Terry’s Big Adventure - Yakutat, June 13 - 15, 2006
Most of my friends know the “v” word does not come up much in my conversation. That “v” word is – Vacation! It is my business to help others take and enjoy vacations but rarely do I act on my own advice. It was with the encouragement and permission of our Captain – Jean Marie Guillou – that I hopped off the Seven Seas Mariner for a quick trip to Yakutat. Granted it wasn’t a hammock under Tahitian palms or 48 hours of indulgence at The Golden Door, but it was a break.
After a glorious visit to Hubbard Glacier we sailed to the mouth of the bay where the Survey Point was waiting to come alongside the Mariner. Though the sea was relatively calm it is required to don a floatation belt to climb down the rope ladder onto the boat. If you have ever seen the ship’s pilot’s getting on or off the ship you know the pilot boat is running at equal speed with the ship in order to make the transfer. The ship slows down, the rope ladder is dropped and the necessary people climb up or down. Depending on how choppy the seas are or how large the swells this could have been the most exciting part of my adventure. But the weather was fine and we had no problems. It was the first time I had seen the ship sail away from me like that. As I watched the Mariner head in the opposite direction I felt like an abandoned seal pup floating away from its mother.
In Yakutat I stayed at The Blue Heron Inn, (http://www.johnlatham.com) a bed and breakfast run by John and Fran Latham. Nestled on a sheltered lagoon, I could not believe the location – the afternoon of my arrival the sun was out and the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains could be seen in all their glory from the inn’s great room. Eagles too many to count soared above the creek and a few days earlier a moose and her calf were seen grazing a few yards away. One of the reasons I wanted to see Yakutat now was the report of bear sightings in town. After dropping my things and asking Fran’s help in making arrangements for an over-flight of Hubbard Glacier for the following day, I joined two of the Southeast Alaska ship’s pilots waiting in town for “bear patrol.” We drove the four streets of Yakutat - all was quiet. We then drove out 30 miles on a gravel road to Harlequin Lake – a glacially created lake filled with HUGE beached icebergs. The lake and the bergs were unbelievably beautiful. My only regret was not being able to stand still long enough to enjoy the view – the mosquitoes and black flies were thick and love me, so I had to keep moving. We saw lots of fresh tracks but no bears.
After walking and hiking in the fresh air – I was ready for a hot shower and an early night. After 16 summers in Alaska one forgets that without those heavy dead-light curtains on the ship – it’s hard to sleep up here when it’s light at 11pm! Not wanting to appear a wimp; I darkened the room by folding an extra towel over the window and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning was bright and breezy, the mountains were out and it was glorious! Unlike cities that can be dehumanizing; a place like this makes me feel alive. For breakfast we had tender, homemade sourdough pancakes made from starter that Fran said came from Juneau and was over 80 years old. Within an hour the wind picked-up and the clouds blew in. The telephone rang – all flights were cancelled. Undaunted, I set out again on “bear patrol”, this time heading for the dump. En-route I saw a tiny, red squirrel; at the dump – unfortunately, nothing. We then drove to Ocean Cape and walked out to see the northernmost surfing beach in the world – yes, surfing! Not only do people come from all around the world to surf this beach, there is a surf shop! We found it in a residential neighborhood behind the owner’s home. We asked the owners of Icy Waves, Jack and Laura Endicott (www.icywaves.com), what their hours were and were told they were open whenever they were home! From there we went to Cannon Beach to see the old World War II cannon mounts. I also learned that the airstrip built by the military (which is now the city airport) was the longest in the world until just recently. Hearing this I had to go to the airport where I saw the smallest Alaska Airlines counter I have ever seen; en-route another red squirrel crossed the road, and I finished up the day with yet another stop at the dump – still no bears.
The last morning of my grand tour of Yakutat I made a final visit to the dump in hope of seeing at least one bear. Nitz. However admittedly, I did see a good-sized moose at a distance. So, Yakutat Wildlife Scorecard: Bears 0, Moose 1, Squirrels 2.
When I got back onboard, it felt like I had never left. Everything had happened so fast – it was hard to believe that hours before I was in the middle of untamed wilderness walking along a glacial lake gazing at a graveyard of silent icebergs with only the sound of the wind. I need to return.