AK Cruising; Days 1-2

Actually not sure what day we are in.

Lets just say that for as aviation oriented as this group is, none of us are fond of the airlines. After countless delays, a few cancellations with several changing excuses, and more than a few downright lies, we got everyone to Valdez.

The only way it was going to work was for me to drive back to Anchorage, spend the night in the hotel room that Jim couldn’t use or cancel, and bring everyone (Roger, Claire and Jim) back to Valdez. When we got to Anchorage I told Earl to make himself at home and he did.

We finally gathered all concerned and got back to Valdez around 3am. We slept in, made a last grocery run and got underway. Here’s Stan at the Helm.

L to R: Stan, the system controls display, GPS display and Radar display.

Passing the AK Pipeline Terminal as we move to the right entering the narrows. Luckily, the commercial boats were between openings.

Then it was past the opening to the Gulf and on into the north Prince William Sound.

We dodged a few small icebergs and settled into a small cove with a nice waterfall for the night. I don’t think any salmon were climbing the fifty foot last free fall to the beach. I have been wrong about that before but two clues are the fact that there is no evidence of salmon pooling at the mouth of the river and no bears fishing there either.

We finally settled on anchoring by the other side of the bay where there was a tiny stream mouth. There we watched a black bear teaching her cub to fish. She even demonstrated how to steal a fish from a juvenile eagle. Dinner was finger food on the top deck (fly bridge ?) while we watched the momma black bear fish.

Otherwise, we had the cove to ourselves. 

Valerie trying to steal my dog.

Tomorrow is off to secure more glacier ice and maybe catch some seafood.

The weather is perfect for it.