Wow, it is nearly the end of January. While the Nordic Quest is riding out near zero temperatures in a Juneau harbor, I’m looking at\u00a0steady snow, wind\u00a0and rain here at home with not much change in the forecast for the next eight days.\u00a0 So it’s time to fire up the laptop and puruse some navigation charts for SE Alaska and the coastal waters of British Columbia.\u00a0 \u00a0Yeah, and probably check some 2011 blogs of fellow cruisers.\u00a0 Because for 2012 I am planning a week cruising between Juneau and Ketchikan and then bringing aboard a fresh crew to make\u00a0another fantastic trip down the Inland Passage to Anacortes.\u00a0 For 20 years I’ve been making notations on my charts – favorite anchorages, hot fishing or crabbing spots.\u00a0 Nowadays, its just the matter of\u00a0adding a new mark with a description.<\/p>\n
I’ve made the Inland Passage\u00a0trip several times and if I do it 30 times there will still be new places to explore and see.\u00a0 How many times have I passed Ohio Rock near Heikish Narrows and never detoured a short distance into Carter Bay to find the wreck of the SS Ohio itself.<\/p>\n
Last May on my trip north, I was in a hurry to catch a weather window for Dixon Entrance that I skipped a stop\u00a0at\u00a0Bishop Bay<\/a>\u00a0to enjoy the hot springs.\u00a0 Maybe I’ll have better luck this year.\u00a0 For several evenings now, I have been working out plans to visit several locations in the Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy<\/a>\u00a0region\u00a0– like Laredo Inlet and Gribbell Island.\u00a0 Maybe next fall we’ll post a picture of Ursus Americanus Kermodei, the Spirit Bear.\u00a0 Then maybe we won’t.\u00a0 I’ve heard of people searching for ten years and never seeing one.<\/p>\n A stop on all my trips is Lagoon Cove Marina<\/a> in the Broughtons and a visit with Bill and Jean Barber before they too head south for the winter.\u00a0 Last year we cooked up an elk roast and took it up to their evening sundowner event where we\u00a0snacked on\u00a0fresh shrimp and swapped stories.<\/p>\n Ah yes, on the Alaska side we’ll have to stop at the Anan Bear Observatory<\/a> south of Wrangell.\u00a0 There is always the possibility of a little excitement on the trail and at the observatory from all of the congregating black bear and\u00a0maybe some brown bear.\u00a0 Like the bears, I’ve got some great spots to fish the heck out of the silvers around Ketchikan, my old home town.<\/p>\n Thinking that Alaska in 2012 might just be the thing to do yourself?\u00a0 Well the Nordic Quest still has a few choice weeks for chartering in July or August.\u00a0 The last two weeks of June are one of my favorite times with its long days.\u00a0 Open the Charter page and click on the link to Nordic Tug Charters to check availability.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Wow, it is nearly the end of January. While the Nordic Quest is riding out near zero temperatures in a Juneau harbor, I’m looking at\u00a0steady snow, wind\u00a0and rain here at home with not much change in the forecast for the … Continue reading