Emerald Cove to Granite Bay

/

We arose to a beautiful day, with sunny skies and calm winds. The fleet was off at 9am for a long “tour” of various anchorages before ending up at Granite Bay. We (OceanFlyer and Telita) decided to take a slightly different and shorter route, but we still indulged in some good “snooping”.

The green of Emerald Cove

First we went to the right, to check out Gem anchorage (great if the weather allows the amazing view) and Jade Harbor. I was really hopeful that Jade would be a great anchorage to check out on our way back to Cordova in July, but it was choked with kelp and didn’t look that interesting to us.

Then we headed over to Growler Bay, only dodging a piece or two of glacier ice that floated into our path. The Jim’s Rest anchorage was glorious in the sun, with lovely open meadows to walk on backed by treed mountains. We were tempted to stop, but kept on going to the head of Growler, which was also nice, particularly the view of the valley.

From there, we went through Elder Passage, which was easier than it looks on the charts, and not too shallow as the tide was rising. Elder Bay itself was only so-so after Growler, so we headed out and turned directly for Granite Bay. Deception and Patos detoured to Long Bay before following us.

Perfect weather in Prince William Sound

Dream Catcher, the 5th boat in the flotilla, was several days behind us, having taken a look at Glacier Bay before heading out in to the Gulf of Alaska for the passage to Prince William Sound. They raised Brian on the radio today, informing him that they were now in the Sound, but had been holed up for several days in Yakutat due to bad weather. We were thankful we avoided all of that.

As we approached Granite Bay, we saw whales fluking, a mom and a calf. We watched for a while before proceeding into the Bay. Granite Bay is glorious, with bold cliffs and some cute grassy areas here and there. We anchored in 60’ of water, and invited Patos to raft alongside us. Telita anchored closer to the mouth of the bay, while Deception braved the narrows and rocks to enter the Granite Bay lagoon. (Of course, given our schedule the following morning, they had to depart the lagoon about 10:30pm rather than spend the night, or they’d be stuck due to low tide.)

We went on a dinghy excursion in to the lagoon while the girls from Patos borrowed our kayaks. Rich and Rowan from Deception were trying to climb some of the steep terrain, and we gladly left that to them, comfortable in our dinghy. The water in the lagoon was so clear, it was blue-ish almost like the Carribean in the shallow areas. On our way back to OceanFlyer, we could clearly see all the rocks and boulders Deception had snuck through to get into the lagoon.

Kayaking in Granite Bay

Emily enjoys the Bay

Afternoon exploring in the dinghy

The crew of Patos joined us for drinks and appetizers, and then Bob and I enjoyed a dinner of pork tacos. After dinner, we could see that the whales were still outside Granite Bay by the flukes and blows way in the distance, so we ran up in the dinghy to see what we could see. We watched a bit, but soon turned around and headed off to bed, happy to be snug in Granite Bay.




Landlocked Bay to Emerald Cove via the Columbia

/

We had another leisurely departure, it was nice out and and we actually tested out Bob’s porpoise-cam, putting the go pro on the boat hook and dropping it to water level at the bow. It was so funny, as Telita was watching us and wondering what we were doing to the poor porpoises.

We're rafter to Telita on the on our starboard side in Emerald Cove

Passing the distinctive spires of Tatitlek

It started to get very gloomy as we crossed the Valdez VTS area. We could see Deception and Patos on AIS, but then they disappeared. Turns out they were headed up to the Columbia Glacier despite ice and rain with low visibility.

Ok. So, the Columbia Glacier is to be the highlight of today’s passage. It is known as one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world and has been retreating since the 80’s. Named after Columbia University by the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899, it is  one of many glaciers in Prince William sound named after colleges. It’s a big one.

Telita works her way through the ice

You can see the glacier from afar, but when it first comes into sight you still have a long journey to go before you near the face. The ice field approaching the glacier extended into our path, but the ice was open enough for us to pick our way with care.

It is never a straight path to the glacier front. You move slow and try to pick a path where the ice seems small and the space between the bits is a least a boat width apart. It is not unusual to have to stop to a full stop, spin the boat in a new direction before continuing on.

Patos had turned back (not wanting to ding the boat’s gel coat or props), but  was a few miles ahead and encouraged us to keep coming. So we did.

The closer we approached, the colder it became. The wind was blowing off the glacier, adding to the chill. By the time we arrived near the face, I had donned my fleece, jacket, hat and fleece gloves. For me, the least enjoyable part of cruising to a glacier is that the helmsman must pay attention at all times. You cannot take your eye off the ice. So no pictures enroute (though Karen took several) and even when you look away to admire a berg passing by,  that’s always when you hear the thunk of ice hitting the hull.

You cannot avoid hitting ice. But you try to limit it to the small bits and on your own terms.

It took forever to get near the face (2 hours, actually), but eventually we stopped and all posed for pictures in front of Columbia. In fact, the difference between the location of the face as it was depicted on the most current charts and the actual face was dramatic. Our charts showed we had “traveled” over a mile out of the water and on the glacier!

Deception and OceanFlyer planning photo ops

Deception with the Columbia Glacier in the background

Brian, our fearless leader, poses with the "ice pusher" 

The crew of Telita bundled up in front of the Columbia Glacier

The perspective makes OceanFlyer look big in front of the Columbia Glacier. But we're still a 1/4 mile away.

OceanFlyer's crew, that us, poses for pictures

Columbia Glacier and its offspring surround us

With the photos “in the can”, including an otter giving Karen the stink eye as we went past, we reversed our route and began the equally long journey out of the ice field. One thing you count on is that the route you come in on will not be the route you use to exit. The ice is consistently shifting and moving. Opening and closing constantly.

The ice fields provide good "critter watching"

We give these big ones a wide berth

We were a bit tired on the way to Emerald Cove, our anchorage for the night, and we asked Deception if we could raft alongside as we were too lazy to anchor and there was a potluck tonight aboard Deception anyway. Telita made a similar request, so we were snug in a 3 boat raft, with Patos a short distance away. The rain became more persistent and we were glad to be enjoying the potluck on Deception to celebrate our first glacier face of the trip.

Easy to see why Emerald Cove got her name

Transporting the "pots" for pot luck tonight on Deception

Beartrap Bay to Landlocked Bay

/

We had a leisurely morning, with a plan for a 10:30 departure, so Telita could exit Bear Paw safely and then join us for our trip to Landlocked Bay.

Beartrap provided good holding and the anchor came up clean. That makes Karen happy.

Beartrap Bay mirror smooth

We got underway ahead of Telita so Bob could troll for salmon. I drove the boat slowly on one engine, and Bob caught a fish, but it decoupled from the hook before I could slow the boat enough.

We drifted for a while at the mouth of the bay, waiting for Telita and enjoying sunshine and more Dalls porpoise. Telita was slow to get going, but we later learned they had drained their start batteries by leaving the engine room vents on all night. Oops! Happens to all of us.

Port Gravina on the way to Beartrap Bay

Today was another journey of 35 miles. It took us about 4 hours, and was uneventful. The highlight of the trip was having Dalls Porpoise play in our bow two different times off Gravina Rocks (we got video!) and finding some cell coverage at Tatitlek on the way into Landlocked Bay.

The entrance was clear and not too stressful, narrow in one area but definitely manageable. We anchored off the waterfall (a small one) and asked Telita to come alongside. We had pasta and salad aboard Telita, and watched Lance’s favorite Aussie film “The Castle”, which was great fun. The weather was still a bit gloomy, so we all hit the sack about 10:30 to prepare for our trek tomorrow to Columbia Glacier.



Cordova to Beartrap Bay

/

We arose to a nicer day than yesterday’s wind and rain storm. It was a calm morning and we maneuvered out of our slip on G dock at about 9am without issue, despite the 3 rafted Bow Pickers right behind us. While most of the fishing fleet was snug in the harbor, there were still lots of comings and goings as we headed out, and the fuel dock was very busy.

Rounding the harbor entrance into the channel we passed the Northwestern, of Deadliest Catch fame, moored at the fish processing plant. She looks small when you picture her out in the Bering Sea fighting gales to harvest her limit.

The Northwestern of The Deadliest Catch fame

We later learned that in the non-crabbing season she contracts out to be a fish gathering boat in the sound. The smaller boats off-load their catch into her and then return to fishing. Once full, the Northwestern then takes her aggregated load to Cordova to offload and then goes back out and does it again. 

The weather is dead calm, and Karen drove most of the way while I did some boat chores and worked on pictures. We saw some sea otters and some Dalls porpoise, but they disappeared as soon as I went out to get a photo. While the sun is making an appearance in the open waters of Prince William Sound,  clouds started to settle down over the mountain tops as we rounded Gravina point.  So as we make our way into the fiords to our anchorage, I expect them to return to form a more gloomy sky.

Majestic Prince William Sound

As we made our way past Comfort Cove making 8 knots for Beartrap Bay, three Dalls Porpoise approached and began riding in our bow wave. We immediately went onto bow to take pictures, videos and to generally cavort with the Dalls.

Traveling companions play in our bow

They remained for what seemed a half hour but was probably half that. So long did they frolic at our bow that both Karen and I got a little bored and returned to the warmth of the cabin.

Telita had spent the night at Comfort Cove and was preceded us into Beartrap Bay. In fact, they arrived close to high tide, so that she had enough water to make it into the small cove at the head of Beartrap called Bear Paw Bay.

Beartrap has an easy but interesting entrance, and is gorgeous at the head, with steep mountains topped with craggy faces, as well as some treed mountains and a few waterfalls to boot. We passed a Bayliner headed out, probably back to Valdez. We hoped this meant that there would be no one in Beartrap besides Telita.

Our arrival a couple of hours later than Telita made the water in the approach to Bear Paw a little too skinny, so we were content to drop anchor at the head of Beartrap in about 22 feet of water. Even though the boats were less than a quarter mile apart, each was invisible to the other; so each crew felt as if they had the bay all to themselves.

The crew of Telita out exploring ion their dinghy

We explored the area around the island midway into Bear Trap Bay. Using the sounder on the dinghy, we looked for additional locations to anchor. Turns out there are lots of good candidates where you can tuck and drop the hook. We even found one shore where someone had installed a ring to facilitate securing a stern line. We enjoyed seeing some shallow caves and another waterfall.

What's in those caves?

Karen said, "I want to get closer"...So she got wet;)

Mother Nature did some sculpture in the rocks

Dinner was onboard; chicken stir-fry and wine. Dessert was aboard Telita: peach and apple crisp, courtesy of Alison aboard Telita and fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies from the oven of Karen.


Cordova - Lay Day

/

Today is scheduled to be a lay day in Cordova. We slept in until 7 and we both sat around in our jammies until 10. We helped Telita cast off from our port side at their announced time of 9am. They are off to go explore, and we’ll catch up to them tomorrow at Beartrap Bay. Watching Telita leave was fun, as the fishing fleet was filling up the fairways, and it was hard for them to find a gap to squeeze into!

Kathy from Telita tends to the lines after casting off from OceanFlyer

Telita gets a head start on the fleet

Around noon our stomachs managed to get us moving up to the Baja Taco. It’s a bus that Karen had read all about – funky but good.  Like all things in Cordova, it is humble in appearance but does serve a good fish taco. We sat for an hour after our lunch and used their free WiFi. This is our last opportunity for about three weeks to have any internet access.

While we were at Baja Taco, a front moved through with gusts up to 30+ knots. Notwithstanding the wind and rain, we walked up to town and spent about three hours waking around. We hit LFS for a Racor Fuel filter, visited the post office to mail a postcard home,  checked out the local sporting goods shop that looked like a Quonset Hut  for a halibut lure, went to Nichols grocery store for odds and ends, as well as True Value Hardware and a few other little shops along the way. I rewarded myself with a soft serve ice cream cone from the convenience store in town.

Baja Taco and internet access

If you make it to Cordova, stop in for some Alaska charm

Karen finds a Cordova slug 

Our big entertainment was watching the fishing fleet come in. The harbor is host to over three hundred “bow pickers”. A purpose-built design that features a shallow draft to be able to go up the nearby rivers in search of salmon. The name comes from the fact that the net is launched and retrieved over the bow. Karen called it the “Bow Picker Ballet”, as they came and went at warp speed, yet never hitting anything no matter how close a call it looked like from our vantage point. As the day progressed, we had 3 bow pickers rafted behind us and 4 rafted just in front of us. The harbormaster’s desire to leave some empty space on “G” dock now made sense!

The ubitiquitios bow picker

Bow picker out of the water shows the very shallow draft

Bow picker out of the water shows the very shallow draft

The "Old Harbor" is where the bow pickers berth

A reminder how much Mother Nature influences life in Alaska

The Old Harbor, bow pickers as far as the eye can see

From our spot on “G” dock,  we could also see the large “receiver” boats come into Trident Seafood’s dock to have their holds of salmon vacuumed out of the boat and into the plant. These boats receive the catch of the bow pickers during the openings, and then transport the large accumulated catch to harbor while the bow pickers return to fishing. They are big, long and fun to watch as they maneuver into tight spaces with aplomb.

Now every time I see the Trident Seafood logo on the salmon patties we buy at Costco, I picture this amazing operation.

A little social hour is scheduled at five today on Deception to welcome the wives of the crew on Patos and chat about tomorrow’s plans. Dinner will be freshly caught Copper River Salmon – Yum!