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Tuesday | July 5

“O’ Earth, What changes hast thou seen?” --Alfred Lord Tennyson

We offer several activities for guests, including paddle boarding, kayaking and a couple of different hikes, including all-day and half-day hikes. I co-lead a kayak along the lee side of Ruth Island and later a half-day hike up the Patterson River. There are lots of beautiful, verdant plants to point-out to my fellow adventure-seekers.

We see bunchberry dogwood, false lily-of-the-valley, skunk cabbage, salmonberry, several species of fungus and many other herbs, shrubs and trees.

 

Our hike is along ATV trails. We see evidence of old cabins and (hard-to-believe) some dung from cows! Apparently this is not part of Tongass National Forest. Our scatological discovery-of-the-day were moose pellets. I pick-up a hand-full and interpret the fascinating life history of this huge Cervid species: “The moose get quite large, males up to 1600 pounds and females up to 1300 pounds.”

“Moose are herbivorous, feeding on deciduous trees such as willow and birch. Moose will eat as much as 40 pounds of willow leaves in a day, enabling the growth of huge antlers.”

“Antlers are shed in the late fall, early winter. Males are solitary except for the rut. The rut is in the fall. This is when the testosterone in the males is at its peak. Males battle it out for access to females. Subordinate male bulls are sometimes referred to as “sneaker” males for sneaking into a harem while the dominant male is off fighting another male.”

We enjoy the riparian corridor adjacent to the Patterson River. It would take all day to follow the trail up to the Patterson Glacier.

Rumor has it that our company dropped-off several kayaks by helicopter on the lakeshore just a couple of miles from the face of the glacier. One group this summer has made it all the way up with the owner of the company leading the intrepid hikers. It was a strenuous adventure of over 10 miles.

Back aboard the WND, we traverse the famous Wrangell Narrows that separates Mitkof and Kupreanof Islands. Anchorage is just a few miles from Wrangell, which lies near the 17-mile wide delta of the mighty Stikine River.

Tuesday | June 21

Happy Summer Solstice, Everybody!

I am happy to be leading an all-day kayak trip with only 5 takers (hiking options are almost too good to pass up). We decide to circumnavigate Ruth Island in Thomas Bay. Thomas Bay is less than 15 miles northeast of Petersburg, Alaska.

The paddling affords one with the most serene moments. For me, kayaking is a primal urge. It’s very representative of the ineffable nature of time. The present moment is occupied with movement. Your eyes and paddle strokes look toward a nearby or distant future. You get into a pace and try and maintain speed and direction toward a waypoint. Behind you a wake is left, ripples on an endless sea. Your path has been etched upon the canvass of your ever-evolving soul.

 

Indeed, a paddling trip in the Alaskan Wilderness is a most enriching experience that will fill you with a youthful vigor that will last a long time. Memories are made with each paddle stroke because all of our senses are engaged. Our blood is transporting carbohydrates and oxygen to our thirsty tissues. We are keen on finding the perfect stroke and pace. Is there any outdoor sport more ideal than kayaking?

I give thanks for the Greenlander Inuit and the Aleuts for inventing the perfect craft 1000s’s of years ago.

We paddle in a counter-clockwise direction and have many highlights today.

We see Sitka black-tailed deer...

A Mink...

Not to mention a baby seal hauled out on rocks, moose scat, a bald eagles nest, family of merganser ducks, and fields of colorful flowers dancing in a breeze beneath a cerulean sky.

About half-way through our trip, I notice on my map a very narrow opening to what looks like a lake. It happens to be a marine lake that is accessible only at a high tide! However, we are not sure that we can make it through the very narrow passageway.

We paddle up and discover walls thick with mussels and a channel bottom covered with sea anemones.

We park the kayaks on a mud beach nearby and are able to walk at the high-tide line to the 500 meter long lake. The rainforest around it is very lush.

We name the lake “Silver” for our silver anniversary couple!

Back on the ship everyone is pumped-up from so many adventures to share with fellow shipmates. We lift anchor and motor past the town of Petersburg (population 3600) and enjoy the Summer Solstice sunset while transiting the Wrangell Narrows on our way to our anchorage near Wrangell.