Merry Christmas

It has been a couple of fun filled weeks from hunting trips to knitting parties and we don't seem to be slowing down any time soon. -

Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family out there.

Kodiak Island Cross Fox

It is still snowing.

It is still snowing.

It just keeps getting deeper and deeper! Will it ever stop?

It just keeps getting deeper and deeper! Will it ever stop?

Which pair of long underwear today!

Which pair of long underwear today!

The Real Deal!!

Don't believe what the weatherman tells you- see for yourself. It's a lot colder!!!

http://akharborobs.net/Kodiak/index.htm

Good morning Kodiak. Wind gusts to 90 Mph yesterday. Hold on!

Good morning Kodiak. Wind gusts to 90 Mph yesterday. Hold on!

Ermine

Heard the little pitter patter of feet this morning on our deck. Jim was able to capture these images when he was next door.

To fish or not to fish??

Sunday we decided Salmon for dinner would be nice however Mr. Bear decided the same thing and is now sitting exactly where we were standing seconds before. After retreating to the car, we waited hoping he would leave. He did, he came toward the car--biggest head I've ever seen. No Salmon for us!!!

We are the talk of the marina after adding glow in the dark fenders.

Kodiak Launch Complex

From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier

Kodiak Launch Comple was the nation’s first commercial spaceport not collocated on a federal range. Located about 44 road miles south of the city of Kodiak at Narrow Cape on Kodiak Island, the spaceport is state-of-the-industry. KLC is situated on 3,717 acres of state owned land.

Check out their website http://www.akaerospace.com/index.html

Something for everyone.

Something for everyone.

This message has been sent using the picture and Video service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, Quicktime@ 6.5 or higher is required.

Did not expect to see this!

Did not expect to see this!

Millions of fossils at Fossil Beach. Rocket launch down the road.

Millions of fossils at Fossil Beach. Rocket launch down the road.

You never know who you will run into on your morning walk.

You never know who you will run into on your morning walk.

Kodiak Rodeo and State Fair

My caricature dolls take Best in Show at the fair this weekend.

In Kodiak I now never leave the boat without my knitting needles, a fishing pole and a camera. You just never know which one you'll need.

(Hey, anyone recognized the other sailors in the photo?) I am on the left.

Fishing

River fishing for Silvers. So much fun. Thanks Jerry, for all your help!

You Just Never Know....

what you'll find!!



While walking down the dock yesterday we came across this fellow.

Local Forecast

Listening to the radio this morning we were given today's weather forecast.

rain

showers

numerous

isolated

scattered

spritzes

How many ways can you say WET????

Getting the feel of Kodiak and it's wildlife

The Emerald Isle 5,000 square mile Kodiak Archipelago is breathtakingly beautiful and wild. You are surrounded by wilderness abundant with wildlife. A day does not go by that we don't see some amazing sight. You can sit in the cockpit of your boat and view the bears as they forage for berries on the hill side above the marina.

Kodiak does not seem to have a town center, the shops are spread out over about a 6 mile run, and it can be difficult to tell the difference between someones home and a shop. There is a Safeway at the other end of the road from the marina and I have to say it is nice to see some regular prices again.

We bought a junker of a car and hope it gets us through the winter. (Right now we don't drive any further than we can walk back.)

The harbour is for fishing vessels and rarely gets yachts that stay-it is however a hub for cruising sailors and in the short time we have been here yachts from Sweden, France, New Zealand, England, Japan, Belgium and Holland have stopped to provision catch their breath and move on. Many of these boats will winter in Canada then plan to return to Alaska next spring because they need more time to see it all.

We are closing in on year three here ourselves and there is still so much more to see and do.

Summer 2011

Kenai Fjords, two of eight groaning, rumbling tide water glaciers in our anchorage.

Resurrection Bay breaching humpback.

Horned Puffin Gulf of Alaska.

Grocery store, Port Lions, Kodiak Island

The Kodiak "teen-ager" who took our fishing spot.

The 1000 pound, uninvited dinner guest, who within ten minutes, grabbed two eight pound Coho, and one 30 pound halibut, from under our boat while we were tied to the dock in the town of Kodiak.

Got Mail

We have a new address for the winter:

P.O. Box 2623

Kodiak, Ak 99615

And this is a small Kodiak bear!

And this is a small Kodiak bear!

He was fishing.

He was fishing.

Can you see the bear?

Can you see the bear?

A Kodiak welcome.

A Kodiak welcome.

Kodiak

Kodiak

Weather

The weather? Well, normally we are told the weather is nothing to brag about. Prince William Sound's weather is maritime which means "it rains a lot," creating North America's northern most rain forest. Our weather has been nothing short of amazing! While we have had rain, most of our days have been slight overcast with sun breaks. Temperatures ranging from the 40's to the 70's.

The Kenai Peninsula has been hot and sunny even while being surrounded by glaciers.

Leaving Port Chatham the skies were blue the sun was out and we were given a full view of the Alaskan Peninsula, spectacular!! Clear skies, volcanoes rising, the Barren Islands standing tall and jagged, 28 whale sightings and the smell of Shuyak Island not to mention the beam reach!! What a day.

So little time, so many choices?.

Since leaving Seward we have been on sensory overload. It was difficult to believe any land forms could be more dramatic and breathtaking than Prince William Sound, but as we soon discovered the Kenai Peninsula sure ups the anti.

Armed with cruising guides and local knowledge we have had to make some very hard decisions, so many anchorages, so little time. However so far we have been rewarded heavily: winds to sail, breaching humpbacks, Dall's Porpoise, otters, both sea and river, Mt. Goats, Puffins, Harbor Seals floating by on ice bergs, glaciers, glaciers, and more glaciers.

Our first stop out of Seward found us surrounded by tidal glaciers, eight in fact, stemming from mile-high Harding icefield. The water was a turquoise blue sprinkled with electric blue ice chunks. The background noise of the glaciers was never ending, reminding you of heavy traffic on I-5, the roar of the crashing ice, snow and running water, then a sudden and jarring loud rumble and boom as if there were a pile up on a highway.

Each anchorage that we have enjoyed has offered different views and perspectives of land and wildlife.

Today from the stern of CSJ I pulled in an eight pound true Cod. Yahoo!!!

Fresh dinner again.

Exploring Next…

At the tip of the Kenai Peninsula lies a land where the ice age still lingers. In Kenai Fjords, glaciers, earthquakes, and ocean storms are the architects. Ice worms, bears and whales make their home in this land of constant change.

Kenai Fjords National Park was established in 1980. The park covers an area of approximately 1,760 sq mi (4,600 km2) on the Kenai Peninsula in southcentral Alaska, near the town of Seward. The park contains the Harding Icefield, one of the largest ice fields in the United States. The park is named for the numerous fjords carved by glaciers moving down the mountains from the ice field. The field is the source of at least 38 glaciers, the largest of which is Bear Glacier.

Did You Know?
The Harding Icefield accumulates 400-800 inches of snow each year. It takes between 30-50 years for that snow to compress into glacial ice.

Fun day as a tourist

A Few Views

Resurrection Bay

Gulf of Alaska

Dead humpback calf, the Sea Life Center in Seward took our photos for research.

Barnes Cove, Prince William Sound

Olsen Bay, Prince William Sound

Cordova

Seward

Situated at the head of Resurrection Bay on the Kenai Peninsula, Seward is one of Alaska's oldest and most scenic communities. Known as the 'Gateway to Kenai Fjords National Park' Seward is a picturesque town located 126 miles south of Anchorage.
The bustling harbor and historic downtown district is filled with quaint shops and art galleries.

At 3,022 feet, towering Mt. Marathon provides a breathtaking backdrop for the town and becomes a focal point for the Fourth of July race up its slope which just happens to be the oldest mountain race in North America.. We will have a perfect view from the cockpit of Cape St. James. Behind Mt. Marathon and extending down the coast lies the Harding Icefield, measuring 35 by 20 miles.

Flowing from the Harding Icefield are many glaciers, eight of which are tidewater glaciers, calving icebergs into the sea, reaching the coastline between Seward and Homer.

The marina is well maintained and the folks here are friendly and welcoming. We have been given the keys to the local yacht club (unlimited HOT showers) offered cars to borrow as needed, given valuable information about the area from a couple who has cruised here for over 30 years.

The beauty so far-- even better than what we have seen and we are having a hard time believing it ourselves. Everyone just keeps saying" Wait till you see the Kenai Fiords!"

Seward marina

Seward marina

Hope this shows up well.

Hope this shows up well.

Seward

Seward

Almost to Seward

Almost to Seward

Elrington Passage

Fox Farm anchorage, our last stop in Prince William Sound, is a great anchorage for waiting out weather on route to Seward. It just happens to also be another little gem of nature. Waterfalls,rolling hills and Tufted puffins nest near by, hiking is an easy walk along the beach to a 100-foot saddle leading to a dramatic overlook of Latouche Passage and the Gulf of Alaska.

Like gambling you never know when you'll hit the nature/wildlife jackpot - like we did today, a full body breach just to starboard of C.S.J. from a humpback. Exciting!

Super Sized

Our first anchorage in Prince William Sound was Garden Cove, which derived it's name from garden Island, where Capt. Portlock in 1789 planted an experimental garden. This anchorage was surrounded by tall jagged snow covered peaks. With the sun shinning we were able to enjoy the outdoors and actually heard a mamma sea otter "sing" (for lack of better description) to her pup on her belly.

Olsen Bay was our next stop and one of my favorites. Olsen bay has four hanging valleys left by the Pleistocene Age glaciers, amazingly beautiful. A day did not go by that we didn't see brown bears. A sow with 3 cubs one of which was cream colored made were there every morning and evening, while other bears made periodic visits, it wasn't unusual to see 8 bears at once.

Sheep Bay was on the way to Cordova and another steeply surrounded bay with the mountains reaching down into the water. Sheep Bay was misnamed in 1897 because a USN commander believed he saw sheep instead of Mountain goats in the bay's highlands. With persistence and binos, Jim spotted several Mountain goats, once you knew what to look for they were easy to find and follow on their journey across the cracks in the mountain side.

On to Cordova the major fishing port in P.W.S. which can only be reached by water or air. This friendly town of about 2,500 has what every realtor is selling, location, location, location. Sitting at the base of majestically rising mountains it is breathtaking. Showers could be had for $5.00 for 10 minutes and laundry $5.00 a load- this seemed like a lot until I remembered we paid $45.00 US dollars for one load of laundry that was returned to me wet in French Polynesia.

Leaving Cordova turned out to be one of the most spectacular evenings ever. The skies were crystal clear not a cloud in sight! You could see mountain peaks all around the Sound and from at least 75 miles away you could see glaciers. The landscape just seemed to be punched out from the background. We continued on to Olsen Bay for a couple of nights and then we headed to Columbia Glacier.

From Columbia glacier we anchored in Passage Cove on Naked Island for a couple of days. Situated in the middle of P.W.S. Naked Island's wilderness offers 3 cell towers, go figure!

Having begun our trek in P.W.S. on the east, going north and now heading south and west our next anchorage is at present Barnes Cove on Knight Island. Early on this voyage the same adjectives kept coming up, spectacular, amazing, impressive, majestic, most beautiful, it just can't get any better? but somehow it does!!!

Barnes Cove is a pretty little cove surrounded by peaks, waterfalls and extensive tidal flats. Scanning the snow on the peaks with my binos was a long shot but just maybe?.and sure enough I saw a black bear trekking across the snow filed, what a thrill!!!!!

I wish I had the elegance of speech to really describe the beauty this land has to offer. What best describes Prince William Sound is everything here is "Super Sized".

Update

We are anchored off Naked Island in Prince William Sound, the area I worked my way through Architecture school in as a diver. The island has a cell tower on it, so I called Gary Wood, the Pactor Expert in California, and he said to clean my contacts at the antenna. I did and now it worked, but I am very suspicious because it all looked pretty clean. My ground to the keel bolt is more suspect in my mind, so if this isn't the solution I'll try cleaning that up. I am also grounded to the engine though, and that looks pristine.

We are leaving Naked Island for Knight Island tomorrow working our way down to the Southeast corner of the sound preparatory to departing for Seward around the first to the third of July. Frannie wants to be in Seward for the fourth of July. Two days ago we visited the Columbia Glacier but were unable to get very close because there is so much ice right now. Had to navigate for several hours through brash ice and growlers to get to our present anchorage. Saw the absolute bluest of blue ice ever. I think the light must have just been perfect.

So far this summer we've seen 8 mountain goats, 2 killer whales, 13 brown bears, 2 minke whales, 38 Sitka deer, 48 humpback whales, 1 black bear,1 river otter, too many eagles, sea otters, harbor porpoises, stellar sealions to count and our first three mosquitoes.

Anchorages along the way to

Anchorages along the way to Seward-the next town: Sheep Bay, Landlocked Bay, Disk Cove, Foxfarm Bay then Seward by July 4.

Elfin Cove to Prince William Sound

Prince William Sound

Thirty six hundred miles above the equator Prince William Sound straddles the 60th parallel and is farther north than Cape Horn is south.

Sheltered from the open Pacific by breakwaters of forty-five mile Montague and forty-mile Hinchinbrook/Hawkins islands Prince William Sound is a remarkably quiet body of water for its size. The absence of strong tidal currents in most areas, a 30% occurrence of calms and a 5 knot average wind velocity during the summer account for the Sound's general placidity, but remember Alaska is the land of extremes.

The Sound has a remarkable landscape. Thick stands of green conifers interspersed with alder patches and peat land bogs creep up mountainsides to give way to lush alpine meadows. Rising above the symphony of greens, rugged snow-capped peaks often draped with hanging glaciers. The scale here is almost unimaginable.

Prince William Sound comprises an area of 25,000 square miles; the intricate, glacially scored shoreline is 2,500 miles long- longer than the combined coast of Oregon and California. Settlements in the Sound include Whitter with a population of 300, Valdez, population 400, Cordova, 2,500 residents', Chenega Bay, population 35 and Tatitlek with 100 folks.

Gulf of Alaska

With a good forecast of gray,wet and cold but favorable winds after days of northwesterly's we were up at 0430 and left Elfin Cove at 0500. We passed Lituya Bay and Yakutat as the wind powered us along at speeds faster than our engine could carry us. We saw 2 Minke whales, 23 Humpback whales, 3 were in full body breaches, numerous Black Footed Albatrosses, Petrels, Fulmars and Shearwaters. We were treated to great views of massive glaciers, La Perousse and Brady both in the majestic Fairweather Range and arrived in beautiful Prince William Sound two and half days later with a Brown bear on the beach.

Headed out tomorrow.

Headed out tomorrow.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

Fuel dock Elfin Cove

Fuel dock Elfin Cove

Fuel dock Elfin Cove

Fuel dock Elfin Cove

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.

Elfin Cove

Elfin Cove

Headed into Glacier Bay.

Headed into Glacier Bay.

Fuel dock.

Fuel dock.

This message was sent using the Picture and Video Messaging service from Verizon Wireless!

To learn how you can snap pictures and capture videos with your wireless phone visit www.verizonwireless.com/picture.

Note: To play video messages sent to email, QuickTime� 6.5 or higher is required.