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| Friends of Wheely Willy | September 2010 |
The Healing Power of Alaska
15 Days of Natural Splendor |  |
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| Alaska Panhandle -- Inside Passage |  | |
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The Trip
2009 was a difficult year for me. If you are receiving this newsletter, you are a friend of mine and Wheely Willy. You know about the accident, my recovery and Willy passing away in December at a very old age. Many of you have wondered when I was going to: "come out of it, get over it, get on with it, quit crying about it, get another dog, get over myself." So, right now you might be asking, how did this lead me to Alaska?
For the last 20 years, all of my travels had revolved around appearances with Willy such as book signings, school and hospital appearances. His care, comfort, and attention were always my priority. My friend, Bob Carlton, asked where I would like to go now, just for myself. I had never been to Alaska or Hawaii. Bob said, "Alaska...Let's go!"
When we initially discussed going to Alaska, a cruise was the first thing to come to our minds. Soon after our decision, we met two former Alaska residents who turned us on to the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS) as an alternative to a conventional cruise. The AMHS runs ferries from Bellingham, Washington, through Prince Rupert, British Columbia and serves all major Alaska ports from Metlakatla on the Inside Passage through Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. Upon further investigation, we found a company, Alaska Ferry Adventures (www.akferry.com) that specializes in arranging tours using the AMHS as the primary mode of transportation. In all, the trip we embarked on had 7 ports of call where we were free to choose activities of our choice. Alaska Ferry Adventures handled all of the reservation details for all aspects of our travel such as hotels, activities, and other transportation; basically, they handled everything. |
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M/V Columbia
On August 6th we boarded our first vessel, the M/V Columbia, in Bellingham for the 36 hour run to Ketchikan, the first port of call. On the vessel, professional interpreters and naturalists employed by the U.S. Forest Service acquainted us with Alaska and its natural and cultural history with presentations describing marine life, birds, plants, local history, and ports of call. Our first interpreter, Costancia, a native Tlingit, who was well steeped in local lore and history, provided us with a real personal touch to the myriad of things we encountered along the way.
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Ketchikan
Ketchikan is also the first port of call for most of the cruise lines. The local economy is focused on providing for the 1,000+ passengers that embark from each of the cruise ships. We bypassed most of the "tourist" attractions and headed for locations where we could see Ketchikan's more "native" side. After a brisk 45 minute walk from the ferry terminal, we arrived at Creek Street where we saw spawning salmon for the very first time. The creek was filled, bank to bank with salmon, swimming upstream as part of the spawning ritual. The rigors of the upstream battle to answer the call of nature, was upsetting to me, to say the least. Many of the struggling fish impaled themselves on the rocks in the rushing water, and died in the process. When we reviewed our camera footage later, my voice could be heard, asking, "Why did God plan it this way?"
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| Ketchikan | | |
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| Wrangell | | |
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Bears
Wrangell was the beginning of the adventure. It's a small town, with a population of 1,500 only serviced by the AMHS, no cruise ships. We spent the day roaming the town, and checking into the Stikine Inn, a very comfortable accommodation. The next day, we went to the Anan Creek Bear Observatory, 35 miles SE of Wrangell, accessible only by boat or float plane. The jet boat ride was approximately one hour, giving us a spectacular view of the Stikine River up through the Bradfield Canal up to Anan Bay. After beaching the boat, we were led by guides, armed with a shotgun and bear pepper spay canisters (the size of a small fire extinguisher) to ensure our safety. We walked about a mile into the Tongass National Forest on an improved trail with wooden steps to the observatory platform. In addition to the main platform, we went into a camouflaged blind at the creek level to view the bears, REALLY up close. Anan Creek is unique in that both black and brown bears fish the river. On this day, the brown bears kept their distance but were visible further down Anan Lagoon. On the trail to the observatory our escorts had to halt our walk to let bears crossing our path, clear to a safe distance.
The black bears were in a cooperative mood, with many bears actively fishing in the stream at all times. Bear cubs were seen peeking out of the rocks above the stream, anxiously waiting for food from the mother bear. What a show the bears put on! Some bears were mouth grabbers, some used the paw swat technique and some used a combination of the two. No matter what technique was used, they were very efficient in collecting their meal from the rapidly flowing creek. We were amazed at what we saw, and we were less than 100 feet from the bears, with some curious ones approaching within a few feet of our platform. We were close enough to smell the bears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Upon leaving the observatory, we had to wait for a couple of bears to clear our path in order to safely return to the boat. Bob and I agreed that this experience was the highlight of our trip!
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Icebergs
The next day, we went up the Stikine River to where Shake's Lake enters the river. We could not cross Shake's Lake to Shake's Glacier because icebergs from the glacier calving blocked the lake's entrance. We actually got close enough to touch them. The shapes and colors of the icebergs were spellbinding. Along the river trip, we saw abundant wildlife. Both the bear observatory and river trip were made through Alaska Waters (www.alaskawaters.com ) a premier tour company in Wrangell.
The last day in Wrangell was spent walking to Shake's Island, viewing the totem poles and the Tlingit artifacts on the island. We boarded a ferry to Juneau going through the Wrangell Narrows, the ferry having to make 60 course changes in one hour, in order to navigate the treacherous waters.
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Gustavus
We left Juneau for Gustavus, a small city bordering Glacier Bay, in the morning. The flight itself was an adventure, the small six passenger plane offering an eventful experience. It was a short taxi to the end of the runway. There was a small, green hill at the far end of the strip. We hoped they added up the weights of all the passengers and luggage correctly and then the pilot gunned it, and we were off.
We cleared the hill with plenty to spare. The scenery was instantly dazzling, with blue water, green mountains splashed with white from the previous winter's snow and a cloudless blue sky. It was only a thirty five-minute flight, and the pilot took advantage of the clear, calm conditions to give us all the views that we could handle. The calm air allowed us to fly within mere feet of green mountain slopes and snow-patched summits. We cleared one last hilltop and then began a swift, banking descent towards the airport. After the smooth landing and debarking the plane, we were taken to the Glacier Bay Lodge overland by bus. After getting situated at the lodge, and before dinner, we decided to take a short walk on one of the many trails in the forest around the lodge. About a half of a mile into our walk, I looked down to see a huge pile of p...p, with lots of berries in it. I asked Bob if he thought that this might be bear scat. He agreed that is what it looked like. And then we saw the bear, up close and personal!!!!!!!! Two park rangers were in pursuit of the bear, who had become sort of a nuisance around the lodge. Unescorted walks were soon ended for the duration of our stay at the lodge. Adventurous - yes; courageous - somewhat; stupid - NO. Dinner at the lodge was Dungeness crab, freshly caught from Glacier Bay. |
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Glacier Bay
The next morning we left on a boat tour of Glacier Bay, one of the great natural beauty wonders of the world. The National Park Service provided a guide for the tour, who pointed out much of the wildlife we saw along the way. Harbor seals, sea otters, eagles, brown bears and other animals were seen in route to the face of the glacier. The glacier is a majestic site, continuously calving icebergs, small and large. While we were close to the glacier face, one relatively large iceberg calved from the glacier - the waves induced by the iceberg were felt, even though we were ½ mile from the glacier. One the way back to berth at the lodge, two humpback whales came within a 50 feet of the ship.
The flight back to Juneau was less eventful then the flight over. We went around the mountain, since the winds, fog, and rain closed the mountain pass to small plane traffic. |
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Juneau
The first day in Juneau we took the zip line tour with Alaska Canopy Adventures (www.alaskacanopy.com). I was terrified to try this for the first time. Again, luck was in our favor, good weather and the tour was unencumbered with other people as we were in Juneau between cruise ship arrivals. After a jet boat ride from Juneau to Douglas Island, we met our two guides. A unimog, an all-terrain vehicle, took us up the mountain. Our guides rigged us up with the heavy full body harnesses, zip rigs, gloves, and safety head gear. The equipment seemed to weigh as much as I do, so climbing up the stairway to the first station was our first real test. They gave us instruction in how to use the harness and gear and accompanied us on our trip. Not being rushed through the course allowed us to enjoy the splendid views the course had to offer. The tour was 10 stations long, with two suspended bridges, over a historic mining site and our guides had time to explain the features of the course. I had no sense of speed or danger, just an incredible mix of fun and beauty. The tour ended with a rappel down a rope from a tree. As with something new, our start was a little shaky, but by the end of the course we were seasoned veterans - an exhilarating experience!
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The afternoon was spent traveling to Mendenhall Glacier, a short bus ride from downtown Juneau. There are a number of well marked trails to view the spectacular panorama of the Mendenhall Glacier area. Our first walk was down to Steep Creek. Salmon were migrating up the creek and low and behold, there was a black bear seeking his lunch. He ambled down the stream after snagging a few fish, oblivious to his audience of onlookers. We took the trail down to Nugget Falls, a waterfall near the face of the Glacier. The fall plunges over 5 stories into the ice cold bay. Again, we enjoyed the atypical seasonal weather of blue skies and warmth.
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Sitka
We travelled from Juneau to Sitka on the M/V Kennecott, a large catamaran, through the Peril Straits, a narrow passage requiring deft handling of the ship. In Sitka, we went whale watching on a 27 foot, open decked boat - Sitka's Secrets (www.sitkasecret.com). We left the harbor on another beautiful, sunny afternoon, towards Saint Lazaria Island in search of the elusive humpback whale. After a few minutes of travel, a few whale spouts could be seen in the distance. Interesting, but not what we were after. All of sudden, the captain spotted two whales in front of the boat and they both made spectacular leaps out of the water. In the next few minutes, the waters around the boat were teeming with whales. The water we were in was rich in krill, the basic food of the humpback whale and they were taking advantage it. For the next 30 minutes, the waters were full of feeding, breaching whales; we were seeing spouts, flaying flukes, large dorsal fins and lumbering whale bodies in every direction. We had the rare opportunity to see a whale breach the surface and rise above the water one entire body length. After the large dosage of whale viewing, we proceeded closer to Saint Lazaria Island, a breeding haven for many pelagic sea birds. Our guide was well versed in the ornithology and provided us much insight into the lives of the puffins, murres and petrals among the many species we saw. Last stop on the return to the harbor was a small island near the harbor entrance where an eagle family resided. We saw the magnificent eagles swoop down and capture fish in their talons near the water surface.
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Back to Bellingham
We again boarded the M/V Columbia for the return trip to Bellingham departing from the dock at Sitka. The trip is complicated by the limitations
imposed because of the hazardous navigational obstructions and strong tidal currents in Sergius and Peril Straits. On this leg of the journey, we experienced the open seas for the first time, with 8-10 foot swells adding some rolling motion to our otherwise smooth trip. The many familiar and friendly faces of the crew made the trip even more enjoyable. The 2 ½ day journey was the perfect tonic after the eventful two weeks. One unpublished delight of the trip was the evening entertainment. The bartender on the Columbia is a guitar player who is a local favorite in the northwest and in Alaska. He has a standing invitation to all guitar players on board the ship, to play in jam sessions during the evening. He provides guitars and a sound system to anyone wishing to partake in the sessions. This filled our evenings at sea with fun and camaraderie.
We had time while coming to and from Alaska to relax, read at least 2 or 3 books each, and to talk, make friends, and finally to think about our 15 day escape from the demands of our day to day routines back at home. We met many local Alaskans that helped us avoid the well beaten paths, and to experience instead local color, in all of it's Alaskan splendor.
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| Some questions that I have been asked upon our return:
Did you do any fishing?
Answer: No, though I love to eat fish, I have no desire to kill one myself.
How are you now? Did your visit to Alaska help you to "get over yourself?"
Answer: Be patient with me. I am a work in progress. As I have advocated in my Willy presentations...Trying is everything. So I suppose that I will be my own friend, consider for myself the advice that I give to others, and keep stepping forward, until one day, I manage to build the bridge that will allow me to "get over myself".
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The People There were many people involved in setting up our trip and providing excellent guide and recreation services during our trip. First and foremost, Sandy Rollins (srollins@akferry.com) of Alaska Ferry Adventures (www.akferry.com) deserves a gracious thank you! She and her associates at Alaska Ferry Adventures provided the bookings and reservations for all the boat, hotel, recreation and other activities on the trip. Valuable pre-trip information as well as accommodating our last minute requests was greatly appreciated. Liz, the personable purser on the M/V Columbia was invaluable in assisting us in all aspects of travel on the vessel. She and the natural life interpreters, Costancia and Richard made the sailing trips very enjoyable. Jim and Wilma Leslie, along with guide Ivan Simonek (info@alaskawaters.com) of Alaska Waters (www.alaskawaters.com) were our guides (and protectors) into the Anan Bear Observatory and the trip up the Stikine River. Their knowledge and expertise made the trips comfortable and made you feel secure, no small feat around 700 pound bears. Kent Hall and Beverly Minn, (info@sitkasecret.com)a husband-and-wife team in Sitka, who own and operate Sitka Secrets (www.sitkasecrets.com), were up to the task of finding the whales in Sitka Sound. They really found whales as well as many of the other indigenous wildlife, along with providing us with expert knowledge of those animals. Kyle and Alex were our Zip Line instructors and guides taking us over the abandoned Treadwell Mine and Bullion Creek, assisting us in the 10 Zip line runs and treks over 2 suspension bridges. They were extremely friendly and cheerful all the while being professional and safety conscious the entire trip. We took a number of little side trips to many of the local sites of interest in each area we visited. In Sitka, we visited the Sitka National Historical Park, where we were treated to a tour of the Tlingit exhibit by Tom Graham, a Park Service interpreter who is a local Sitka Tlingit native whose knowledge and passion for the Tlingit culture demystified many of the Tlingit legends and lore in a way that very few could.
Along the way, we met a number of gracious and just plain nice, people with whom we could share our experiences. Lance and Betty, Ken and Melissa, Steve, Ann and their granddaughter, Alfred and Mary, John and Wendy, David and Linda, John and Janelle (and many more whose names escape us) were some of the people who we were fortunate enough to share our amazing experiences with. |
| Friends of Wheely Willy
PO Box 90993
Long Beach, California 90809-0993
(562) 685-8498
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