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where is gmack now? innersea discoveries expedition week 10

It has been an exciting week on the InnerSea Discoveries Expedition Click Links Below to read daily updates from Week 10 of the Trip:

July 2 - July 9, 2011

 

Saturday | July 2

TURNOVER DAY = SWABBING THE DECKS

Sunday | July 3

GLACIER CALVING, SEALS & WHALES

Monday | July 4

HAPPY 4^TH OF JULY, EVERYBODY!

Tuesday | July 5

MOOSE PELLETS

Wednesday | July 6

CHIEF SHAKES LODGE

Thursday |July 7

SNORKELING AND BANJO PLAYING

Friday | July 8

CLAM-EATING BEAR

Saturday | July 9

“WE NEED THE GREGgle APP!”

 

 

Saturday | June 25th

We lift anchor at 0600 and motor a few nautical miles to Ketchikan for disembarkation at 0830. We bid a fond farewell to our old friends and shipmates. It has been a week-long voyage but when we recollect all of the memories, it seems as if we were together for a much longer period of time. We have experienced so much with all of our senses.

After a long and hard push to clean the ship from top to bottom, we wait for our new passenger friends and shipmates to board the M/V Wilderness Discoverer at 1630 hours.

All of us take turns to show guests to their cabins. We meet folks in the lounge for appetizers and “welcome aboard” drinks.

The captain, expedition leader, chief engineer and hotel manager each give a brief introduction to ship-living. We are on our way north up and around Prince of Wales Island.

This evening several of our guest passengers assemble in the lounge and play music. Friends are made rapidly and much merriment ensues.There are suggestions that our company buy some instruments for the vessels night entertainment, such as a Latin percussion box drum and a mid-level guitar, such as a Yamaha or “Ibanez”. Why not add tambourines, shakers with rice, recorders, etc?

Too much fun at night might lead to some weary adventure-seekers during the daytime, so let’s get some rest!

 

Thursday | June 16

Red Bluff Bay

Snorkeling Expedition and Cruising for Marine Mammals

An early morning scout in a small boat to the entrance to Red Bluff proves fruitful.  I find two excellent sites to lead my group of snorkelers.  What I look for in a site is an area where tremendous amounts of water cycles by during the ebb and flow of tide-waters.  This is found at the entrance to bays and headlands in larger channels.  One of the exposed rocky reefs is covered with the scrotum-like bodies of bright orange sea anemones.

Back in the ship I help the snorkelers get into their 6 mm wetsuits and ask them to carry boots, gloves, hood, snorkel, mask and fins into the waiting mono-hull. We head to the outside of the bay and land on a Caribbean-like small, white-sand beach! Starfish (not really fish, better to call them sea stars!) are everywhere, exposed by an extremely low tide.

I lead everyone across a small bay through thick kelp forests of Laminaria and Nereocystis to more sheer walls of intertidal goodness.  Every square inch is covered with moving and attached creatures vying for a niche in these biologically productive waters.  I’d have to say, of all the scuba diving and snorkeling I’ve the years in Alaska, this day has to top them all for pure fun.

On our way back to the ship, I ask our driver Jen to pull over toward the shore (where a patch of snow comes down close to waters edge) for a group photo.  Yes, we are all certifiably crazy.

We feel hypo-thermic and take the opportunity to become hyper-thermic in one of our two hot tubs at the stern of the 300-level deck.  Oh, the tingling sensations of capillary re-fill were numbing.

In the afternoon, we enjoy spotting several humpback whales, two of them “logging” at the surface for a mid-day nap.

Dozens of Steller’s Sea Lions swim toward our ship from a haul-out site on the Brothers Islands.  They are very playful and curious and we excited to snap a few pictures of these animals that are Federally listed as “threatened” with extinction.

Tuesday | May 31st

Everybody is excited as we enter a beautiful fiord named Patterson Bay, located on the southeast side of Baranof Island. It is a designated Wilderness Area right off of Chatham Strait. Everyone is on deck soaking in the scenery including the owner of the company Dan Blanchard. He leans on the rail in front of the bridge, telling us about his excitement on his first trip here while scouting this new itinerary we are presently embarking upon.

Sunday | May 29th

We motor through the wildlife-rich waters of Sea Otter Sound in the early morning. Our Wellness Instructor Leah offers one of her wonderful yoga sessions on the sunny Sun Deck to the delight of many of our guests.

We make it to El Capitan on Prince of Wales or POW Island in the late morning. Guests are shuttled to shore for one of the few dry landings of the entire summer. From there, a short walk across a logging road (over 2000 miles of logging roads exist on POW) to the U.S. Forest Service kiosk where 2 rangers await us with helmets and flashlights for our cave tour. But first, 367 steps uphill through a second-growth, and later an old-growth forest to the cave entrance.

I tell my group of spelunkers to be very careful in the cave and to watch out for the USD, the “unexpected and sudden deceleration”, i.e. bumping your head in the cave on the low ceiling!

On our way back to the ship, an unusual sight: Captain Marce pulls Chief Mate Kevin Martin around on an inflatable orca for a half-hour in the bay as part of his birthday celebration.

Lee our chef presents Kevin a huge ice-cream sandwich cookie to celebrate while Kevin warms back-up in the hot tub.

We motor south along El Capitan Passage and pay a visit to the floating dock of Michael and Kathy Sheets, of Alaska Gold Oysters, LLC. They give us an informative and delectable tour of their oyster farm. Located on a floating pier in a tucked away island cove on the west side of Prince of Wales Island, the tour is a big success with our guests as we all got to eat plenty of raw and delicious oysters.

They talk about their operations and permit with Alaska Department of Fish and Game. I ask about harmful algal blooms (HAB’s) and how often they occur. Apparently not too often. HAB’s are events where dangerous levels of plankton such as Pseudo-ntizschia release a toxin called domoic acid in the bodies of filter feeding animals such as mussels. The toxin can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning or PSP in people that eat contaminated bivalves.

Private business associations work in partnership with scientists and managers that monitor and study blooms of toxic algae that harm resources. Tests of plankton in waters are sent to labs and results determine when it is safe to harvest and eat shellfish.

Laurie, one of our expedition guides, finds an MIB, or a “message in a bottle” floating in the sea on her afternoon kayak. She is very excited to read the note that offers a free cup of coffee in the town of Craig, just a few miles away from Klawock. We calculated that the bottle had been at sea for two weeks and covered less than 20 miles!

Where is gMack Now? | Meet the Crew

InnerSea Discoveries has the finest crew around, this is what makes every trip such a wonderful experience. The crew consists of  the finest chefs, most knowledgeable crewmembers, experienced expedition leaders and leading naturalists.

Please visit www.InnerSeaDiscoveries.com to book your next trip. It will be an experience you will cherish for a lifetime.

Let's take a look at the Land & Sea Crew gMack is traveling with...

The Wilderness Discoverer

Captain "Marce" Branniff CAPTAIN Wilderness Discoverer Wild places of the world—those thoughts became ever more prevalent as Captain Marce pursued a degree in environmental geography at Clark University in Massachusetts. The ability to travel, experience different cultures and destinations is a geographer’s dream job. Unsurprisingly, when the opportunity to join a small ship traveling to remote places arose more than 15 years ago—conducting oceanographic and hydrographic research in the South Pacific, Southern Ocean, and east coast between BVI and New England—she climbed aboard and without looking back began a seagoing career. Marce also worked on salmon habitat restoration for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Washington, prompting an invitation to become an honorary member of the Yakima Indian Nation. And during her career, she has received two USCG Public Service Commendations. Captain Marce is a natural explorer. Hiking the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine, a cross-country road trip on her Harley, and a bucket list that includes hiking the Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada is testament. You may find her sailing, deep in the woods with backpack and compass, reading tales of other’s adventures… or camped out at a poker table, and if you’re at the table too, be sure to bring your A game.   Laurie Cooper EXPEDITION GUIDE Wilderness Discoverer The best advice Laurie ever received, “live where you recreate.” She grew up in Columbia, Maryland, but following that advice brought her to where she now calls home—Southeast Alaska, specifically Douglas Island (across Gastineau channel from Juneau). Being able to share and explore the wonder of Southeast Alaska is her motivation and it never gets old. Laurie graduated from the University of Maryland – College Park with a degree in government and political science and is a certified Wilderness First Responder, CPR/AED. She spent 11 years working in nonprofit conservation focused on protecting wild places in the Tongass National Forest and prior to joining us, served as rainforest program director of the Alaska Wilderness League. A cake lover, biting into a slice of chocolate goodness can rank right up there with watching humpback whales breach for Laurie. But she does love the outdoors… trail running, snowboarding, kayaking, camping… anything outdoors. One of the most challenging and exhilarating things she’s ever done was learning to surf in Costa Rica. We’ll bet she has some bodacious stand-up paddle board moves to show you!   Kim Dahm EXPEDITION GUIDE Wilderness Discoverer Kim grew up in Lynnwood, Washington, but after joining our family—American Safari Cruises (sister brand to InnerSea Discoveries) as a steward during the summer of 2006—she fell in love with Alaska and a few years later decided to make Southcentral Alaska home. Since then, Kim has gotten to know a bit about Alaska. She graduated from Boise State University with a degree in exercise science & physiology and has continued her training with all sorts of certifications: Wilderness First Responder, CPR, AED, PADI Open Water Diver, and as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer. Staying true to her many skills, Kim once worked for a rafting company in Denali National Park, as a personal trainer at a fitness club, a trip leader and climbing instructor for a college outdoor program, and even tried her hand at bartending. Beautiful places, great people, and being active outdoors are the keys to loving her work. And as for playtime… that list includes yoga, art, knitting, camping, hiking, snowboarding, food, travel, and new adventures. She can’t wait to explore Southeast Alaska with you and calls herself lucky to call this work.  

gMack

      Greg McCormack EXPEDITION GUIDE Wilderness Discoverer Greg’s philosophy—if you want to stay young, make a habit of playing outside every day. For much of his adult life he’s lived on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula doing just that. He also spent a year living in the Peruvian Amazon. But at the age of five, while moving from New York City to New England with his family, Greg gained a fascination for the changing rural countryside, ultimately setting his career path. He attended University of California-San Diego and Humboldt State University, graduating with a major in biology life science teaching and minor in Spanish. Greg worked as an education specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Denali National Park ranger; and kayak expedition leader and river guide in Alaska. He’s an avid diver (with PADI Dive Master and Cold Water Diving certifications) and is dedicated to safe fun wilderness adventures. Favorite pastimes include kayaking, trail running, biking, studying maps, planning adventures, and physical challenges. Greg recently cycled 2,400 miles in 49 days from Canada to Mexico along the Sierra Cascades Bicycle Route and he completed a two-year, 17-country, 18,350-mile bicycle ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Lapatia Bay, Argentina (ask him about this journey’s special ending). His ambition… explore, discover, learn and share… after all, life is short.   Megan Nelson EXPEDITION GUIDE Wilderness Discoverer A barefoot loving well-heeled traveler—who worked, volunteered and backpacked her way through six continents and 49 US states—Megan grew up in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and today, calls Orem, Utah home. Megan has worked in conservation education for 15 years—at the Jane Goodall Institute in Tanzania and Washington, DC; Whale Camp on Grand Manan Island, Bay of Fundy; Sea Camp in the Florida Keys; and the Cincinnati Zoo. Her credentials include a Master of Science-Zoology from Brigham Young University and Wilderness First Responder certification. Her passion for conservation education is evident so having an outdoor office couldn’t be a better fit. And while she’s interested in everything from the smallest insects and plants to the biggest bears and whales, to her, the best thing about her job as expedition guide is being on the water every day and whale tails. A lifetime of experiences has influenced her path. Swimming with whale sharks in Tanzania, catching and tagging crocodiles in Botswana, and at age five coming face-to-face with a bull moose in Yellowstone National Park. The two stopped and stared at one another until she wandered back to her family. No one believed her until minutes later the moose rounded the corner—they haven’t doubted her wildlife sightings since!   Kristin Roth EXPEDITION GUIDE Wilderness Discoverer You’ve heard the old saying, “wherever I lay my hat...” well, “wherever her jeep takes her”—that’s where Kristin calls home. She grew up in New Jersey, has lived in Chile, and let us stress, loves to travel. Globetrotting for both work and play, Kristin has combed the planet exploring faraway places from North, Central and South America to Western Europe. She is a graduate of Villanova University with degrees in sociology and elementary education. Among her many accomplishments, Kristen holds a 100 Ton Near Coastal Master license, and certifications for Able Seaman, Wilderness First Responder, CPR, and K-8 teaching. Previous jobs she’s held range from naturalist guide to chief mate and outdoor education program coordinator to cook. Lucky for us our chefs are so awesome… she claims that’s why she joined our team! Kristin is also passionate about hiking, kayaking, biking, sailing, exploring (pretty much anything outside), good coffee and wine, and she has a fondness for dark chocolate. Rumor also has it that she has eleven toes (we think not), but perhaps that’s how she’s come so far. If you can go toe to toe with her, maybe you’ll learn her secret.  

Randall Tate

      Randall Tate EXPEDITION GUIDE Wilderness Discoverer Recently Randall’s been living nomadic-like in a camper, but he’s actually Minnesota grown from along the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth. And while he’s never lived on a boat before now, he’s definitely done some living. Living and working in incredible places with like-minded people who love the outdoors is a priority, but seeing people “get it” after experiencing nature in a way that changes their perspective is a reward. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with degrees in marketing and psychology, and his professional escapades range from rafting guide and photographer (phenomenal) to web developer, UPS driver and bellman. He’s also certified in STCW-95 Basic Safety (Standards of Training, Certification & Watchkeeping). Adventure and travel go hand-in-hand for him. He once drove a jeep from London to Mongolia (curious if it could drive the 9,000 miles on liquefied petroleum gas), ascended Denali National Park’s Mt. McKinley, and survived a three-day sandstorm in the Sahara Desert while driving a $500 Opel Corsa from London to Gambia. For Randall—who’s partially colorblind and makes a strong cup of coffee—finding photography subjects and capturing the action is his all-time favorite, but so is climbing, skiing, whitewater rafting, and home-brewing… just more adventure to him!   Ashley Lowe EXECUTIVE CHEF Wilderness Discoverer Growing up in a restaurant family in the High Sierras of California, food and entertaining became second nature to Ashley. There were attempts to stray from the family business by studying Art History in college, but she was quickly drawn back to her culinary roots and into the kitchen. After working in the fast-paced restaurants of San Francisco and running her own small, organic, sustainably-minded restaurant, she found it was—once again—time to push the reset button on life. It was kismet when Ashley discovered Southeast Alaska while working in Glacier Bay National Park. Having rediscovered her love of healthy foods, she’s now working on an advanced degree in nutrition at Bastyr University and looks forward to sharing the incredible bounty of the Pacific Northwest with you on board. If you don’t see Ashley in the galley, try looking in the water. She might just be swimming alongside the boat or poking around with a snorkel. And she also holds bragging rights for having recipes published in Sunset Magazine.   Kevin Martin CHIEF MATE Wilderness Discoverer Summers in Southeast Alaska—yes, Kevin enjoys each one more and more. And he’s quite at home navigating the waters flowing between the thousands of rainforest-cloaked islands in Southeast Alaska. With more than six years experience as an Expedition Leader for American Safari Cruises, sister brand to InnerSea Discoveries, Kevin played a crucial role in the development of the InnerSea Discoveries itineraries. As a naturalist, he’s explored the wilderness of Alaska, Mexico, Pacific Northwest, Florida, and Peruvian Amazon. The titles of photographer, care-giver for the elderly, banjo player, corner store meat cutter, and part-time pipe organ tuner can all be pegged on him too! Kevin’s talents run deep—Certified Interpretive Guide, business degree from Graceland University, and passions for composing music, picking a tune, and cooking delicious meals. And while he’s never competed in a professional sport or won accolades for his penmanship, he has adequately cooked seven-minute brownies in just over six minutes and is very excited to take you on a journey through the Tongass National Forest that you won’t soon forget.  

Beth Pike

      Beth Pike SECOND MATE Wilderness Discoverer Originally hailing from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Beth grew up on the water and has turned her love of the outdoors and the ocean into a career studying and sharing her passion for all things marine. She earned a master’s degree in coastal environmental management from Duke University and has an extensive background in marine mammals and ocean eco-systems. Having spent many years driving boats, working as a naturalist, and studying whales in Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, and along the East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest regions of the United States—Beth is a fountain of knowledge. Currently residing in Seattle, she spends her time playing sports—golf and racquetball being among her favorites—as well as hiking, sailing, exploring, and enjoying time with family and friends. Beth is excited to be returning to Alaska for a fourth summer and eager to share all of it… the way it is meant to be seen!  

Katie Wixom

      Katie Wixom RELIEF MATE Wilderness Discoverer Wilderness Adventurer Born in Blackfoot, Idaho and raised on a sheep ranch, Katie became a jack-of-all-trades at a young age. Her numerous childhood skills included navigating tractors across hay fields, shearing sheep, and driving teams of horses. While attending the University of Utah, Katie perfected her marksmanship skills as a member of the university’s women’s pistol team. She then relocated to the Pacific Northwest and stumbled into her career as a mariner. Following several years on passenger vessels and ocean going tugs, she recently graduated from Pacific Maritime Institute’s Workboat Mate program as their first female cadet. It should come as no surprise to hear Katie trained for the USA Olympic Team during college (missing by only 3 points), has won a sheep shearing contest, and been seen rappelling Seattle’s downtown high rises with a window squeegee in hand! Southeast Alaska holds a special place in her heart—so get your adventure on as we get underway! For Katie, sharing this amazing place might have you running a bear trail.  

Friday | May 13th

KRoth our E.L. wakes us all up at 0600 for an announcement that we have entered Alaska and that Dall Porpoise our riding our bow wave.

It is a spectacular morning with stunning scenery.  We do not have any kayak rangers with the Misty Fjord National Monument come out to greet us.  We go into Rudyerd Bay for some scenic cruising and go past Punchbowl and Owls Cliff and turn around.  Wanted to do our kayak operations but we have to postpone until after lunch and we’ll be doing that in Walker Cove.  I spot the first several Mountain Goats in more than 4 locations today and we spot a healthy black bear in the morning and a brown bear in the afternoon.

I give a geology talk on the top deck and ask Randall my roommate to give a glaciology talk with me.  It is very enjoyable since the day was warm and there was little breeze.  I use props such as different colored boots that represent accreted terrains and how the dock up against other terrains and make the geological story of the Coast Range very complicated.  We have the perfect background for the talk, being in the fjords with snow pack and avalanche gullies.

After lunch we have to cancel the kayak operations since the captain could not find a good anchorage and the winds were blowing a little too much for launching the kayaks from a moving ship platform.  Instead, Kevin the Chief Mate and I have a terrific time naturalizing together (he drove) along the shoreline after a 30-minute close viewing of the grizzly bear digging for clams.  I shot like 200 pictures and now have to do the sad job of deleting and selecting which ones are worth keeping.  I have so much coming back to me after almost a 3 year hiatus from my last time up in Alaska. Put a back of a sea star up against the back of a mans wrist and he feels the pincher organs called pedicillaria. Teach everyone all about the flora and the three different kinds of lichens and weathering (crustose, foliose and fructicose and chemical, biological and physical weathering, respectively).  Incredibly steep walls and lots of snowmelt.  See common mergansers, goldeneyes, raven, nw crow, hear hermit thrush, pigeon guillemot, marbled murrelet, belted kngisher.  Lots of Dall porpoise each time we were about to enter or depart an inlet.  Also had over half-dozen porpoise feeding right alongside two humpback whales at sunset.  Switched one hour back this morning/last nght.  Had antoher dinner outside on the top deck to soak up the scenery along with a staff meeting…usually three meetings a day.

Thursday | May 12th

I missed Klemtu…terrific last time with the Oceanus three years ago.  Captain Marce said she saw some Pacific white-sided dolphins at 3 a.m.  Today lots of rain squalls, most of them light rain followed by brief bursts of sunshine.  Lovely scenery that grows on you…endless mountains and glacial fjords, trees and waterfalls, eagles and inlets…. Right at the time that Lauri was to give a talk on the Tongass National Forest we arrived in Butedale.  Bosun was to take Randall out for pictures…Randall forgot his pics and I jumped on board to do a plankton tow with the net that Jacqui gave us for the season…another reason I really like her and wish we’d cross paths again soon.  We end up going over and talking to the two caretakers that have been on Prince of Wales island for a long time. Fun to see the dilapidated old cannery started in 1902 with a very cute stocky orange cat named “Tiger”.

We give them the very tasty breakfast burritos we had earlier and some of the fabulous bread that Lee cooks up for us every day.  Then we invite them onto the ship.  Bosun then drove Randall and I for some pictures of the waterfall and I do my plankton tow and put them in Petri dishes and have the passengers enjoy in the 20X and 40X of the stereoscopes. Ron gave a talk to the passengers for ½ hour or so and we said our goodbyes and it was fun to be a part of the dignitary group…reminded me of the chiefs of Ifaluk in the south pacific 3 years ago as well.  I feel I’ve reached a certain maturity and it is fun to be on the Bridge.  Before lunch, I grabbed the microphone and thanked the Captain, Chief Mate, Bosun, E.L. and Hotel Manager for their flexibility and for bringing us this serendipitous expedition stop and announced the new map on the wall that Randall and I put up, as we finished the previous one.

Beautiful rain squalls for more pictures and a project just before the rain of putting together all of our tents this morning going through all of our first aid kits and labeling items…. I gave a talk on the natural history of the 3 bear species in alaska and what to do around bears.  Entertaining and I also showed some slides of my program on the Great Bear Wilderness of the Kermode/spirit bear with some of my slides from Katmai.  Mentioned Timothy Treadwell from Grizzly Man.

Pass Prince Rupert at 11:30 and we will enter the State of Alaska soon after passing through the testy waters of Dixon Entrance, lasting 4 hours