Playing with New Toys: Rolling Session, June 14, 2018

Playing with a new knockoff Go Pro--pretty satisfied so far.  Aside from being a fun toy, thought it might be useful for diagnosing some persistent problems with my roll; unsurprisingly, the issue seems to be that I'm not keeping my head down!

June 10: Taiyasanka Inlet to Skagway (and back to Juneau)

Well prepared for Bears,
and wearing my home-sewn
storm cagoule at Taiyasanka

Up at 5:30 (early for me!) in order to have sufficient time to make it to Skagway for the afternoon ferry, which was due to leave at 3:30PM.

Everything was wet from the rainy, choppy paddle the day before, and the morning started out cold. Moved relatively efficiently to get out of camp, therefore, made more efficient by the fact that I had left the kitchen tarp up from dinner the night before.

On the water and paddling by 7:45, and pushed around Taiya Point and into Taiya Inlet by a slight Northerly breeze. Predicted Southerlies didn't pick up for an hour or two, but by the time I was halfway to Skagway, the wind was pushing me along nicely. The further North I got, the bigger the waves got, and I was able to make good use of them, surfing a bit when I could catch a wave. Of course, it rained the whole time, but riding the waves kept me warm (with the help of my home sewn storm cagoule, made out of an old tent fly).

Paddled by two docked cruise ships and into the Skagway small boat harbor around 11:45, at least and hour before I expected to be there. The small boat harbor is immediately adjacent to the ferry terminal, and a boat launch with a gentle gravel/grass grade on either side makes taking out easy. At high tide, a grassy slope to paddler's left of the launch leads almost directly into the ferry terminal parking lot, though this would be inaccessible (above rip rap) at lower tides.

Despite the wet, windy weather, scenery in upper Lynn Canal was superb.
Unfortunately, I packed my camera in a drybag on the morning of the 10th, so
instead, you get to see this pretty picture from Point St. Mary.

As I walked into the terminal, I was a little concerned that the ferry might be booked—almost never happens, but there was a lot of activity! Apparently, a road race was just finishing up next door, hence all the traffic. No problem getting a spot on the boat, so carried my gear and boat over, then walked up the street for a coffee and a buffalo chicken wrap at Glacier Smoothie. Then back to board, for the fast ferry to Juneau.

Riding the F/V Fairweather is a joy. It's a tragedy that the Alaska Marine Highway System seems to be phasing out these beautiful, fast, efficient boats. Absolute pernicious neglect by a legislature which is happy to spend federal and state dollars on road construction near Anchorage but is unable or unwilling to see the importance of the ferry system to residents of coastal communities. Though it does make me sad that the Fairweather doesn't serve greasy burgers and pancakes.

June 9: Anyaka Island to Taiyasanka Harbor

A little gloomy at Anyaka I.

After a chilly night in the wind on June 7-8, my warm, sheltered campsite on the 8th-9th made it hard for me to get out of my sleeping bag in the morning, making for a little bit of a late start. Probably just as well, since the 9th turned into a bit of a grind, contrasting with the two easy days on either side.

My crossing from Anyaka Island to Seduction Point on the Southern end of the Chilkat Peninsula went smoothly, though I was surprised by strong contrary tides to the East of Seduction Point an for several Miles to the North. In the early afternoon, I also started to feel a Northerly breeze that appeared to be blowing down the Katzehin drainage. Together, the current and wind made progress slow.

Looking a little goofy in my paddling cap

It was nearly 5 when I passed Haines, and I was cold. Unlike the previous day, the wind was matched with rain and fog, and the whole day was rather chilly.

Once past the Haines ferry terminal, I considered continuing into Taiya Inlet to look for a campsite, but changed my mind at the last minute, deciding that any site I found would likely be rocky and exposed to the wind. Probably a good decision.

Instead of continuing, I ducked into Taiyasanka Harbor, just West of the mouth of Taiya Inlet. The mouth of the harbor is protected by a narrow spit—a glacial moraine. There is good camping on both sides of the moraine. On the South side, a beach faces Haines, and on the North side (which I figured would be more protected), there is some beach camping and good access to the upland. I camped behind a large glacial erratic in a Spruce Stand about halfway up the spit. Actually, "spruce stand" is a little misleading, since the length of the spit is topped by spruce.

Turned out that this was a good decision; all the potential camping spots I had scoped out on the chart turned out to be marginal, at best, when I passed them the following day.

The view up Taiyasanka Inlet from the kitchen

Predictably, I noted no bear sign until after my tent was set up and I was cooking dinner, then noted a big pile of bear scat just beside my kitchen area.

No problems with bears though, of course. I imagine all the local bears are elsewhere, looking for berries and skunk cabbage or, more likely, scavenging at the Haines dump.

Breakfast burritos for dinner, then an early night, the better to be ready for an early morning the following day.

June 8: Point St. Mary to Anyaka Island

The venerable F/V LeConte, headed for Juneau

A speedy day, helped along by Southerly winds.

Launched mid-morning under overcast skies, and with a strong South wind already blowing. The cloud cover soon started to clear, and I had mostly blue skies all day.

Waves never really built beyond two feet or so, despite the wind.

View Southwest from my Anyaka I. campsite

The Chilkat mountains to the West were stunning, and equally striking was the Coastal Range, to the East.

Passed numerous potential campsites in this stretch; gravel and cobble beaches are common and upland campsites are almost as frequent.

My plan was to go 18 miles or so, keeping in the back of my mind that Kataguni Island, at around 22 miles, likely has good campsites above a number of gravel beaches. Made such good time, however, that I made it several miles further, to Anyaka Island, where I found a nice, Northwest-facing beach with a tight but comfortable upland tentsite in a stand of small Spruce trees. This site had good views to the North and West and was sheltered from the South wind.

Paddling to Skagway, June 7: Echo Cove to Point St. Mary

Glassy conditions paddling out of Echo Cove

After various and sundry travels in May, which I may blog about elsewhere, Emily and I returned to Juneau about two weeks ago, and after recovering from jet lag (hit me pretty hard this time coming back from Europe), got the idea in my head that it might be time to do the Juneau to Skagway paddle. Weather looks good for the next few days, and it will be a good shakedown for my more ambitious trip later this summer.

Emily dropped me off at Echo cove after work and a quick dinner; I had the idea that I would paddle just a few miles, perhaps to the mouth of Sawmill Creek, just out of Echo Cove, where I've camped before. I also believed there would be a camping spot at Point Mary, across the mouth of Berners Bay, which should be a pretty spot in the morning. I was on the water around 7:30 or 8, and near Sawmill Creek at around 8:45, which would have been a reasonable time to stop, but conditions were glassy, and paddling across Berners into the Sunset above the Chilkat Mountains was beautiful, so I kept going. The evening crossing reminded me a bit of the evening last year when Emily and I paddled across Behm Canal to Caamano Point (sp?) in the setting sun.

Paddling across Berners Bay in the sunset,
Chilkat range in the distance

Beach here is a little rough at high—bowling-ball sized cobbles and rocks, but it looks like it would be sand at lower tides. No water, but the view is superb. Beach camping wouldn't work, but camping in the trees is good.

There are a few rocks off shore here that are serving as a seal haul out, an I can hear them splashing around as I type this.