailed by
a tour boat wanting to make a passage agreement, but the funny thing
was, he was five miles away and making 20 knots. We never got closer
than four miles, but I guess he wanted to be extra careful. We were
the only ones in the anchorage so far, and I'm not expecting to see
too many other boats this early in the year. |
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| Total mileage for the day was 42.
Tomorrow we head to see the first glaciers of the year. I've
been looking forward to this since I left here last year and
now I'm back. |
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| Dave: It's hard to
believe Annette and I are finally here! We've been excited about
this trip for months. We are now anchored in Taku Cove in 40ft.
Its quite incredible but we know it's only a tease. We have
some nice Native American music playing and our first bear is
meandering along the shore. Munchies are on the table so my
entry is over. |
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| Annette: Well, this
has been some experience! My first time in Alaska, and first
time on Jeff's boat. What a nice boat! Comfy and WARM. I am
thrilled to be here and excited to add more time to my sailoring.
First couple of days we hung out in Juneau. Is a nice town.
We walked the surprisingly manicured residences, the cute and
touristy main streets, met some locals, and visited a few local
establishments. We've had a lot of fun already, and now we are
in a beautiful cove with seals in the water, icebergs on top
of the water, and a bear ignoring us on the shore. |
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| The trip here was wonderful!
Motoring, no wind for sailing. Cruising. Awesome. We even had some
Dahl porpoise escorts on the way. Beautiful sunshine. Blue skies.
Incredible mountains everywhere. Jeff says the best views are yet
to come. We are planning on leaving here in the morning for Ford's
Terror, the place Jeff says is the most beautiful place he's been.
Just wonderful! |
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Kathy: Monday and
what a way to the start the week! The weatherman was wrong again
in our favor. No high winds and it didn't even rain today. I
think that Annette and Dave brought some good Karma with them!!
I loved the majesty of the snow-topped mountains and the contrast
of the rocky shores and calm waters. It was a great day and
I took video of dolphin playing at the bow wake and a large
lumbering bear on the shore off our anchorage, just inside Tracy
Arm. Now relaxing with good people while listening to the spirit-filled
sound of an Indian drumming CD. I honor and appreciate
this day! |
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5-15-01, Jeff: The
Tracy Arm glaciers continue to amaze and delight everyone as
usual, but with enough ice that we were only able to get within
a mile or so of them, we had to appreciate their splendor from
a distance. There are lots of bears this year, with many spotted
along the shoreline, in our anchorage, and one on an impossible
perch on the side of a cliff. I just couldn't understand how
he got to the spot he was in, with shear drop-offs in every
direction, and no obvious way to go up or down, but apparently
he knew the way. On the way up the sound, we experienced overcast
skies, then rain, and then, just as we arrived, the sun came
out to make our arrival even more memorable. When we were as
far into the pack ice as I dared to get, we launched the dingy,
and took the opportunity to take photos of the boat surrounded
by icebergs, and with the glacier in the background it was a
spectacular photo set. After I photographed the boat, Dave and
Annette got in the dingy to take a few photos. The sun was so
bright, they took a beach umbrella with them for shade, and
posed for some great photos among the icebergs. |
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| Last night, while in the
anchorage at the head of the bay the wind picked up enough that the
boat began shock loading the anchor chain and windlass. Funny thing
was, I was so exhausted that I never woke up, but everyone else did,
and since they got up to make sure we weren't dragging anchor we had
a safe night. As I have come to expect, everything on the boat is
working flawlessly. Today, we head for Fords Terror............. |
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| Annette: Wow! I was told
that Alaska was so beautiful that when one experiences it, it takes
some time for it all to sink in and become real enough to enjoy --they
were right! After a good night's sleep in the sweet little cove with
the bear who ignored us, we headed to Tracy arm. It was a good night's
sleep even though we had a squall in the night. It was dramatic, but
uneventful. I jumped to the "bear" conclusion with the first
few thumps, but we soon discovered it was what a storm is like on
Northern Exposure. Next day we started out early (for vacationers),
spent the day traveling the Tracy arm. It was so beautiful. It just
kept getting better. It was amazing. As we traveled past waterfalls
and mountains, the icebergs appeared. First just one, a magnificent
ice sculpture. Aqua blue. Then another and another until we were seeing
every possible shape and size, it felt like we were watching a parade
of ice sculpture floats. |
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It started to sprinkle, and the wind got colder.
Couldn't see the tops of the mountain peaks as the sky filled up with
gray clouds. We motored on in the rain, happy to just put more layers
on. Just when we were numbed up and used to it, we turned a corner
and were back in sunshine. We took off a layer, and set our gloves
out on the deck to dry. Didn't take long in the sun. |
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| When we got to the glacier,
we found ourselves standing and staring for some time before we could
put into words what we were experiencing. Awesome beauty. After you've
gotten to the speaking point looking at the glacier, turn around and
be amazed at the powerful mountains, with miles of pure snow, shear
rock walls straight to the calm water full of all varieties of icebergs,
as it catches the sunlight I do not believe it is possible to describe
what we saw, and I don't think a picture would do it justice. You
have to see it. |
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 It
is now Wednesday morning and Dave is making omelets. We are back in
our cove. The bear left, but Jeff alerted us all to a whale siting
this morning! Very exciting for me as I've made many attempts, but
had not had a siting of a live whale in the wild until today. This
has all been way beyond my expectations.
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| Well, Dave is asking me
to stop typing and help with breakfast, so I'll wrap up. Today we
are going to take the dingy to shore and do some hiking!! Yay. Will
feel good. Kathy is checking the tides, so we can plan when we will
take off for our ultimate destination --Ford's Terror. Hard to imagine
anything more beautiful and amazing than what we've seen, but Jeff
just smiles and says, "Just you wait!" |
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| Dave: Yes,
yes, yes, I can only concur, Tracy arm and the north and south Sawyer
glaciers are truly magnificent! We could not get as close as we wanted
to due to the berg population but what we did see was spectacular.
Annette and I set out on a mission to cool off the champagne on a
local iceberg and due to the intense sun, an umbrella of contrasting
color was required. We returned later that day and after yet another
great meal, slept and consumed a now well respected meal of my famous
omelets. After that, we set the engine on the dingy and went on a
recognicense mission to shore just to see what was there and to stretch
our sea legs. After packing ourselves with a VHF radio, bear bells
spray, Annette and I decided to crawl up into the woods in search
of nothing in particular. We soon found ourselves hiking on an incredible
moss-covered trail just inches from a steep rocky precipe. |
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| It didn't take long to figure
out that we were indeed following a bear trail. After "reconning"
to the beach I let Annette know that further down the trail we were
on I saw what, if I were a bear, would have been a most excellent
home just off the trail. It looked as though whomever lived there
was going in and out on a quite regular basis. Just to be on the safe
side, I decided to get the heck out of dodge even though Annette was
ringing the bear bells more than Santa probably did during his whole
career. We then proceeded to collect enough muscles for appetizers
for Jeff and I. Due to the tide situation we decided to anchor just
west of Sumdum Island in Sanford Cove on our way to Endicott arm.
We will be leaving very early (7:30am) in order to make it to the
entrance to Fords Terror on the high slack at 1030am. I can only say
that once again, Jeff has proven to take his friends to places on
the earth that most people don't even know exist let alone dream about. |
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Annette: The hike was wonderful. Very exhilarating
and challenging. Beautiful dense lush forest. Another great
day. Dave and I collected some muscles off the beach, and he
cooked them up for he and Jeff. Kathy and I watched. Having
fun looking forward to Ford's Terror. |
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Kathy: Just
another typical kind of extraordinary day seeing places I would never
have imagined myself being. Tracy Arm was beyond my expectations.
What beauty and wonder from waterfalls to icy glaciers. I was very
apprehensive to get to close to the glaciers, I have read so much
about the dangers, but we stayed at a safe enough distance and I am
here typing this notation. All is well! Smiles! After all that great
input, today we just kicked it and stayed at anchorage till time to
move to our pre-Fords Terror waiting cove. Annette and Dave wanted
to go for a hike above the beach where Mr. Bear was grubbing it up
two nights before and they enjoyed the lush forest hike and collected
muscles for appetizers. They smelled great or maybe it was the garlic
and butter aroma, however I passed Walked on the beach to look for
a good walking stick to carve on and found one I like for now. I have
already experienced the calming affect of knife to wood for a while
before heading back to the boat. Ashore tonight is not going to happen
but I sense an interesting feeling to this cove. More beauty! |
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5-18-2001 Jeff: Yesterday,
we entered Fords Terror after spending the night nearby waiting
for the morning slack tide. Just ahead of us, a shallow draft
powerboat ran the entrance, but I had a hard time finding the
channel, and avoiding an uncharted rock in the center that is
only visible at low tide. Last year, I made a drawing, showing
a range that would keep us clear of the rock, but one end of
the range was a waterfall that was dry at the moment, so I had
a hard time remembering just where it was. After a couple of
attempts though, we were in, and as usual, it was truly worth
the effort. |
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| There is a common
reaction that people have when entering this area, that of stunned
silence, and wide-open mouths. The raw beauty of the shear,
sculpted cliffs, magnificent waterfalls cascading down thousands
of feet to the sea, a narrow fjord surrounded by tall snow covered
peaks with the occasional mountain goat clinging to the cliff
sides, or bears foraging on the shore, all defy description.
Those that are seeing this magnificent area for the first time
are usually so stunned that no words are spoken for extended
periods of time while the scenery unfolds. There is a mystical
feeling in this wonderland that requires one to spend hours
just staring at the raw naked beauty. Later in the day, we anchored
at the end of the fjord in the company of the other boat. The
anchorage is small, with a steep bottom and poor holding ground
at the base of a huge waterfall. After a couple of tries, we
had the hook down in 50ft, and had what seemed to be a fair
hold on the bottom. The weather was typical, consisting of periods
of beautiful sunshine, alternating with rain, fog and wind. |
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After lunch we launched the
dingy and sent a party ashore to scout for bears, and to climb the
waterfall. While they were looking for a way up the waterfall, they
came across a large clump of steaming bear shit, causing them to reconsider
the route, knowing that Mr. grumpy bear was quite nearby. Meanwhile,
those of us with enough sense to stay in a boat took the dinghy for
a ride down the beautiful bay. When we were about half way across,
a big squall came roaring down the canyon, with rain and strong winds,
known locally as a "Williwaw" |
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Not wanting to get
soaked, I turned down wind and headed back to the boat. As we
got closer, the wind increased, as did the waves. I was now
concerned the boat may begin to drag the anchor, and increased
the speed of the dinghy to maximum to get back as quickly as
possible. Once we arrived at the boat, it was obvious that we
were much closer to the shore than before, so I immediately
started the engine to reduce the strain on the anchor, but when
I put it in gear, I discovered that we were hard aground. By
this time, the shore party had seen what was happening and had
made their way down to the beach, but could only watch. Once
I determined that we were aground, I raced to pick them up,
and in the process we all got totally soaked in the large swells.
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| Once back aboard, Dave and I began
trying to pull the boat off the mud by racing the engine in
forward while pulling on the anchor with the windlass. After
several minutes, the bow began coming around, and suddenly we
were off. Not so lucky were our neighbors, who were hard aground,
having suffered the same fate. They were off somewhere in their
dinghy, and had no idea. There was nothing we could do for them,
so we proceeded to re-anchor. This time we let the anchor go
in about 80ft of water, and put out 400ft of chain and rode.
To be doubly safe, we also put out a second anchor at a 45deg
angle. The only question now is, can we get them back? After
being totally out of the water, our neighbors finally got re-floated
several hours later as the tide came back in and decided to
try to head home. I knew they would be back though, since there
is no way out except at slack tide, as they must have discovered,
since they returned a couple hours later. This morning, the
sun is out, the day is spectacular. Darn the luck, but I'm glad
it's us that gets to see it. |
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Annette: What a glorious morning! Today is my birthday!
Best birthday ever! I could never have imagined that I would see
such sites in all my life, much less all in one place. When I stepped
out of the boat this morning to witness the sun and mist dancing
over the mountain tops, I had the sensation of surprise that it
was all still here --confirming that it is real. Yesterday we came
into Ford's Terror! This is everything Jeff promised and more. So
completely amazing, it just does not seem real. It seems like heaven.
We've taken a ridiculous amount of pictures, and are trying to put
into words here, but really, there are no words for this stunning
beauty. Later in the evening Dave, Jeff and Cathy gave me a little
surprise birthday party. We were tied up to a dock at Taku Harbor.
Jeff gave me a most amazing gift - a hummingbird that was so completely
preserved it was as if it had just landed and became frozen in time.
It is beautiful! I had a "bagel cake" complete with candles
and peanut butter! Jeff had also made some really nice 8 1/2 x 11
prints from his computer of Dave and I as we left Juno and he embellished
it to include birthday balloons and "Happy Birthday".
What more could you ask miles from nowhere and surrounded by indescribable
beauty?! It was great!
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Dave: It's
hard for me to really explain what I have experienced in Fords Terror.
To have seen such magnificent beauty humbles, amazes and inspires
me all at the same time. There truly are no words. I will be back
here whether physically or spiritually. I am destined to come back.
The shear rock cliffs with cornices of pure white snow balanced with
the intense greens all reflected in the glacial green water creates
a feeling of overwhelming well being, almost as though you know you
belong here yet you also know that the fact that because no one does,
makes it so incredibly special. Not many soles have laid their eyes
upon this beauty. I promised Annette that I would be taking her somewhere
special for her 37th birthday but, wow, I had no idea.....waterfalls,
ferns, cliffs, mtn. goats, bears, eagles, simply overwhelming!
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5-19-01, Capt Jeff: Last night we tied up at Taku.
Around dinnertime, a whale surfaced just yards from the boat,
and put on a great show. Tonight will be Annette's last night,
but Dave will stay another couple of days. While back in Juneau
I expect to put the boat on the grid for some maintenance, then
take off for parts un-known. |
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Annette: This
morning we had to say good-bye to Ford's Terror, and I was surprised
how hard it was. I managed to get pretty attached to that special
place in a very short time. Dave and I plan to return. I am sure we
will. The trip back up the passage was fun. We had intermittent squallage
with sudden patches of sunnage. A school of dolphins (which before
we called Dahl porpoises, and now have been corrected to White-sided
dolphins) followed the boat for almost 2 hours. It was amazing. There
were 4 or 5 at a time leaping at the bow, and along side the boat.
We were wondering if they stayed longer because we were under sail
today instead of motoring. It was a special treat to have them show
up the way they did. We had just raised the sails and I was "on
watch" at the bow, imagining what it would be like to spot a
whale up close. I was caught by surprise when suddenly a "swoosh"
noise came right up under me and it was the first of the dolphin gang
at the surface taking a quick gasp of air as he darted and jumped
in front of the boat. I thought he must have known that if he came
up at that moment I would squeal. Was most fun. We sailed all the
way back to Juneau. It only took a few minutes to realize we really
were too tired to go into town for our victory return celebration
dinner. The perfect solution --Pizza Delivery! Tomorrow we will take
a hike and showers and I will fly home. Feels like a lot more than
a week has passed. Has just been wonderful. |
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Dave: 15 knots, all sails full and bye, wing on wing
she was, porpoises on all rails. It was all we could do to contain
our emotions for this was the return journey back to the reality
we left behind in what seemed oh so long ago. So there we were don't
cha know, it was a blowin' on our port quarter, the mud flats of
Juneau were dead on our bow and we were a trollin' for all we were
worth to catch food for our next meal. In these here parts that
could mean the difference between survivin' and total perish. Well,
shortly thereafter we found ourselves securely tied up in Harris
Harbor eating pizza and contemplating our next adventure. Annette
leaves tomorrow to start her "re-entry" into society but
I have three more days before I must face that undesirable reality.
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Dave: Jeff and I took a hike up to the old mining
museum and hit the trail up to Ebens Falls on Gold Creek Trail.
It was an awesome hike. We saw three really cool "snowlanches".
Ebens Falls were beautiful! We hiked about 5 miles total --a nice change.
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| Design:
Annette
Williams Photos: Jeff Coult |
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