Highlights: Hike into Seymour Cabin, lots of exploration of Oliver Inlet by kayak and dinghy, and LOTS of scenery and wildlife to photograph...
Moxie has been very adaptable in the month to date that we've "gone to shore" for her business, sometimes being challenged to find a swath of beach or a patch of grass, as many of the anchorages are steep-sided. And on occasion when staying in a city dock, finding a place to walk also has it's challenges. All of this probably explains Moxie's euphoria to have endless expanses of tall grass to "do her stuff" as depicted in the video, below. Ah, the little things in life that make a big difference...
Some people, mostly in the "Lower 48", may worry about having a "Bad Hair Day." In Alaska, having a "Bad Bear Day" is of much greater concern. Great posting at the trailhead...
An overview of the tram/walkway out to Seymour Cabin, and park info/history below that...
Ollie, Pam, Peggy, and Mark hiking along the tram/boardwalk. It is a very unique, almost eerie experience - notwithstanding being on the lookout for Brown Bear that are so prevalent on Admiralty Island...
Seymour Cabin can be reserved through Alaska State Parks if you are looking a for a most remote, tranquil setting surrounded by abundant wildlife...
Our flotilla-turned-land-lubbers for the morning...
Ollie, Glen, and Pam checking out the tram carts used for portaging supplies, kayaks, etc. to Seymour Cabin...
Glen harvest some local "pine needles" to try as a brew for tea. He reports that it was pretty good, with a nice citrus bouquet!
The tram is built like a small railroad, and build to last. Very impressive how much work into building this system in such a desolate and remote location...
Our very own Oliver ("Ollie") has his very own inlet named after him!
With huge tidal changes of more than 20' in height, we pulled the dinghies far up the beach while on our hike. Many hands make for light work bringing the dinghies back down to the water...
Peggy "hanging out" on Seaquel's recently-installed access ladder for the new hard top. The hard top has proved to be a difference-maker for us and our relatively large crew of four (including Moxie) for this multi-month journey. In addition to allowing for storage of multiple kayaks along with a Rocket Box for additional storage, we have been able to store empty diesel jugs, gas jugs, and even garbage and laundry in between stops for fuel or provisioning. Additionally, it provides a bit more protection in the rain, superior views without the superstructure framework of the previous bimini cover, and a nice raised platform for taking pictures. When we visit the warm waters of Desolation Sound, the hard top will also provide a great diving platform!
Oliver Inlet is an ideal waterway to explore by kayak or dinghy...
Glen had spotted a Brown Bear near here. When we came over to explore, we could see where the large bear had been laying in the tall grass...
Peggy has enjoyed having a piano aboard. Seaquel is no concert hall, this electronic keyboard just barely fits on the table and has proved pretty easy to have along...
Another good spot for crabbing, probably because the commercial crabbers cannot gain access into this narrow and shallow inlet...
Mark cleaning the crab by cracking the shell in half on the swim step railing. This instantly kills the crab, and you then pull apart the shell, pull out the lungs, swish each half-set of legs/pinchers/body in the salt water. Easy to clean the mess off the swim step by tossing a bucket of seawater to wash any remains overboard. Steam for 15 minutes, and a bountiful feast awaits...
The calm, protected waters of Oliver Inlet provide a smorgasbord of photographic opportunities. It speaks volumes that this little nook was not even on our radar when initially planning our itinerary, but rated high enough that we spent one of our few layover days here. The pictures speak for themselves...
Nice sequence of Bald Eagle taking off from its perch right on the beach near our dinghies...
Moxie doing what Moxie does best - just hanging out in the bow of the kayak taking in the sights...
Another Bald Eagle sequence, shot from the kayak as we paddled past...
Sometimes the humans (and dog) are the ones being watched by the wildlife...
We are very near Pack Creek Bear Observatory where later in the week some of us will fly from Juneau to spend time with the Brown Bears. This floatplane is likely one of those tours...
Low-flying Canadian Geese...
Peggy enjoying the views and some great exercise rowing the dinghy. A nice sequence of shots of the love of my life...
Peggy has followed me on many life journeys and adventures, beginning with our honeymoon 37 years ago when we traveled around the U.S. and Canada for over 2 months as newlyweds in my old Dodge Tradesman 100 Van that I converted into my ski-bum rig. Peggy joined me when I was a Free-lance writer/photographer for ski magazines to go Heli-Skiing and Cat-Skiing in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains. Peggy helped me renovate "Take Five", our previous 38' Motoryacht, and dared to take all five of our very young children, including Nicole with her special needs, to go boating - including our first month-long voyage into Desolation Sound a quarter-century ago. Peggy agreed to move to Anacortes as a leap of faith to retire close to the sea. But not many women would agree to take a 2.5 month voyage into Alaska, taking along a child with special needs as well as a dog, sharing a space not much bigger than a couple of phone booths. Words cannot express how much I appreciate all this and more that Peggy has done with and for me over the years. She is truly my better half. I've taken my own leap of faith for Peggy, learning to be a father and now a grandfather, and learning my faith along the way. She has given me so much more than I could ever give her. I am truly blessed to have the best wife, best partner, and best friend imaginable!
Glen doing what Glen enjoys best...
Mark with his "other" best friend and kayaking partner...
The peace and tranquility of Oliver Inlet will long be remembered and savored. Tomorrow, our pace will change as we hit the "big city" and shift gears for a week with Juneau as our base camp...
~Mark
Wow!!! What a trip. Awesome. Thanks for publishing such incredible photos.
ReplyDeleteMike